Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: fatbelly on May 11, 2017, 10:54
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Hi All,
I've got a Chilli plant growing in our conservatory which is south facing & gets hot with full sun.
I'm no expert at growing chilli and need some advice, is hot full sun good for them or should I move them to shade? Also watering, should I keep them dry or damp? I've asked the older chaps on our allotment site but got conflicting advice, some say keep moist out of the sun others say full sun and dry because they're from Mexico and love the sun.
Help Guys please.......
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Chilis are pretty forgiving plants. I've read in quite a few places to let them dry out between waterings as that improves the flavour and heat of the fruits, but I've not noticed a difference. Full sun will definitely help, they'll ripen far better with more sunshine.
I was always scared of pruning that main stem, but it's worth doing imo as they definitely get bushier and produce more fruit that way.
As I say, they're very forgiving (unlike cukes and aubergines)!
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If your plant is setting fruit, then cutting back slightly on watering may well make them a bit hotter, but is it is still growing leaves and not buds, it'll need as much water as any other plant in full sun, in my experience
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Chillies do not like to get too wet , they give up and die . Either put a finger in the compost to see it is dry before watering or wait for the leaves to wilt a bit to show they are thirsty.
Bear in mind that on very hot days plants (even weeds) that have got plenty of water can wilt , it is just that they cannot take up water fast enough to cope with the evaporation and wilting lowers the leaf area exposed to the sun and reduces water loss.