Growing chillies

[Paikea]

I love eating chilies in most dishes. I have one plant that regularly produces one big very good looking/tasting chill about 100 mm long and 25 mm dia. But It never seems to produce more than one.

The one shows no signs of being eaten by any type of plant predator but as the one chilli ripens the foliage of the whole plan dies off. 

Anyone else have this problem? I used to grow multiple numbers of the small variety chilies however they are a bit to hot for me.

The plant is in a pot and is regularly  watered.

Cheers

[Restyle]

Provide the plant with some fertiliser especially some with potassium in it which encourages the plant to flower and fruit. Ash is a good source of potassium. You also want the soil to be organically active and healthy, not sandy and ‘dead’, easiest way to resolve this is to actively provide the plant with a little bit of manure/compost ontop of the current soil every 6 months or so. Don’t want to put to much as you’ll burn the base of the plant or even the roots. You can also re pot it in a slightly larger pot which will give the plant some new soil. 
Most plants do die back abit as they fruit as the plants putting all its energy into fruiting and not so much into growth and maintaining itself, you can limit that by feeding it around fruiting season. 
 

other factors for limited fruit is aspect, too little sun or even too much sun, if it’s against a brick wall the heat reflecting of the wall my be too much stressing the plant out soil ph and EC could be too high or low, or even a dog pissing on the plant might not be too ideal. Most garden centres can do soil testing.

[noelm]

Never had issues growing chilli’s of any kind, they just grow and produce copious amounts of fruit.

[BaitDropper]

On 2/5/2024 at 5:48 PM, Paikea said:

I love eating chilies in most dishes. I have one plant that regularly produces one big very good looking/tasting chill about 100 mm long and 25 mm dia. But It never seems to produce more than one.

The one shows no signs of being eaten by any type of plant predator but as the one chilli ripens the foliage of the whole plan dies off. 

Anyone else have this problem? I used to grow multiple numbers of the small variety chilies however they are a bit to hot for me.

The plant is in a pot and is regularly  watered.

Cheers

I never water my chillis, just leave it to the rain. If we don't get rain for a week, I'll water then.

I've got mine planted between the cucumbers and the tomatoes and found them quite maintenance free to grow.

I always get the soil right before planting, Chilli's don't like having wet feet and luv the organic stuff to grow in, the more " rotten the compost" the better.

Sometimes, every year, something just doesn't seem to do as well as the previous year, sometimes it can't be explained, just re do the next year and things seem to sort themselves out. This year my beans didn't do as well as last year, did all the same things I did the previous year, but nope, not as good.

[Yowie]

Maybe a bit too much water Hank. Chillis and capsicums need water, however, too much causes root rot - found that out at home.

A high nitrogen fertiliser also does not help. Tomato fertiliser has a balanced amount, which will help the chillis.

Chillis, capsicums, tomatoes, potatoes are all in the same family.

[noelm]

I tossed an old Chilli bush (those small red hot ones) on the ground to “clean up later” 3 weeks later it’s got new Chilli’s on it……just laying on the path, no dirt, no water. I use those ones for my Chilli Crab, open them up, clean all the seeds out then cut them up, you get the Chilli taste without burning your mouth.