[Kleftiwallah]

I think I was a smidge late growing and planting my chili plants.  They are between 3 and 5 inches tall, am I going to get a crop and if not how do I keep them over the winter if at all possible?

Cheers,  Tony.

[ARPoet]

I grew chillies for the first time last year. In October I cut down the plants repotted and put them on a bedroom windowsill. They kept on producing chillies right through the winter and are still doing so in the greenhouse.
I have several small plants in the greenhouse that I will do the same with at the back end of the year.

[Toosje]

We were a bit late as well Kleftiwalla. It are different varieties and some have just started with flowers. I guess this gives hope for the other ones. They are about the same size as you describe, apart from one variety; a long slim cayenne. They started about 10 days ago.

Ours are in a green house. That should give them some more time? If yours are not inside, maybe you can cover them with some simple structure from the end of august?
Our tomatoes and peppers are in a .. we call it a cupboard .. Its simple, wood and (semi see through) plastic sheet and open on one side. It has a transparent roof. It is more than sufficient for extra warmth and protection agains rain and wind.

If they don't flower at all, maybe you can transfer them to large pots and keep them in your .. hall or (google is nog being very helpful today ) where you enter your house, keep your wellies and wash your hands, a sort of pre-kitchen. Cool with enough light.

[Nobbie]

What variety are they? Ones like Apache mature very quickly, whereas some of the hotter ones seem to take much longer. My Apache have had ripe chilliest on for about a month, whereas the scotch bonnet are still green.

[Kleftiwallah]

Thanks for all those encouraging replies.

Nobbie, I have no idea! Just a chili I picked up somewhere, looked like a birds eye job.

I also have 7 melons growing in the greenhouse, but one is very defferent from the rest although all drom the sme melon.  Trouble is I cannet remember what type!.  Dark green leaves and far more prolific than the others.

Cheers,  Tony.

[riggers24]

After 3 good years with heavy cropping chilli plants am having a nightmare year, small plants and plants dieing.

Different chilli seed suppliers so all I can put it down to the huge variates in temperatures earlier in the year.

Better luck next year

[DHM]

I've got some really small Trinidad Moruga Scorpion chillies (sown in May) which are really stuggling, same height as yours. I made the mistake of putting them outside in the warm (Trinidad's a hot country right?!) And the leaves scorched and dropped off in the sun. I've managed to rescue them but now I've given up hope of seeing any chillies on them this year, will keep them indoors and try and get them through the winter. At least they'll have had a head start for next year...