Chillies in pots or planted in greenhouse soil

The past couple of years I have grown chillies from seed. When they get to a certain size, I have put them in to the soil in the greenhouse. They never seemed to grow very tall and are very late forming flowers. This year I have the same variety and was wondering, would they grow better kept in pots rather than in the soil?

 

My Chillies in pots behave like that - quite late flowering and the fruit ripening. But I have no idea if that is normal!

 

Thanks Kristen, so it is not just me then. I think I will leave them in pots this year that way I can keep moving them to a sunny position as the summer progresses.

 

Dangerous policy I reckon ....

... I had lots of pots in the greenhouse last year but kept giving them away to friends who visited!! If they had been planted in the soil I could have been meaner

 

Two years running I've tried to do that ... and failed :(

Doesn't help that DW tells me to evict them from the kitchen windowsill after a bit and then they get abandoned in a spare bedroom!

 

"Dangerous policy I reckon ....

... I had lots of pots in the greenhouse last year but kept giving them away to friends who visited!! If they had been planted in the soil I could have been meaner "

Just tell them they are extremely hot chillies you are only growing for decoration. It might work.

Good idea Loofah. I may give that a try this year, unless I kill them of course.

 

"Just tell them they are extremely hot chillies you are only growing for decoration"

Actually, perhaps I'll grow some Naga, or whatever they are called, and say "I love these, you need 3 or 4 per person in a curry or spag. bol." and then they won't ask again (if they are still alive!!)

 

i read in a gardening book that some chillies like their roots being restricted in a pot,
Im going to give it a go this year.

 

Exactly what I read. I'm attempting chillies for the first time this year and went deep, deep, deep into Google to gleen as much info as I could.

:: Pot restriction is important, roots get annoyed when they are disturbed
:: Pinching out top shoots from the plant once it is beyond a seedling makes a bushier bush
:: Watering--not too much, not too little (no drowning, no drought)
:: As much sunlight as you can get ahold of!!!
:: Pick chillies when they are green, to get more chillies to come

 

I was going to plant mine in the greenhouse border this year, but maybe I won't - or maybe I'll do half-and-half and compare.

I wouldn't pinch out if the plant is bushing up by itself (some do, some don't). It knocks back the flowering, and thus the fruiting, a couple of weeks.

I much prefer Red chillies to Green ones. I dry all mine at the end of the season - still got loads to keep me going until autumn.

But I'm growing Jalapenos this year, they haven't got any kick as far as I'm concerned so they are just to look good in salads and be useful in cooking, so they will be picked green.

 

I have been following this thread with interest as this is the first year I have tried chillies.
I have a couple of cayenne in pots which I intend to grow in my consevatory.
Please take a look at the picture.
Do you think that size pot may be to big regarding the suggestion that they like to be a bit bound?
Thanks guys
robert

 

I grew chillies in the house last year on a windowsill in pots, they did really well!!

I will add a few photo's shortly if I can

I cant really tell what size those pots are, do you know their measurements?

Kx

 

They look OK to me. Big for the current size of the plant, but not too big for what it will become!

I haven't got a note of the pot size I used last year, but looking at a photograph it could be as small as 5"

These are Demon Red - quite a small bushed variety

 

Hi there, if I sow seeds now will I get a plant and a harvest of chillies this summer and will they survive outside?

thanks :O)