When growing your own and once your crop has been harvested, for a bigger crop the next year you can overwinter your plants. Most chilli plants can be treated as perennial house plants but may need some pruning in the winter. Not everyone recommends it due to a higher chance of disease, but I have had many successes by doing it and some bumper crops! Overwintered plants usually produce a better crop in their second year as the plants can get started more quickly in the spring and enjoy a longer growing season.
- Pick all the fruit from your plants even the immature fruits.
- Prune your plants to about four inches from the base once the leaves begin to drop.
- Pot your chilli back up if it has been in the ground.
- Be careful not to over water your precious plant, a small amount every ten days should be fine not letting the soil dry out.
- Keep all plants frost free aiming for a temperature between 5C ans 12C.
My overwintered crop from 2010 was not as successful as I had hoped, some plants where shelteringng in the summer house and as you can see from the picture above the snow fell heavy and many plants were lost. I have however saved a few and pictured below is a black naga plant. I hope to grow my first naga this year!
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| Black Naga Chilli Plant |
I'm not going to over-winter any of mine. Part of the challenge for me is raising them from seed each year in enough time to get them ripe before Autumn.
ReplyDeleteI do see your point Mark, the yearly challenge is good and much more rewarding however i do enjoy an early crop where i can and the more chillis the better so i always try both if i can.
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