overwintering First endeavor into over wintering

Masher

Masher

Finding out this yr that pepper plants are perennials I am trying my hand at over wintering.
 
Did some reading, watched some videos and read some more.....so here we go.
 
2016 grow list:
 
Bhut Jolokia x1
Choc Moruga x2
Lemon x2 and Orange x2 Habanero
Fatalii Yellow x5
Mystery plant...label sun faded.
 
No reason on choices as this was a seed gift I received off a popular fishing site in my local area after inquiring about super hots.
 
After germinating 4 seeds of each variety, this is what survived hardening off and produced pods.
 
Still in the ground is the Orange Habanero...chopped it and will take a stab at over wintering in place
 
1 Fatalii yellow with several green pods and the mystery with green pods.
 
 
Approx 7-10 days ago, I picked my over winter selection and rough chopped them removing all flowers and tips in preparation.
 
I chose the best producers for the project
Bhut Jolokia x1 Not a big producer with 20 pods, but it was hard to get started, hoping to get a big jump for next yr...I love these peppers.
 
Lemon Habanero x1 big producer and love the heat/flavor.
 
Fatalii x2 Huge producers and excellent heat and flavor.
 
A few pics along the way.
 
The Fatalii with green pods still in the bed.

 
 
The mystery plant with a few of her pods still in the bed...Choc Moruga maybe?

 
 
The over winter selection....final vegetative growth removed 2 days ago...ready to re-pot.
 
Lemon Habanero

 
Fatalii

 
Bhut Jolokia

 
Root ball sized for NC1 nursery pot

 
Trimmed 

 
Hi grade potting mix and Mycos placed for direct root contact

 
Potted and sprayed with a solution of water, yucca root extract(wetting agent) and Neem oil for pest control prevention.
East facing window in laundry room....only spot available.

 
 
Fall planting 3x Elephant Garlic, 8x white garlic, 8x purple garlic, 2 rows of Tuscan Kale for starts

 
 
 
 
 
looks good
 
i got garlic going also
 
on the over wintering....i cut my hab plant back alot, but i didnt pull it out the 5 gallon bucket and trim the roots....do i need too?
 
hardcore said:
looks good
 
i got garlic going also
 
on the over wintering....i cut my hab plant back alot, but i didnt pull it out the 5 gallon bucket and trim the roots....do i need too?
Click to expand...
From what i have read by downsizing the rootball equal to the left over trim of the vegetative growth it helps it go dormant.

This will encourage the root system to grow stronger promoting new growth next season.


You can most likely leave it in the 5gal...not sure how the veg will rebound next season though.

If you do leave it, i would pull it next spring and trim the roots then. Repot back into a 5 with new soil.


I have seen videos of plants in greenhouse raised beds.....chopped down to promote new growth and no trimming of roots....they were monsters.

I am trying it with the orange hab....i will have to cold frame though. I dont expect it to survive but i wont know if i dont try.

I think you're fine...just dont know what to expect leaving it rootbound and getting a huge amount of new growth next season?
 
Good luck , it is worth it.
I have a bunch of OW's and already have dozens of flowers and pods forming in late spring , check my Glog.
 
Peter S said:
You might want to check real closely for aphids early on. I've had problems with them on plants brought in from outside. Anything I bring in now, I preemptively nuke. Putting in the clean containers and fresh mix like you did helps a lot. Hopefully you won't get them.
Click to expand...
I went through several of your videos a couple days ago...love your diy dwc grows. I will put together a couple at some point to give it a try on some seedlings.

I also saw your continued problems with aphids... After the neem application and the cutting back I should be good. I will continue the neem every 30 days, sooner if needed. I can also pick up live lady bugs from the local garden store.
Keep them in the fridge and release 10-20 weekly...works well especially with small open foilage plants like these.

Thinking I may go ahead and get the orange hab in there to....and chop up the mystery choc moruga and get it ready as well. The morugas were very late to bloom so getting a jump on it next spring just might be the ticket.


Love your review vids and growing efforts Peter
 
Masher said:
I went through several of your videos a couple days ago...love your diy dwc grows. I will put together a couple at some point to give it a try on some seedlings.

I also saw your continued problems with aphids... After the neem application and the cutting back I should be good. I will continue the neem every 30 days, sooner if needed. I can also pick up live lady bugs from the local garden store.
Keep them in the fridge and release 10-20 weekly...works well especially with small open foilage plants like these.

Thinking I may go ahead and get the orange hab in there to....and chop up the mystery choc moruga and get it ready as well. The morugas were very late to bloom so getting a jump on it next spring just might be the ticket.


Love your review vids and growing efforts Peter
Click to expand...
Thanks for watching my vids, and the kind words. :) Yeah, with the aphids, I just use pyrethrin now, seems to knock them out. Only problem with that is it will kill everything else too, including natural predators, so I try to be careful with it. Pretty noxious stuff. That's cool you can get lady bugs from your local store.
 
Peter S said:
You might want to check real closely for aphids early on. I've had problems with them on plants brought in from outside. Anything I bring in now, I preemptively nuke. Putting in the clean containers and fresh mix like you did helps a lot. Hopefully you won't get them.
Click to expand...
Yes I washed my over winters really good with a sprayer and cut them way back. No way any critters survived :)
 
Update: 30 days later...
 
All 4 over winters are surviving. I had a huge leaf drop on each plant. Mainly anything that was pre-existing new growth from the first initial chop, shaping it for it's new wintering container.
 
I noticed a dozen or more uber tiny aphids trying to take hold of the Lemon Hab. Sprayed firmly with mini hose off the tap connected to sink faucet.
 
New growth has set in on everyone....now to just get them thru May.
 

 
***Side project...My choc Moruga
 
Is still in ground 40's nights, 50's days....lots of liquid sunshine.
I'm afraid I may have missed the mark on trying to over winter it, but I still have plans on trying this week.
while doing the rough chop today or tomorrow, I plan on taking 4 cuttings and attempt clones...really hoping they set and the over winter isn't to late.
 
Chocolate Moruga chopped and transplanted....kept most of the root ball and went with a 3 gal pot to minimize stress hopefully.
 
There are actually 2 separate plants rooted together.
 

 
 
Had lots of excess cuttings from the Moruga and a Fatalii still in ground so took a bunch of cuts for clones 
 
Ch. Moruga on left, Fatalli on the right.
Went with Clonex rooting nutes and a splash of willow root extract to distilled water.
Butchered the heck out of everything...would be nice if they take, for next season starts and gifts to a few friends.
 

 
 
 
Looks good. I have too much to do with my own. I need to decide which to save and which to let go of, and where to put them. Good luck!
 
99% of the leafs on the cuttings turned black around the edges or began cracking showing damage.
 
The Video I watched the guy actually removed all growth and was cloning bare stems......I have removed all leaf material and now have just bare stems.
 
Cheap experiment...nothing lost except time if they fail to root.
 
If you kept them in the water the whole time, my guess would be you drowned them. When I take cuttings I take the tender new growth (~1-4") and just stick them in soil, keep moist/wet(not soaked/drenched) and in the shade.
 
Brocoli said:
If you kept them in the water the whole time, my guess would be you drowned them. When I take cuttings I take the tender new growth (~1-4") and just stick them in soil, keep moist/wet(not soaked/drenched) and in the shade.
Click to expand...
I have rooted tons of plant cuttings in nothing more than a jar of water.

I imagine the leaf drop is do to stress and now entering survival mode.

Dropping the foliage could be to concentrate on rooting?

Will take pics weekly and update.....they look like they should survive based on what I see so far.....lots of immature tiny bud/node points.

Will be very cool if they root.
 
dragonsfire said:
They do drown easy if the soil is tight I found.
Click to expand...
These are clone cuttings in water....no soil involved yet.

I think if anything the issue is cuttings were taken from an outside plant late nov and was already entering dormancy.

Project continues...stems standing tall in quart mason jars filled with water and mild nute solution.

The over winters in soil are doing great.
 
Masher said:
I have rooted tons of plant cuttings in nothing more than a jar of water.

I imagine the leaf drop is do to stress and now entering survival mode.

Dropping the foliage could be to concentrate on rooting?

Will take pics weekly and update.....they look like they should survive based on what I see so far.....lots of immature tiny bud/node points.

Will be very cool if they root.
Click to expand...
 
I've done just water with no source of aeration a few times and it didnt work very well for me, much better luck with just some soil and keeping it wet. Although looking at your pic again, those look like some meaty stems. New tender growth is best for taking cuttings. Could try to scratch the epidermis a bit to make it easier to send out roots.
 
Leaves drop on cuttings when there is too much plant for the (lack of)roots to support. So yes, stress/survival, its dropping leaves to the point where it can support those leaves. Long stems also dont help, since there is more plant to support with no roots. Pluck all buds on any cuttings as well.
 
How does the cut look? Is it still clean or is it starting to goop over?
 
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