Topic: Sweet Pepper plants

[PakChoi]

Hello.  Am I right in thinking that I can overwinter my sweet pepper plants, which are in pots in a cold frame, so that I get fruit again from early next year?  This worked with a chilli that I have from last year - it is a bit mature looking but the chillis are perfectly ok.
Thank you, pakchoi.

[cleo]

Never tried  it but the answer is yes,but not in a cold frame-they would need a frost free area.

Light levels should not be critical so if no greenhouse try indoors.

I have done chilli plants like this but after a couple of years they get `woody` .

[Mrs Ava]

Would the same thing work for aubergines???  :-\

[john_miller]

Yes.

[PakChoi]

Thank you all.  Very handy to have the comment that they will get too cold in the frame outside over winter.  I have no greenhouse, so this means I'll be overrun with plants indoors again!

[Mrs Ava]

Excellent!  I cut my aubies back down to a new bud today and thought I would see how they go.  They will spend winter in my heated greenhouse....hope it will be warm enough.  My sweet peppers have been binned as they were over run with lovely greenflies, but my chillies are now snug in the conservatory, and I might try and keep some of the stronger ones over winter.  Good thread PakChoi!!!

[graham]

Hi, Just thought you might like to know that my sweet & chilli peppers are about to start their 3 rd year.  I've had an excellent crop this year ( their second) and I'm hoping to keep them going just to see what happens.  I'm not expecting a bumper crop next year but it would be interesting to see how they do, although I suspect that the quality and the quantity of the crop will drop dramatically the older they become.
  Incidently both were raised in a simple hydroponic unit.  

[tim]

Which brings us to the nitty gritty.

1. Since the aubs are now 3'x2'6", they'll need cutting back? To where?
2. Light? Not critical. Like how little?
3. Watering? Almost none?
4. Earliness? Like how early fruiting in a cold house?
5. Hardiness? They'll need hardening off before going out next Spring? They'll be less affected than new plants by the frosts that we get into May?
6. Yield? As a start point, how many aubs - or peppers - do you normally get per plant with annual planting?
7. Pests? Are the overwintered plants less prone?
 = Tim

[PakChoi]

I can only reply from memory on last year's chilli - a cayenne from Suttons seed.  During winter it had windowsill light (i.e. not that much), and probably light watering, and it remained indoors this year. In the summer it moved to a sunnier indoor spot - a large south facing window sill. The yield seemed entirely fine, certainly enough, and it fruited very early - April or May, something like that.  Unlike last year, there has been practically no red spider mite, although this is hardly a scientific comparison as I had far too many plants indoors last year, and it has been colder this year etc whereas last year was very sunny.
It is true that the plant is a bit more "woody" than in year 1, but all this has meant really is that the plant looks a little like a tree - that is, the stem is thicker and only branches from midway up.  While there are less leaves and soft growth than last year it doesn't seem to have stopped the fruit coming - maybe next year it will tail off.

[tim]

That's early!

But any results for a cold house anyone?? = Tim

[john_miller]

Yes, Tim, aubergines can be overwintered. What I wonder about though is, is it worth it? If you are going to cut them back I would do it in stages mostly because their physiology leaves them liable to infection and die back.

[simhop]

I moved all my chilli plants indoors because of a frost warning and within a couple of days all the leaves had fallen off. They are on a south facing window sill with quite a lot of light.

[tim]

Tend to agree, John - haven't yet seen evidence of cold house success. And just more to look after during the winter. If one had room indoors. = Tim

[Mrs Ava]

Welllllllll, I have nothing to loose really.  The aubs and chillis are in the heated conservatory, and they will spend winter there receiving the same treatment as all my other planties.  If they pop of this mortal coil, well , nothing ventured, nothing gained!  ;D