So we nearly had a frost last night (42 degrees) and it's looking like I may be wintering my peppers sooner rather than later.
With everything in 5 gallon buckets, I need just trim them down to stubs and bring them in my basement correct? After that water very sparingly and bring them back out in the spring?
You could prune the main stem just above where it branches out, (I usually leave about 1.5" in each direction)
Take the plant out of the pot or uproute it out of the soil, remove all excess soil by hand, (I add that soil to the compost pile) You'll find hardly any soil left when plantind in a container
Give the roots a good spray of water with a hose,
I then let the roots hang down (this makes it easier to do when wet) and using scissors, I cut the back a bit
I then dunk the plant into a 5 gal bucket filled with with "insecticidal soap and water"
One more good rinse, then repot into a clean pot with "New" potting mix.
Then bring the plant(s) indoors,
Either keep in a or around a window with north facing light, or as I do because I have more than a couple I keep them in the basement,
give'em water once every few weeks, and in Jan/Feb introduce them back into my grow area.
Haven't had a problem with aphids..."knock on wood"
But with any pest there's always a treatment.....god luck and Ihope this bit of info helps...
Greg