What is the lowest temperature pepper plants can handle? I don't want to bring my plants in and out any more than I have to.
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Low Temps
- Thread starter Home-Grown
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Not sure what is meant by over winter. I am looking to keep them healthy and green to be ready for spring.
I use 5C/40F as a rule of thumb but like franz mentioned, it really depends on the variety and your location, take 40F and add a 10 mph north wind and your lovely green plant will quickly turn brown.
Thanks. It looks like I'll be kept busy this winter.
Those of us growing in pots are slaves to our plants..... in the house.... out of the house.... in the house.....
Everything I've read indicates (in general) you shouldn't let the roots get below 50F, so those in the ground can tolerate it better when the above-ground temps are lower than 50F. Since mine are in pots, and the forecast is never 100% perfect, I bring mine in any time it gets down to 55F.
Everything I've read indicates (in general) you shouldn't let the roots get below 50F, so those in the ground can tolerate it better when the above-ground temps are lower than 50F. Since mine are in pots, and the forecast is never 100% perfect, I bring mine in any time it gets down to 55F.
I'm too lazy to bring pots in and out etc... It's spring here and really heating up now but when winter comes I'm planning to have some sort of hot box/greenhouse built with a thermostat controlled fan for the daytime so they don't cook.
Got a little bit of construction and wiring to do but it'll give me a reason to use powertools on the weekend and not do housework
Got a little bit of construction and wiring to do but it'll give me a reason to use powertools on the weekend and not do housework
There is no magic number. It depends how long the plants are exposed, moisture content of the plant, hardiness of the particular plants as well as wind factors. Hardiness isn't usually determined by variety alone but by selective breeding practices over many generations.
Light frosts can kill off green growth but this will all re-grow if the roots/stalk are not killed. I still have several plants growing in my unheated greenhouse and its been below freezing in there several nights/days but I'd advise you to bring plants in whenever it gets below 10C. There is a difference between just keeping a plant alive and keeping it healthy
Light frosts can kill off green growth but this will all re-grow if the roots/stalk are not killed. I still have several plants growing in my unheated greenhouse and its been below freezing in there several nights/days but I'd advise you to bring plants in whenever it gets below 10C. There is a difference between just keeping a plant alive and keeping it healthy
I'm also in FL, and I just bring the plants inside on nights we have a frost warning. Watch the evening news and get an outside thermometer and you'll be set. You shouldn't have to start doing this until Dec/Jan.
I have also used the 50 degree marker. But, I also let nature do its thing. Right now, my plants are steadily dropping their leaves. Once they turn brown, I will recycle them out into the wild....lol
I agree with Potawie on that how long the plants are exposed to freezing temperatures is important...
It depends on what you're after too, but low temperatures only slow growth, only frost is damaging plants.
So far this year we had a few nights with 1-2°C but sunny days with 12-18°C, and even if ripening is a lot slower, peppers still ripen, and my baccatums (lemon drop and brazilian starfish) are still setting fruits ! The jamaican scotch bonnets are still flowering, but they don't seem to make new fruits.
Pubescens are known to behave good at low temperatures, but not really to frost. Last year my rocotos had a few damage on the first frost, mainly leaves and smallest peppers when i decided to bring them in. One stayed outside and survived quite a while until next frost...
This morning we had a light frost (they had annouced 1°C, but i don't have a thermometer, there was a little frost on some roofs), the plants are still ok. But i think they were axposed only a few hours to lowest temperatures, maybe same temperature during all the night would have damaged them.
Do you often have frost in Florida ?
It depends on what you're after too, but low temperatures only slow growth, only frost is damaging plants.
So far this year we had a few nights with 1-2°C but sunny days with 12-18°C, and even if ripening is a lot slower, peppers still ripen, and my baccatums (lemon drop and brazilian starfish) are still setting fruits ! The jamaican scotch bonnets are still flowering, but they don't seem to make new fruits.
Pubescens are known to behave good at low temperatures, but not really to frost. Last year my rocotos had a few damage on the first frost, mainly leaves and smallest peppers when i decided to bring them in. One stayed outside and survived quite a while until next frost...
This morning we had a light frost (they had annouced 1°C, but i don't have a thermometer, there was a little frost on some roofs), the plants are still ok. But i think they were axposed only a few hours to lowest temperatures, maybe same temperature during all the night would have damaged them.
Do you often have frost in Florida ?
Yes and no. It can get very cold but followed by 80f the next week. I am a little south of 30 degrees north.
when canadian orange juice prices skyrocket, we know they had frost in florida.
Hi Home-grown,
I also wanted to let you know that I had a serrano plant that survived 3 years outside with no special treatment, it died last year when we got that really bad frost.
Another thing that alot people do is cover their outside plants with hay or straw(at night) durring frost warnings. I will be trying this on some of the plants in my raised beds that I won't be digging up and bringing inside.
hmmm... my habs and ring of fires have been setting fruit even though night temps have fallen to the 40's already.
in a few days, it's supposed to hit 38 degrees, but I have a feeling my plants can handle a single night of cold as long as it doesn't rain the day before.
in a few days, it's supposed to hit 38 degrees, but I have a feeling my plants can handle a single night of cold as long as it doesn't rain the day before.
We have been getting low forties of a night in CA this week. its a real shame as my only ripe superhot pod so far has been a solitary Fatalli. I am trying to cover them with poly of an evening till I get my greenhouse built. No sign of damage yet.