Topic: Overwintering -first try

[macmac]

I usually grow all my chillies from seed but this year I have 2 x Hot Tepin and a Scotch Bonnet which I would like to try and save.
They are in pots in an unheated greenhouse what's the best way to treat them ?

[chriscross1966]

Not totally sure but I'll be trying to save some of mine this year... the way I used to do Apache's was to cut them back and bring them into to somewhere frost free on a window sill.... so I'll be trying that with a couple of Tabasco's that didn't fruit (and are only just flowering now... grr) an Iranian Round a couple each Calabrese, Wenks Yellow hot, Jalapeno and Anaheim.

chrisc

[elhuerto]

There's some helpful links here http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,55548.0.html - I haven't bothered in the past but this year will give it a go with a couple of Satan's Kiss we have outside in the ground as others seem to have had success putting them in pots http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,45994.0.html and bringing them in.

Cheers

[macmac]

thanks folks,Lots of information in the links particularly the link to Chilliman.
I'm going to give it a go 'will post the results at a later date  :)

[Sally A]

I've pruned back 3 plants of Pretty in Purple that were sharing a 10 inch pot, they were early fruiters, and the outermost branches were dying back, but there's new leaf growth on the lower stems, so I cut back to those.

I've previously overwintered, the 2nd year plant isn't as pretty in form as a newly grown one, but the fruit is earlier.

You will need to keep them in the house overwinter, preferably in the sunniest spot available.

Went to a chilli meet up at Upton Cheyney a few weeks back, Matt Simpson of Simpsons Seeds (good choice of chillies on his website), had a plant (Hot Lemon or similar) on display that was 6 - 7 years old.

[Al Lotment]

I overwintered a single Ring of Fire chilli plant last year .... for the first time. I pruned it back hard, potted up and brought inside. It stayed green and grew slowly on an east facing windowsill. It flowered in about Feb time and my wife pollinated the flowers, they fruited early (3 chillis) and I planted out in the greenhosue in May.

The plant had a head start, flowered early (all over) and fruited early ... however it was only half the size of the plants I grew from seed early in the year ...... overall, it was an interesting experiment, they do overwinter, but I will not be bothering again, as it looked pretty weedy when compared to the new plants

hth  Simon

[Vinlander]

I had a similar experience with Habanero Arbol - it got overtaken by seedlings and didn't quite flower (neither did the seedlings though).

My overwintered Black Pearl had a very slight lead over the seedlings though, and maybe 50% extra fruit.

The only one that was way (way!) ahead of the seedlings was C.pubescens (manzano).

I'm hoping I can overwinter some C.baccatums this year - they are supposed to gain a good lead on the seedlings.

Cheers.