Andrew MacdonaldA question for gardeners please and thank you. If you want to overwinter chilli plants how hard should you cut them back?
#gardening #chillis #chilliplants #pruning
#gardening #chillis #chilliplants #pruning
Pete Jacobsen@andrew_poho #gardening I don't know where you live, but I'll assume you can keep the plants frost-free. Here in the Pacific Northwest of US, I keep my overwintering chillis in pots, and cut them back 1/2 to 3/4 late in the year. I move the pots as necessary to avoid frost.
@ptjacobsen Thanks Pete, I'm in East Anglia, UK, so I can keep them in a cold but frost free greenhouse and if it gets really cold I can bring then in. It's been a mad year here, one of the plants has flowers on, but I'll cut them back in a week or so.
Yvan@andrew_poho @ptjacobsen found this old post searching for UK chilli growers on Mastodon. I'm in NW Norfolk (near Wisbech) and have overwintered with relative success, I just leave them be in a conservatory that stays above zero (not much above!). Let them turn into sticks. Water very minimally. Vacuum up/off leaves. Then repot as the first life returns in spring... and prune back to a good structure of still-green/living stem. But not convinced it is worth it in UK climate.
@yvan @ptjacobsen Thanks. We decided in the end not to bother, and as both greenhouses were -2 this morning, probably the right decision.
@andrew_poho @ptjacobsen yeah, for the best I reckon! Even in the warmest of East Anglian winters the greenhouse isn't likely to work well for overwintering chillies. More of an indoor activity.