THE AMAZING INDOOR ECO-CHILI
Eco-gardening is at its best in The Monday Garden
May 23, 2004, Issue 113
Some of you may have wondered about the chili pepper featured in Survivor: The Office Plant (Issue 98) . I certainly did. Here’s the whole story.
all pictures: Offices of Dr Nichola Bott, Stamford CT 2003-2004
Last winter, here in Stamford, CT, I spied a pepper plant growing in a friend’s kitchen, on the floor, out of direct sun, next to a heat vent. This was not one of your wimpy, toxic ornamentals but a full-fledged, real-eating, garden chili pepper!
Since chilies are a full-sun, warm-weather garden plant, I assumed that over-wintering one in the house, even in full sun, would be great for spider mites and the like, but the chili would be begging for a merciful death by Christmas. However, inspection showed the plant to be healthy and happy; great leaf color and lovely chilies. Surprise. Who knew they’d do so well indoors? My friend says “oh, we got it from a friend, and it’s nice to have fresh chilies handy. We put it on the balcony in the summer”. Huh?