• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

overwintering Winterizing

crazy8 said:
2) When spring is near, feed the plants Nitrogen rich ferts so they grow like weeds and grow extra branches. Maybe do this for a month or two.
3) Once flowering has started then feed it Phosphorus and Potassium rich nutes for an explosion of pods.
Click to expand...


You will find that chiles are pretty un-engineered plants and don't use much fertilizer of any kind. If you start fertilizing like crazy, your spring posts will be full of pictures of your chiles suffering from overfeeding.

As an example, tables recommend 1500ppm to grow chiles; I use 400-500ppm with great effect in hydro. I use some worm castings in outside soil plants, but that's it.
 
So your saying that once I place my winterized plants outside in the spring and dont use ferts, the plant will still produce much the same as if I used a little?
I was just thinking it would help to use the Nitrogen to give it an extra push in growing new branches and in turn allow for higher yield when it was ready to set fruit.
 
Hmmm, ill have to see where I can find some good poop to use. Now that I think of it I know someone with horses. Is horse poop good to use?
 
I have a question:

Does anyone create clones off of a special overwintered specimen to fill the garden out in the spring? What are your methods and suggestions? Are the clones as vigorous as a first-year plant? For how many years will the clones be vigorous?
 
I reproduce my chiles mostly by cloning. Clones produce plenty of fruit.

This purira clone is a 3rd gen clone and is 9 yrs old.

purira8.jpg
 
crazy8 said:
Hmmm, ill have to see where I can find some good poop to use. Now that I think of it I know someone with horses. Is horse poop good to use?
Click to expand...

Horse poop works well but is terrible for weeds, I prefer cow manure since it has to pass though 4 stomachs so a lot more seeds get digested. Any bird poop is good too.
 
A nice reliable source of good poop is homegrown worm castings. There is a bit of a learning curve involved keeping a worm farm going, but it can be as much fun as growing chillies. Although my wife tells me, "don't say a word about what you have to do out there - I don't want any details..." :lol:

worms-2.jpg
 
WOW that looks awesome. So whats all involved with that and getting one going? I would actually be very interested in that for next season.
 
Well I did my pruning and gt my plants into their winter homes. Here is a pic of all my babies all lines up with their fresh cuts
IMG_0144-1.jpg


Here is one of two late blooming Red Caribbean Habs. This is one that my brother will get.
IMG_0145-1.jpg


Here is the one I am keeping.
IMG_0147-1.jpg


Here is one out of three peter peppers that I have and the only one I am keeping.
IMG_0148-1.jpg
 
Here is my Black Pearl I am keeping.
IMG_0149.jpg


Here is one of 4 Jalapeno plants I am keeping.
IMG_0150-1.jpg


Here are the other three (I have more in the garden). I think between the four plants I counted about 30 pods. Not to bad if you ask me. Hopefully there will be more next year.
IMG_0152-1.jpg


Here are the Joes Long Cayenne. I measured all of them and they are about 9 inches but one measured 10 inches. Thats also the other Black Pearl which I will be cutting back sometime and give to my brother with his Red Caribbean.
IMG_0153.jpg
 
and here is what is left of my garden and after I cut everything back. I kept the root ball on my potted plants to about the size of half a baseball or a little smaller. Once the pods ripen I will cut the stalk back more. Hopefully the pruning I did do will help with the ripening process.
IMG_0154.jpg
 
Worm Composting

crazy8 said:
WOW that looks awesome. So whats all involved with that and getting one going? I would actually be very interested in that for next season.
Click to expand...

From my research & experience, I like UncleJim's for worms.

I like the Worm Factory better than Can-O-Worms. I got mine on eBay (list).

You might look at WormsWrangler, but I've read there are problems with their worm bin and should be avoided.

Then of course there is WormPoop.com

Lot's of info re: worm composting on the Net, including YouTube.

Worm Composting Basics

Vermicomposting: Composting with Worms

Worm Comosting

Hope this helps.

Rick
 
Ok so I have been doing a ton of research on the worm farming thing and I must say it looks like its quite easy to set up and maintain. I also was looking at how to build your own farm and understanding how Red Worms migrate and breeding info. The way I see it is I set something like the up for dirt cheap and not only would I have all sorts of casting to incorporate into my soil but my dad could use them for fishing and come spring I can throw some in the compost bin since they will be laying cocoons. How do you say no to all that?
This is one of those things where you throw down a VERY minimal investment and it just keeps on giving and in more than just one way. Im all over this. I may have to setup a farm inside my grow room over winter so that come spring I will have a very nice amount of casting to work with. With all of that said, if I were to start in a couple months with about 1000 worms to start with in my farm, taking into consideration the rapid breeding rate, and assuming I have quite a nice amount of casting, does the castings have to stay moist or is it something I can throw in a bag until spring when its ready to use?
 
got right at 2500 pods off that plant last year so overwintering is the way to go...I actually "grew" this plant thru the winter...
Click to expand...

AJ are you saying that you grew that plant through the winter by bringing it in a for our 5-10 frost days? Have you every tried growing without a cutback?
 
I need to OVERWINTER, but without the lights and heat. It rarely gets below 40f here. I just want to cut the plants back and keep them dry from the rain. I have Savina, Bhut, Trinidad Scorpion, Fatalli, Chocolate Hab and etc.... All are very healthy plants. Are these all over-winterable?
 
I wouldnt see any reason why not and as long as your not below 32 degrees I dont see why it should be a problem.
 
this is a hilarious thread ! :rofl: Some good info though ;)

I have never cut all leaf off & I thought old leaf will leach valuable hormones and chems back to the plant before dropping off. There for being a valuable part of overwintering a plant.

Cheezy - your theory then, would allow you to lop it off at the base and have it come back ? Though I have not tried Im not saying it wouldnt work. As I have done this to many trees out in garden. But I do that at the end of winter not the start.
 
BigJosh said:
AJ are you saying that you grew that plant through the winter by bringing it in a for our 5-10 frost days? Have you every tried growing without a cutback?
Click to expand...

I actually dug it up, cut it back to nothing but the main branches (no taller than 4-5"), probably trimed the root ball when I dug it up, repotted it into a 1 gallon container, and brought it inside to put it in my grow box ( 4' X 4' X 6'). When I made the grow box, I originally had only 4 shoplights in it with 6500K bulbs. It stayed in the 1 gallon container until about March when I transplanted it to a 7 gallon container and started growing like mad when I moved it ouside. Absolutely was the most productive plant I have ever grown of any sort.

Haven't ever tried to overwinter without cutback because I just don't have the room for a 5-6' plant.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top