overwintering Overwinter Issues

Hello all,
So this year i decided to overwinter a few plants for the first time.  In October shortly before the first freeze i trimmed back 4 plants to save for next year.  I did a red bhut, red 7 pot, jamaican hot chocolate, and a tobasco.  I didn't plan on doing the tobasco, but it was 6 feet tall in one season and couldn't stand to let it die  . Anyway i put them in the garage for a couple of months under fairly low light and cool conditions. They were all under 1 t5 bulb in temps probably averaging in the upper 50's and low 60's and they went dormant as expected.  In January i brought them in and put two under the same light in the garage and two in south facing windows upstairs.  The red bhut is doing fine, the other three are showing some issues. I water them all once a week, unless it still seems moist. The two that are under lights are set up at about 15 or so hours a day with temps in the mid 60's.  
 

 
This is the 7 pot, the leaves have turned yellow and curled downward. They are growing back sporadically which may be normal.
 
 

 
This is the tobasco, doesn't show up great in the pic, but it had some leaf drop, some leafs turning black at the end, and some withering up of the leaves. (The two above are the ones under the t5 light-it is only a two foot light and i know it is probably not really enough light, but the rest of my lights have gone towards new seedlings)
 
 

 
This is the jamaican hot chocolate that is by a south facing window.  You can sort of see in the pic that some of the stems are turning brown and dying.  The stems that aren't are very healthy and i noticed a couple of buds on it this morning.  So maybe this is normal for ow's but this is my first time so i am not sure.
 
Any help and thoughts on this would be appreciated.  

They look fine to me for this time of year. I always get some funky new growth on overwinters, but they usually find their groove and take off like normal. It might be time for a feeding to get them moving forward if you haven't done so recently.

It may be too much water. Even when the top is dry, the roots might still be wet. I know I put a sensor in the soil to check mine and they have way more leaves than those and I done water once a week. It's more more like once every 2 wks. You might want to grab a moisture sensor. They're not expensive.
I'm not saying it not something else, but once a week sounds like a lot of water to me. Even when I do water mine, which are in 5g pots I give them 2-3 cups of water.

muskymojo said:

They look fine to me for this time of year. I always get some funky new growth on overwinters, but they usually find their groove and take off like normal. It might be time for a feeding to get them moving forward if you haven't done so recently.

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Good idea, how much do i need to dilute for the first feeding since they have been brought inside?
 

Ozzy2001 said:

It may be too much water. Even when the top is dry, the roots might still be wet. I know I put a sensor in the soil to check mine and they have way more leaves than those and I done water once a week. It's more more like once every 2 wks. You might want to grab a moisture sensor. They're not expensive.
I'm not saying it not something else, but once a week sounds like a lot of water to me. Even when I do water mine, which are in 5g pots I give them 2-3 cups of water.

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Thanks for reminding me, i have one of those sensors and i will definitely use it before i water again.  it also measures light so i can check out that as well.

With hardly any leaves its its going to not use much water at all. Winter/overwinter is the only time when I advocate just putting water right by the stem and usually very little. The more leaves it gets the more water it will need. A little more warmth would probably help them start sprouting new branches and stuff. I almost never cut mine down that far to start but a lot here do. I usually give them a couple weeks between digging them up and the first cuts of just large branches until I see some new growth, then I cut more of the old growth off. It's just my way of ensuring a live plant through the winter.

i fed mine one time ( mid winter )  my normal amount  that i gave them in the latter parts of summer , their doing fine . but i got mine indoors 72 degrees and in south bay window .

able eye said:

With hardly any leaves its its going to not use much water at all. Winter/overwinter is the only time when I advocate just putting water right by the stem and usually very little. The more leaves it gets the more water it will need. A little more warmth would probably help them start sprouting new branches and stuff. I almost never cut mine down that far to start but a lot here do. I usually give them a couple weeks between digging them up and the first cuts of just large branches until I see some new growth, then I cut more of the old growth off. It's just my way of ensuring a live plant through the winter.

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Ok thanks I will cut back on water till there's more leaves. Not a lot I can do about Temps in basement right now.

moruga welder said:

i fed mine one time ( mid winter )  my normal amount  that i gave them in the latter parts of summer , their doing fine . but i got mine indoors 72 degrees and in south bay window .

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Your plants look great. Like able eye said I have just cut mine way back so hopefully they will catch up. I'll definitely feed them this weekend or whenever they dry out.

It kinda looks like you may have some aphids:

 
If you do, 'nuke' those little scumbags b4 they get outta control.

nuclearDays said:

It kinda looks like you may have some aphids:
 
If you do, 'nuke' those little scumbags b4 they get outta control.

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I have looked and didn't see any but I will look again. God I hope not hate those bastards.

muskymojo said:

They look fine to me for this time of year. I always get some funky new growth on overwinters, but they usually find their groove and take off like normal. It might be time for a feeding to get them moving forward if you haven't done so recently.

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I second that. They look fine. Any green and or leaf is a good thing. 
Aphids bite the big one. I have em too just like last year just try to squash em when you can or spray some neem oil/soap insecticide to keep them in check. 

able eye said:

With hardly any leaves its its going to not use much water at all. Winter/overwinter is the only time when I advocate just putting water right by the stem and usually very little. The more leaves it gets the more water it will need.

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I agree with the first and last sentences above, but not the part about only watering very little right by the stem. You want the roots to grow and develop while potted. That's what gives you a big head start on the season. If you only water a little tiny bit right by the stem, you are going to end up with a little tiny root ball. Period. I'd suggest thoroughly watering like normal, just less often.

I fed them today and will be curious to see how they respond. I will keep this updated. I watered well beyond root system and will water less often. Pics coming in a week or so for updates