Plant dormancy needed?

[Hot pepper mischief]

Hello,

I have a few pepper plants I brought into my mini indoor greenhouse.

I know they're perennial but do the plants need a resting period of can you provide the same lighting all year-round?

Thanks

 

[stettoman]

Here ya go--
 
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/25596-the-comprehensive-guide-to-over-wintering/
 
Luck!!

 

[Hot pepper mischief]

Unless I overlooked it, I shouldn't have to cut it back then? They're all still producing peppers, some prolifically. I lazily left 2 caribbean reds in the same pot, cut one out and it's now growing back.

 

[Hot pepper mischief]

Thank you for the excellent information btw!

 

[BlackFatalii]

So long as you are able to provide favorable growing conditions (good lighting, nutes, temperatures) your pepper plants will keep chugging along. As you said, they are perennials.

 

[Max Nihil]

^
What he said.

As long as the conditions are right for growth they rarely need pruning or rest.

However some forms are more indeterminate than others and those that are more determinate tend to do best when pruned to help regenerate them. This mostly applies to dwarf C. annuum ornamental types with upright fruit and what seems to be C. frutescens alleles.

With those types of plants the older flowered branches can inhibit the growth of auxiliary meristems and removing the older branches and growth causes new growth.

You can tell if the plant needs this type of pruning because it will generally stop growing and flowering well. When the plants are pruned they then regrow vigorously. I have observed very similar reactions in C. frutescens var Tabasco.

The inhibitory effect caused by old growth diminishes over time as it produces less and less inhibitory hormone. Likewise as lower branches grow from auxiliary meristems their own growth tips become increasingly distant from the source of the inhibitory hormones. This causes lower branches to elongate while upper branches are still more inhibited.

Normally these changes occur over time and result in waves of growth and fruiting on plants without pruning them. It also results in a very characteristic shape.

Pruning as mentioned tends to accelerate this process but it is not required. I do find it to be handy indoors though and if a plant stops growing and fruiting well I do like to cut it back a bit and in a couple of weeks it often has plenty of new growth and flowers well.

 

[stettoman]

Don't forget that insect pests have no forage in the winter months. They will, if they can, destroy your plants. I'm pruning mine back for ease of bug eradication if nothing else. My overwinter was a nightmare last year because I simply couldn't keep up with infestation.