[Growster...]

Mrs Growster has been growing some chillis on last year's plants. She brought a few of them inside last autumn, and they went back out in the spring to crop for a second year - quite well in some cases.

Can they go yet another year at all? They are beginning to look a bit like Bonsai...

[arugula]

Most people grow chillis as an annual in the UK, but you've overwintered successfully, as have we and as do others. The fact that you can overwinter, proves it is a perennial and as such, I don't see why you can't keep overwintering them. In that respect, you're treating them rather like a houseplant and they will no doubt appreciate suitable care such as change of soil from time to time and maybe a bit of pruning.

[compostqueen]

I tried with Friar's Hat chilli plants but they must have just got too cold and snuffed it    Undaunted I am trying again with various chillies I've still got fruiting. Nothing ventured an all that. I might swirl some fleece round them etc

[penance]

IME they start to trail off after 2 years.

[sunshineband]

You can certainly keep them for a few years, but you do need to trim them to keep them in shape or they can get very straggly.

That also seems to rejuvenate the plant too, along with a bit of new compost of course.


Mrs Gowster's is clearly a perennial sort --  some are not but I don't know how you tell 

[Growster...]

These replies are very helpful - many thanks all!

Mrs G informs me (after I've made an appointment to discuss the subject over a glass or three of wine), that she has been successful in getting about eleven plants into big pots. They're on window sills upstairs at the moment.

If Mrs Growster decides to do this, then who am I to argue, but she's been right in the past on chillis, so perhaps it might be a new trend...

I reckon it's worth a pop, but if anyone has further thoughts, we could make this one run a bit further. As you all say, don't let them get away to strong, and pruning would be easy of course.

Two years may see them off too, but we'll take that chance, as they actually look quite nice on the window cills, and Mrs G has just agreed to change the soil...

There's nothing like live posts is there...;0)

[shokkyy]

The ones I overwintered last year look a bit bonsai as well, though I suspect it might be because I wasn't quite ruthless enough in cutting them back. The Chilli King bloke says cut them back to 4 to 6 inches high, and mine were probably more like 8 to 10. When they put off new growth it was all at the top. This year I'll try being tougher with them.

I've actually got one, a Fataali, that I grew this year from seed, which never managed to grow enough to put off a single flower this season. So if I don't overwinter that variety I guess I'll never get any chillis from them.

The trouble with bringing chillis in the house is if I don't chop all the leaves off them, they're immediately swarming with those horrible little grey things.  They seem to be obsessed with peppers and basil.

[sunshineband]

New soil does prevent ants' nests being imported for the winter.....


.... we had this once with a tree brought in for the festive season  :blink:


Not good 

[WirralWally]

I grow a number of varieties of chilli.
Each year, about this time, when they have stopped producing fruit, I cut them down to about 4 inches.
In the next few weeks I see which ones will go on to be fruitful next year.
Those that will, immediately start to produce tiny green shoots on the 4" stem.
Those that won't, start to go brown and wither.

A few weeks patience and then I keep those with the green shoots because they'll fruit early next year and I throw the others in the compost bin because they are telling me that, for them, life is expired. 

For each one that becomes compost I sow a couple of new ones early next year.

[Growster...]

Mrs Growster's chilli trees are a mixture of 'Scotch Bonnet', 'Apache', and 'Jalopeno'.

This year's crops are strung up all over the place, and also cubed up in the freezer.

Occasionally, it is difficult to speak after a sampling of her more famous creations, but I'll persevere...

Ever since we read that chillis could become addictive in extreme circumstances, I watch and wonder; but naaaah, no probs; they just taste good on occasions...;0)

[sunshineband]

Scotch bonnets definitely are perennial -- managed to keep some plants for three years before they succumbed this summer when I was ill 

[shokkyy]

I thought all chillis were perennial plants. I did see on one chilli expert site that they can go on for 10 years and that the crop should get heavier with each year.

[Growster...]

KC and Shoks, that is indeed good news, which will be imparted to Mrs Growster forthwith - fifthwith If I get a good run-up...;0)