[moggy]

I did mine a couple of weeks ago they are now in plastic cups on thew windowsill.

i always tend to start them at the end of feb as it gives them plenty of time before they go in the greenhouse

[Swee'pea]

So does anyone back here in the UK keep their chile plants for more than one season?

had two growing on kitchen windowsill last year. Cut them back by half and they're now leafing up and beginning to flower so here goes year 2

[Fat Hen]

So does anyone back here in the UK keep their chile plants for more than one season?

My overwintered Rocotos are doing fantastic, despite almost losing them in early jan to frost in unheated greenhouse.

All chillis are perenial, though some do overwinter better than others in our climate.  

Some plants it's not worth overwintering, for others such as Rocotos it's almost essential if you want a decent crop.  Baccatums also are said crop better in subsequent yrs.

Aidy, you mentioned once I'm sure that some chillies cross pollinate. But I read somewhere that they don't, so my question is....

Do they or can they all cross pollinate? what are the chances if I grow them all in the same space (e.g. polytunnel), or should I grow them in different places? Like I've got 24ft long polytunnel and 2 greenhouses. Or if I divide them off somehow, can I grow them in the same place? I've got some really interesting looking ones from different people, and I'd like to keep them looking the same rather than as mongrels!!!

Chillis readily cross pollinate, if you want to keep the strain pure you'll need to isolate them.

That is excepting pubescent  (Rocotos), they will not cross pollinate except with exium or cardenasii varieties.

[jb]

So does anyone back here in the UK keep their chile plants for more than one season?

My lemon drops have all overwintered well despite over-vigorous pruning (down to 2-3" stumps). However 2 are now flowering vigorously despite  being much smaller (less than 12" high)than they were last year when they started flowering. Should I remove these flowers to allow more vegetative growth or just let them get on with it?

Also, sorry for going a little off-track, but can any rocoto growers advise on whether they need more light than other chillies? Mine (about 2 month old) are looking quite leggy and a little woeful even though they are on a south-facing windowsill where all my other chillies (habs, annuums and braz starfish) are growing really nice and compact. If not any advive on what I could be doing wrong with them?