Re: [CH] chile plants questions
Calvin Donaghey (gdonaghey@bitstreet.com)
Thu, 15 Jul 1999 18:58:36 -0500
Robert-
All chiles are actually perrenials, but to quote Paul Bosland, some like the
idea better than others. Most wild varieties will store enough food in their
roots to come back in the spring if the roots do not get frozen. I have ten
different varieties which came back this spring after a mild winter, one being
an Aji Amarillo and another a Bishop's Crown (neither of these should be
expected to come back in the spring). The advantage I get from this is that
the Bishop's Crown is now over a meter tall with many ripening pods, probably
a full month ahead of those I raised from seedlings this spring. I have found
that temperatures around -10 C for a day or more tends to freeze out all but
the toughest wild varieties if not SIGNIFICANTLY insulated and protected. If
your temps go below that, and you want to grow some more than one season,
plant some in BIG pots and get grow lights for indoor growing. The most
cold-tolerant chiles I have grown here in Texas (which is NOT very cold) are
Serranos, Manzanos, Tepins, and several other wild varieties. Manzanos have
trouble with the heat here, though. I save and trade seed from my wild pets,
and will send you some if you'll make sure that it's legal. The disadvantage
of the wild forms, of course, is that the pods are small (prolific, yes-- HOT,
yes--but still small).
Calvin
Robert Dafrij wrote:
> Me and my mate are new at growing chiles and i was just wondering if chile
> plants die off each year of if they keep living for years. I was also
> wondering which chiles i should grow seeing as though i live in Suoth
> Australia, Australia.
> Anyone with any answers?
>
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