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Can you force peppers to ripen?

Y

yakgirl

First frost came last night! Covered all the peppers but forecast not looking good here. I'm a first time user and hate to risk sounding dumb, but can I prolong my pepper's life, enough to ripen, by pulling them and hanging them upside down like tomatoes? Have at least 30 jalapeno plants out there not red yet, but am particularly concerned about my first time Jamaican Hots that are beautiful but still green. Started early but got set back by unusually cold weather. Never had a spring! Or is All Lost for the year??? Thanks!
 
If the p[lant's dying, pull the peppers and place them in a papper bag and leave it out. They produce a gas and if you trap it it'll build up and start to ripen. You can also throw a banana in the bag (leave it unpealed!) to speed things up too.

IF the plant's still alive, move it inside. The warmer temps inside with speed up the ripening process.
 
Forcing to ripen

They made it through the night but I feel snow in the air. It's going to get crowded in here but it's welcome company!:onfire:
Thanks
 
yakgirl said:
They made it through the night but I feel snow in the air. It's going to get crowded in here but it's welcome company!:onfire:
Thanks
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Put it near a window so it get's light. Also put a fan near by it and run it for 15 minutes every day. This will keep the branches nice and strong. You could run it for more time, 15 minutes is the minimum.
 
Forcing peppers to ripen

With you being so helpful I have to ask one more question...they're planted in the ground, do I need to put them all in pots with dirt? Damage will probably come to them, but maybe not worse than freezing to death!:(
 
yakgirl said:
With you being so helpful I have to ask one more question...they're planted in the ground, do I need to put them all in pots with dirt? Damage will probably come to them, but maybe not worse than freezing to death!:(
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Well, they will go through transplant shock most likely (wilt for a while then bounce back). The key is to have the pot all preped with dirt and when you dig it up, do not deturb the roots! Make a big and deep cut around the plant. I like to keep the rule of thumb that the roots of the plant will extend out to the edge of the longest brantch (horizontal). Carefully lift it out of the hole and into it's new pot. Then cover it with a little more dirt and fill any cracks around the edge of the pot.

It's best to do this around dusk.
 
imaguitargod said:
Well, they will go through transplant shock most likely (wilt for a while then bounce back).
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I think this is what happened with my hab. transplanted, dropped leaves, looked like well death....it's finally starting to grow new leaves and i think it's going to survive! it's taken about 2-3 weeks for it to fully recover though.

the papper bag and banana thing does work - i'm doing this with the green habs i picked, taking a while but they are turning yellow and soon orange....:)
 
DID YOU SAY 30 PLANTS??

Crowded isn't the word for it.

Plants inside bring bugs. I still do it, but I thought I would warn you.
 
Can peppers bw forced to ripen?

I scrubbed all the pots out and haven't seen many bugs in the garden, hopefully that means it's getting much healthier with all the compost and care, but will certainly watch. Have many beautiful plants inside. Thanks!
 
nasties such as aphids (ptfffffff) and red spider mites (double spit) seem to appear from nowhere...just keep a watchful eye on the plants and if you see any "dandruff" on the leaves, look on the underside of the leaves above them...you will probably find aphids...
 
AlabamaJack said:
nasties such as aphids (ptfffffff) and red spider mites (double spit) seem to appear from nowhere...just keep a watchful eye on the plants and if you see any "dandruff" on the leaves, look on the underside of the leaves above them...you will probably find aphids...
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Yep, and almost overnight. I brought a huge hab in last year that had over 100 pods and at least that many blooms. The blooms all dropped but the rest of the plant was doping great. Then I noticed some red bugs on it and within a day, they had damaged the plant so badly that leaves started falling off by the bunches.

Have whatever insect control you plan on using handy.

Mike
 
Nasty bugs (aphid, whitefly) come in with dirt as this where they live and breed.

Nasty pathogens also come in with dirt.
 
OK, you got my attention! I sat here looking at an old friend of mine, a ficus I've had for 30 years, and decided to put some plants out on the deck, spray 3 with organic soap to keep inside, pick the rest for bags and bananas, and plan for next year. Thanks All
 
I brought a few plants inside to try and over winter them and it didn't take long before I noticed the freaking aphids. They are parthenogenetic and seem to double overnight. I purchased an insecticidal soap spray that seems to be doing the job. I'll have to do multiple applications to make sure they stay gone.
 
Plants were looking good but found another problem this morning, Earthworms! and the cat playing with them all over the floor. She had dug them up and was looking for more. Guess it's bags and bananas for all this year..........
 
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