[diggerjoe]

Our chilli growing competition is well under way in the office. We don't have room for big pots on the window cill so they are in 8inch pots. Prizes will be awarded for most chillis on gthe plant and the tallest. MD is already complaining his is running third in the height stakes. I have the spare plants at home and will follow dead eyded dave's advice and see which lot turn out the best. Can anyone suggest a cut off point for the competition  I was thinking of end of September but is this too late?

[JayG]

Chillies produce and ripen their fruits over a long period, so you will have to pick and count the ripe ones until they have finished, which will probably be well past September (hope your office colleagues are an honest bunch!) 

Not sure about the "tallest" category, especially if they are not all the same variety; whoever decides to pinch theirs out to increase bushiness may lose on the height contest but win on the number of chillies produced!

[Lardman]

Daves advice will no doubt increase the yield 10-20%. But thats a lot of extra hassle and more importantly expense for just a few more peppers.

While you can pamper your peppers, if you want to by all means do so. But its not a requirement to produce ample fruit.

[diggerjoe]

Don't know about honest in this case JayG they have been told they cannot change the position of their plant on the window cill . I think going on what  you say about ripening times I may have to keep a keen eye on them and then check how many each one has before anyone gets in each day in case we get sabotage  they are all the same plants seed grown from poundland!