[Gardener and Rabbit]

My new chilli plant isn't setting any fruit  .  It's growing outdoors in a  pot in a sheltered spot, and flowering, so I thought that insects would pollinate it, but all the flowers so far have just dropped off. When I went to give a hand with a paintbrush, I couldn't find any pollen in the flowers. Can anyone offer any advice? My previous chilli plant performed well for 4 years in the same spot.

G&R

[Dr_Pepper]

chillies and peppers don't generally need insects to pollinate them so no worries on that front. I'm guessing it's a climate+nutrition related issue so I totally agree on the feeding front if it's not had any supplementary food already - what compost is it in by the way?. Do you know which variety it is? I'm growing a few different chillies in a polytunnel and one (Lemon Drop) only really started setting fruit around 3 weeks ago. Also in a pot flowers may abort if the compost is getting too dry.

[GrannieAnnie]

Half of my chilli plants never got any higher than 6 inches. let alone having fruit!   

[AussieInFrance]

I understand that chillies/peppers protect themselves in hot dry conditions by dropping flowers or otherwise not producing fruit which would place additional stress on the plants while such conditions prevail. A return to normal setting of fruit on resumption of better weather. I deduce from this that while peppers thrive on heat it certainly needs to be balanced with adequate nutrition and irrigation.

[Gardener and Rabbit]

chillies and peppers don't generally need insects to pollinate them so no worries on that front. I'm guessing it's a climate+nutrition related issue so I totally agree on the feeding front if it's not had any supplementary food already - what compost is it in by the way?. Do you know which variety it is? I'm growing a few different chillies in a polytunnel and one (Lemon Drop) only really started setting fruit around 3 weeks ago. Also in a pot flowers may abort if the compost is getting too dry.

It's growing in coir compost, to which I added a handful of bonemeal. I started supplementary feeding with tomato food at the same time as the tomato plants (which are in the same compost & pots, and are covered in fruit). It's about 18 inches high. I don't think it's drying out, because I top up the saucer regularly. Variety I'm not sure now, it was a mild variety bought in Spring from a large diy store.

[Gardener and Rabbit]

A quick update - the latest flowers have just set fruit, and the chillis are starting to develop!

The flowers have pollen visible in them now too.

It must be a late variety, as suggested. 

Thanks all for your advice.  I'm not sure what the correct symbol is for being pleased with chillis, is it the normal    or is it the fiery tongue    ?

[Thrutchington]

I keep the flowers moist with a sprayer and plain water. That seems to have kept them fruiting reasonably well, in for a bumper harvest.