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Chilli Plant Inside Green House Dying

TurbotimTurbotim Posts: 4
in Plants
Hi All,
I have a couple of Chilli plants in my greenhouse and recently one of them has died, it looks like it rotted from the top down (I have attached a photo of the old stem).

i’m concerned because the other plants are now starting to wilt from the top down.

The temperature never falls below 10 degrees centigrade within the greenhouse.

Any ideas please?

Posts

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    Are you in the UK?
    It is very difficult to overwinter chillies in the UK.. They hate big temperature changes between night and day and need a lot more sunshine, warmth, and light than most of us can give them through the winter. It looks like dampening off to me. You could try bringing them into the house if you have somewhere warm and light to put them,otherwise I doubt if they will survive much longer.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    I'd dispute they're difficult to overwinter as long as you're not too far North. Managed about ten of them last year despite the -8°C temperature low. In a cold bright large plastic greenhouse but they have to be trimmed down and kept quite dry to avoid botrytis..They really fuited quite quickly when planted out and had a great crop. 

    The RHS put out a good video about it that may come handy https://youtu.be/SuA59WzTJAQ?si=DjVdrS7RT4e6LKLS
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    Interestingly over Christmas, my daughter asked about keeping chillies going over the winter. She had one in the greenhouse which has damped off and died but she still has one growing in their bathroom and seems to be OK, growing new shoots. I told her if it survived it would fruit earlier than plants grown from seed in the Spring.
  • TurbotimTurbotim Posts: 4
    Hi Joyce,
    Yes I am in the UK, I have now brought the Chilli plants indoors and put them in a bright warm location as you suggested. Thanks for that video link George, I have also trimmed the plants back as well, I will keep you guys updated on their progress.
  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    Pruned mine back to one 6 inch stick only after last chilli. Comes alive in the Spring.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    I kept one of the lemon drop plants on my kitchen windowsill last year and it had some new fruit come January...and frankly this early Victorian house isn't exactly warm. Sadly as we're selling up haven't repeated the experiment.

    In the February issue of Country Living Magazine (free subscription via library) Monty says he doesn't overwinter any chillies because they don't fruit as well long term. In my case because I had planted them too late there was a measly crop in the first year while they flourished in the second. Like everything else in gardening...our circumstances differ 😉
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Just pondering … perhaps overwintering would get an early crop while waiting for the current year’s new plants to fruit …?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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