chilli plant

i've got a little chilli plant that is about 12inch tall, its in a pot that is about 5inch wide 5inch deep, does it need planting into a bigger pot or is it ok.

thanks.

That is just about the right size-if you keep potting it on that will just engourage more leaf growth- you now want flowers confining it will encourage that

Really Geoff? Wow, I didn't know that! Does that go for sweet (bell) peppers as well?

Yes Becks -you dont need to keep repotting-you have to kid the plant it is on the way out it will flower, to set fruit, to set seed-which is what we want it to do-especially now

Oh man! No wonder my sweet pepper is all leaf then. It's been in a morrisons bucket since it was about 5 inches.

Then it has been happily growing away without a care in the world-sorry

What colour are they now?l

I over wintered a chilli bought in the "reduced" section at Home Base last year and when it got cold brought it inside on a window sill and was still picking chillies at Christmas.  It is now back in the greenhouse, still in the pot it was bought in and still producing chillies.  As for picking they will keep better on the plant until you need them.

Wait till they go red

I bought chilli plants from the same store 2 years ago and have had loads of chillies. last winter i cut them right back and this year they are right back with even more crop than last, just keep feeding

Yes keep them on the plant they keep much much better unless you dry them.

I dried mine last year and the year before thinking it was an annual. They do dry extremely well and keep their colour, I've still have chillies left from last year, kept in a jar in the kitchen. They turn a darker red when dried and are ever so hot, one is all you need in any dish...

Me thinks I'll keep a plant this year and bring it indoors. Once red on the plant though do they stay like that until picked no matter how long left on the plant. I've apache and cayenne and another 'west' something or other, would need to check the label.

Also tried to grow Chilli Jalapeno but this was culled in favour of the above as it didn't grow nearly as well.  

do you need to nip any side stems off as the grow

Nope.