Growing Chillies
- Thread starter NickK
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When the temps drop, the chilli will stop producing and the leaves may drop. You basically cut the plant like this:
Then over-winter. If they're warm when you do this they'll start growing again:
Our chilli shed it's main leaves recently (after producing lots of chillis from feb to may) - there are still quite a lot of small leaves remaining. It looks quite stalky but the small leaves and stems are quite green, and it seems healthy. We're watering it fairly regularly.
Will it come back with full leaves and chilli fruits?
What happens in the cold and when the light time shortens is that the sap draws back into the centre of the plant. The result is that the plant leaves then shrivel and drop off. In the process of overwintering you reduce the size of the rootball and chop the plant back.
Given light and warmth the plant will create new growth and new buds for flowers.
I've read that some chilli growers have had plants as long as ten years although their ability to produce chillis in quantity tends to be within the first three years. Oddly the plant tends to produce more/better chilli fruits in it's second year as it's not spending the time doing the initial growing.
I just cut them back to promote new growth and more buds I've not cut the root mass back.
Although fungal infections can cause the leaves to drop but the plant is dying from the inside out - especially true with fungal rot that starts below the soil line or in the roots.
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That's just pearlite on the top.
Hi Nick, I water every other day at the moment and then once a week with Tomato food. The pot is about 6 inches wide and tall so will repot it shortly. Here a pic of what they look like after pollinating going yellow ready to drop off
They are kept outside in a plastic greenhouse, had to bring it inside to get a decent photo. I only water enough to so its moist to the touch, sometimes a dribble comes out the bottom. Like you said they look healthy and have grown loads, flowers and leaves look fine too
I'll repot them first and seem if that helps them out. Should I be using any other type of food? and is my watering/feeding pattern right?
Cheers, Arron.
I'll repot them first and seem if that helps them out. Should I be using any other type of food? and is my watering/feeding pattern right?
Cheers, Arron.
That flower needs pollination if it hasn't been done already,
The way i pollinate mines by rubbing my finger on them till you see pollen then going round flowers mixing the pollen hasnt failed me, only flowers that dies are the ones i havent done as the plant has enough chillis at present
The way i pollinate mines by rubbing my finger on them till you see pollen then going round flowers mixing the pollen hasnt failed me, only flowers that dies are the ones i havent done as the plant has enough chillis at present
Good point! I assumed that previous flowers had been pollenated already. If they've not bee pollenated then they will die off like the yellow ones.
AH2 - awesome stuff. That large one looks healthy. Will probably give a good crop too if it continues like that.
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I'm pretty sure they are being pollinated, I've been using my little finger and wiggling it around in there
You plant rapist..
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