Anyone grow Peppers as perennials?

[PunkRotten]

Hi,


I was reading that in some areas if warm enough Peppers can live for years. I read one guy had a 6 year old Habanero plant, another a 2 and 3 year old Jalapeno. I never tried it and I am gonna try it with a Serrano pepper and red bell pepper.

I does not get too cold where I am at. Usually the 40s, some rarer instances in the 30s. I don't know the absolute coldest temps they can take. One guy said he had a pepper plant survive a light frost, and another said he had one survive 28F temps. Some of them used protection too. But I am thinking they can't survive temps like that for too long. Like a whole month etc.

[FlowerPowerGirl]

I have the hardest time growing peppers. They grow about 5 inches high and die. I suspect bugs are eating them.

[rainbowgardener]

PR, it sounds too me like your temps are a bit too cold for growing peppers outdoors year around.

Here's a thread we had about perennial peppers:

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... 124#181124

it has a link to Applestar's winter pepper torture thread where she talks about bringing pepper plants in for the winter.

[soil]

i have a bunch of peppers that are from last year, they handled temps down to the mid twenties. they lost all of the leaves, but re sprouted in spring and are now full of peppers.

in warmer climates its real easy.

we also got a new pepper this year, which is the manzano tree pepper. supposed to be hardy to 25 ish degrees and can live to 15 years old. right now it definitely looks like a tree at 6 ft tall.

[john gault]

I got two jalapeno plants, had 4, but I accidently killed them with vinegar. I'll keep them as long as they live; I didn't know they are a perennials when I first planted them, but seemed like they might be when I saw the bark-like stem.

If I can only keep the mealy bugs off them

[PunkRotten]

I was planning on ripping them out if/when they looked like they were dying. But I think I am gonna give them a shot and see if they make it. I may even try to protect them if I feel they need it.

[soil]

just so you know, mine "looked" dead or dying in late winter. but come spring it would always pop back to life. if it didnt come back in spring then i would just cut it down and let the material decompose.

[PunkRotten]

Well I figure I got nothing to lose. After reading several threads about it, and the temps some survived at I feel pretty good about them making it.

[soil]

im sure youll be more than fine even leaving them in the ground in socal.