overwintering Yet another overwintering question

[POTAWIE]

From my experience once you cut a plant back it doesn't need a huge root system for overwintering indoors, and by cutting the roots back it allows for healthy new root growth instead of having new roots compete with a mass of old dense decaying roots so it prevents plants from getting rootbound or having to be potted up to a huge container

 

[willard3]

As aphids and other nasty bugs come indoors with the soil in which the chile is planted, pruning the roots requires the roots be out of the soil. A quick wash of the roots, a good pruning and repotting in sterilized new potting soil should limit the bugs.

If the top of a plant (fruiting part) is pruned, the roots (feeding part) should also be pruned to keep the plant in balance.

 

[Armadillo]

The ratio of root ball / crown is 1/1 in most plants. So also the cutting should be 1/1 or the crown will tend to grow again when it should "sleep".