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This is my first year of having a greenhouse and have noticed that my chilli plants have started to drop their leaves. Is it too cold for them already? Should I bring the two I want to overwinter indoors now ?

Duke

The simple answer is Yes, most people cut the plant back and hope it will re-grow in the spring or even earlier

Depends what variety but it may just keep going in a greenhouse. If it not give it a rest, hack it back, trim the roots and repot into a smaller pot (space is a premium!) then most of them will sprout next season when they are ready! You'll get a head start!

Having read my previous post I should make it clear that the chillies have been growing in the greenhouse all summer and have just started to drop their leaves. Should I cut them back and bring them into the house now ? or can they survive the winter in an unheated greenhouse!

Duke

Some of mine in the polytunnel are losing their leaves too.  I think the Cayenne and Chilliegi Piccante are the worst.  My Scotch Bonnet look fantastic at the moment.  I'm assuming it's only the ones which lose their leaves that are cut back and the ones like SB keep growing?

Quote from: Duke Ellington on October 09, 2009, 13:52:12
Having read my previous post I should make it clear that the chillies have been growing in the greenhouse all summer and have just started to drop their leaves. Should I cut them back and bring them into the house now ? or can they survive the winter in an unheated greenhouse!

Duke

There was a discussion about which strains are hardier and there seemed to be a consensus that the Asian varieties and chinensis were less hardy.  However, irrespective of variety they are very unlikely to survive over winter in an unheated GH. Mine never have and I'm in London. I think the crucial point is around 5degC - under that they usually start dying - and it can be sudden. This happens even if you have already cut them back.

Recommend you bring them into the house and definitely cut back those where the leaves have dropped.

im trying both have bought some inside and left some in the unheated greenhouse. In the greenhouse I have made upright stands (poles) to hang the plants from and around these have made a diy fleece cover. We will see what happens. Terry

Welcome to A4A TeeJam..  :)
Good luckwith the chillies...  :)

how far ought I to cut back?

This differs but I cut mine back hard to a stump of 3 inches or so.

I've already posted this link in the chilli area but I saw your thread

http://www.simpsonsseeds.co.uk/shop/Over-wintering_Chilli_Plants.html
(I don't work for them)

Be interesting to get feedback on these two recommended species

Cheers

to be honest, i am doing it the lazy way, as i have seeds to sow for next year, i am trying to overwinter in my greenhouse and only put on the parafin heater during periods of frost. if it works, brilliant!!!! if not then the seeds get sown for next year.

I've grown chillies for the firsttim ethis year and have only just discovered they can be kept for a second year thanks to A4A posters.

I've brought a few indoors to grow on the window sills and,  as each one's fruits finish ripening I've cut them back to the lowest bud/leaf node.   So far they're growing OK.

The purple podded ones stayed small so I've just removed the ripe fruits and fed them and now they have a new flush of flowers.

This is a good guide:

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

Never done it before but am trying it this year.

I overwintered a couple of Apache plants last year (after reading here that one could and seeing some really impressive pics) but honestly, although the plants grew and fruited well enough they were rapidly overtaken by the newly seeded ones, so I've dumped all my plants this year. :-\ Perhaps one gets different results with other varieties?

I have one plant that produced loads and loads, so hope that it might give a repeat performance.  Other four plants from same packet nothing but flowers.  Also never done it before.

We've had great success growing chilli's outside here in Bulgaria so I decided to overwinter some this year, never having tried it before.

Potted some up back in October and moved them into the lobby area of our house which gets a lot of light and isn't too hot/cold. To my surprise they've continued to fruit and I have small chillies still growing and flowers about to open still.

Do I remove the chillies and cut them back or just leave them alone? The growing season here is usually longer than the UK.