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How Old Are Your Plants

T

Tatts

There seems to be a lot of discussion on raising plants from seeds but i'm curious how long plants last.
 
I've seen some over-wintering threads as well as people mentioning plants that are a few years old but haven't seen much regarding life span.
 
I'm guessing it changes with each variant but what is the average life expectancy of a plant if it is maintained properly?
 
VERY properly maintained plants can live 10+ years and more.  They are a woody perennial plant that can grow like a tree if conditions are right(no cold weather, proper watering and medium).  I am sure there are some plants in the wilds in Mexico and Texas that are 50-60+ years easy.
 
+1
 
and I have a C. frutescens Pequin-type from Mexico in its 4th growing season (overwintered 3 times), and its been neglected! There are others with even older plants.
 
i had a jalapeno that lasted in my back yard here in phoenix for 4 yrs..  like he said, water and fertilizer and no frost and they last. The only reason it died was because we moved and the renters never watered it.
 
spicy_echo said:
pod production will suffer the older it gets in most cases after a certain amount of time
Click to expand...
 
 
Not exactly true.  All my older plants produce more than the year before.  Ive only had one plant ive kept for 4 years and a few 3 but the production is generally greater if you provide adequate space for the plants potential.  The issue is people treat older plants the same and do not provide the extra space the older plants will need to be superior.  A second or third year plant in a 5 gallon may not produce as much as a first year in the same pot but put a 2nd or 3rd or older plant into a 10-15-25+ gallon container or in the ground and it will simply trounce a first year plant.  
 
millworkman said:
 
 
Not exactly true.  All my older plants produce more than the year before.  Ive only had one plant ive kept for 4 years and a few 3 but the production is generally greater if you provide adequate space for the plants potential.  The issue is people treat older plants the same and do not provide the extra space the older plants will need to be superior.  A second or third year plant in a 5 gallon may not produce as much as a first year in the same pot but put a 2nd or 3rd or older plant into a 10-15-25+ gallon container or in the ground and it will simply trounce a first year plant.  
Click to expand...
seems logical, more roots bigger plant, more yield
 
Yup, but people put them in the same size pots as new plants and since it is a bigger plant it runs out of root space quicker and doesnt grow as much as it could.
 
for me ill be keeping them in 5-7 gallons so after a few years ill need new plants, if i was rich id just have a green house with massive pots lol..
 
My oldest plants are two Caribbean Red Habanero I bought as bedding plants at the hardware store in 2009...As mill said, I've had to pot up every every so often to allow the root ball to continue expanding, but this year (25-gallon pots) they are producing the biggest, tastiest pods I have ever harvested from them...
 
For my experience, here in North Louisiana (Zone 8), I have never seen a chile plant do better as a perennial than Guampinha de Veado (C. baccatum)...Every single plant I have ever started, either in the ground or in containers, survives the winter outdoors. They are apparently impossible to kill, and I am constantly finding Guampinha seedlings popping up in my yard and beds...The Guampinha plant in the article below has apparently produced for many years, with very little care, in a cattle pasture in Brazil:
 
http://fatalii.net/growing/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=83&Itemid=52
 
Last summer was my first seaon where I got serious about growing hot peppers.  My best plant was the ButchT Trinidad Scorpion.  I decided to clone it, because at that point I did not know about over-wintering.  I was able to get two clones to root, and I now refer to them as the twins (they have grown out in exactly the same way/layout (branch for branch, leaf for leaf)...  This year I expect great things from them, because they are already 5 times the size they were this time* last year.  Also, last season my Butch T didnt start producing pods until august...  Currently each of the twins has approximately 7 pods going and countless flowers.  So I guess my Butch T that I sprouted from seed in early March of 2012 would be 1 year and approximately 3.5 months old.
 
I've tried overwintering in jersey and 2 out of 4 made it and 1 died after transplanting. Looks like I should get some Guampinha de Veado seeds and give that one a try.
Thanks Windchicken
I OW in my kids BR.
 
I've seen tepins  grow under a nurse tree in the altiplano that must be 20 years old minimum. The stem was 3-4" in diameter. 
 
I've seen large piquins growing under nurse trees and bearing fruit.
 
Campesimnos  were picking the fruit for market.....plenty of fruit.
 
Scarecrw said:
I've tried overwintering in jersey and 2 out of 4 made it and 1 died after transplanting. Looks like I should get some Guampinha de Veado seeds and give that one a try.
Thanks Windchicken
I OW in my kids BR.
Click to expand...
Hollah on the PM if you need seeds.
I've found it helps a lot to set the OW plants outside on warm days...We probably get a lot more of those in Louisiana, tho...
 
millworkman said:
 
 
Not exactly true.  All my older plants produce more than the year before.  Ive only had one plant ive kept for 4 years and a few 3 but the production is generally greater if you provide adequate space for the plants potential.  The issue is people treat older plants the same and do not provide the extra space the older plants will need to be superior.  A second or third year plant in a 5 gallon may not produce as much as a first year in the same pot but put a 2nd or 3rd or older plant into a 10-15-25+ gallon container or in the ground and it will simply trounce a first year plant.  
Click to expand...
That's probably what I've seen... Same pot size. Good point.
 
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