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Should i harvest red chili as fast i turns red to increase yield?

sinderyt151R93x17HKsinderyt151R93x17HK Posts: 99
in Fruit & veg
Does it matter if i leave the chili on the plant or should i harvest it as soon the chili turns red? Most of it are green, but some have changed to red does the plant still use energy on the red chillies, would it increase yield and make more chilies if i harvest the red ones? 

i know i can harvest them as green, but i need them to be red. 
Indoor grower due to our cold climate in Norway
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  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    If they are red and ripe, harvest them now :)
  • sinderyt151R93x17HKsinderyt151R93x17HK Posts: 99
    edited July 2021
    philippasmith2 said:
    If they are red and ripe, harvest them now :)
    Theyre red and been so for some days, but harvesting them will it increase more chili flower as in more chili yield? like is the plant still using energy on the red and riped chilies?
    Indoor grower due to our cold climate in Norway
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Yes - harvest them when they are ripe and the plant will produce more flowers to replace the ones you remove.
    If you leave ripe ones on the plant they'll just slowly shrivel up - eat and enjoy them !! :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • sinderyt151R93x17HKsinderyt151R93x17HK Posts: 99
    Pete.8 said:
    Yes - harvest them when they are ripe and the plant will produce more flowers to replace the ones you remove.
    If you leave ripe ones on the plant they'll just slowly shrivel up - eat and enjoy them !! :)
    Thanks, just one more question so im sure i do everything correct, is this the way i should harvest the red and ripen chilies in the youtube video, or is there any other better methods to harvest so the plant keep producing more chilies, its indoors so there wont be any winter season for the chilies so i want to maximize the yield, i feed the chili when i water them with a special red liquid fertilizer that is made for chili plants which are supposed to increase yield/flower. 
    https://youtu.be/vY3dlgQLim0?t=102 




    Indoor grower due to our cold climate in Norway
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I've grown chillies for many years and I've never tried snapping them off, I just use scissors - I don't think it makes any difference.
    You should try the green ones too - they're not as hot, but have a fresh zingy flavour.
    The more you harvest, the more flowers will come :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • sinderyt151R93x17HKsinderyt151R93x17HK Posts: 99
    Pete.8 said:
    I've grown chillies for many years and I've never tried snapping them off, I just use scissors - I don't think it makes any difference.
    You should try the green ones too - they're not as hot, but have a fresh zingy flavour.
    The more you harvest, the more flowers will come :)

    So do you scissor the chili at either the top red line in picture or the bottom instead of snapping. So i understand it right, your answer is probably obvious but id rather ask one to many questions then ruin the chili.

    i'l harvest most of them once i know for sure how to harvest them. i snapped a chili couple days ago doing what the guy in youtube video explained and failed a little bit and only half of the stem got removed, but that chili started to look wrinkly like the skin of the chili started to change does that happen when ripen chili stays to long on the plant or was that any other issue?

    i scraped the seeds outoff that chili and storing em in a dry place now and tasted the chili and it was hot.



    Indoor grower due to our cold climate in Norway
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I'd snip just above the lower red line you have drawn, so you don't risk damaging the plant.
    If you leave them on the plant too long they will start to shrivel and rot.
    Once they're red all over, you should harvest them and you plant will produce more flowers for more chillies.
    When I have lots I freeze them - If you freeze them whole, they do go squishy but retain their flavour and heat.
    Or put them in a blender then put them in a freezer bag and flatten it. Then you can just break off a bit when you need it :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    You can cut the ripe chillies at any point between your first and second red line. If you want to use the chillies fresh, it won't matter within a few millimetres.
    If you wish to dry them, leave a long enough stem so they can be threaded thru a length of cotton thread and hung up to dry.
    All you need to worry about is cutting the stem which has produced the fruit.  Don't go too close to the main stem which could result in damage if you aren't careful.
    There really isn't any mystery about it  - as already said, if ripe, remove and use however you want - they won't improve by leaving them on the plant. 
  • sinderyt151R93x17HKsinderyt151R93x17HK Posts: 99
    philippasmith2 said:
    You can cut the ripe chillies at any point between your first and second red line. If you want to use the chillies fresh, it won't matter within a few millimetres.
    If you wish to dry them, leave a long enough stem so they can be threaded thru a length of cotton thread and hung up to dry.
    All you need to worry about is cutting the stem which has produced the fruit.  Don't go too close to the main stem which could result in damage if you aren't careful.
    There really isn't any mystery about it  - as already said, if ripe, remove and use however you want - they won't improve by leaving them on the plant. 
    il freeze them like i usually do with chilies, its easier to mortar em into paste that way once i need it. but the reason i asked about where to cut it is because i though maybe another chili would come outoff the same stem so i asked to be sure where to cut it so that i am 100% sure that im doing it right for maxium yield and without destroying the plant in the process. 
    Indoor grower due to our cold climate in Norway
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    If you have a fruit on a stem and it ripens, cut it off.

    You will only get a fruit from a flower.  Provided the stem has produced 1 flower and that grows and ripens, then you remove the fruit  If that stem has produced another flower, then let that form and ripen.

    Snipping off ripe fruit will not destroy your plant.

    My apologies but I don't know how else to describe the harvesting.

     
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