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overwintering When to start an over winter plant

LUCKYDOG

LUCKYDOG

I have a Chupetinha (Rubber Nipple) pepper that had its fair share of folly's this season - it is really doing well now but I am nearing the end of my season. The amount of sunlight is getting less and the night time temps are getting cooler (50's F) my Q is when is the right time to begin over wintering ? I was going to place it in a window and not do much or maybe throw a grow light for supplemental light source but Im not sure when to start... now or at the end or before frost ? Also has anyone tried these peppers are they good? Hate to over winter something that tastes like sh#t. :lol:
 
They are just OK tasting peppers in my opinion. Basically tastes like a mini bell pepper but they can get so full of seeds that they're difficult to eat.
As for overwintering, you can start any time before the plant freezes. I prefer to let plants go semi-dormant for a few months with little light and heat, these seem to always eventually outperform the plants that I try to keep growing all winter
 
I dont like to bring in plants from outside because of bugs. Tried it two years ago and had aphids and other flies to deal with and not to mention the wife complaining. I now start some plants in june and dont let them outside. I get a harvest by October just keeping them in the window. After the harvest i keep them under light during the winter and put them outside the following year.
Works for me anyways.
 
POTAWIE said:
They are just OK tasting peppers in my opinion. Basically tastes like a mini bell pepper but they can get so full of seeds that they're difficult to eat.
As for overwintering, you can start any time before the plant freezes. I prefer to let plants go semi-dormant for a few months with little light and heat, these seem to always eventually outperform the plants that I try to keep growing all winter
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ok maybe this one I wont over-winter afterall - I will try a few peppers and save seed first. Thanks for the replies Potawie and MadHatter -

Is a rocoto a good plant to overwinter ? I have on that is huge and if I can stay ahead with it I would love it to produce earlier in the season.
 
I've brought plants in the past two years a few days prior to the first frost. You have to pay attention to the weather pretty good. Both times I had huge aphid issues that I ended up hacking the plants either down to nothing or setting them back outside during the winter just to kill the damn aphids. Oh how I hate them little translucent green bastages. This year I haven't had any aphid problems so I'm going to try again.

Good luck LUCKYDOG.
 
Patrick -

I'm curious. The Chile Man site indicates a "severe pruning" is good before bringing the plants inside, especially removing all the leaves to get rid of things like aphids first. Did you do this when you had the aphid problem, or did you let the leaves stay on the plant?
 
Well, there's that. Kind of sounds like repotting in fresh soil and pruning might be ideal. This will be my first year trying to overwinter plants, too (have always just grown stuff outside - what will be, will be), so I'm trying to get as much info as possible before IT sets in. Which, unfortunately, will be sooner than later!
 
I brought them in whole, leaves and all. The first year they survived the entire winter season, aphids and all. I was using neem and safer soap then and it would keep them under control. I only brought in three and they all produced decently for me the following season. I did end up hacking them down to about nothing when it was time to take them outside. Didn't want to introduce over wintered aphids to the plants for the new season.

Last year was the same story. When I started all the new seeds I ended up taking the old plants outside, didn't want the aphids coming off of them on to the new seedlings. I ever tell you folks how much I hate freaking aphids? I really do.

Pretty sure you can trim 'em down or not. If you do then water sparingly, if you don't water almost as sparingly. You'll get a lot of leaf drop.
 
Why not get some beneficial nemetodes and other bene's and dose your plants and soil? Wouldn't that save on time and insecticides?
 
Datil Patch said:
Why not get some beneficial nemetodes and other bene's and dose your plants and soil? Wouldn't that save on time and insecticides?
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They might do the job, might not. It's all a crap shoot really. The main thing is you can't stick them in a corner and forget about them and hope to see peppers next season. They don't need a whole lot of attention but they do need some.

Besides the nematodes what other "bene's" are you referring too? Thanks man.
 
I'm not trying to hawk for anyone, but Hydro-Gardens have more-better information on the subjects than I can give. The Beneficial insects are not just for hydroponics.

Nemetodes would get any soil or media based egg-laying insects. They can also get some of the soil based egg laying beneficial insects,
http://www.hydro-gardens.com/nematodes.htm

Preditory mites to control spider mites.
http://www.hydro-gardens.com/spidermite.htm

Aphids it looks like you really need a greenhouse to use the benes for them cause I don't think you want other flying insects in the house.
http://www.hydro-gardens.com/aphids.htm
 
I use as much new "soil" as possible and soak the plant and remaining old "soil" with soapy water to kill nasties.
Aphids are what you really have to worry about, and all you need is 1 to start a quick infestation. Spraying can usually keep them under control but ladybugs are the only real way IMO to get rid of them completely. They generally won't be flying around the house, they prefer to mate and eat. Maybe they should be called manbugs :)
 
I used a product that uses Bifenthrin to take care of my aphid problem this year in early June. I haven't seen one since. I've only seen two ladybugs this year also. Nothing for them to eat here so they keep moving on I guess.

I'll give the plants I plan on over wintering a spray with it a few days prior to bringing them in. Wouldn't want to spray it in the house.
 
While I have plenty of year left, I sprayed neem and BT yesterday, but have nemetodes on their way, and will be spraying them on everything. As soon as the daytime temp drops into the 80's everything gets treated, the hydro, the potted plants, my compost pile, my soil pile, tree trunks, and my yard quite thouroghly.

That way they will have had time to establish fully when I do start bringing in plants.
 
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