Indoor Chillies

[katynewbie]

 ???

Last years plant was really good and produced loads of fiery red chillies. Not sure which variety it is, label got lost somewhere. It was such a lovely plant I could not bear to part with it, and now there are loads of flowers on it! Am misting the flowers every now and again and hoping for the odd fruit.

Question is: Do these plants go on for more than one year? What should I do to encourage chillis?

Ta x

[katynewbie]

[Tinkie_Bear]

I have 5 of last years in the house, I belive that they are not naturally an annual but live for several years with a bit of luck, if you keep them warm and safe.  I think I have read that they will just have a big head start over this years seedlings but I don't know if you need to do anything special to them.

I am sure an expert chilli head will be along soon.

Helen x

[Biscombe]

They keep going for years! I let mine do their thing, then cut back, water less then spring comes along and off they go again!

[RosieMcPosie]

i let a couple of chillies dry on mine last year 'cos i thought they looked pretty and the whole plant died. was gutted :(

[delboy]

Why not plant the seeds?

[katynewbie]

 ;D

Yep Biscombe, that's just what I did. Haircut and now it's romping away!

[Suzanne]

Chillis in their normal lands are perennials I believe, its only because they are frost tender we grow them as annuals. I give my 1 plant a haricut each february and as long as i keep it potted and in good light it gives fruot. It is only an  "apache"  type I think whihc I bought from a garden centre a few years ago, but it loves the conservatory.

[Hyacinth]

Apache is my all-time fave!  I've always treated it as an annual, even tho I grow them in highly transportable pots :-[  I'll definitely bring a couple in and grow them on....ever assuming I can get the seeds to germinate this year..they seem to be taking forever :(

[Barnowl]

I've found Apache one of the best to overwinter - perhaps because it's small enough to go on the windowsill :) You get an even heavier crop the second year, but I haven't yet managed to get a third year. Think I cut them back too low in the second winter because they've died on me twice now -will try a higher cut on the stem next time.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

Jalapenos are annuals like bell peppers

[Barnowl]

Jalapenos are annuals like bell peppers

Are you sure Rhubarb Thrasher? I thought they were all perennials (apart from bell),  just needing the right conditions.

Not a big grower of Jalapeno but out of curiosity shall I try and overwinter a couple at the end of this season? I have Early Jalapeno but I think Black Hungarian, Numex Primavera and Bulgarian Carrot  are also Jalapeno types?

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

jalapenos are a variety of C. annuum, like the bell pepper. i'm growing some this year- probably a mistake, as ordinary peppers never really do well for me (and I don't really like them either). Yours seem to be jalapenos too (very nice looking btw)

[Barnowl]

I've definitely read more than once that the 'annuum' is a misnomer that arose just because they don't survive the winter in northern climates.

On the other hand, although I've overwintered Apache, Bolivian Rainbow,  Orozco , Twilight (Numex) Fish and Chi Chien (and they are all described as Capsicum Annum), none of the fruit look Jalapeno type and I have a vague memory of reading on some chillihead site that it is particularly difficult to get a second crop from a Jalapeno.

Anyone out there with firm info?

[ferg]

Hi all.

See the below quote from www.thechileman.org:

"Capsicum Annuum (ANN-you-um)
Annuum meaning 'annual' is actually an incorrect designation given that Chiles are perennials under suitable growing conditions. This species is the most common and extensively cultivated of the five domesticated species and includes the Ancho, Bell Pepper, Cayenne, Cherry, Cuban, De Arbol, Jalapeno, Mirasol, Ornamental, New Mexican, Paprika, Pimiento, Pequin, Serrano, Squash and Wax pod types"

I'd definitely recommend the Chileman's website. It's got lots of good info in there, including tips for overwintering chilli plants.

I overwintered a number of chile plants the year before last, including a couple of Jalapenos. Yields were slightly less than the first season although it's hard to compare given last years weather.....

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

how interesting!

[real food]

As an experiment, I have just overwintered 2 bell pepper plants, King of the North, on a sunny windowsill. They are now growing and the flower buds are forming.

[Tinkie_Bear]

The 5 refugees from the green house I have are Thai Dragon, Peter Pepper, Bolivian Rainbow, Prarie Fire and Tepin (although if the Tepin has fruit it will be it's first - bloomin thing took so long to germinate that it never even managed flowers last year)  All had a gentle trim rather than a radical hair cut when they came in and have been producing lots of lovely new leaves.  I have no idea what families they belong to but so far they are doing well.

Helen x

[dtw]

I have a Bhut Jolokia chilli plant on my kitchen window sill.
It didn't manage to flower last year, but it has buds now.  :D

[Tee Gee]

Made a start!!

Sowed 8 Habanero, 8 Bulgarian Carrot, 8 Red Cherry, 8 Jalapeno, 8 Fresno see here; http://tinyurl.com/3bjb56

Also managed to sow 8 varieties of Tomato (65 seed)

Plus 2 varieties of Petunia,  3 varieties of Marigold,  2 varieties of Potentilla and 1 variety of Penstemon,.

[sawfish]

I've grew some seedlings for the first time this year from plantsofdistinction.co.uk

PEPPER RED RICOTA
Rare South American variety preferring cooler conditions and partial shade. Fuzzy leaved plants which can be kept alive for years as a pot plant. Unique black seeds and desperately hot. Heat rating 5

PEPPER MAULES RED HOT
Amazingly productive long tapered Cayenne type. Does well in the north and perfect for Chili Sauce and has been around since 1912. 90 days from transplanting. Heat rating 4