Topic: Pepperdews

[Jeannine]

Last year I started 4 Pepperdew plants and at the end of the season I pruned them down
potted then and brought them in on the windowsill They did real wel andl put on new growth over the wintrl. I have put the pots back in the greenhouse now

Has anyone else done this and if so any tips 

The stems are very strong, almost woody. 

I guess as they are perennial given the right conditions it should be theoretically possible to keep them going quite a long time.....maybe?

XX Jeannine

[galina]

Yes they are shortlived perennials (2-3 years).  I overwinter mine regularly, but my survival rates are only around 50 percent and it isn't always easy to say why some survive and others that looked equally promising, won't survive. 

Comparing notes with members on another group, we found that hot peppers for some reason survive more easily.  That peppers survive better planted up indoors well before the first frost and not after they have been through a near freezing experience.  The biggest problem with overwintering peppers are aphids, they are aphid magnets.  They will inevitably lose most of their leaves and need new leaves to grow properly without being hurt by sap sucking aphids.  To keep the plants strong it is a good idea to take any flowers off, unless it is very near planting out time in spring.  There wasn't much consensus about how much trimming should be done, before potting up indoors.  Sometimes a trimmed branch will wilt down further to the main stem othertimes not.

Good luck with your peppers.

[petula]

Hi Jeannine I am new to the site as I have been trying to get my hands on some Pepperdew seeds.  Did your plants have any fruits on last year and if they did, did you pickle them or put them in oil.  If you have any seeds to spare I would love to  exchange them for whatever seeds u want (even if I have to go out and buy them).

Regards Tina (Petula)

[Jeannine]

Tina, I preserved some, and kept several fruits for seed, however I didn`t take the seeds out fresh as I would usually as I was ill and they got overlooked, they dried out and then I took the seeds. I have a lot but due to the way I saved them I am not sure if they are viable. I will do a germination test.
Galina thank you for the help. I didnt get aphids on them but I did ger redmite from somewhere, really odd as I am 3 floors up. Anyway I managed to kill them off and the plants have come through OK. They are full of new growth and looking really good, but as I pruned them the growth is close to the stems.They started to grow as soon as they were pruned ,then slowed down through the winter,picked up again now. I have not lost any stems.

XX Jeannine

[petula]

Did u get my PM regards Tina

[Jeannine]

Yes, just, if I get some viable seeds I will be in touch . XX Jeannine