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Outdoor Growing In My Climate

R

Ronin

Hi,
I have just started growing peppers for the first time and I will be doing it indoors, but it has me thinking I'd like to try some plants outdoors this summer, but I don't know if I will get much of a harvest due to my climate. I know next to nothing about pepper plant temperature needs and I would like some advice from experienced growers.
I live in Newfoundland Canada and we don't get much of a hot summer. Our last frost in my area is in early June and the first frost is around early October to mid-September and our summer temperature highs are the low 20s.
Could pepper plants live and fruit in such temperatures? Or should I stick to growing indoors?
 
Thanks in advance.
 
The only way to succeed in this climate is to have starters that are nice and mature by early June.  By mature, I'm talking 4 inches high (about 11 or 12 cm) at a minimum and nice broad leafs.  Whether you purchase them or get them going yourself is up to you.  I start a few of my seeds at the beginning of March and have had some success.
 
I'm in the UK and found this year that annuums and baccatums did reasonably well outdoors although most baccatums have taken ages to ripen.  Chinenses like it a bit warmer so I kept those indoors; the only plant I put outdoors didn't manage to ripen any fruit.  I believe that rocotos are relatively cold-tolerant but also take a long time to ripen.
 
As long as your in the twenties then its fine. right now their on my enclosed porch, this morning it was +5c in their, -5c outside right now, opened the door so the heat gets in their, +12c right now, their still growing. I am contemplating making a solar cell heating system for the porch or Il have to bring them in the basement for the winter.
 
:welcome:   
 
In your growing zone, one thing you have going for you is a very long summer daytime. This would be very,very good for your pepper plants !
 
But, like you say, the temperature is a concern. 20degC is on the low side of the natural environment of Hot Peppers. I don't think that this should keep you from growing outdoors  :P .
 
As already stated, you should have mostly mature plants to move outside. Buy them from a local market (already started), or grow them from seeds indoor very early in the season. You need to have a pretty good head start.
 
If your start your seeds indoors, be cautious when bringing them outdoors. Make the transition slowly. I have had pepper plants that got "zapped" by the direct sunlight... killing them in two days !
 
You could also build a greenhouse. It doesn't have to be large, fancy or expensive.  The idea of the greenhouse is to help control temperature. Open the greenhouse during the daytime to prevent over heating of the plants, then close the greenhouse during the night to keep the heat in.  It would involve some extra effort and work on your part.... but it would make for happy peppers  :dance: 
 
 
Good luck and Happy Growing !
 
Jeff 
 
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