Over wintered peppers

b54red · May 27, 2010

Last year after reading about others overwintering peppers I made a last minute decision to try it on some of my plants killed back by freezes. I had already pulled my peppers up and thrown them in a pile to be removed and decided to try to keep a few. Most of the roots broke off when they were pulled up. I took my clippers and cut off all the limbs leaving a couple of 3 to 8 inch stubs off the main stalk which I also shortened to about 15 to 24 inches. I then stuck them in gallon containers with some dirt in them and watered well. I put them on my plastic wrapped screen porch. A friend had a big laugh at my stick collection but in Jan and Feb I started getting some little sprouts of green off some of them while others just remained as sticks which eventually dried up even with regular watering. The ones that seemed to be trying to recover, I set out in the garden when I set out my new plants. Lo and behold those sticks are now bushy green sturdy plants loaded with peppers that are going to be ripe at least a month before any of the new ones. I have trouble having to wait so long for that first ripe bell pepper and this looks to be a good solution so I can have some peppers with my tomatoes in a much more timely manner.
Even though I lost over half of my 'sticks' I am certainly going to try it again next year with a few changes. I will dig them up much more carefully so that I have more roots to work with and will experiment with leaving a few more stems on the stalks but will still keep them short so they don't take up so much room on the porch. I am also going to clip back the plant at least a week before I dig it up so it will have a better chance to recover from the shock of losing 90% of the top. I may also take a shovel and cut down around the plant a few days before putting it into a pot to see if that makes any difference.
Thank you to whoever decided to post on the subject. I wish there had been a great source of information on tomatoes and peppers like this when I started gardening many years ago it sure would have made gardening more fun.

matereater · May 27, 2010

I've been doing the same thing with my herbs (sort of) I grow them all in a 15 gallon pot on the patio and bring them indoors in late fall, when the weather is warm enough in the spring I set them back outside. I can't tell you how much money I've saved over the years from having to buy new every year.

May have to give this pepper scenario a try this fall, thanks for your post!!

kath · May 27, 2010

This year I'm growing all my peppers in pots to see if I can keep them going all year long in hubby's cactus greenhouse. There may not be room for all of them, so maybe I'll try putting the extras in the basement or the unheated shed; in light of what you discovered it seems worth a try.
Did you notice that some varieties made it more than others; was it a matter of which had more roots, or more frost damage?

rnewste · May 27, 2010

I did the so-called "over-winter" thing with my Peppers in a somewhat modified way. As we had only a few hard freezes this Winter, in March I cut them back to 6 inches high and left 2 or 3 leaves on each one. I then transplanted a few weeks later into a new EarthTainer with re-charged Lime and fertilizer for the 2010 Season. They have really taken off - here is a picture taken on May 19, and since then, they are showing several blossoms:

I will absolutely do this next Season on most of my Bell and NuMex Pepper plants. In fact, I will take a few selected ones, transplant them into individual containers and put them in the south facing garden windows over the Winter.

Raybo

lj in ny · May 27, 2010

I tried to overwinter my peppers this year. I too read about it at the last minute and tried to give it a shot and planted some in pots when I dug them out of the garden. One or two looked promising but didn't make it. I am growing peppers in pots this year and plan on giving it another shot. Thanks for giving me hope!

b54red · May 29, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by lj in ny

I tried to overwinter my peppers this year. I too read about it at the last minute and tried to give it a shot and planted some in pots when I dug them out of the garden. One or two looked promising but didn't make it. I am growing peppers in pots this year and plan on giving it another shot. Thanks for giving me hope!

Did you cut them back? Mine showed no signs that they were going to survive until the weather started warming up a little. I actually set out my new peppers started from seed before the ones I overwintered. The ones that had some green growth on them I set outside in partial shade for about a week or two and then moved to full sun for a few days before planting them in the garden. I lost two of the eight I set in the garden the others are doing great.
One big problem I had that I think killed a few very early on the porch was aphids. The little buds and baby leaves were absolutely covered with them and I couldn't control them with soapy water and resorted to some flea spray that I had for my dogs and it worked like a charm. Of course I rinsed them off about 30 minutes after using it.

b54red · May 30, 2010

Here is a picture I took this morning of one of the Socrates I overwintered and replanted. This one doesn't have the most peppers or the biggest plant; but it has the biggest peppers on it. Right now there are 6 big ones but I like to let them turn red before picking because they taste so much better to me.

lj in ny · June 1, 2010

I did cut them back. I think I didn't get enough root ball when I dug them up from the garden. I'm growing them in pots this year so maybe I'll have more luck next winter. How often do you water them when they are dormant? That may be another area where I went wrong. I kind of forgot about them and they didn't get much water.

b54red · June 2, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by lj in ny

I did cut them back. I think I didn't get enough root ball when I dug them up from the garden. I'm growing them in pots this year so maybe I'll have more luck next winter. How often do you water them when they are dormant? That may be another area where I went wrong. I kind of forgot about them and they didn't get much water.

I had almost no roots because I didn't dig them up. I just roughly pulled them up and then later decided to try keeping a few. I did keep mine watered somewhat regularly especially once they started sprouting a little new growth. I also gave them a little dilute fertilizer solution occaisionally.
I cut mine back very severely leaving almost no leaves. When I pulled up some of these plants they were over 5 ft tall and what I put in the pots were basically just the first foot or two of the main stem with a couple of short bare branches. I honestly didn't think any of them would live.
I kept them on a screened in porch which I enclosed with heavy plastic sheeting and even used a heater to maintain temps above freezing.
This year if I am able I will try to do a better job when digging them up and see if the results are any better.

May 27, 2010	#1
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Over wintered peppers Last year after reading about others overwintering peppers I made a last minute decision to try it on some of my plants killed back by freezes. I had already pulled my peppers up and thrown them in a pile to be removed and decided to try to keep a few. Most of the roots broke off when they were pulled up. I took my clippers and cut off all the limbs leaving a couple of 3 to 8 inch stubs off the main stalk which I also shortened to about 15 to 24 inches. I then stuck them in gallon containers with some dirt in them and watered well. I put them on my plastic wrapped screen porch. A friend had a big laugh at my stick collection but in Jan and Feb I started getting some little sprouts of green off some of them while others just remained as sticks which eventually dried up even with regular watering. The ones that seemed to be trying to recover, I set out in the garden when I set out my new plants. Lo and behold those sticks are now bushy green sturdy plants loaded with peppers that are going to be ripe at least a month before any of the new ones. I have trouble having to wait so long for that first ripe bell pepper and this looks to be a good solution so I can have some peppers with my tomatoes in a much more timely manner. Even though I lost over half of my 'sticks' I am certainly going to try it again next year with a few changes. I will dig them up much more carefully so that I have more roots to work with and will experiment with leaving a few more stems on the stalks but will still keep them short so they don't take up so much room on the porch. I am also going to clip back the plant at least a week before I dig it up so it will have a better chance to recover from the shock of losing 90% of the top. I may also take a shovel and cut down around the plant a few days before putting it into a pot to see if that makes any difference. Thank you to whoever decided to post on the subject. I wish there had been a great source of information on tomatoes and peppers like this when I started gardening many years ago it sure would have made gardening more fun.

May 27, 2010	#2
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	I've been doing the same thing with my herbs (sort of) I grow them all in a 15 gallon pot on the patio and bring them indoors in late fall, when the weather is warm enough in the spring I set them back outside. I can't tell you how much money I've saved over the years from having to buy new every year. May have to give this pepper scenario a try this fall, thanks for your post!! __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

May 30, 2010	#7
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Here is a picture I took this morning of one of the Socrates I overwintered and replanted. This one doesn't have the most peppers or the biggest plant; but it has the biggest peppers on it. Right now there are 6 big ones but I like to let them turn red before picking because they taste so much better to me. Last edited by b54red; April 12, 2011 at 03:00 AM.

May 27, 2010	#3
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	This year I'm growing all my peppers in pots to see if I can keep them going all year long in hubby's cactus greenhouse. There may not be room for all of them, so maybe I'll try putting the extras in the basement or the unheated shed; in light of what you discovered it seems worth a try. Did you notice that some varieties made it more than others; was it a matter of which had more roots, or more frost damage?

May 27, 2010	#4
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	I did the so-called "over-winter" thing with my Peppers in a somewhat modified way. As we had only a few hard freezes this Winter, in March I cut them back to 6 inches high and left 2 or 3 leaves on each one. I then transplanted a few weeks later into a new EarthTainer with re-charged Lime and fertilizer for the 2010 Season. They have really taken off - here is a picture taken on May 19, and since then, they are showing several blossoms: I will absolutely do this next Season on most of my Bell and NuMex Pepper plants. In fact, I will take a few selected ones, transplant them into individual containers and put them in the south facing garden windows over the Winter. Raybo

May 27, 2010	#5
lj in ny Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: NY Posts: 58	I tried to overwinter my peppers this year. I too read about it at the last minute and tried to give it a shot and planted some in pots when I dug them out of the garden. One or two looked promising but didn't make it. I am growing peppers in pots this year and plan on giving it another shot. Thanks for giving me hope!

June 1, 2010	#8
lj in ny Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: NY Posts: 58	I did cut them back. I think I didn't get enough root ball when I dug them up from the garden. I'm growing them in pots this year so maybe I'll have more luck next winter. How often do you water them when they are dormant? That may be another area where I went wrong. I kind of forgot about them and they didn't get much water.