Why Bring Pepper Plants Indoors for Winter?

[applestar]

Fungus gnat adults don't eat anything as far as I know -- they're just annoying. The larvae eat fungus -- but as tiny as they are, I think they only eat the smallest hyphae. The trouble is that when new plants roots -- whether cutting or seedling -- are subjected to alternating states of too wet and too dry (enough for the roots to shrivel), the roots start to die off and are attacked by soil-dwelling molds, and in the process of eating them, the larvae end up eating the plant roots as well.

I think this often happens with peat-based potting mix.

That's why chamomile/cinnamon water helps with the seedlings because it keeps down the fungus population. For existing larvae, if you're not concerned about other soil denizens, I think flushing with soapy water helps (do this in lieu of watering). Dusting the surface with Diatomaceous Earth helps a little, though I've seen adult fungus gnats fly off completely covered in DE. I like dusting the surface with ground cinnamon because it smells so nice afterwards.

I have my earthworms to think about, so I try not to do anything drastic to the container soil. A while ago, when we were playing with a digital microscope, I took a pinch of soil from one of the pots and added a little rainwater. We saw one large nematode and other things swimming around, so my container soil is alive. That doesn't mean I don't get fungus gnats -- they're ubiquitous -- but I don't think I've ever seen them completely infesting the soil since I started with maintaining a living soilweb in the container mix.

I had a bad case of them last seed starting season, but it was also because I was losing the fight with an infestation in my indoor mushrooms substrates. When you can't target the fungus AND your growing edibles, it's a whole another ballgame. As I said in the beginning though, they're more of an issue with seedlings and cuttings -- not so much with established plants.

[stella1751]

The larvae do eat roots. They especially like new roots and the succulent roots of seedlings and cuttings, but in a pinch, they will munch on the damaged and partially decaying roots and root ends of a plant that has been brought in for over-wintering. Once my fungus gnats slaughtered a village of cuttings, they set their sights on the palace: Frankenchile.

Following is information on the pest. I especially like the second one, from my favorite garden research resource, which suggests the hard-to-find (except, apparently, in my garden shed ) bacillus thuringiensis as one means of eliminating the fellows. What are the odds?

From [url=https://gardening.about.com/od/gardenproblems/a/FungusGnats.htm]gardening.about.com[/url]: "Adult fungus gnats are mostly an annoyance, but the larva can do damage to young plants and seedlings by feeding on the new, tender roots. It is also thought that they feed on the developing callus of cuttings, delaying the development of new roots. Their feeding stresses the plants and provides an entryway for disease pathogens. The first symptom of damage is usually wilting, followed by general decline of the plant."

From [url=https://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05584.html]Colorado State University[/url]: "Fungus gnats are small, delicate bodied flies that commonly develop in the growing medium of houseplants. Larvae of fungus gnats feed on algae, fungi and plant roots in growing medium."

[csvd87]

Unfortunately I couldn't keep my plants in their everbearing state (although they kept flowering) I had to hack them down to stumps to make room, so I pruned them down to a short stick and trimmed the rootball to fit in a 4 inch pot, bare rooted it and soaked that in a liquid seaweed solution, then I planted them, I did this with my Red Beauty, Jalapeno, and Sweet Banana, and will do it with my Sweet Cayenne when it is done its last fruit. I'll get some pics of the resulting stumps later.

[garden5]

Thanks for the posts, guys!

I see now how the gnats are detrimental to the plants. Also, I how annoying the adults are, too!

CS, that's too bad, but at least you have more room now. You know what that means don't you..........MORE PEPPERS .

I think your cut-back plants should do fine and will probably greatly come back when planted in the summer time.

[soil]

youll be surprised what comes back from the hardwood, recently my hand selected serrano pepper just started to regrow, it was basically just sticks, and all the top sticks were frost killed and soggy. it almost got thrown away 3 times by someone else. come summer though ill have a huge plant covered in peppers.

either way its ok as most everyone grows peppers as annuals so you can always start more and still get great harvests.

[garden5]

You're right about that, Soil.

This thread kind of makes it seem like it's the end of the world if you can't over-winter your pepper. It really isn't (unless you're one of us, of course ).

[applestar]

WADDAYAMEAN it wouldn't be the end of the world! :nutz:
FWIW -- here are update photos of my "tortured" peppers

As you can see, this has become the Winter 2011 NEW PROJECT!
You'll see ones with strong new growth that were brought in first. The ones that are still mostly sticks were left in the garage until last possible days and suffered a couple nights of mid-20's temp. The leaves had wilted and did not recover even after being brought inside. The ones I left on the upstairs Anaheim shriveled and dried up.

Most of the severely pruned pepper plants are here -- downstairs by a SE facing window on a 36"H surface with an overhead double fluorescent daylight tubes in a shoplight fixture. Counter surface temp is approx low~mid 60's but the lights raise the canopy temp a bit.:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8338.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8344.jpg[/img]
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[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8343.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8340.jpg[/img]

This Anaheim NM is the only one that made it upstairs (upper 60's~ as high as 72ºF) where the priority is being given to the tropicals like avocados, mango, and pineapples.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8357.jpg[/img]

Here are most of my pepper cuttings under a double T-5 seed starting lights. They're still sitting on a heating mat:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8354.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8353.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8352.jpg[/img]

These are tropical milkweeds receiving the Winter Torture treatment. They have also started to grow out:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8345.jpg[/img]

[applestar]

So, how are everybody's peppers doing? Can we get a mid-winter report?
I imagine soil's peps are all still sleeping. Are other people carrying over dormant peppers?

I have to tell you that I'm having serous doubts about taking cuttings as any sort of useful method. [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=167612#167612]Out of all those cuttings I started out with[/url], I only have about 1/2dozen survivors, and they are barely putting out tiny leaves, as compared to the mother plants that were pruned to sticks and rootballs chopped down until they could be crammed into 1/2 gal and 1gal nursery pots (a few were given 2 and 3 gal pots). At this point, I'm looking at starting pepper seeds in less than a month from now. If the cuttings survive on, I *may* admit to some merit, since, as Stella had noted, these cuttings, as well as the pruned plants, are producing flower buds as fast as they're leafing out. I have a few tiny fruits forming among the big plants. So it stands to reason that the cuttings will be blooming and setting fruit as soon as renewed growth begins in spring, whereas the new seedlings won't be doing any of that for some time.

[garden5]

Well, Apps, I've got no indoor peppers, but I'm glad to see that you do . You'll be surprised how a pepper plant will come back after a hard pruning. The deer usually like to munch on mine in the garden and usually bite off the tops. However, the plant just sends forth new shoots from almost all of the leaf axles.

In the picture you linked to....were all those bins and bags containing cuttings? If so, than you do raise a good point about the low survival rate of cuttings. However, the one good thing about cutting propagation is that you are guaranteed genetic purity. If you have hybrid pepper plant, cuttings are just about the only way to make more of it without ordering more seeds.

[soil]

my peppers are overwintering the GH right now, a bit cold but they will survive.

[garden5]

How many are you over-wintering, Soil? If I remember correctly, you cut them back extensively before you put them to be over wintered.

[soil]

maybe about 20-30 or so. some of them look just like a dead stick. others have pretty good branching structure, and a few didn't loose any branches( this weird fuzzy leaf serrano pepper) I have had a few losses as to be expected. as long as you saved seeds from the best your still good, having the actual parent plant is just fun for the most part if your in a temperate climate. I always start fresh seed because that's how you find better plants, which imo is much more fun than overwintering peppers.

[ThePepperSeed]

So, how are everybody's peppers doing? Can we get a mid-winter report?
I imagine soil's peps are all still sleeping. Are other people carrying over dormant peppers?

I have my seeds in the dirt for my sprint plant outs and my DWC peppers are alive and seemingly thriving. I tried taking cuttings at the end of last season and growing them in DWC but they all died - root rot. Was a good learning experience I guess.

I did not over winter any this year. I did that last season and while those plants produced in year 2 all my year 1 plants seemed to do a lot better. Plus, overwintering those outdoor plants seemed to bring aphids by the thousands. I may give it another shot at the end of this growing season depending on how things go.

[applestar]

I lost two more cuttings. Aphids are definite problem, and I think the cuttings with their slow leaf growth are more susceptible. Those aphids hide inside the folded brand-new baby leaves -- impossible to get out by hand unless with a toothpick, sometimes even the softw watercolor brush won't do it sometimes -- then other times, I don't see them at all, but a good brushing yields a lot more than I thought was possible, but shooting with (soapy) water does the trick.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8362.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8370.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8381.jpg[/img]

[soil]

ive lost a few peppers as usual, but most of them are doing great.

[TZ -OH6]

I lost my bonzai baby the other day. It was bitter cold and we had the fireplace going for heat. The radiant heat and low humidity dried the plant to death. It just didn't have enough roots to keep up with the water demand.


I am pretty sure that a feral ladybug found on the wall mid winter and placed on the my other peppers helped with a bad aphid infestation.

[Duh_Vinci]

It's a jungle out there!

Thanks all for sharing your overwintering experiences, would definitely try to overwinter some hot peppers for next year!

Regards,
D

[applestar]

Does harvesting a small -- 1-1/2"x2-1/2" -- green pepper from a windowsill pepper garden in early March in NJ give you any bragging rights?

It was delicious in my omelet, served with my own ketchup made and bottled from Sugar Plum and Principe Borghese tomatoes last fall.

[applestar]

Last update

[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8416.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8420.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8422.jpg[/img]

I've been clipping the leaves and branches that are pushing against the light. I can't raise it because some are much shorter.

They *might* be able to go outside in a month... more like 5 weeks.

[TZ -OH6]

I'm impressed by a winter pepper.


I lost my habanero, but my two Peppadew (C. baccatum) plants are doing great. I had two potted Cumari last year (not repotted for winter) that died after I brought them in so maybe C chinense don't like to be wintered in cool darkish conditions.

[soil]

I got a ton that did great, the best was this fuzzy leafed serrano I grew from a seed. hardy as hell. handled low 20 degree weather, lost all its leaves, but little to no dieback on the branches.

[csvd87]

My jalapeño and sweet banana are alive and kicking in small pots, they need to be potted up.

[stella1751]

I lost everything to fungus gnats. I would think I had them under control, and then a new hatch would swarm from the soil. I want to try it again this year, but I think it will take some planning ahead to thwart these guys. Maybe pot them two weeks before the first frost and then seal the dirt surface with black plastic while they are still outside?

I'm definitely going to try cuttings again; even if it didn't work, I sure enjoyed trying!

[applestar]

I don't think sealing the surface will help as they will happily multiply under the plastic. Recently, someone posted that mosquito dunks contain Bt that will also kill fungus gnat larvae. not positive if safe used with food plants.

RBG's chamomile tea bag + pinch of cinnamon in the water should work as preventive if used from the beginning to keep down the gnat population. I prefer living soil as you know. Predatorial soil denizens will take care of eggs and maggots, and I set out soapy water traps for the adults. My experience is that starting with sterile soil mix does not help/make a difference if gnat infestation takes hold.

I have may be two or three cuttings that barely survived -- I.e. They just have wimpy tiny leaves. Overwintering the plant itself is MUCH better IMHO since I only needed to treat them like houseplants. Only issue that required close attention for a while was the aphids.

I might try taking cuttings when it's time to set them outside and they'll need to be pruned for shape and good growth.

[rainbowgardener]

Are you letting the soil dry out between waterings? I have to be careful about the fungus gnats with my baby seedlings (hence the chamomile/ cinnamon) because I can't really let them dry out thoroughly. But I have NEVER had fungus ge younats in my house plants (even when they were in the house bugging my seedlings), because those I let dry out thoroughly between waterings. Once the soil is dry all the gnats/ larvae just disappear.

[stella1751]

Are you letting the soil dry out between waterings? I have to be careful about the fungus gnats with my baby seedlings (hence the chamomile/ cinnamon) because I can't really let them dry out thoroughly. But I have NEVER had fungus ge younats in my house plants (even when they were in the house bugging my seedlings), because those I let dry out thoroughly between waterings. Once the soil is dry all the gnats/ larvae just disappear.

I swear I let the last ones dry out until they were bone dry and the plants beginning to droop. Finally, I broke down and watered them. Within three days, I could see the little guys emerging from the soil. It was like the hatch was simply delayed, not killed. If I get a special plant again this year, one I am determined to over-winter, I will be begging for help mid-September this year.

Even if I don't get a special plant, I think I will experiment anyway. One will go into the basement, where the temps stay about 50-60 degrees. I think Soil mentioned that this is how he or she overwinters peppers, letting them go dormant.

Another one will go upstairs, where I will learn how to defeat these. It broke my heart to lose everything. However, I am definitely going to begin experimenting with cuttings in late July. If I could get those to root before I bring anything else in, I could maybe put them under a protective dome to save them from the infestation.

[stella1751]

I don't think sealing the surface will help as they will happily multiply under the plastic. Recently, someone posted that mosquito dunks contain Bt that will also kill fungus gnat larvae. not positive if safe used with food plants.

RBG's chamomile tea bag + pinch of cinnamon in the water should work as preventive if used from the beginning to keep down the gnat population. I prefer living soil as you know. Predatorial soil denizens will take care of eggs and maggots, and I set out soapy water traps for the adults. My experience is that starting with sterile soil mix does not help/make a difference if gnat infestation takes hold.

Last year, I resorted to chemicals as a last resort. Never again. Even if the Frankenchile had survived, I couldn't have called its fruit "organic," nor could I have put it, with its tainted soil, in one of my virgin beds. Something will come to one of us by early fall.

This isn't the first time I've seen these fungus gnats on a plant brought indoors. It has happened every single time I have brought an outdoors plant inside since I have lived in Wyoming (both Cheyenne and Casper), so it might be an especially resistant region-specific gnat.

[csvd87]

Fungus gnats to me are just annoying, but bottom.watering seems to help. Aphids were/are destroying my plants. I was using safer insecticidal soap with little to no effect, so I switched to safers end all, that has helped a ton. Had to report to the stronger stuff, little green aphids covered all my hydro plants. I had to remove the plants and rinse them all off and shake them, I also cleaned off all the buckets, should be good now, I inspect my plants daily.

[webfoot]

As a kid I made a killing at the local farmers markets in the mid west on peppers.
The best sellers where chilis, and I grew a lot.
One year I got some sort of throwback or something, really tiny chilis on it with a real kick.
The chili cook-off guys loved them, so I potted the two plants and over wintered them for 3 or 4 years until We moved to Oregon.
They didn't survive the trip here or didn't like the weather and passed away but I never heard of anyone else doing it until I found this forum.

Bottom line, it works.

webby

[soil]

here is some winter pepper torture for you. I have been experimenting with a variety of pepper called the manzano tree pepper, its related to the peppers we normally grow but not the same. it comes from the Andes mountains, at higher elevations. anyways they are supposed to be cold hardy so I left a few outside, and we have had temps down to 24f so far and they look just as good as when it was 98f outside. the leaves and stems are very furry which I think gives them that extra protection from heat and cold. they are also supposed to live for 15 years or so. all of the peppers I left next to one of them are dead: habanero, super chili, jalapeno, serrano(except one slightly fuzzy selection I found and have been breeding for) pasilla, all others, dead.

so as winter goes on I will leave them out, see how they do. winter pepper torture at its best(worst for the plant)

[applestar]

Wow interesting!!! Keep us posted!

[SPierce]

I was just coming in here to check out this thread again. Sweet ;D

Believe it or not, my pepper plant is doing really well by the back door, all it's peppers matured (and I ate them then saved seed!) and it now seems to be concentrating on growing taller. Its moving pretty slow, but I'm still happy that it hasnt' died off!

[applestar]

Bump. Finding this thread useful to review.

[soil]

So I have some wild chilitepins, the seeds I grew came from a wild plant. Anyways these plants are crazy cold hardy. The ones from last year handled temps down to 18-20f. More so than my manzano peppers. Very tiny peppers though but with an amazing flavor.

And as usual I pulled and potted about 30 pepper plants for greenhouse overwintering.

[ElizabethB]

Wow! You northern gardeners really impress me!! You also inspire me to be more vigilant about my garden. I am embarrassed that I got lazy and did not plant my winter garden. I don't plant the super hot peppers. My tolerance level is jalapenos and cayennes. I had 2 of each and they are toast. I probably could have saved them if I had pruned them back. My bell peppers and sweet bananas are still producing. I think I will do some judicious pruning. Unless we have a hard freeze they will survive the winter. Talk about crazy weather - last week the lows were in the upper 30s the highs in the upper 50s. Fire place lit - heater on. Last night the low was 65 and it is already 73. Heater off A/C on.

Thanks for the inspiration and getting me off of my butt and back in my garden.

[ElizabethB]

WOW - What an interesting proposition. Never thought of bonsai for peppers. Please keep us posted on your progress with pictures. I look forward to learning more.

[applestar]

This year's Winter Peppers:
2@ Jalapeño and Brazillian hot lemon that came inside with ripe and green fruits have mostly finished cycling and are starting to bloom and set fruits again



Shopping bagged pepper plants -- Poblano and Golden Summer Hybrid bell -- in the unheated garage, waiting for the extreme pruning and potting before moving inside. (bummed that I didn't get around to digging up Corno di Toro as well.... )

[applestar]

So I have some wild chilitepins, the seeds I grew came from a wild plant. Anyways these plants are crazy cold hardy. The ones from last year handled temps down to 18-20f. More so than my manzano peppers. Very tiny peppers though but with an amazing flavor.

And as usual I pulled and potted about 30 pepper plants for greenhouse overwintering.

You've got the process down! I wish I had some place to overwinter more. I want to keep two of each variety in case of failure, so that limits the overall number. I *may* risk leaving a few in the garage for total dormant state winter-over like you do. Gotta try some time.

Chiltepins are tiny like pinky fingertip, right? How do you use them?

[soil]

Chilitepin mostly Used in sauces and oil infusions, they have an amazing flavor. They are hot too. I've been collecting a lot of the peppers for seed this year because they only have 1-5 seeds each. They germinate slow, and sometimes don't produce fruit the first year, but loads the second and on.

[prettygurl]

I have one sweet pepper plant growing indoors. I am trying to get more seeds to germinate.

This is from the other day.