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Red Ghost Pepper winter outdoor soil grow.

This was the day I topped the plant.  This is a plant I bought at a local big box store about a week prior.
 
The soil is Kellogg Potting Soil with added Perlite to allow for better aeration.  There are no extra nutrients added yet as it is still a fresh transplant.  I have a small indoor grow light box for wintering cuttings, but I am enjoying watching the growth under sunshine.
 
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Less than two weeks later with only fall sun and airy soil.  It looks like there might be a happy plant! :)
 
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PaulG said:
That will be a bushy little monster in a month or two!
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It really does look like it will turn bushy!  I thought the shorter days would cause it to stretch more, but it seems to be spreading out instead.  Having never grown this variety before, it might be normal.  Anything I should be mindful of with this type?
 
After adding a few cups of N leaning Masterblend mix into the pot during watering.  Topped a few of the longer stems a few days ago and noted some yellowing leaves.  It greened up nicely so I feel it is happy :)
 
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The night time temps are dipping pretty low too, so it might be time for it to come in and be under lights.  I set up my 250w MH and have already put a few cuttings from the Jalapeno under it for wintering.  The garage stays surprisingly warm :)
 
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The Jalapeno will stay outside for the winter and I am curious to watch how it fairs through the cold!  Even if it does not make it, there is another generation just starting their journeys :D
 
 
Your night time temps are about 20 degrees warmer than mine. Amazing what a few miles can do. I'll keep watch to see them grow. You should have winter peppers in no time
 
I added 8 qts of perlite to a 30lb bag of soil.  Not sure the exact ratio, but it drains through quickly.  I have to attend the garden every day due to gophers trying to work up the hillside to the ground planted plants, watering daily is an effort of love and not so much a labor.
 
I have grown peppers in large grain sand in the past and found that fast draining spurs their growth well.
 
My next soil batch with likely have less perlite though :)
 
It looks like this plant really enjoyed the Masterblend!  The leaves are a beautiful shade, no yellowing any longer and no burn either.  Soil is good for buffering, but I still feel applying nutrients sparingly will be best.
 
Here is the latest update.
 
The plant is really coloring nicely and I topped a few of the upper stems.  It seems to be enjoying the weather.  It will be staying outside for now :)
 
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I have never grown a Ghost Pepper before.  How well do they stand up to colder outdoor temperatures?
 
In my PNW back yard, mature plants can tolerate temps
down to 40F. Early growth plants, say 8 weeks need to be
hardened off to cool temps. I have had Spring plants survive
mid 30s. In both cases, as long as the cold is only for a short
time at night, and the days are decent, they can handle it.
Some varieties are hardier than others. My PDN x BMJ is
scary hardy in the cool Fall weather.

I am not sure if this extrapolates to your particular zone,
or not. I suppose humidity, length of day, and other geophysical
attributes have a strong effect.
 
Thank you Paul!  I live in a valley where cold air from the local mountains works its way to the coast.  My neighbors that garden a lot have mentioned that we get freezes, but they are rare.  A typical winter temp is between 40 and 60 with the occasional freeze.  It would likely be prudent to watch the weather and simply bring the plants indoors on the rally cold days.
 
My Pequin is a cutting from a local grower and is acclimated to year round outdoor growth.  The Jalapeno has already wintered through one of the worst anyone in my area can remember, so it should make it.  The only one that is a concern is the Ghost.  It is unknown where it actually was propagated, likely it was a commercial rooted cutting from indoors.  Your information is exactly what I needed  :)
 
I think one main consideration is the wind. Shelter from cold
wind can make a big difference. In your climate you might be
able to get away with some Remay or frost blanket for those
rare cool nights. If you put it on at 40˚F your plants should sail
through with no problem. Some folk put it on at even lower temps.
 
If your plants are in smaller combiners and you don't have too
many, moving them inside on really cold nights would be the ticket.
 
My plants were never bothered by 40 degrees they just didn't wanna grow much. Some nights when it got below freezing most of the plants didn't seem to notice. The night that finally finished them off was below 20 degrees. The other thing to consider is how long is it really cold? Most nights here it's only freezing for a couple hours. I bought some bags to cover plants, but they are a pain so I used one of them one time, they would be ok on smaller plants, but a blanket you can wrap would be better.
 
Mr.joe said:
The other thing to consider is how long is it really cold? Most nights here it's only freezing for a couple hours.
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+1
 
Right on, forgot to mention that. Same here, until
winter really sets in, and by then it doesn't matter.
 
Found these today...I had noticed the start of it flowering.  I doubt they will come to anything as the plant is still being fed for growth only.  I really do not feel that the soil has enough P to sustain the blooms, but awesome to see them!
 
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Here is the overall plant.  Doing well enough.  It is only getting about 5 hours of direct sun right now.
 
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I think those plants look good. If those plants were struggling there would be a lot more yellowing. Your distance between the growth nodes of the plant doesn't look that bad. Keep an eye and measure what grew when. As the winter solstice approaches the distances between the leaf clusters will lengthen and get more leggy and slim. When the plants gets top heavy and the lower leaves die off you'll know when you've hit a wall on light availability. 
 
Zippy said:
I think those plants look good. If those plants were struggling there would be a lot more yellowing. Your distance between the growth nodes of the plant doesn't look that bad. Keep an eye and measure what grew when. As the winter solstice approaches the distances between the leaf clusters will lengthen and get more leggy and slim. When the plants gets top heavy and the lower leaves die off you'll know when you've hit a wall on light availability. 
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Awesome and thank you for the looks-see!  I have been watching it pretty close and at some point it will move indoors for the shortest days of winter.  Right now it feels like maybe everything is "too" compact still.  I was expecting it to stretch more with the short days.  At some point, there will be a sprig clipped for rooting...not big enough yet. :)
 
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