Pepper Plant - Reusing Each Year

[vodreaux]

Just curious living in Southern California, how often can you ReUse the same Hot or Sweet Pepper Plant.

I have a Hot Pepper and a Sweet pepper Plant on its second year bearing fruit. I trim the plant last year and it Regrew and bare pepper this year again.

Can it be save again next year?

[noinwi]

Yes. Pepper plants are perennial in warmer climates and many people keep them going for years. People in colder climates grow in containers and overwinter them indoors caring for them as houseplants or keep them in a non-freezing garage to let them go dormant for the winter.

[peppero]

you can use them as long as they last.

jon

[sfmathews]

I've got two hot peppers that have been overwintered for three years now. So far so good!

[nolabelle]

I thought my cayenne peppers were finished for good around Dec./Jan. when they stopped flowering/bearing. However, in March they came back with a vengeance and last weekend stepson harvested about 20 lbs. of 6" long cayenne peppers. This is from four 3 ft. plants. There are hundreds of new flowers again.

I've been cooking them and running them through a food mill to puree. Also pickling some. Any other ideas on what to do with an abundance of cayenne peppers?

[Crandrew]

i've read that some people have been able to get a jalapeno last 7 seasons, so as others have said, I guess as long as it lives and remains healthy. This is my first year with a few overwintered Aji Cristal Peppers and I'm interested to see how they do.

[habitat_gardener]

I have a Gypsy pepper that survived in a sheltered spot in a container. I didn't prune it back. It looked pretty pitiful with no leaves in early spring, but now it's growing at about the same rate as a bunch of pepper transplants I have in containers, but its fruit is a little more advanced.

For those who have overwintered peppers for several years -- do you cut them back, in the fall or spring? Or just let them go?

[sfmathews]

I have to cut mine back in the fall, as well as trimming the roots, to fit in a pot and overwinter them in my sunroom. My hot peppers can get over 6' tall and that's just a bit to big for a 3 gallon pot.

[nolabelle]

Originally Posted by habitat_gardener

I have a Gypsy pepper that survived in a sheltered spot in a container. I didn't prune it back. It looked pretty pitiful with no leaves in early spring, but now it's growing at about the same rate as a bunch of pepper transplants I have in containers, but its fruit is a little more advanced.

For those who have overwintered peppers for several years -- do you cut them back, in the fall or spring? Or just let them go?

Mine are in the ground. When stepson finished gathering all the peppers, I took the pruning shears to all the dead parts. Gave them a shot of fertilizer and a good watering. Lots of flowers again. They had no particular care over the winter... watering only with rainfall. Beginners luck is what I think, lol.

On the bush:


One of three sink fulls of peppers:


Some of the smaller ones got pickled!

[framer]

nolabelle, good to see another Louisiana grower. I am in Bastrop which is in the northeast corner of the state - zone 8A. That picture of the peppers & onions looks delicious. I have 6 jalapeno plants that are going great guns. Will have more peppers than I know what to do with. Would you mind telling me what you have in the onions & peppers? I have tried pickling them but they get very soft, nothing like the pickled ones that I get in the grocery store. The local Super One store has gallon cans of jalapenos with onions & carrots & I have been unable to duplicate their results, always get very soft. Glad to see you on TV.
framer

[vodreaux]

Originally Posted by nolabelle

Mine are in the ground. When stepson finished gathering all the peppers, I took the pruning shears to all the dead parts. Gave them a shot of fertilizer and a good watering. Lots of flowers again. They had no particular care over the winter... watering only with rainfall. Beginners luck is what I think, lol.

On the bush:

You can make Spicy Barbecue sauce.

You can pepper into little pieces than stick in a blender. Then blend barbecue sauce with the mince Pepper.

Then you can marinade your ribs, steaks, etc.

[Rockporter]

I have a friend who kept her bell pepper plant alive for 4 years in the phoenix area. She moved and took it with her and it died in it's new garden area from too much hot sun. She had it planted in a 5 gallon bucket with automatic watering on it. She cut it back in winter and covered it when it was very cold out. She was bummed when she lost the plant.

[nolabelle]

Originally Posted by Rockporter

I have a friend who kept her bell pepper plant alive for 4 years in the phoenix area. She moved and took it with her and it died in it's new garden area from too much hot sun. She had it planted in a 5 gallon bucket with automatic watering on it. She cut it back in winter and covered it when it was very cold out. She was bummed when she lost the plant.

I'd be bummed out too after all that. It's like losing friend.

@framer... hello!

The refrigerator pickles are very simple. DO NOT BOIL THE VINEGAR BRINE! That may be what makes your veggies soft.

For a quart use:

1-2 cups white vinegar
1T kosher salt
1T raw sugar (optional)
1T pickling spice
1T mustard seed
1tsp celery seed

Add veggies and everything else to the jar and top it off with water. Shake well and refrigerate. It takes about 2 days to get a good pickle. Of course, all of the ingredients can be altered to taste. Stuff like cucumbers and onions do get soft over time, but the peppers stay relatively crisp for a while. Never lasts for more than a couple of weeks here, lol.

[framer]

Thanks for the info on the refrigerator pickles and also for the barbecue sauce tip. Good to have your responses. Thanks again.
framer

[vodreaux]

Just thought of idea!

Grafting and Reused Pepper Plants.