[catweazle]

im wanting to have a go at growing the infamous dorset naga chilli (the worlds hottest chilli) in my greenhouse just for bragging rights realy. but i was wondering if the plant is protected from frost in a heated place can the be grown as perennials in the uk? seeds are expensive for this chilli and i dont want to have to germanate a new plant every year.

many thanks CW

[sarajane]

If you go to www.chilliking.com you will find advice on how to manage the plant overwinter.

I have to say I once tried but it died but if you have a plant already its worth a go and you never know until you try.  Good Luck

[cooperman]

have a go by all means, nothing ventured etc....
Personally I have found it a total waste of time and effort, prefer to get new plants growing away early.....

[viettaclark]

I did it fairly successfully last year (lost 4 out of 9 chilli and pepper plants) and last year's plants are still flowering and fruiting (since March!!) and I'm planning on repotting this year.

[catweazle]

good to know it can be done thanks!

[lacewing]

I have a chilli plant on my kitchen window for the past three years. It flowers and fruits all year round, less fruit during the winter months but still enough for the pot. I feed once a week from March to September and just a light watering during winter. I give the plant a light trim  at the end of summer, just to tidy it up.  It will be intresting to see how long it keeps going.

[JayG]

My March-sown chillies and peppers have both produced two crops in the house, and one from those in the greenhouse.

I've considered over-wintering them but frankly it would be nice to have at least a few months per year with empty bedroom windowsills (don't think they would survive a harsh winter in the greenhouse.) 

[BabbyAnn]

(don't think they would survive a harsh winter in the greenhouse.) 

I had different varieties in the greenhouse which I had planned on moving into the house before winter set in, when the snow in November caught me by surprise and the drop in temperature was just too much for them 

[shokkyy]

It does depend to some extent on the variety as well. Last year I tried overwintering 2 chilli and 2 sweet pepper plants. One of each survived and grew away very quickly this spring.

The sweet pepper is the only one of my sweet pepper plants that gave me a crop this year at all, because mine are outside and the weather was so foul this year that they never really got going on fruit. The chilli pepper started cropping faster than the newly sown plants but they did catch up, so for that variety I don't think it was worthwhile (superchilli). However, this year I also tried growing Fatallii chillies, which are much slower growing plants. Even in the cold greenhouse, they've been so slow that they're still quite small plants and haven't even shown a hint of flowering. So I will definitely try overwintering those, so they get a headstart next year and hopefully will finally give me a crop.