overwintering Over-wintering vs. starting early

[wordwiz]

This doesn't apply to container plants!

For those who have done this, is there a distinct advantage to trying to dig up a plant in the garden, put it in a pot and try to nurse it so it survives vs. starting plants four-five months before frost-free day? Showing my lack of knowledge here, but can a pepper be treated like a perannual? That is, bring it inside when it is alive, let it go dormant (lose leaves, fruit, etc.) keep it in a room with normal lighting and then have it start growing again in the spring when the trees and grape vines start blooming?

To me, if I have to bring 50-60 plants inside and provide heat and light for them from November to April, the cost is hardly going to be worth it.

 

[imaguitargod]

I say leave em outside if they are in the ground. It's really not worth the time and effort. That pairred with the fact that peppers don't like to be dug up makes moving them inside not your best option. Especially at this late a time in the season. Just cut the plant back and hope they live through the winter.

 

[Pam]

This doesn't apply to container plants!

For those who have done this, is there a distinct advantage to trying to dig up a plant in the garden, put it in a pot and try to nurse it so it survives vs. starting plants four-five months before frost-free day? Showing my lack of knowledge here, but can a pepper be treated like a perannual?

Peppers are perennials in the warm climates.

You're the only one who can decide if over-wintering is an advantage or not. I don't over-winter my entire garden, just a select few plants, for me it is a more efficient way to get a few early peppers. I need my seed starting space for the bunches of flowers I start in December/January.

That is, bring it inside when it is alive, let it go dormant (lose leaves, fruit, etc.) keep it in a room with normal lighting and then have it start growing again in the spring when the trees and grape vines start blooming?

Peppers aren't deciduous, they won't enter a true dormancy. If they drop all their leaves it's because they're dying. I've kept mine in a cool, darkish room before; but they didn't lose all their leaves or even stop growing. Come spring, I would cut back all the bits of spindly growth before moving it outside. It wasn't a very satisfactory arrangement, but it was my only alternative in that house.

To me, if I have to bring 50-60 plants inside and provide heat and light for them from November to April, the cost is hardly going to be worth it.

It's not an all or none process. You don't have to bring them all inside. Pick one or two of your favorites and let the others go.

 

[wordwiz]

Pam,

Thanks. I can handle bringing in six-eight plants - that would be no more than three lights I would need, especially if I trim them back a bit.

I did dig up that Hab - I wasn't about to just kiss that many potential peppers goodbye without giving it the old college try. It survived Friday and Saturday, new blooms are appearing and some of the larger peppers are ripening. There are - at least - 75 peppers the size of a dime or larger and maybe double that in smaller ones/blooms. I haven't added any fertilizer yet, figure I'll wait until I need to water the dirt again, probably on Thursday. That would be one week from being transplanted. I do mist the leaves twice a day and have it sitting in a window that is lined with plastic. That seems to give it the sunlight it needs without being too strong.

 

[wordwiz]

An update on the hab - a week or so ago, the leaves started either falling off or drooping all day long, even after the lights were turned off. So I pruned the plant, cutting off all the leaves and small pods that had developed. A week later, the peppers still on it are either getting larger or ripening. New sprouts are appearing. Once the current peppers ripen - there are about 55-65 on the plant, I intend to trim it back some more and move it into the sunroom upstairs.

It's been worth the effort - I will have about 75 decent to large hab peppers I would not have had.

 

[Omri]

Holy... that's a lot. :O
Just a little question, if I'll grow my Nagas all year round, how many pods will they provide? :O

 

[wordwiz]

Holy... that's a lot. :O

It is? This was a fairly decent size plant, measuring about 34 inches from one side to the other when I dug it up. But I had already picked a bunch of peppers off it during the summer. Plus, it had probably that many blooms on it and that many small peppers that didn't survive the moving.

 

[Omri]

Yep, not all peppers survive.

 

[wordwiz]

This one did quite well - it has new growth on it. I am hoping the peppers ripen soon so I can trim it back a bit. Who knows - maybe it will produce another round of peppers this winter.

 

[AlabamaJack]

Bump

This one did quite well - it has new growth on it. I am hoping the peppers ripen soon so I can trim it back a bit. Who knows - maybe it will produce another round of peppers this winter.

How did these peppers do this year Mike...

sorry for the bump but I thought it was appropriate for this October...

if they did well, can/will you say exactly how you did it?

 

[wordwiz]

AJ,

Just saw this post! It survived an attack by some red bugs that had left it for dead, only to be knocked off its stand by a cat. It landed on its head, most of the soil spilled out and I didn't find it for a day. By then it was too late.

Mike

 

[cheezydemon]

Mine were dysmal for an example.

7 out of 8 were not worth overwintering.......however.....

The 1 that did well went explosive this season, producing far sooner, and far more, than any 1st year plant.

So if properly done, it works.