Dirty Old Man Posted March 30, 2006 Having just recently taken up growing chilleis was wondering how long they generally live for. Also would love to learn some tips on improving growth and fruit production. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted March 30, 2006 In a frost free climate 4 years is good b4 the get gnarly woody and pest build up in the soil you can extend that by cloning in frosty climes you can bring them indoors in planter tubs to overwinter as you would also do with other solanaceae like brugmansia Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dirty Old Man Posted March 30, 2006 you can extend that by cloning Please explain? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted March 30, 2006 taking softwood or semihardwod cuttings of new growth means you place the same genetic individual somewhere else with a new rootsystem and vascular system the 2 things i alluded to that effectively limit a chilli bushes life im sure this way you could keep a plant 10 years or more before neglect or viruses cause senescence Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Auxin Posted March 30, 2006 Some plants (mainly Capsicum annuum) can have lives as short as 2-3 years. C. chinense (like habanero), C. pubescens (like rocoto), and long lived C. annuums depending on variety can live over 10 years. I've heard of a 14 year old fatalii bush (C. chinense, citrusy odor, 300,000 SHU). Cloning is quite easy but many growers strongly advocate starting from fresh seed unless your trying to keep around a F1 hybrid or something. One thing about chillies is that lots of fertilizer is not good for them, makes em big but with fewer, smaller fruit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dirty Old Man Posted March 31, 2006 Great, thanks for the replies Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mescalito Posted April 1, 2006 I ran a little experiment this year and planted half of my plants in a shady spot with no direct sun the rest in full sun, some in pots and some in the ground....the ones in full sun aren't fairing that well even though I watered and fed both lots equally and are yet to fruit...but I am BLOWN away by the size,vigour and fruit yield of the shaded ones The only things I did was dig in some gypsum,watered in some miracle grow and fed them diluted worm-farm wee a few times. Oh yeah and the more you pick-the more they flower (use your thumbnail to break the individual fruit stem off) ATM I've got purple delights,red cayenne, jalepeno,habenero,hungarian yellow,"Burke's thai" and 2 surviving potted pubescens I've since moved into the shade.Don't use black pots if they're in the sun much as the roots get too hot. Have fun and welcome to another addiction :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dirty Old Man Posted April 1, 2006 Thats interesting I always assumed chillies just love full sun. I mean I am a pretty crap horticulturalist but all we have been able to grow on our balcony (no roof full sunlight for at half the day) are cazctus and chillies. The chillies do ok as long as they are in self watering pots, but from the sound of your experiment they would do much better with a bit of shade. Our place is a real bitch of a situation. Its a top floor unit with a terracota tile balcony facing east north east. I would love to engineer some kind of shade solution but fucking body corporates in newer buildings leave you with very few options About all we are allowed to do is put on tinted clear roofing stuff. I guess it would help a bit but still have got to contend with hot dry air conditioner exhaust blowing straight into the plants. On hot days the terracota radiates so much heat that even in self watering pots plants begin to wilt if not watered daily. Cant' wait to move to a house. end of rant Would love to here som ideas if anyone has any. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mescalito Posted April 3, 2006 Yeah dude man oh my god don't grow anything near the condenser of an air conditioner...the air off temp can reach 60-70 odd degrees and is dry as hell (better to dry your chilllies there afterwards ) Go to the backdock of Retravision and get a cardboard box from a refrigerator and make a duct out of it to direct the air straight out away from the balcony or alternatively take them inside and they'll fair better.Maybe try one in the bathroom too they don't mind humidity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VINS Posted April 6, 2006 One thing about chillies is that lots of fertilizer is not good for them, makes em big but with fewer, smaller fruit. that's interesting and i verified this last year. but it is not completly right in what i read, chilies love to be fertilized with potassium and magnesium but the dosage must be precise. when one of this 2 product is in excess, then the balance is wrong and the result is poor fruits. (also interesting to notice that it is the same thing for poppies. in what i experienced, it is better not fertilizing than fertilizing with the wrong balance . (regarding the final product, not the size of the plant)) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted April 6, 2006 medium N ; high P; high K ; plus compost, mulch and seaweed moderate water = high yileld good quality baiting for fruit fly may be needed i lost 1/2 my crop his year to the fly - and all my capsicums and tomato Share this post Link to post Share on other sites