Why we like to over winter peppers

[KayJay]

Originally Posted by kchd..

My over-wintered bishop's crown peppers have become monsters. My 7 year old nephew was kind enough to model standing in front of them.

WOW, nice pepper trees!

Cute little nephew, too. Tell him not to cut his hair. He'll be a ladies' man.

[dmforcier]

My little brother had blond curls and a cherubic face. My mom constantly had to inform inquisitive ladies that he was a boy. I remember at the grocery store she once put him up on the checkout counter and pulled down his pants to prove it. Of course, he just ate up all the attention. And talk about a ladies man! He grew up to look like Roger Daltry, only tall.

R.I.P. Johnnie.

[greenthumbomaha]

Would you say it is time for us northern regioners to dig the pepper plants up and have them grow into their new container winter homes? In my area frost is about a month away.

I grew out several peppers in one gal containers for overwintering purposes and they didn't really grow much - some are barely a foot tall with only one or two peppers. Is there any point in overwintering these when their inground siblings are three feet tall and prolific? did I permanently stunt these under-fertilized under-producing plants?

These plants surely have ants and other bugs in the container soil. Anything less harsh than Imicloprid or soaking the pot to purge the creepies before bringing them in?

- Lisa

[drew51]

The biggest problem for me is keeping the insects out. I leave them out till the temps reach the 40's at night. I want them shocked a little. I grew three pepper plants as bonsai. It took too much care. Two died on me, the third I put in the garden. It's 3rd summer. Grew bigger than ever! Bizarre! It's a Black Pearl ornamental pepper. It made an excellent bonsai. I just had no time to care for it correctly.
I planted it in the ground, I think I'll dig it up too! Just to see how many years can i keep this alive?
This was taken 08-22-16

[dmforcier]

That's an amazing Black Pearl. They don't typically set fruit in such dense clusters.

The most successful over-winterers recommend washing the old soil off the roots, potting into fresh potting mix, and trimming much of the foliage.

[drew51]

I agree dmforcier! That Black Pearl was a 6 inch stick! A bonsai with hardly any roots! In one season it grew into that beast! I will trim it to another 6 inch stick, put it in a quart pot, and bonsai it again.

I also have an Orange Habanero tree that is 5 feet tall. I will strip it down and keep that one too. I will leave it at 5 feet. I want this to grow into a tree! I don't have a good photo of it.

[dmforcier]

Don't trim the BP down below the first major node. It would come back, but the structure would be messed up and it would take longer to come back. Besides washing off the roots, you can trim them somewhat. Quart pot is still pretty small...

[gardeninglee]

That sounds really good and easy! I'm going to try to make this with a few fresno peppers I have left.

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

That is interesting. Your form is more like the Thai Prik, which is used to make Prik Nam Pla (peppers in fish sauce, lime juice, and perhaps a little sugar). But I have never seen orange bird peppers like that - my Thai Prik are red when ripe.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

Don't trim the BP down below the first major node. It would come back, but the structure would be messed up and it would take longer to come back. Besides washing off the roots, you can trim them somewhat. Quart pot is still pretty small...

I won't but will trim a lot. It was only 6-8 inches tall this spring. Drastic to bonsai, but it worked very well to manage and grow using the method to make a bonsai plant.

[greenthumbomaha]

Grr , new soil it is. I'll have to get more of the high quality stuff. Do you repot just before taking in when goes down to 40 or now?

Also, should I dig up the larger healthier plants and trim down or use the container siblings that didn't grow as robustly in pots?

- Lisa

[Cole_Robbie]

I will probably try to overwinter a few of my container peppers. It will be hard to narrow it down. Fatalii, Purple Flash, Black Pearl, Mrs Jarvis, Roseto, and maybe my Big Sun Habanero.

I would plan on watering them with some water that has had a mosquito dunk soaking in it, so that they do not carry fungus gnat larvae in the root balls.

[greenthumbomaha]

I just bought a packet of dunks at the Wal Mart sale and noted your advice on drenching it preemptively. I'm also concerned about bringing in ants and one of the other crawlies that I can see crawling around in and under the smart pot, and looking for something less toxic for those bugs for an indoor home environment.

- Lisa

[drew51]

Well submerging the pot underwater. i suppose it's messy, but would kill anything there. I'm not sure for how long? 10 minutes would not hurt the plant, as long as the soil drains well. I use DE food grade in a dust pump. Coffee ground deter ants too, not as well. Also borax traps are not that toxic, the common commercial ant trap. You can make you own with Borax detergent too. I had a recipe somewhere?
It would not hurt to add 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water and water the plant. It will kill fungus gnats, and eggs. Those are all the less toxic methods I know of, and they work to some extent.
My peppers are still producing like mad, so they are not ready yet!

[dmforcier]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Grr , new soil it is. I'll have to get more of the high quality stuff. Do you repot just before taking in when goes down to 40 or now?

You can repot any time. Don't worry about the mythical 40° temperature. That really only effects seedlings, if it does anything at all. In fact, you can trim and repot after most of the leaves are bit by frost. Just so long as the stem and roots are okay - i.e. don't freeze - the plant should be okay to overwinter.

Also, should I dig up the larger healthier plants and trim down or use the container siblings that didn't grow as robustly in pots?

Tough call. Choose the plants you like the best. I think I might dig the big productive dirt plants, just because they have so much energy. But don't try to save the root ball. Plain old dirt can be lethal in a pot because it holds so much water.

[Chris24]

My first attempt at over wintering this year. I just repotted my habanero and placed in the poly tunnel. Mid spring here now..

20161015_173705.jpg