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tutorial The Comprehensive Guide to Over-Wintering

Stefan_W said:
I'm not worried about lighting for my plants at all because I have a pretty good grow light setup that I use for seedlings that can be adapted for this. I was just struggling with the temperature, and whether they would be able to go dormant. If they could go dormant I would set them in a corner near a window so they get a couple of hours of light per day, but if not (and I am guessing they will not) I can use the grow lights and just let them grow through the winter. The seedlings all pod up like crazy under the grow lights so I am expecting the plants to produce at least a few pods. I do worry about them growing too big over the course of winter though, because they would be able to outgrow my space quite easily.
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Same situation here, the futher North someone lives .....(no, this is not a sermon......ha) the longer the off season will be. After the initial process of bringing the plants in I place them in the basement with little or no light for a few days. That process has worked for me to place them into a semi-dormant mode. We're talking early/mid November when this takes place. I've got to baby 25- 2/3 gal pots for 5 months...probably, if lucky I can bring them out the 1st week of May and place them in the hoop house. If any new growth starts to appear within the 1st month indoors I'll slice it off. That also once again slows down the growing process. One thing to mention, when I repot the plants to be brought indoors I'll use a potting medium as usual with absolutely no fertilizer in it all. When I want the plants to run with new growth I'll add the nutes at a highly diluted rate. Its very easy to burn the young roots of an old plant...Folks living in the warmer climates have a shorter turn around with their off season. Still, as Rich does, he plans accordingly.......from his past experiences, and knowledge he can precisely plan the start of the ow process and shoot for the plant-out date in his area.Good luck with your venturesGreg
 
Guru,
I'm in so cal but at 2500' so winter can get cold and windy but rarely gets in to the 30 degree range. I'm considering creating a little greenhouse situation and leaving them in the ground over winter. Thoughts?
 
I've got a kung pao that up to this point just hasn't reached the level of my other peppers. It looks healthy, but just small. I think I'll try bringing it in this winter and see if I can get it going better next year. Still a month and a half or two this season, but we'll see if I can get any redemption for it.
 
Dantheblue said:
Guru,
I'm in so cal but at 2500' so winter can get cold and windy but rarely gets in to the 30 degree range. I'm considering creating a little greenhouse situation and leaving them in the ground over winter. Thoughts?
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Should work if you don't get freezing temps in your area. A cold frame style house at least should suffice for winter protection. Look into solar masses and ways to retain solar warmth within the structure. South facing, insulate the north wall with solar masses. Bury PVC system that's connected to the water filled barrels on the north wall...etc lots of ways to keep things about 20 degrees warmer inside vs outside :)
 
Great thread PG. I have a question. Once you cut back, dig up your plant and cut the roots to fit the container you are OWing in, there are a few things I am ignorant on. If they are in warmer temperatures, lets say 55-75 degrees and you have CFL's on them equaling around 3000lumens, will they get root bound? Can they be OW'd like this? Do you just keep pruning new growth until ready to go outside?

I'm planing on starting new seeds indoors and the plants that I OW will most likely only be able to go in this area as well. So I'm trying to work with what I've got. If I guess my biggest concerns are; how do you keep the plant from becoming root bound other than if you keep it at lower temps and lights (or maybe their is no way to keep them from becoming root bound in those conditions) Can I just keep cutting the roots and the new growth if I have them in this scenario?

If not, I will have to find a place with lower light levels. What if the temperature is above 55 but it has minimal light? what are the effects then? lol, I'm sure it's going to be a "Listen to your plants" kind of thing....but I want to be mentally prepared as I can be. Thanks PG
 
Depends on what you want. If you have enough light and want to keep fruiting, go for it. Once you prune back, it will be a while before you're root bound. Assuming you've matched your container size adequately to your prune. If you don't want to fruit, keep low light levels. All up to you dude :)

Temp and light are almost as important as one another. At 55 or below, you won't get much growth regardless of light levels. Visa versa if you're at 80F with no light ... Little growth there too.
 
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YOu could but I wouldn't. Risk too much root damage that way. I just cut a pie circle around the base with my shovel and down to a conical shape depending on how large my ow container is going to be. Then prune foliage relative to your root prune.

Pulling up by the base works but not everytime. Especially with 7 ft trees. That's a great way to kill one.
 
The peppers I'm planning on over wintering are already in containers. I'm sure I'll need to prune the foliage because of the lower light levels, but in this case do I still need to prune the roots or can I just lug the containers inside without repotting?
 
That sounds really good. Spicy liver and onions, but I'm afraid were on the verge of digressing from the topic at hand. So, another question. Since I'm keeping them in the same pots over winter, how often would I need to change out the soil? once a year, every two years, or is it even needed with effective feeding?

Thanks.
 
Yep, but eventually the roots are going to circle in a conventional container. Then you'll get stunting and nutrient uptake issues no matter how much you feed. This is why root pruning containers are so good. I highly suggest getting some if you are a grower that wants to leave a plant in the same container over a period of years.
 
Needed this info! I know I am late in this conversation, but SO glad I finally took the time to read it. I was tryiing to find a way to still grow indoors this winter, and with only having room for 2 plants it would be easier to set up shop with plants already grown but cut back. They are in raised beds now but I plan on potting them in 5 gal buckets with artificial light on a timer and heat lamps and fans. I want to "overwinter them" and hope to get some peppers out of them as well through the winter. My other option was to do DWC hydroponics in 5 gal buckets, but that would require me to start over from seeds. I am hoping that i can get by with transfereing to buckets and still produce some peppers over winter, or atleast that is the plan. I have 20 plants now but can only have 2 indoors due to space. What should the light to plant size ratio be? I went to a Pet Smart kind of place around me and found some aquarium/terrarium style full spectrum lights. I already have a Reptile Heat lamp and a fan. That as well as Nutes should be good right? Just curious and I REALLY appreciate all the info!!! Bad AZZ man, thanks!!

Oh, i forgot, the space i have to grow at is unfortunately under stairs in a closet. So, I don't have any natural sunlight at all. It will be all artificial light.
 
Last year was my first year TRYing to OW 6 red bhuts to ripen the pods. Then I thought - why not keep them throughout the whole winter. The biggest problem I had was gnats.

*Now that the season is drawing to an end, is there anything I can water them with to kill the eggs, etc. NOW before I bring in the pots?*

The plants are small(er) in their pots, so I don't plan on changing the soil until next spring.

I've tried using something like mosquito control that seemed to work when starting seeds.

The end result of the 6 bhuts - none made it through the winter months.
 
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