Stupid peppers

[ButterflyLady29]

Last year I had poblano peppers growing in a pot in the backyard. They did ok, not great. Took forever to ripen and then got only a few. Most just fell off the plant when I had them in the temporary greenhouse. I didn't think the seeds would be viable so I didn't try to save any. So, getting ready to set the greenhouse back up and happen to notice small pepper plants now growing in the area.

So, I have a couple options. Just pull them out since they are even too small to flower. Or I could dig them and put them in pots and try to overwinter them inside or in the barely heated shed. I don't know which way to go. Space is limited, lighting is limited. And as usual I have more plants that I want to save than I have room for.

[evtubbergh]

You could dig them up. They transplant well. Put some on the windowsill?

[ButterflyLady29]

Most likely they would be in the basement under lights. I don't get enough daylight in winter to have peppers in a windowsill.

[matt231]

Maybe they don't like to grow up

[applestar]

Hot peppers are pretty forgiving during winter. They can be pruned short (both roots and foliage) and potted in small-ish containers, and if you don't need them to fruit, they can tolerate lower light levels ("sunny" window with one CFL bulb utility light to supplement) when kept on the cool to cold side (50's to 60's °F). My jalapeños and thai-type peppers fruited in SE window with two CFL bulbs when placed right up next to the lights.

If the growth is spindly, cut them back before planting them outside in spring. Watch out for aphids.

They can be overwintered nearly bareroot (I dig them up and put them in tripled plastic grocery bags) in a dormant state if kept nearly dry in even semi-dark in cold location that stays above mid-20's°F.

[ButterflyLady29]

I have more problems with fungus gnats and spider mites than aphids. Lady bugs like to overwinter in my basement and unfortunately they usually find enough to eat for them to stay around.

I tried to keep ghost peppers a few years back and had a clearance special ornamental pepper once. They survive most of the winter then usually die off in early April. Maybe this year I'll try to keep one in the shed. We heat it so the rabbit water bottles don't freeze (keep the temp around 40 to 45*F) and it has skylights and windows. The citrus plants did great there last winter.

[ButterflyLady29]

Well the frost might get them tonight. I've got some covered but just didn't have time to dig any up. Oh well.

[applestar]

You could try saving ones that survive -- if any. Maybe they are more cold hardy and worth perpetuating?

[ButterflyLady29]

It didn't get cold enough to frost. Whew, missed that one. They are blooming now. Still waiting for me to get them dug. Maybe this week.

[ButterflyLady29]

They have been dug and planted in a bucket. The bucket is still outside. They need to be cut back a bit because they got a little wilted (loss of roots) in the transplanting. And I know the flowers and small fruits should be pruned off. They're just going to have to wait a bit. Other stuff is on the list before them. And they'll have to get used to the basement conditions because the frost/freeze won't hold off forever.

[applestar]

I let them drop leaves and blossoms on their own. Usually the older leaves yellow and tiny buds, some recently set fruits. Sometimes uppermost tips will wilt and die off. They will try to mature the green fruits. (Keep the ones with fruits watered) Need sufficient warmth mid-60's + and light for them to bloom and set fruits.

I prune and/or cut back after harvesting the mature fruits. Sometimes I cut back to just above the largest green fruits.

I'm loving the loaded plants that are all turning color at once. It's like they are blooming with different shapes and sizes and colors.

[gumbo2176]

I've picked 110 habaneros this week alone, and that's off of only 3 plants. I also have a Trinidad Scorpion Butch T that is putting out some peppers, but at a much slower rate than the habs. My bell peppers, jalapeno, Belgian Hot Wax and Banana pepper plants have been long gone to make room for the fall stuff.

I left the Habs because they are so productive and I use them for home made hot sauces, salsas, pepper infused vinegars, cooking, and in putting up green beans and other produce out of my garden for some zing.

I've also given away a couple hundred of them this season to people that use them for cooking. There are a couple young ladies in the neighborhood that hail from Texas and they tend to take all the peppers they can get their hands on.

[ButterflyLady29]

They're still in the bucket and currently in the barely heated shed (with skylights and windows). Looking a bit less wilted but at least alive. I don't know when they'll get to come inside. They have to wait until the plumbing project is complete.

[applestar]

If they have green or ripening fruits on them and you can't put them in above-freezing location, harvest the fruits you want to save. The plants themselves will drop leaves and go dormant but most varieties can survive down to upper 20's and some down to mid-20's °F. Chance of survival get iffy once down to low 20's, especially if the roots are not kept warm/protected.

[ButterflyLady29]

They look like they are dying. The leaves are all shriveled and drooping. The stems look shriveled too. I watered them so I'm not sure what is wrong. No bugs anywhere that I could find. I grew peppers in that bucket of soil several years ago but they did real well.

I'm thinking of just letting them go and planting new seeds in a couple weeks. At least then I would know what kind of peppers I have. I've got the set-up to grow small plants inside. 2 foot tall peppers are another story.