So here’s a quick update on the chilli plants I’m currently over wintering. Most of the plants are kept in the chilli house which is a detached conservatory on the garden. They were all trimmed back in late November and re-potted into slightly smaller pots. I keep a greenhouse heater in in there during cold spells to keep the night time temperatures from dipping too low. I’ve not seen any signs of any new foliage yet but hopefully once this cold snap passes they’ll burst back to life.
Above is my trusty Orange Scotch Bonnet that has been going strong since 2010. This old boy has special privileges due to his age so he’s spending the winter in the conservatory (rather than the chilli house). I gave him a bit of a trim back in the autumn and there’s been no sign of any new growth yet but it’s looking reasonably healthy.
I just gave it a good wash with a hose as there was a bit of a white fly infestation – i’ll keep any eye on that over the next couple of weeks.
Here is my Rocoto Red. I kind of wish I hadn’t cut this plant back so much in the Autumn. C.Pubescens are generally known for tolerating cooler temperatures than the other hot pepper varieties as their native environment is on the upper hills of the Andes mountains. I’ve not over wintered a Pubescen before but looking back I would have like to have left a bit more foliage on the plant.
The hottest of last years chilli crop were definitely the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga chillies (above) that our friends at Potters Plants sent us. This one was a no brainer to over winter so hopefully it’ll make it through the winter and get a good early start to ensure a good crop next year.
If you want to learn more about overwintering chilli plants check out our guide. Or if you’ve got any tips or advice to improve your chances of success feel free to leave a comment below.
Hi,
I have one nice Chinese Multi Color plant in my office, do you believe I can just leave it as it is during winter, just normal regular watering? As with normal flowers?
BTW – it’s now in second wave of blooming, huge number of new blooms…
thanks for your view
Martin
Martin,
What kind of light does the plant get? If it only gets natural light then id say you might be better off trimming it back and letting it go dormant over winter. However if the plant is exposed to artificial lighting of a decent quality and a constant temperature then maybe you’re better off letting it flower and go to fruit again. If this is the case make sure you feed it as the compost in the pot will be low on nutrients.
Good luck!