Over-wintering Chilli / Pepper plants?

[skip]

Hi - a friend has told me that its possible to save a chilli / pepper plant until the following year & it will continue to produce fruit ... is this true?

This year my little chilli's germinated quite late & never really came on - so are not near the fruiting stage, is it worth keeping them overwinter until next year?

[taralastair]

I don't know the answer to this, but would like to know what replies you get. I have 2 chilli plants that have done quite well on a window sill indoors. They both still have fruit (but no new flowers)on them but are looking a bit sad and don't know whether I should give them the boot. Sorry to hear you didn't get any from yours this year. They are awfully slow to germinate.

Tara

[Garlic_Guy]

If you search, someone else has asked almost the same question.

I've done this a few times and have some chilli plants that are several years old (can't get any more seed, so wanted to try keeping them going).

Things to watch:
- They seem to get attacked by aphids (in my house at least)
Especially susceptible in the spring.
- Mine started to lose their vigour after a year or so.
Taking cuttings seemed to be an answer to that.

Benefits:
- The variety I have (from the West Indies) seems to flower and fruit less in the Summer but more in Autumn and Xmas. If you were using a greenhouse, you might miss this.

[Johnboy]

Hi Colin,
If your seed comes from the West Indies originally and is a kind of indigenous plant it is unlikely to be an F1 Hybrid so why do you not leave one fruit to really ripen fully and try saving the seed. I think it is a case of nothing ventured nothing gained. If you manage to grow some next year whilst you still have cuttings going you may well be surprised and you will be able to compare results.
JB.

[Garlic_Guy]

Good idea JB. I'm sure you're right about not being F1 stock (I bought the peppers in a local market in Trinidad and dried out the seeds whilst were there).

I won't tell my wife though, as I've been angling for an excuse to go back there on holiday again!

[Primrose]

As an experiment last year I did overwinter one Hungarian Wax chilli plant on my kitchen windowsill, cutting it back after I'd picked the last fruit. It flowered again successfully and bore some more small chillis but was badly attacked by whitefly before they got to harvesting stage, something which never happens to my plants outdoors.

[Piglet]

The chillie plants are perennial and if you can keep them warm enough then there is no reason why you shouldnt keep them over winter.