The recent spate of warm and sunny weather has suited the chillis very well, though I'm sure they will have sensed from the cool night-time temperatures that Autumn is not too far away, so they had better get their fruit ripened quickly! [In this context, when one says something is "turning", one means that it is just beginning to change colour, as a sign of ripeness.]
My Scotch Bonnet plant has produced a huge mass of fruits like those ones above, but it was looking very tired (who could blame it?), so I have pruned it ready for its resting phase. I hope to be able to keep it alive until next year.
That's a bit different from how it looked a month ago:
Prior to the pruning job I picked all the chillis of a reasonable size:
I think this next photo demonstrates very well why I grow chillis. Even if I never ate any of them, I would still want to photograph them!
Meanwhile, lots of the other types of chilli are changing colour too:
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| "Cyclon" |
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| "Cayenne" |
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| This one is a Sweet Pepper, not a chilli |
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| "NuMex Twilight" |
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| "Red Habanero" |
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| "Sumher" |
Even the little tiny "Black Prince" chillis look as if they will turn red. If they do, that will be a pretty sight.
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That certainly is a nice harvest! What are you going to do with them?
ReplyDeleteDavid, I think the bigger ones will be dried for making paprika, while the small ones will be frozen for use indivdually in casseroles and stir-fries during the Winter.
DeleteWill they continue to ripen off the plant or can you use them green? It's a great harvest.
ReplyDeleteJo, yes the chillis do continue to ripen after picking, just like tomatoes. I'm not sure what I'll do with all the Scotch Bonnets. They are very hot.
DeleteOur tomatoes are starting to turn at last!
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for a Hungarian Hot Wax Yellow. It's almost there!
ReplyDeleteGreat looking chills. I was wondering if I could transplant any of my chili plants from the garden bed into a pot to keep over winter inside? I didn't think about keeping any plants till next summer but seeing your scotch bonnet plant all ready for hibernation made me want to do the same. Have you ever tried this? Do you think it will work?
ReplyDeleteYes, the SB plant was successully over-wintered last year. Lots of people do it. I'm planning to keep a few of my plants. They need to be kept warm of course...
DeleteIt looks that chillies are reasonably easy to grow. I need to try it next year. Or maybe should I have a go in growing it as a house plant?
ReplyDeleteIf you grow one as a house-plant, make sure you choose a small one! Some chilli plants can get very big.
DeleteAwesome picture of the fruits and vegetables. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeletegarden ornaments
What lovely colours, I miss having my chilli plant, must plant another for next year!
ReplyDeleteYou've really got a great variety of chilis this year. The NuMex Twilight look interesting. I have to say I do like the long traditional looking ones best.
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