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overwintering 2011 Overwinter Experiment
- Thread starter geeme
- Start date
midwestchilehead
eXtreme
Duh, it is Valentine's day! 
Jalapeño 1:
Nicely moving along. Not so good news though: found 2 mushrooms just starting to come out of the dirt yesterday.... no, not good at all.
Jalalpeño 2:
What an exhuberant little thing!
I won't bore you with the cayenne - no change as of yet.
Basil:
Also a happy camper. This one definitely needs a bigger pot....
Nicely moving along. Not so good news though: found 2 mushrooms just starting to come out of the dirt yesterday.... no, not good at all.
Jalalpeño 2:
What an exhuberant little thing!
I won't bore you with the cayenne - no change as of yet.
Basil:
Also a happy camper. This one definitely needs a bigger pot....
Good to see Jalapeno 1 getting along now. I was pulling for it, as I'm hoping the overwintering process can be that severe and yet successful. My OWs are hanging in there; I'm not encouraging or discouraging growth right now as I still have several weeks to go till plant out. Last year in Boise wasn't decent for peppers or tomatoes until June, whereas usually early May is okay.
Very much appreciate your progress reports....
Very much appreciate your progress reports....
Mine are going back outside tomorrow. With the exception of a couple of low-40s(F) nights here and there, it would appear the freezing is done this year. I'll swap them in and out if it isn't. It looks like 6 of 7 are sure bets. My de Arbol is still alive, but questionable.
Overall, I'd say that unless something catastrophic happens between now and mid-March, I'm doing this again next year, and doubling the candidates.
Overall, I'd say that unless something catastrophic happens between now and mid-March, I'm doing this again next year, and doubling the candidates.
You seem to have done a good job over-wintering. What zone are you in anyway?
I tried to over-winter Anaheim and Poblano but unsuccessfully. I've always had better luck with Chinense varieties.
Here in Panama City, it's been an epic cold winter - even worse than last year's.
But, I've had a couple of peppers survive despite not babying them - both Annuums.
Overwintering has always been hit and miss for me - some survive and some don't.
This season, I think I'm going to cut back growth signicantly and root system also and re-pot in smaller pots to save room.
It's always an experiment to see what works!
I tried to over-winter Anaheim and Poblano but unsuccessfully. I've always had better luck with Chinense varieties.
Here in Panama City, it's been an epic cold winter - even worse than last year's.
But, I've had a couple of peppers survive despite not babying them - both Annuums.
Overwintering has always been hit and miss for me - some survive and some don't.
This season, I think I'm going to cut back growth signicantly and root system also and re-pot in smaller pots to save room.
It's always an experiment to see what works!
Thanks! I'm in zone 5, along Lake Erie in OH. We've had our rough spots this winter, but for my immediate area, all in all, it hasn't been a bad winter. One winter shortly after I moved here we had temps routinely in the range of -20F to -27F, but we haven't really gone much below 0F this winter at all. We've also had years where the snowfall over a handful of hours accumulated as much as 3ft, and we haven't had nearly that this year, either. It's very strange how the weather works sometimes - how can colder than usual in the south translate to warmer than usual in the north??? Yeah, yeah.... don't talk to me about jet streams and all! LOL
I enjoy the experimenting part, myself - what works, what doesn't, what can I improve on.... This was my first year growing peppers, and also my first year attempting to overwinter anything, so it has all been an experiment. I did a lot of reading on the subject before diving into it, myself - grateful to the many who have posted about their own experiences. I cut back on the root system as well as the tops, and put them into smaller pots for the winter, for the same reason you are thinking about it. I am very curious already about how next winter will work out, as I will have a LOT more plants to consider overwintering.
I enjoy the experimenting part, myself - what works, what doesn't, what can I improve on.... This was my first year growing peppers, and also my first year attempting to overwinter anything, so it has all been an experiment. I did a lot of reading on the subject before diving into it, myself - grateful to the many who have posted about their own experiences. I cut back on the root system as well as the tops, and put them into smaller pots for the winter, for the same reason you are thinking about it. I am very curious already about how next winter will work out, as I will have a LOT more plants to consider overwintering.
it's official.
I AM NOW IN MOURNING.
The basil bit the dust - the first victim of mites. One of the seedlings has them too, and I have now SOAKED all the plants - both jalapeños, the seedlings, the sprouts..... Not sure if the sprouts/seedlings can tolerate the stuff, but it seems that if this doesn't get them, the mites would, so might as well. I've got 31 sprouts/seedlings plus 17 more working their way up in starter mix.... will any make it????
I AM NOW IN MOURNING.
The basil bit the dust - the first victim of mites. One of the seedlings has them too, and I have now SOAKED all the plants - both jalapeños, the seedlings, the sprouts..... Not sure if the sprouts/seedlings can tolerate the stuff, but it seems that if this doesn't get them, the mites would, so might as well. I've got 31 sprouts/seedlings plus 17 more working their way up in starter mix.... will any make it????
That is so weird--I just had a spider mite attack also on my over-winters. I moved them in the garage last week during a semi-warm spell here and yesterday saw the amazing trapeze web from one plant to the other. I blasted with Organicide, but one little critter I cornered walked and climbed right thru it. I hope it gets him / them.
The Organicide seems pretty harsh to me, it usually give my over-winters some leaf burn. I have not tried it on my seedlings.
No mites on my indoor seedlings (yet) but a couple got some aphids out of nowhere...Pitched one plant, used Safer on the other.
How many weeks till real outdoor gardening??... Will these little bastards follow me outside??
The Organicide seems pretty harsh to me, it usually give my over-winters some leaf burn. I have not tried it on my seedlings.
No mites on my indoor seedlings (yet) but a couple got some aphids out of nowhere...Pitched one plant, used Safer on the other.
How many weeks till real outdoor gardening??...
Will these little bastards follow me outside??So how are they?
All mine lived through the winter and were transplanted. I lost my Onza Roja once it went outside, though. The rest are doing great, and the chocolate hab is now blooming like mad. Probably all drop, but you never know.
The rest of the plants...I'm not sure if it was worth the trouble. My from-seed transplants seem to be rolling just as well with the exception of the monster choc hab. My manzano might be well worth it if it fruits earlier this year. Time will tell...
All mine lived through the winter and were transplanted. I lost my Onza Roja once it went outside, though. The rest are doing great, and the chocolate hab is now blooming like mad. Probably all drop, but you never know.
The rest of the plants...I'm not sure if it was worth the trouble. My from-seed transplants seem to be rolling just as well with the exception of the monster choc hab. My manzano might be well worth it if it fruits earlier this year. Time will tell...
Just saw your post, Ee. Thanks for checking up. Cayenne and Basil? Trashed.
Jalapeno 1:
Still smaller than jalapeno 2, but coming along. As you can see, it's starting to bud and even flower a bit.
Jalapeno 2:
This one is going crazy with budding and flowering. I've let them go so far, as it's still cool enough that they drop off.
I'll be moving both to larger pots this weekend, and will then make a concerted effort to pinch off any buds that show up for a while. I still have no idea which plant is the "regular" jalapeno and which is the TAM, but I have a hunch the bigger one is the TAM. We'll see how it goes!
Jalapeno 1:
Still smaller than jalapeno 2, but coming along. As you can see, it's starting to bud and even flower a bit.
Jalapeno 2:
This one is going crazy with budding and flowering. I've let them go so far, as it's still cool enough that they drop off.
I'll be moving both to larger pots this weekend, and will then make a concerted effort to pinch off any buds that show up for a while. I still have no idea which plant is the "regular" jalapeno and which is the TAM, but I have a hunch the bigger one is the TAM. We'll see how it goes!
That second jal looks incredible!
Just quickly looked through this thread but I'm going to go back and read it all cos I am going to have a go at overwintering soon. But first I have to say that I LOVE basil. Can't grow enough of it. Can't make enough pesto.
Hearing about your loss affected me. I will light a candle for the basil.
Hearing about your loss affected me. I will light a candle for the basil.
Thanks, megamoo. I have to admit that losing that was harder on me than I thought it would be. It was the first time I had started anything from a cutting, and for it to get as big as it did from just a tiny twig was thrilling. I had visions of it getting HUGE over the summer. But alas! Poor Basil, I knew him well....
Repotted the girls today, late this afternoon. The flowers have stopped falling off, and I've even gently tugged on a few and they didn't budge. Funny thing, though, is that it wasn't until tonight when I was turning the pots that I saw it - THE FIRST POD!!!!!
Okay, the plant may experience some shock and, therefore, drop the pod and/or flowers, but that's okay! I am SOOOOooooo looking forward to seeing the first pod that becomes mature, so I can figure out which plant is the TAM. But, I have some patience.... SOME!
Okay, the plant may experience some shock and, therefore, drop the pod and/or flowers, but that's okay! I am SOOOOooooo looking forward to seeing the first pod that becomes mature, so I can figure out which plant is the TAM. But, I have some patience.... SOME!