Topic: Will chilis keep growing indoors.

[chanser]

I decided to grow chilis for the first time this year and I have started with 2 plants.

One of my plants has a grand total of 3 chilis on it and the other one has lots of flowers on it but no chilis.

I have the chilis in one of those small plastic covered greennhouses and they have been doing great since I put them in (A bit late in the year I think hence the small crop). 

I live in Sheffield and it is now starting to get quite cold as autumn sets in.  My question is this.

Should I bring the plants indoors and try to nurture the chilis that are currently growing?
Will the chilis actually continue to grow when indoors?
Is there any good advice from experienced growers on this sort of thing?

Thanks.

Carlo.

[chriswg]

Im not overly experienced but I have been growing super chillies and dorset nags this year in my conservatory. They have done really well with over 200 per plant on the super chillies and maybe around 20 nagas per plant.

If you have a sunny place indoors then you should be able to keep them growing until October time after which there wont be enough light during the day for the fruit to produce. You might be able to keep the plant alive over Winter and you could get a crop of chillies next Summer. This would be a lot of work and no guaranteed success.

My advice would be to bin them and start afresh next Feb / March time. If you are planning on using them in Indian cooking try to get some green finger chilli seeds as these will work best. Jalapenos are also a good idea for on Pizzas. The super chillies that I have almost a thousand of aren't that hot and are only really good for chilli con carne and only in vast quantities.

I hope this helps.

[976bar]

Im not overly experienced but I have been growing super chillies and dorset nags this year in my conservatory. They have done really well with over 200 per plant on the super chillies and maybe around 20 nagas per plant.

If you have a sunny place indoors then you should be able to keep them growing until October time after which there wont be enough light during the day for the fruit to produce. You might be able to keep the plant alive over Winter and you could get a crop of chillies next Summer. This would be a lot of work and no guaranteed success.

My advice would be to bin them and start afresh next Feb / March time. If you are planning on using them in Indian cooking try to get some green finger chilli seeds as these will work best. Jalapenos are also a good idea for on Pizzas. The super chillies that I have almost a thousand of aren't that hot and are only really good for chilli con carne and only in vast quantities.

I hope this helps.

Chriswg,

Over-wintering

Most chilli plants can be treated as perennial house plants, but will need some pruning in the winter. Some varieties are better suited than others, smaller hot varieties like Serrano and Twilight, and Prarie Fire fair better than the bigger fleshy plants such as Poblano and Anaheim.

When is a chilli pepper ready to pick?

With chillies you need to look at size. When the chilli reaches a mature size, for that particular variety, it will have full heat and full flavor. Obviously, any chilli that has changed color to its final colour (red in many cases) is ready to pick. You can pick them green or pick them red... just look at the size of the pod and make sure it is mature.

Take a look at this website.

http://chilliplants.co.uk/index.php?pr=Growing

[SH]

All chilli plants will overwinter indoors but prune off about one third of the growth and avoid getting the soil too wet, otherwise they can rot and avoid extreme cold.  Plants like Dorset Naga will benefit from re-potting in spring but should produce a much heavier crop in the second year.  It's also a good idea to sow fresh seed in about July to grow indoors over winter.  The plants will have a head start in the spring and by September will be covered in fruit.  My experience is that trying to grow the same plant a third year will not be successful unless you increase the pot size still futher, which can cause space problems if you grow a few plants.  Try growing something like a Ring of Fire plant to pollinate.  It can improve yields if you only otherwise grow Dorset Naga.  They do not pollinate easily on their own.

[chanser]

Excellent advice guys.

Up to 7 chillis now,  I'll take that for my first go.  Next year should be a better yeild.

Thanks.

[foxy69rtaz]

im jus startin to grow my own herbs and chillis, jus germinatin atm, bit dauntin though isn it lol i scared im goin to waste my time and money if they dont grow at all. but ill keep goin till i get somethin lol :-X

[chanser]

One of my plants has survived and it looks like it may well go outside again in the spring.

So following on from the original post, how should I expect it to fare and will I get a 3rd year out of it.  When should I move it outside etc.

Once again, input from experienced growers is much appreciated.