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SPierce
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How can I protect my bell pepper plant?

Help! Fall decided to come all of a sudden this morning!

While that makes me happy, I have a bell pepper plant that I've been nursing/spoiling/etc this entire gardening season, and I'm damn determined to let it make peppers!

Long story short, it's my only seed that sprouted, it went into the ground garden at 3 inches tall.. got eaten by a bunch of slugs and other bugs, so it got moved into a larger 25 gallon pot. It got hit by a tornado, ruined by a hail storm, almost blown over by the hurricane (I brought it inside) and, as of this morning, I've got a 5 and a half foot tall pepper plant, with 10+ marble sized bell peppers that are starting to grow and are getting bigger every day! :D

But, now, the temperatures dropped into high/mid 50's, and I'm fretting over it like a gardening mum. What can I do to help protect it until it can finish growing all it's peppers?

Thanks guys!

garudamon11
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Wow, thats one hardy plant :)

Cant you bring it inside? that seems like the only solution to me

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SPierce
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garudamon11 wrote:Wow, thats one hardy plant :)

Cant you bring it inside? that seems like the only solution to me
I can, but I don't know if it will do as well inside, or get as much light, as it would outside? I'd have to lock it in the front room, as we have cats in the house and they like to eat the leaves, etc....

garudamon11
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SPierce wrote:
garudamon11 wrote:Wow, thats one hardy plant :)

Cant you bring it inside? that seems like the only solution to me
I can, but I don't know if it will do as well inside, or get as much light, as it would outside? I'd have to lock it in the front room, as we have cats in the house and they like to eat the leaves, etc....
The situation is the other way around for me here, when it gets way too hot I take my plants inside until the sun sets, you could try taking your plant inside in the night and putting it outside when the noon sun comes, maybe your plant will tolerate the condition inside your house this way

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rainbowgardener
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Bring it inside and put lights on it...

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gixxerific
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rainbowgardener wrote:Bring it inside and put lights on it...
X3

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SPierce
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Well, bringing it inside it is! I just have to figure out how to keep the cats away from it... at what point/temp should I bring the plant inside? during the day it's 60/65, and night we're in the 50s...

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gixxerific
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Peppers usually won't set fruit when the nightime temps fall below 60.

Though you are trying to get fruit to set now might not be a bad time to bring them in they really don't like the cold much. Try and keep it gaoing all winter give it some heat if it makes it you may to able to replant it next year.

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SPierce
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gixxerific wrote:Peppers usually won't set fruit when the nightime temps fall below 60.

Though you are trying to get fruit to set now might not be a bad time to bring them in they really don't like the cold much. Try and keep it gaoing all winter give it some heat if it makes it you may to able to replant it next year.
it's been in it's pot it's entire life, almost, so... oK! I'll bring it inside tomorrow, and up to the front room. I'll move the guinea pigs, and set it by the window and get some light on it... then I guess I keep my fingers crossed the cats don't get to it!



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