[Nicki85]

Hello!

I just wanted to see where everyone else was/ is with their chilli plants this year?  The warm weather we had at the beginning of this year seems to have spurred mine on.  My F1 Superchilli plants which went in early Feb already have 2cm long chillis set    My other types are not far behind either, Nigel's outdoor has just set, Big bananas and other sweet peppers are just flowering... I didn't get any flowers last year till late June!

However, i'm wondering if this is due to me feeding them (almost) undilute liquid food late March... some of them died and the rest seemed to grow back even stronger!! 

 

[mumofstig]

Mine are at about the same stage....chillies have set a few little'uns and the sweet peppers (and Aubs) are flowering

All managed without any extra feeding   

[bigben]

I did not start mine as early as last year - none have any developed flowers never mind chillis yet but I can see what is about to turn into flowers if that makes sense?

[Nicki85]

Well they wouldn't have needed feeding if I hadn't used them stoopid cardboard/peat funny pots!!!!!  Honestly, I see something at the garden centre and I HAVE to try it....

Will I ever learn  

And my Aubergines are massive... I never knew they could get so big!

[compostqueen]

I have one flower on one chilli. Result! 

[stompy]

Im well behind this year,
My chillies are in 3" pots and around 4" tall in the minni greenhouse.
Im not even sure i'll get anything from them as i don't think there is enough growing season ahead for them to produce anything.

I didn't start them until end of march 

[compostqueen]

Mine are still in 3" pots for the most part but I don't think they mind being underpotted for a bit.  Mine won't get potted into their final positions yet either but I think they will fruit. In fact I'd be very surprised if they don't.  They always have before and I'm always behind.  I did grow all mine under glass though last year and they went mental.    I made a glass box out of four old windows and have a glass top for it, which makes a good glass house for some of the smaller varieties. Quite what I'll do with the tree chillies I'm not sure 

[Nicki85]

Ohhh I like the idea of a glasshouse!  Sounds fab- any pics?

I'm trying mainly outdoor types this year as the greenhouse always gets red spider mite.  They are in there at the moment but i'll look at moving them out when i'm back off hols.  The last ones I grew (Bolivian Hairys and Lemon Drop) are prettty big as well now but no flwers.  They must be at least a month behind.

[compostqueen]

My Lemon Drops are tiny at the moment but I have high hopes. Ever the optimist in this game.  I have found evidence of red spider too 

The glass box is just four old window frames of the same size, screwed together. I found a piece of toughened glass on the plot when I got it (only useful item left behind) and just use that for a lid.  It's a perfect size to fit about four grow bags in but I generally use pots filled with compost

[shokkyy]

I tried overwintering sweet pepper and superchilli and one of each have survived. They're a slightly odd shape because the 8" stump I cut them down to has no foliage except right at the top, where they've both put off new leaf and both have flowers.

For the ones I sowed this year, my superchillis are still quite small but a couple do have flowers on. The fatallii I'm trying for the first time, sowed at the same time, are kind of wider in shape but about 2" high tops Unless they're going to put on a sudden spurt or only ever grow outwards, I'm not optimistic of getting much from them.

[Nicki85]

I've never tried over-wintering chillis or sp.  May give it a go this year... Would be interested to hear your experiences at the end of the season!!

[shokkyy]

I've never tried over-wintering chillis or sp.  May give it a go this year... Would be interested to hear your experiences at the end of the season!!

The obvious difference right now is that they're strong sturdy mature plants, as opposed to a feeble little seedling, and that to me means they're going to storm away much faster, and probably be tougher to any weather variances too. But they're certainly going to have fruit faster than the new ones I started. The only problem is I want to move them on into bigger pots and fresh compost, and I'm a little worried about doing that without damaging the flowers or small fruit.

[arugula]

Lost all the over-wintered plants this year, they were protected as usual but probably got too cold. Sown this year, Cayenne and Hot Stuff are flowering, Apache not yet.

[LeeR]

I've had small green chillies on my bulgarian carrot chillies for about 10 days now.  It'll take a while before they'll be ready to pick mind.  My sweet peppers have also got friut forming already.  Nothing on my habanero chillies though, they always take a bit longer.