Why we like to over winter peppers

[dmforcier]

I'd trim even more. Those secondary branches will produce a very confused structure. For instance, that little one on the bottom should be cut back close to the trunk. The top three off the main stem should probably go away. And look down from above and eliminate redundancies -- branches that come within 45° of each other. The general dictat is that you cut off everything except the main stem below the first major node, but I've never been able to restrict myself to that with my bigger plants.

Overall you can see that the plant is eager to come back. You should be fine!

[Chris24]

Thanks, I pruned it a bit more. Looking forward to seeing this one spring into life again.

[slugworth]

I dug up a hot pepper plant and brought it indoors,I just hope it survives until next year.
I've had plants make it til spring,only to croak about 1 month before it's time to put them outdoors.

[dmforcier]

If the root ball is garden dirt, be very careful with your watering. In containers garden dirt wants to hold water, which can drown the few remaining roots. Don't water at all until the plant tells you that it's thirsty.

Good luck!

[slugworth]

I dug it up and washed off the roots.
I didn't want to bring soil borne pests into the house.
Plant is still alive after 1 month, knock wood.
Under a full spectrum fluorescent light.

[slugworth]

I dug up another one today but preserved the root ball.
It was a plant that survived various frost attacks plus light snow.
It was slightly shielded by a butterfly bush.
Plants next to it in the open were dead.
Tough little sucker.

[dmforcier]

He's earned a reward. Bet he makes it.

[slugworth]

don't want to jinx myself,but it is getting new foliage.
2700k-5000k led light 12 hours a day.

[ScottinAtlanta]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

If the root ball is garden dirt, be very careful with your watering. In containers garden dirt wants to hold water, which can drown the few remaining roots. Don't water at all until the plant tells you that it's thirsty.

Good luck!

I wash all the dirt off the roots before replanting in a pot for over wintering. And I do that again when replanting in soil in spring. The plants dont seem to mind at all this cleansing of their roots.

[tash11]

My oldest dug up and brought in my Bolivian rainbow and my Tabasco this year. The Bolvian rainbow I had already gotten plenty of seed from and since it's not really good for eating I didn't care about saving it, but she liked them. The Tobasco I hadn't yet gotten seed from so I wanted to save it and try to get some seed. She dug them both up though and put them in large pots. Then left them out in the cold with no water for two days. IDK why. She's 10. But then they got moved into the house. And started dropping leaves like crazy. I told her if she wanted to save the rainbow she needed to trim it. She didn't care anymore so I put it back outside. The Tobasco didn't have as many leaves, and I wanted to save it so I was more willing to pick up after it. It lost it's flowers, and leaves, but the peppers are ripening and it doesn't seem dead. I will keep it by the window and see if it stays alive this winter. I think I will also let her start any pepper she wants in a pot as soon as my trades all come in. I think she will pick either an ornamental or a superhot.

If the Tabasco looks good next august I think I will enter it in the fair under the 'unusual houseplant' category.

Save

[dmforcier]

If the leaves wilted then it got bit some. If the leaves still had turgor, then the age of the plant, the root trim, and the change in lighting is probably responsible for the leaf drop. Either way, the plant should still be okay. Good luck.

[tash11]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

If the leaves wilted then it got bit some. If the leaves still had turgor, then the age of the plant, the root trim, and the change in lighting is probably responsible for the leaf drop. Either way, the plant should still be okay. Good luck.

It actually has two leaves still. The branches seem fine. I think it will make it. We will see. It did go from full sun on the east side of my house and being in the ground. To being in a pot in the house in a west window. I don't think I will see any flowers from it until summer though.

There are some ripe peppers on it now, so even if the plant dies I at least got some seed.

[mouka_f_slouka]

Originally Posted by drew51

Yeah I want to try overwintering a few myself. Some I got a good start in the first year and want to keep them going.

How can you over winter your pepper plants in Michigan? I thought this could be done only in temperate zones.
What am I missing?

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by mouka_f_slouka

How can you over winter your pepper plants in Michigan? I thought this could be done only in temperate zones.
What am I missing?

You are right about peppers being killed by a frost. They are grown as annuals in my area. The thread topic is about overwintering pepper plants indoors in containers. The beginning posts describe the technique.

[gardengeekgirl]

How can you over winter your pepper plants in Michigan? I thought this could be done only in temperate zones.
What am I missing?

Just have to say - I'm in Michigan, and I brought in my peppers this year.... I have a Carolina Reaper, a ghost pepper and an habanero that are doing far better than I expected!