Winter growing

[synclinorium]

Looking through other people's grow logs, I'm amazed at the sorts of peppers people can get to produce even indoors. However, I don't have a ton of space (or light sources) to work with, but I still want to be able to appreciate fresh peppers through the winter if I can. I'm going to overwinter all the plants I can, but in most cases I don't want them to be actively growing and producing because, well, a lot of them I just don't have the space for.

Basically, I'm looking for variety suggestions that are compact but prolific producers. I'm already planning on overwintering my White Habs and Limon if I can, because those things are bushy little monsters loaded with fiery pods, perfect for this purpose.

I've been looking at wild varieties too, as the small pods are appealing, but it looks like a lot of them get huge...

 

[Hammerfall]

can you explain me why do you have to winterise your plant?
im from a zone 5 .. this is probally much lower than yours...
i have to plant seeds in jan/febuary to have somethign good for the summer (whaterver the pepper ....) so while the seed grow till transplant they dont take too much space! once the freeezing night is over you drop them outside! you should be ok... and after summer is over turn them into compost

i suggest you to go to the stores thats sells early producer (jalapeno, cayenner or any other and stick to them to have a nice high yealding production...
buy them already tall and strong you should be fine.... plant them in your garden or keep them in big flower pot you should be satisfied enough with that

personnaly i love the challenge of making grow some bhut jolokia or trinidad scorpion in a zone 4 or 5!
once the freezing is over your in business! good watering, nutrients and sun this is all you need!
and keep seeds for your friends and other growers! (it cost nothing!!!!!) and presere diversity of spicies!!!

 

[synclinorium]

Well, there's no particular reason I *need* to winterize my plants... I have plenty of varieties already growing, and even starting them as late as mid-March has gotten a good amount of production out of them... just, most of them get *big,* particularly if allowed to grow for several years. It's a waste not to overwinter varieties like Rocoto, but keeping them growing and producing through winter is a bit impractical...

Just for fun I was thinking about starting a couple varieties now to try keeping through winter... I could use the frozen and dried pods from this season, but I'm going to have an indoor grow setup for my citrus anyway, so why not try growing a few pepper plants too?

 

[gnslngr]

Looking through other people's grow logs, I'm amazed at the sorts of peppers people can get to produce even indoors. However, I don't have a ton of space (or light sources) to work with, but I still want to be able to appreciate fresh peppers through the winter if I can. I'm going to overwinter all the plants I can, but in most cases I don't want them to be actively growing and producing because, well, a lot of them I just don't have the space for.

Basically, I'm looking for variety suggestions that are compact but prolific producers. I'm already planning on overwintering my White Habs and Limon if I can, because those things are bushy little monsters loaded with fiery pods, perfect for this purpose.

I've been looking at wild varieties too, as the small pods are appealing, but it looks like a lot of them get huge...

You can 'Bonsai' some to save space-look in the growing forum section(right below this one).

 

[laserguy]

Zimbabwe Bird Peppers can be quite compact when grown as a windowsill plant, are very prolific, and overwinter well.

Orange Habs can be grown relatively compact (at least for a hab! ), and will produce well during the winter indoors (although the winter pods won't be quite as hot).

A Jamaican Hot Yellow grows/produces well indoors, and in say a 6" pot, will grow compact enough to make a nice dinning room table decoration, and also has stunningly beautiful bright yellow pods.

And speaking of rocotos, I knew someone who had a large multi-year rocoto plant growing in his living room (loaded with mass quantities of large red fruit) he used one year as a Christmas Tree!

I'll think back and try to remember for ya what other varieties produced well and grew compact for me during the winter. I grow/overwinter exclusively indoors, but most of my plants got taken-out by the aphids before last winter, so will have to think back to Winter of 2009 or before!

I'm sure a few others will come to mind once my brain has gotten some well-deserved rest, and I will post some more ideas here for ya later!

 

[synclinorium]

You can 'Bonsai' some to save space-look in the growing forum section(right below this one).

Completely forgot about bonchi... I can think of a couple plants with nice woody stems that might work.

Zimbabwe Bird Peppers can be quite compact when grown as a windowsill plant, are very prolific, and overwinter well.

Orange Habs can be grown relatively compact (at least for a hab! ), and will produce well during the winter indoors (although the winter pods won't be quite as hot).

A Jamaican Hot Yellow grows/produces well indoors, and in say a 6" pot, will grow compact enough to make a nice dinning room table decoration, and also has stunningly beautiful bright yellow pods.

And speaking of rocotos, I knew someone who had a large multi-year rocoto plant growing in his living room (loaded with mass quantities of large red fruit) he used one year as a Christmas Tree!

I'll think back and try to remember for ya what other varieties produced well and grew compact for me during the winter. I grow/overwinter exclusively indoors, but most of my plants got taken-out by the aphids before last winter, so will have to think back to Winter of 2009 or before!

I'm sure a few others will come to mind once my brain has gotten some well-deserved rest, and I will post some more ideas here for ya later!

I have Malagueta seeds... probably similar to Zimbabwe Bird in growth habit.

I have a relatively large first-year Rocoto currently growing next to our siding glass door... I was thinking about digging it up this fall, moving it to the other side of the glass and giving it a light pruning to see if I can get it to keep going through winter. It doesn't seem to mind the already low light levels that little corner of the house gets, so with a little supplemental lighting it should probably do fine inside.

If you think of anything else just let me know. Thanks!

 

[Justaguy]

can you explain me why do you have to winterise your plant?

- To save a plant that gave you awesome peppers (production, heat, shape, etc...)
- To be ahead of the game next year especially with plants that require long grow seasons when you don;t have a long season.

I am sure there are more reasons

 

[Omri]

Peruvian White, Datil, African Birdseye, Cumari and other small fruited plant.

 

[madhatter]

Peruvian White, Datil, African Birdseye, Cumari and other small fruited plant.

I agree Omri. The small fruited plants to very well indoors for producing.

 

[Justaguy]

3 years ago I has a white hab that I moved indoor to outdoor several times during the season. Had no clue. Didn't know what they looked like when full grown. Hell I had nowhere to consult like here.
Reading this I remember back to pulling those little white peppers and thinking my 14 inch high plant failed me. After all back then I knew habs were larger then that. Then aphids took over and I slowly pruned all infested branches off until it was gone
Funny how now I know they were full grown peppers. The heat definitely was good way back then.

 

[synclinorium]

Peruvian White, Datil, African Birdseye, Cumari and other small fruited plant.

Didn't even think about my Datils... ha. And I have some cumari pollux seeds I was going to start next year, but... an early start couldn't hurt.

That probably takes up any space I have.

 

[synclinorium]

As far as Bonchi candidates, I think either my Tabasco or Thai might work. The Thai pods can be a bit large, but both have upright pods, and both have the stockiest looking stems of any of my plants currently: