Growing and caring for chilli plants

[bergs]

Hi, I'm trying to over winter my Chillies. Last season they were all coming on strong when Autumn came. I thought that if I tried to keep the plants alive it would give me a head start this season. I'm in Victoria (cool temperate).

I have googled it, but it's mainly British and American area guides. I trimmed them back fairly harshly and located the potted ones in a sheltered spot in the garden and backed the watering right off. They are a mixed variety.

So far one is showing signs of shooting. There has been a fair bit of die back which I have now trimmed off. The weather is not far away from getting a bit warmer, so the hopefully, they will take off again and give me earlier crops.

I had preserved (pickled) quite a few but stocks have run out.

Has anyone else had any success in over wintering Chillies? If so please share your methods with us.

Thanks and Cheers🍻Bergs

[Jason]

I'm only getting my first crop of jalapeños now too @bergs. I also blame the cool spring for them being way behind. 

Jason

[robchin]

Tomatoes and Chillies have been struggling where I live in Melbourne. Cool spring but cooler summer and lower cumulative light levels haven't helped. Good that you persevered @Jason - worth the trouble. 

[bergs]

Hi @robchin I

I've experienced the same problem as you here in Geelong. 

Chillies have been ripening very slow. 

I've got about 8 jars of different chillies so far this season which I fill and then top up with garlic and olive oil to hopefully keep them longer. My Nellie Kellies are doing ok but they have cross pollinated because some of the fruit are different. 

My Manzano's are doing well from the plant I bought in 2017.

I have even got a Carolina Reaper which is fruiting. It was one of my seeds I sowed last year.

 

Above: bottom left Nellie Kellie.

Middle left: Thai from a plants I bought last Nov.

Top left: Thai from over wintered plant.

RH side: Manzano 6th season fruit.

Above Carolina Reaper hottest chillie in the world.

All my chillies that over winter I leave in their plot or pot with no covers and they seem to survive.

Cheers @bergs

[mich1972]

Love your bad boys @bergs looki great. Glad to hear you overwintered them mate . 
We had a dreadful year with our Chillis, had to pull the whole lot out and destroy them due to Chilli Thrip.

[bergs]

Hi @mich1972 

I had an infestation of aphids in a few of my chillies. 

I thought they would ruin them.

 I checked through the leaves and removed as much as I could  by hand, but at the same time I found quite a few Ladybird insects.

A few days later I found heaps of their larvae, so I waited for about a week and found that the plants were completely clean and rid of any sign of aphids.

 Ladybird

 Ladybird larvae

[bergs]

Hello everyone.

I haven't posted here for a while. My chilies are going great guns.

My over wintered Yellow Manzano is still going strong since 2017. 

I have quite a few plants that I grew from its seeds, which are going great.

My Grandson bought a red Manzano at the same time I got my yellow one, and it's still going strong.

I have sown some seeds from that one as well, which are ripening later than the yellow ones.

I have a Thai Chili which is delivering the goods for the third year now.

I have sown my own seeds of Thai chilies and now have about twenty plants at all different stages of production.

Last year my chilies were still ripening right up to the end of September when we got home from our WA holiday.

While we were away my daughter and her husband looked after the garden and I had a freezer full of chilies when I got home.😀

Still harvestingStill plenty to come

Plenty of chilies and plenty more to come.

Cheers @bergs 👍🍻

[JacobZ]

Hello @bergs,

It's wonderful to hear from you again! 

Your chili plants sound like they are thriving beautifully. It's impressive that your Yellow Manzano has been going strong since 2017, and it's fantastic that you've been able to grow new plants from its seeds.

Your Grandson's red Manzano also sounds like a success story, and it's interesting to hear that the seeds from it are ripening later than the yellow ones. Your Thai Chili plants seem to be doing exceptionally well too, delivering for the third year in a row and producing plenty of new plants.

It must have been a pleasant surprise to come home to a freezer full of chilies after your WA holiday, thanks to your daughter and her husband. 

It's great to know that you're still harvesting and have plenty more chilies to come.

Thank you for sharing your gardening journey with us. It's always inspiring to hear about our member's successes.

Jacob

[mich1972]

Awesome harvest @bergs thank you for the update 🙂