[Sadgit]

Is it worth starting them off now? in a none heated propergator in the spare room?

[Gurder]

I have put mine in a couple of days ago, dunno if I'm rite but it's about the same time as I did them when I grew them before and the did pretty well.

[Zedder]

I started a handful off in Mid Jauary and potted them on this week. Got a new batch started off 1st Feb and they are sprouting well now. Going to have more chillis than I need, but they were seeds I scraped out of last years Chillis anyway. I started mine off too late last year and only got about 2 or 3 chillis per plant and they were very late. Start them off in the house and move them out to a cold frame when it warms up, but I stand to be corrected since I dont know much anyway.

[Aidy]

To be honest I would leave it a week or two yet, normally I start mine end of feb, its not down to heat its light, you will find that the seedlings will be a little weaker, if you sow mid end of feb they will be stronger and grow quicker with that little bit of extra light, also I get the feeling that spring will once again be a little late this year so unless u heat the greenhouse you will check the growth, I tried earlier each year for a spell over about 5 years and found the best growth rate and healiest plants came from an end of feb sow, of course u lot down south can probably sow a little earlier.

[jane1264]

I've planted one lot of mine because they were the seeds my OH saved from some of the chillies we had last year and I wasn't convinced they'd grow and though we'd need to plant more later in the year - I've had to eat my words because so many have grown I don't know what to do with them all!  We've given a load away to our respective parents but I've still got over 20 plants!  

I've also planted some seeds I found in the bottom of a drawer that were at least 4 years old and out of date - again I didn't expect any of them to grow but some have started to peak their little heads out of the compost!

Jane

[Aidy]

Pepper seeds are viable for around 5 year or more, they are not that hard to grow and can be profilic, all seeds will produce plants with ease it just they will grow quicker when more light is available, when I experimented I found that the early sown plants tended to drop before the chilli was on the plant, but the later sowings tend to produce on average more consistently.

[GrannieAnnie]

Finally found a chilli posting that I can add to rather than start yet another chilli topic! lol.  See, I'm trying to be frugal here!!! lol

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!!!!!

Any advice gratefully received!!!

[WG.]

I have an heretic question ... Can you keep your chile plants for more than one year?

Sister in Law (in Australia) had a BIG chile bush in her garden which had to be at least 5 years old.  No frosts tho'

[Muppet]

I grew some of my chillis in the PT last season, and they did dead well.

I'm pretty sure you can keep them going for more than one season, Whisky, especially here in the good ol USA      

[WG.]

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

[GrannieAnnie]

I'm sure someone on here had one that lasted more than one year, mine lasted until Christmas, but I stopped watering them about November time.  they were in the polytunnel.  But I have a feeling that our daylight time or temperatures aren't right or something.

Perhaps our spanish friends have more luck?  Although I'm sure Biscombe sows hers each year......

I can't wait to try my new varieties.  I decided against trying the Dorset Naga, it was only to try to get one that is too hot for my youngest step son, but found out he's a wimp and the Cayenne was too hot for him!!!! lol

[Oliver]

I have an heretic question ... Can you keep your chile plants for more than one year?

Sister in Law (in Australia) had a BIG chile bush in her garden which had to be at least 5 years old.  No frosts tho'

As far as I know, Chilli plants are annual in the uk, but there is no harm in trying to keep one going and let us know!

She grows new chilli etc every year.

[flowerlady]

Just to see if I could ... I over wintered a selection on the window cill of the spare room,  there was a massive amount of leaf loss but the one that came out well was   "Fish"  the variagated chilli    

Its putting out a amazing amount of new foliage all the was up the stem ... will go find photo!

... the proof will be if it produces any fruits  :roll:  

[Sadgit]

I have tried to over winter about 5 and all 5 have died.. oh well

[Small Potatoes]

I brought my potted scoth bonnets and apaches indoors in the autumn and they're still producing flowers and chillis (albeit tiny ones) now and that's even though our kittens have stripped most of the foliage away!
My brother's brought his indoors the last two winters and they're still going strong, so it may depend on the variety, but some will definitely produce for more than one season.