overwintering Overwintering pods rotting and drying out

[future_man]

• On all my plants especially habaneros all leaves have fallen off, maybe they lack sufficient light since I don't have enough.
• Some side stems started to dry out.
• pods starting to dry
• some pods are rotten inside

I received advice to leave the unripped pods on my plants and they will continue to develop the next season. However pods turned red, remained small and are now drying and rotting. Some smaller stems are also drying out. Are plants dying? In red circle I marked dryed stems:
 

 

[geeme]

Most likely a soil fungus. If you don't have a fan on the plants, get one. Also, for the next several waterings, use a mix of hydrogen peroxide and water. Here's a guide to using h2o2 in gardening: http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/gardening-with-hydrogen-peroxide.html
 
Use the second chart on that page. 
 
It is true that if you leave pods on overwintering plants that the pods will ripen in the spring if the plant went dormant. However, the plant does have to be healthy for this to happen. Since the pods are ripening, plus I see signs of new growth to the right of your red circle, I don't think the plant is very dormant just yet. Go ahead and pick any pods that ripen, as they will not get any larger.

 

[Helvete]

Rotting makes me think overwatering, but I'm not sure.  It seems counterintuitive because of the dried stems but it's a possibility.  I only water my overwinters once a week, if that.  They're not being subjected to the heat of the sun daily so they don't need as much water at all.

Most likely a soil fungus. If you don't have a fan on the plants, get one.

+1, also a symptom of overwatering

 

[Pfeffer]

If your roots rot away due to overwatering, the plant still wilts/dries out. A common mistake is watering even more to counter the wilting.

 

[geeme]

Rotting makes me think overwatering, but I'm not sure.  

 
Exactly why I recommended he get a fan - the soil being too wet for too long allows pathogens to grow and the fan will help dry out the soi. Also, overwintering so that the plants go dormant requires a reduction in food, light, and water. The new growth would not appear and the pods would not ripen if the plant was truly dormant, so these are also signs that the plant is getting too much for the intended purpose.

 

[future_man]

I only water every month and a half since the soil stays wet for very long long time. Maybe I need to dry the soil with some fans like you say. Can I use Neem oil, since I don't have any peroxide?

 

[future_man]

 
Exactly why I recommended he get a fan - the soil being too wet for too long allows pathogens to grow and the fan will help dry out the soi. Also, overwintering so that the plants go dormant requires a reduction in food, light, and water. The new growth would not appear and the pods would not ripen if the plant was truly dormant, so these are also signs that the plant is getting too much for the intended purpose.

 
So the pods can ripen but they stay small?

 

[nzchili]

I only water every month and a half since the soil stays wet for very long long time. Maybe I need to dry the soil with some fans like you say. Can I use Neem oil, since I don't have any peroxide?

I think you need to change the soil in your pots to something that is better draining, or move the plant somewhere warmer if it stays wet for a month..
I personally would cut most of that plant down..I would cut it down to just above that new growth at the bottom.
 
IMO there is no point leaving the pods on there. They are not going to get any better then they already are.
Any small ones that are green will probably turn red and have no heat.
I would let the plant put its energy into starting over again from that new growth.

 

[geeme]

Neem and hydrogen peroxide are two totally different things. Neem works on insects, but fungus is not an insect. Get hydrogen peroxide - you can get it rather inexpensively even at places like discount drugmart, walmart, etc. 
 
I agree with nzc - you must have the wrong kind of soil if it's staying wet that long. i accidentally got garden soil instead of potting soil one year, quite some time back, and decided to go with it. Bad decision, but later reversed when I repotted. Definitely get some potting soil, and if the stuff you have calls itself "potting soil", don't get that kind again. Over here (U.S.) it's rather late for finding potting soil. However, if you go to the manager of a place that has potting soil during the grow season, if you ask you just might find they have some hidden away.
 
Here's the things with pods - if they were small and green and stay green while the plant goes dormant (the fact that they're staying green is one sign the plant is actually dormant), they might get larger in the spring before they ripen, but they also might not. I've seen it go both ways. But like I said earlier, since your pods are ripening and also the plants show new growth, your plants aren't dormant.  That is probably also a "side effect" of being too wet for too long. 

 

[future_man]

Neem and hydrogen peroxide are two totally different things. Neem works on insects, but fungus is not an insect. Get hydrogen peroxide - you can get it rather inexpensively even at places like discount drugmart, walmart, etc. 
 
I agree with nzc - you must have the wrong kind of soil if it's staying wet that long. i accidentally got garden soil instead of potting soil one year, quite some time back, and decided to go with it. Bad decision, but later reversed when I repotted. Definitely get some potting soil, and if the stuff you have calls itself "potting soil", don't get that kind again. Over here (U.S.) it's rather late for finding potting soil. However, if you go to the manager of a place that has potting soil during the grow season, if you ask you just might find they have some hidden away.
 
Here's the things with pods - if they were small and green and stay green while the plant goes dormant (the fact that they're staying green is one sign the plant is actually dormant), they might get larger in the spring before they ripen, but they also might not. I've seen it go both ways. But like I said earlier, since your pods are ripening and also the plants show new growth, your plants aren't dormant.  That is probably also a "side effect" of being too wet for too long. 

 
I have lots of perlite in my soil and coconut peat, I mixed that up because I heard it is good if soil can retain moisture now you guys are telling me the opposite? Confused

 

[Hawaiianero]

 
I have lots of perlite in my soil and coconut peat, I mixed that up because I heard it is good if soil can retain moisture now you guys are telling me the opposite? Confused

During regular growing period you want soil that can maintain adequate moisture because plants will continue to pull water from soil. For overwintering/dormant plants, since they don't use a lot of water, you want something that will at least be able to dry out within a week if not sooner. Oxygen to the roots is just as important as water and if your soil is staying wet, the oxygen can't get to the roots as easy. Don't take this to mean desert dry before watering but at least dry on the top and a little moist 1/2'" or so under the top. Hydrogen Peroxide (diluted) is good advice since not only does it keep nasties away from soil surface, it adds an extra oxygen molecule that the plant can use.

 

[future_man]

Thanks for all the info, my plant started to rot inside the stem, I topped it off and I noticed brown mush inside the main stem.. Is there still hope to save it?