Hey gardening enthusiasts! I'm really struggling with my chilli plants this year. I've got three plants—two biquinhos and one habanero—and I haven't harvested any chillies yet! I keep them in a warm room with plenty of direct sunlight from lunch onwards. I'm using good quality potting compost, feeding them with tomato feed (which I heard is similar to chilli feed). The biquinhos have flowered and produced a few chillies, but my habanero has just grown tall without flowering at all. I've seen so many folks with bushy plants full of chillies, and I would love to know what I'm doing wrong! Any tips?
3 Answers
Hey there! A couple of things to consider: What pot size are you using? I usually sow my seeds around January and then transplant them into 20L or 30L pots. My first mini harvest came early July this year. Also, keep in mind that biquinhos might not set fruit indoors well, and manual pollination can really help!
It sounds like your plants just need a little more time. The ones that have flowered will benefit from manual pollination—just use a cotton bud to help them out. Your habanero might be a slow starter, but it could pick up next season if it establishes well now. Consider over-wintering them for better chances!
I had a rough start too! I moved my chillies outside to get more sunlight and they really perked up. If you're able to move them outdoors, it might help get them closer to those bees and improve pollination and growth!
Yeah, over-wintering is a game-changer! Letting them settle in can lead to better yields next year.