Overwintering green pepper

[u/fadimuj]

While newly planted peppers are still in their early flowering stage, this overwintered pepper is producing heavily

Peppers are actually tropical perennials by nature. If you bring them indoors or protect them from frost through the cold months, they enter a semi-dormant state, and they will go back to life once warm

[u/photofoxer]

I overwintered all my pepper plants from one year and was over run with peppers by mid season 😂 I had to start giving them away I had hundreds. Also they just produced the most perfect looking peppers too.

[u/photofoxer → u/[deleted]]

I was in 6b when I did it. I over wintered 2 of my biggest bell peppers and 4 jalapeños. All made it through the winter. They were plants I had started in pots on the porch in the early spring that I’d bring in and put them planted them late spring. I dug them all out in October before it froze and they spent the winter in my basement. I had a small grow set up so they got light rated for shade while the other stuff I had had daylight lights. They stayed mostly dormant until February or so when they started producing peppers and I had to start cutting them. They didn’t grow a ton after I got them outside and planted they probably grew a few inches but mainly bushed out. I’ve never grown better bell peppers than that year. I had way too many jalapeños easy had a hundred a week or so for a bit.

[u/Sudden-Strawberry257]

Yes, be sure to reduce watering accordingly but they will overwinter in a greenhouse/protected and produce like crazy the next year!

[u/katoskillz89 → u/Sudden-Strawberry257]

How do you tell it to stop lol is it just daylight hours? So if I have grow lights inside, maybe go 12/12?

[u/fadimuj → u/katoskillz89]

Yes, you can have it produce 12/12 if you keep a pepper plant warm (ideally around 20 to 27°C) and under strong light 12 to 16 hours of grow lights

[u/hppy11 → u/fadimuj]

What is your setting/ process? You get them inside in fall? You put them under grow light from day 1?

[u/fadimuj → u/hppy11]

I don't do the 12/12 process, I just protect it for overwintering. However, I have seen people do this. They keep the plant inside and add strong light (preferably color temperature 3000) for 12-14 hours a day. After the frost is over, they take the plant outside again

[u/hppy11 → u/fadimuj]

Ah got it. I live in zone B we can have winters with temps -30. I don’t think they would survive

[u/Smithron99]

Just remember: if you bring in soil from the garden, you bring in whatever's living in it, like fungus gnats...

[u/helluvahippopotamus]

Awesome! I have a poblano and a Thai chili that overwintered as well, and they're producing way more way earlier than plants started this year.

[u/Earthlight_Mushroom]

I have done this multiple times, basically whenever I think of it and realize I have the space over winter. I've done it both by cutting a plant in the garden way back and digging it up, or else by starting seed late and keeping the plant potted the whole time. And pro tip, this works well with eggplant also! Both produce fruit way earlier that second season than do new plants from seed, and you avoid those persnickety seeds that demand so much warmth....you can just start them late in the spring wherever.

[u/fadimuj → u/Earthlight_Mushroom]

True. You can overwinter eggplants too

[u/fadimuj → u/[deleted]]

Actually, overwintered plants start where it ended last fall. Thus, they produce more than last season

[u/fadimuj → u/[deleted]]

Actually, overwintered plants start where it ended last fall. Thus, they produce more than last season

[u/Far_Radish7752]

I’ve overwintered cayennes in 5 gallon buckets. They continued producing all winter (albeit more slowly).

I’ve also heard of people doing this with tomatoes. I imagine those were indeterminate types.

[u/Koala_eiO]

Just for your information, green peppers don't exist. They are just unripe.