Topic: Chilli update

[Georgie]

I've got two Chillies ripening now on the variety which I thing is 'Thai Hot'.  (The plant looks a bit odd because I had to turn it sideways so you could see the fruits!) ;D

G x

[jennym]

That looks a nice healthy plant - have you tasted them yet?  :)

[Georgie]

No Jenny, they are not quite ripe yet.  I think I found the seed in a Chilli which had dropped off one of the plants in 'Sunflower Street'.   ;)  ;D

G x

[cornykev]

Do you keep all your  chilli plants indoors Georgie.  ???      ;D ;D ;D

[Georgie]

Hi Kev.  I keep two types - the yellow one and the Thai Hot - indoors: both have had ripe chillies.  Then I have Trifetti and Sicily outside.  They have plenty of fruits but none are ripe yet.

G x

[Barnowl]

My Chi Chien and Kung Pau are outdoors (having been over wintered indoors) and have just shown their first ripe chillies. The other 'outsiders' have fruited but not yet ripened and those still in the greenhouse are only just beginning to fruit.

[Georgie]

...and those still in the greenhouse are only just beginning to fruit.

Why do you think that is, Barnowl?  Are they simply a later flowering variety?  My indoors ones are always way ahead of those outside.

G x

[Barnowl]

Sorry, probably wasn't very clear: those that I over-wintered, all of which are outside, are ahead of the greenhouse ones.

Everything in the GH was started this year but in two phases about a month apart. There's not enough room to keep them all indoors, every surface is occupied.....
[attachment=1]

...so most of the ones from the first sowing also had to go outside because they were the first I could harden off. Some of them are ahead of the GH ones but only because they were sown earlier, and the GH ones are catching up.

So no real surprises  :)

I have noticed that those with their roots constrained by too small a pot flower earlier, but of course without the resources of a bigger pot the plants stay smaller and the fruit isn't what it should be.  On the other hand I find these are the best ones to cut back and pot on in the early Autumn for a better display at Christmas (bushier and more berries).

[littlebabybird]

I have noticed that those with their roots constrained by too small a pot flower earlier, but of course without the resources of a bigger pot the plants stay smaller and the fruit isn't what it should be.  On the other hand I find these are the best ones to cut back and pot on in the early Autumn for a better display at Christmas (bushier and more berries).

so october(?) time the ones that i didnt pot on, how far back do i cut them?
lbb

[Barnowl]

It depends to some extent on the plant's size. I would say leave about 4 or 5 inches of stem. This was taken in November after cutting back in October. 

[attachment=1]

You can see they start sprouting where the woody part of the stem starts to thin out.

[Crash]

Tell me more about "Over wintering" chillies. I haven't got a greenhouse but do have a conservatory/just dump it in there till we think about where to put it place. Can all chilli plants be over wintered? The last couple of years I've just composted the plants  :(

Might have to go back down t'lottie with the camera and show you my purple chillies.. I'm so proud of them!

[Crash]

Just to add... I thought I was being really clever with my 11 different types of chillies this year and carefully labeled evey plant.... I went back to them to see the water had got under the selotape and I've now no idea what's what  ??? I think I've only got one type of purple chillies so they should be easy enough to spot!

Next year I'll be using different coloured tape on the labels. 1 strip of red means xxx chillies etc.

[Barnowl]

This is a pretty comprehensive advice page on overwintering

http://www.thechileman.org/guide_overwinter.php

Due to time factors I've only grown a few more than 30 varieties this year (which is only about half of what I planned and about a third of my seed collection) - I blame work interfering with my gardening duties  :)

[Crash]

Cheers for that link Barnowl.

[allanwoolley]

Thanks Barnowl for the link on over-wintering chillies.   The conclusion of the piece was to use Pubescent varieties as the safest, but my Thomson & M. catalogue does not show which named varieties are of this species.   Can anyone help?

[Barnowl]

I don't know which of mine are which. All I can suggest is looking them up in the chilli database, but I wouldn't worry too much about it...

http://www.thechileman.org/search.php

Out of curiosity, I've just looked up ones I've over wintered and apparently they are all annuum - I suspect that the label given to all cultivars. They are all quite distinct from one another to look at (actually perhaps Twilight is a bit like the Bolivian)

Numex Twilight - Annuum
Apache - Annuum
Kung Pao - Annum
Fish - Annum
Bolivian - Annuum
Ciliega Piccante - Annum
Chi chien - Annuum
Orozco - Annuum

[Georgie]

Might have to go back down t'lottie with the camera and show you my purple chillies.. I'm so proud of them!

I just checked on my purple chillies (Trifetti) this evening.  Some have now turned green and others black so I guess it won't be long before they ripen to their final red.  They are tiny in comparison to other varieties I'm growing.  Anyone know how hot they are?

G x

[Crash]

Sorry still not been back with the camera.... Work doesn't half get in the way!

[Barnowl]

................  They are tiny in comparison to other varieties I'm growing.  Anyone know how hot they are?

G x

Very hot

[Georgie]

Very hot

Excellent.   ;D

G x