Growing year round in USDA Zone 10a?

[austin87]

I just moved to Oakland, CA and have some plants in a raised bed I'd like to try to keep alive over winter. My place is an apartment and I don't have room for them indoors.

Can I transplant to fabric pots and put them in a place where it gets some sun (thinking the roof)? Oakland is Zone 10a 30-35 degrees. i can cover them at night if needed. Overnight lows in winter are usually in the low 40s with occasional 30s but it doesn't really frost here.

Anyone else keep their plants alive outside with these temps?

 

[DWB]

I found they really start hating life below 40 (inside or out) but are happy above 50. I imagine if you cut them back and cover them when cold, they'll do ok.

 

[austin87]

I'm wondering if I can build a small box to put the pots in (leave the plants exposed) to help try and keep soil temp at a minimum of 50 degrees...

 

[dragonsfire]

Find a large used fishtank and turn it into a terrarium.

 

[Geonerd]

Tucson is also 10a.
 
The peppers do get a bit stressed during the heart of our fierce   winter, but they will survive anything down to a light freeze if covered.  Below 30, you'll want to bring them in or add some source of heat beneath the blankets.  (Just a large bucket of water helps!)  Expect some yellowing and dying leaves, and a complete lack of growth or flowering.  But when the overnight temps reach 50+, the plants will pop back to life in a big way.  Overwintered plants will just about always out-produce their 1st year brothers.
 
Yea, transplant them to Wallybags or similar and haul them around to the warmest locations you can find.

 

[Geonerd]

I'm wondering if I can build a small box to put the pots in (leave the plants exposed) to help try and keep soil temp at a minimum of 50 degrees...

 
A few frostbitten leaves is no biggie, but IMO, you really don't want the stems suffering significant damage.  Sure, a healthy root-ball will regrow stems, but that energy would be better spent adding lots of big leaves to the stems already there.

 

[austin87]

Find a large used fishtank and turn it into a terrarium.

 
Not quite sure what you mean... like a mini greenhouse that only covers the pots and not the foliage?

 

[dragonsfire]

Depends on how big you plants are, I have a 55gal thats about 20" high, could make a nice tent to add to the height, in general their snug together.
 

 

[austin87]

Depends on how big you plants are, I have a 55gal thats about 20" high, could make a nice tent to add to the height, in general their snug together.
 

 
If you get a chance to post some pictures it would be much appreciated! I'm super visual and having a hard time making sense of it.

 

[dragonsfire]

Here is a picture from Pinterest.
 

 

[austin87]

Here is a picture from Pinterest.
 

 
Perfect, thanks!

 

[DWB]

I had about 30 plants in my hillbilly winter shelter. It's roughly 4x4x4 and attached to the south side of my pump house. With  thermal blankets, 4x40w incandescents kept it above 50 even when the outside temp was in the 20's. I made a thread about this contraption last year but all my pictures were dumped out of the photobucket.