Chilli Plants in the Kitchen

I planted these chilli plants 5 months ago and had given up any hope of getting a crop this year. For the last few months the plants have produced plenty of white flowers that just keep dropping off and hadn't produce any fruit - until recently. This week I spotted my first chilli and have another dozen starting to form.

The Chilli King has a few good pages on growing chillies and mentions that flower drop on indoor plants is usually a sign that hand pollination of the plant is required. This can be done by lightly rubbing your finger or small artist brush inside the flower heads.

The time to start planning next year's crop is only a few months away and I am aiming to plant next year's seeds in Jan/Feb.