I don't know if being in NZ helps, but I have about a zillion chillies this year! I put a polytunnel over the plants out in the garden last winter, they went to sleep, then woke up again in the spring and gave me exponentially more fruit in their second year than they did in their first. And now it's damned freezing and they're still going strong! Being a bit experimental in my gardening I watered some of them quite a lot & some of them not so much (and we were in drought this summer), the ones which I watered more had much bigger & redder fruit, although the others did pull through eventually too. (we are on rainwater & bore water just in case anyone's worried about my watering while we were in drought ) My freezer is loaded up with lovely chillies to see us through, although I'm still picking them most days from under the polytunnel.
I have put halepino in and they are gowing very slow but my cayennes that are younger have gone nuts. Can't figure out what is gowing on as for my birds eye that usually produces thousands curled up her roots and left me.
what a beautiful big bush! stunning! never had much luck with chillies. trying chillies and peppers in the ground with a big glass box over them on the allotment with minimal water and a bit of 'misting', as the expert suggests. will see how they go... not doing much at the moment!
having just read this i think i know why my pepper plants appear to be dying i'm over watering them will also try to rig a cover to protect from wind hope they manage to recover
kathleen wrote:I don't know if being in NZ helps, but I have about a zillion chillies this year! I put a polytunnel over the plants out in the garden last winter, they went to sleep, then woke up again in the spring and gave me exponentially more fruit in their second year than they did in their first. And now it's damned freezing and they're still going strong! Being a bit experimental in my gardening I watered some of them quite a lot & some of them not so much (and we were in drought this summer), the ones which I watered more had much bigger & redder fruit, although the others did pull through eventually too. (we are on rainwater & bore water just in case anyone's worried about my watering while we were in drought ) My freezer is loaded up with lovely chillies to see us through, although I'm still picking them most days from under the polytunnel.
Yes I have found too that the year 2 onwards chillies are bigger, hotter and you get more of them!
I bought 4 baby chilli plants in january and set them to have a bit of a grow on my landing windowsill. Last month they looked ready to go outside, which they have. they have gone CRAZY. I've got about 16 baby chillis forming plus more flowers and already, one teensy tiny chilli has gone from non existant to an inch long in a week and a half and they're doing so well. I'm ever so proud of them I wasn't expecting much at all!!
I had to move them from the ground up higher because the slugs seemed to be going mad for the leaves!
oh how I love my tea, tea in the afternoon. I can't do without it, and I think I'll have another cup very
ve-he-he-he-heryyyyyyy soooooooooooon!!!!
I'm a bit of a chili nut! I've got over 100 varieties growing! 90 in pots and 70 and a few 2nd & 3rd generation in the ground with more to go! will post some pics soon! Interesting to know what your favorite varieties are.
I have Naga Jolkia, Orozco, Twilight, Fresno and Jalapeno's. I also have some seeds for a couple of different other types too which I cant remember the name of for next year.
I have a fresno which is 3-4 years old, the peppers get hotter each year. I do tend to grow fresh Jalapeno's each year but the others I plan to keep going. Later this year I am planning a poly tunnel up the plot so part of that will be reserved for the chillies.
I had sown seeds in 6 small pots of which only two germinated. I thought the others had all failed but didn't need the pots so left them in the conservatory on the floor - unwatered for 2 months.
We had a particularly hot day last week when I was away and so was unable to open up the conservatory to cool it down. When we got back - there they were - the soil was parched in the pots but we had 4 strong seedlings. Just goes to show that they don't need much water at all!
Jobi1
"A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist." - Franklin Jones.
I've got some sweet peppers this year, but i had about 100 chilli plants planted last year, and only 1 survuved. I decided that growing chillies might not be my forte...
Actually...i think that growing vegetables is not my forte. Or fruit. Except strawberries.
I've got Cayennes (had lots last year but only one good seedling this year), Jalapenos, Fresno, Red Cherry, Sweet banana, Corno Rosso and purple beauty (mix of a quite known English seed seller)
All are doing well and the Red Cherry I have inside has little baby chilis!
I'm always quite proud I grow those with a certain success in our Northern country.
I decided to have a go at chillis this year and had managed to get a few on the go and outside looking OK. When those cold nights came over last week I popped them in the mini greenhouse (bit of plastic on a frame) for fear they might die.
They have really blossomed in there! I also forgot to water them so obviously they like that. Think I might have to consider some sort of greenhouse in the end - the poor little 2 shelf job I ahve will only hold about 16 small pots and there is a bit of a fight over who gets the spot when the weather is so....British!
I do hope I get chillies, they are supposed to be purple ones
I've got 5 chilli plants this year and they are starting to bud now.
Interesting that you're all saying to not over-water, I've been doing them every night with my toms. How often are you watering then? Every 2-3 days? What about feed?
Cheers
Edit: typo
"We sow the seeds, nature grows the seeds, we eat the seeds" (repeat until fade) Neil, The Young Ones