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overwintering Wintering plants

C

cmwr

I grow a few plants on my deck every year in pots. I would like to bring a couple in this winter and just keep the alive so next spring I can get s jump start on production. Plus I got lucky and found a ghost pepper plant and several habaneros this spring. In my area every greenhouse has jalapeños and other common popular species but its hard to find habanero and other not as popular peppers. Can I just bring them inside and keep them room temperature throughout the winter near a window and keep them alive?

Now one other question I have is soil quality. Every year when I plant peppers I put miracle grow in my pots. My pepper plants are always green and healthy but I have never had a bumper crop of peppers like in years past when I would plant them in the garden. Is this just because I need to keep adding fertilizer as the pepper is taking all the nutrients out of the small amount of soil thats in the pot?
 
I can't speak on the soil with a ton of certainty, but it's definitely to overwinter a plant next to a window (provided it provides enough light). I kept a couple plants by my glass door and they're my best producers this season
 
First thing is will your wife let you keep em inside. You have a long winter. 2nd is how big are your pots?

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Yes you can do that if the window provides enough light. Another option is to cut the plant back and force it into dormancy. There is a thread on overwintering that should be helpful for you here: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/25596-the-comprehensive-guide-to-over-wintering/
 
I would also suggest replacing the potting soil and spraying the plants with Neem before bringing them inside for the winter, to help avoid pests. Pests can get out of hand quickly indoors, since there are no natural predators to control them.
 
And yes, you should be fertilizing your plants. I would only expect the fert that is is the potting soil to last for the first 30 days or so. Not for the whole season. Any good tomato fert will work fine for peppers too.
 
If you want a "bumper crop of peppers", you are gonna need to go larger than a 1 or 2 gallon container. Conventional wisdom says 5 gallon minimum. Smaller pots will result in smaller plants, and therefore less peppers. There is a short video that illustrates the effects of pot size here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URPPQi903ZY
 
BlackFatalii said:
Yes you can do that if the window provides enough light. Another option is to cut the plant back and force it into dormancy. There is a thread on overwintering that should be helpful for you here: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/25596-the-comprehensive-guide-to-over-wintering/
 
I would also suggest replacing the potting soil and spraying the plants with Neem before bringing them inside for the winter, to help avoid pests. Pests can get out of hand quickly indoors, since there are no natural predators to control them.
 
And yes, you should be fertilizing your plants. I would only expect the fert that is is the potting soil to last for the first 30 days or so. Not for the whole season. Any good tomato fert will work fine for peppers too.
 
If you want a "bumper crop of peppers", you are gonna need to go larger than a 1 or 2 gallon container. Conventional wisdom says 5 gallon minimum. Smaller pots will result in smaller plants, and therefore less peppers. There is a short video that illustrates the effects of pot size here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URPPQi903ZY
Click to expand...
Dude the last plant she shows is unreal!
 
I assume theres no need to fertilize the soil while they are indoors this winter correct? And besides buying store-bought fertilizer for tomatoes, since I am in agriculture country, is there anything that might work just as good or better that I can obtain for free locally like horse manure or cow maneuver or chicken manure?
 
BlackFatalii said:
Yes you can do that if the window provides enough light. Another option is to cut the plant back and force it into dormancy. There is a thread on overwintering that should be helpful for you here: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/25596-the-comprehensive-guide-to-over-wintering/
 
I would also suggest replacing the potting soil and spraying the plants with Neem before bringing them inside for the winter, to help avoid pests. Pests can get out of hand quickly indoors, since there are no natural predators to control them.
 
And yes, you should be fertilizing your plants. I would only expect the fert that is is the potting soil to last for the first 30 days or so. Not for the whole season. Any good tomato fert will work fine for peppers too.
 
If you want a "bumper crop of peppers", you are gonna need to go larger than a 1 or 2 gallon container. Conventional wisdom says 5 gallon minimum. Smaller pots will result in smaller plants, and therefore less peppers. There is a short video that illustrates the effects of pot size here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URPPQi903ZY
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Click to expand...
 
 
 
I just got a chance to watch that video on the big screen. Holy cow that last plant is huge!!!!
 
Man you have the wife's blessing. You'll be fine! Ill post more when i get home.

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