[lucywil]

i normally start again each year with fresh plant grown from seed in the spring but this year i have kept 2 plants which are over wintering in the conservatory to see what happens

[mickeyboy]

i usually do mine in beds, leave them to die off completley and dig in.

I also do this with the ones in pots, but will try and keep a few back nxt year for overwintering.

Hope this helps

[mumofstig]

My pretty in purple pepper, although it did fruit, didn't get very big (I started late!) so I've pruned it and put it in a smaller pot and it's now on the unheated kitchen window ledge. I's only about 4/5 in tall but keeps trying to flower

Lets hope it still feels the same way in spring when I want it to make an effort

[cawdor2001]

Unlikely to ripen on the plant now given the weather, unless inside where warm.  I have cut mine and put in a draw with a banana which does the trick.  regarding overwintering the plants, you can if room to move them inside (prune them and do not overwater) but if not room, or can't be bothered, just plant new ones again next year, they are pretty easy to grow.

Cawdor

[Kristen]

I only grow little very hot chillies. I harvest these end September or later (this year much later!) and put them in a drier and bag them. I can then just crumble some into the food - one-per-person is plenty .

This method suits me, I don't have to race to get an early crop as I have comfortably more than a years supplier of head-blowing-off quality from the annual crop.

And trying to keep the plants alive during the winter has been more of an annoyance than a success for me, so I don't bother with that any more either.

The seeds for this variety are expensive, but I got them in the 50p-per-packet sale at Wyevales, so I'm a happy bunny!

But I reckon I'm in the minority with this cavalier attitude. There seem to be lots of very dedicated chilli growers overwintering, sowing in November and providing light-boxes and all sorts.  I'm clearly a chilli-heathen!

[sunshineband]

Kristen chillis I've grown seem to come true from seed, so you can use some from your dried ones 

........even cheaper 

[Kristen]

Kristen chillis I've grown seem to come true from seed, so you can use some from your dried ones  

........even cheaper  

Good point. I assumed they must have been F1 (Suttons Demon Red) ... they were £3.30 for 6 seeds, packet doesn't say anything about F1, why so expensive then I wonder?

[sunshineband]

If they were F1 it woud say on the packet I reckon -- I do wonder why some seeds are so pricy TBH 

[mumofstig]

no mention of being F1 here either http://www.chileseeds.co.uk/demon_red_chili_pepper_seeds.htm

and a good bit cheaper

[Kate and her Ducks]

I'm having a go at overwintering my chillis for the first time but it would appear that they have paid even less attention to the instructions than me! They are on my window ledge by a radiator.
Thought I would leave them rather than cut them back as they still had quite a few chillis ripening on them although expected them to start losing their leaves with the shortening daylight as the book said. Then they started putting on new growth and have now started flowering again! On one the fruit is definately setting and I have new green chillis!
Think they are as confused as I am!

[sunshineband]

Well that just goes to show then ---- nowt in life is certain

[Kristen]

Well, they've all been through the drier now ... and I have a 50p sale-price packet for next year, but I'll sow some dried-seeds as well and see how they get on - I've got thousands ...
... hmmm ... I must have over 1,000 chillies from the 6 plants. Say 12 seeds each .... normally £3.30 for 6 seeds ... 1,000 chillies x 12 seeds / 6 per packet x £3.30 per packet = £6,600 ... why am I wasting them putting them on my food?

[zazen999]

Well, they've all been through the drier now ... and I have a 50p sale-price packet for next year, but I'll sow some dried-seeds as well and see how they get on - I've got thousands ...
... hmmm ... I must have over 1,000 chillies from the 6 plants. Say 12 seeds each .... normally £3.30 for 6 seeds ... 1,000 chillies x 12 seeds / 6 per packet x £3.30 per packet = £6,600 ... why am I wasting them putting them on my food?

but are you 100% sure they are going to turn out the same as their parents? Chilis can be cross fertilised and unless isoliated or hand pollinated the resulting chili might be different from the parent.

That's why they are so expensive to buy! Anything that is easy to pollinate and produces replicas of the parents without too much hard work will be cheaper to buy in seed form.

[Kristen]

Good point. They've been in pots in a greenhouse all by themselves, no Chillies or Peppers nearby.  Dunno if they would pollinate with anything else that I may have forgotten is the same family, but I think I may be in good shape on that count.