overwintering A few questions before I overwinter...

Delta

Delta

Hello all;
 
First off: I still have quite a few plants with unripened pods. (mostly Fatali and Bhut) I'm wondering if I pluck the fruit and set it in the sun, will it ripen? I need to get the plants inside and so I need to spray them with insecticidal soap. (I don't use peppers that have been sprayed so I won't let them ripen on the plant)
 
Second question is this: What is the absolute best way to insure I do not bring in aphids with my plants? Every year I spray repeatedly and every year I lose all my plants because I can't keep up with the bugs. I would really like to successfully overwinter this year and any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thank you
Delta 
 
Aphids are a PITA! Spraying doesn't do much it seems. I, too, have been fighting a losing battle with the little green bastiges. Next year, invest in some minions. Ladybugs, lacewings, etc.

I've heard that spraying them with the hose with enough force to knock them off, but not enough to damage the plants helps. If you are pulling from in ground and potting them, I could see this possibly working as long as none get on the soil you are potting them in.

I am anxious to see what the experts have to say.
 
Yes, spraying did little for me in the past. I have no trouble during the summer outside but as soon as I get them inside, the little buggers come out. O don't even know where they are coming from. There are no visible signs when I bring the plants in.
 
As for ladybugs, I cannot find a place near me which sells them. I'm in Montreal, Canada.
 
First I'm not sure about the sun thing but I don't see why it wouldn't work. I always do the banana trick to ripen unripe pods. Put the pods in a paper bag with a ripe banana and close it up. The banana puts off ethylene gas which promotes ripening. Won't take a fully green pod and miraculously turn it completely ripe but it will help ripen pods that have started to ripen and have some color.
 
Are you just overwintering plants to get to spring or are you wanting them to produce all winter? Assuming the first since you're taking the pods off before bringing them inside. Give the plants a good haircut. The less foliage the less there is for aphids to feast on. If you're not trying to have the plants produce you want them to go dormant until spring so they don't need all those leaves and branches. I take mine down very short so I have room for many plants. Mine are roughly 8 inches or less. I also remove all the leaves on mine but you can leave a few if you want. No leaves = nothing for aphids to suck on. You can also trim down the roots so you can put them in a smaller pot. When doing this you can wash the old soil off the roots removing any pests that might be there. Even if you don't trim your plants or the roots repotting them in fresh soil is a good idea. Who knows what pests are crawling around in the old.
 
A trick I've heard of but never tried is fumigation. You take one of those Hot Shot pest strips. put it in a margarine tub, put the lid on and punch holes in it, place in the plants container, cover the whole thing with a trash bag and seal around the bottom so the fumes stay inside. Leave this for 5 minutes or so and everything should be dead. Not sure about anything in the soil so you might still want to change it.
 
Here's a small tutorial from John Ford of how he gets his plants ready for overwintering. I basically do the same thing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvXgrv7bnm4
 
Spray off the root ball with the hose. Try and remove the old soil, especially the top couple inches. Then soak the root ball in your favorite pesticide for ten minutes, rinse. Use fresh soil that you are sure is clean. 
 
Wow, some great advice! Thank you all. I usually trim them down a fair bit then keep them under T8's for the winter. I have given up on trying to produce as the 8's are just not doing it no matter which bulbs I use. I'd settle for dormant but I have some questions about that: How do I know they are still alive? Also, how often should I water them? Should I keep lights on them at all?
 
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