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Your oldest plants

My oldest currently are a Serrano and Dragon Cayenne at 3 years. I have a bed with 18 plants I am going to keep overwintering with a pvc hoop house that fits over the bed. My aim is to keep them alive as long as they're willing.
 
3 years isn't even close to the oldest among members here.
 
Once me and the wife buy a house my plan is to fabricate a year round grow space to have a few dozen of my favorite plants growing indefinitely indoors. With the boom of led grow lighting it's not that much of a power hog anymore.
 
Spicy Mushroom said:
My oldest currently are a Serrano and Dragon Cayenne at 3 years. I have a bed with 18 plants I am going to keep overwintering with a pvc hoop house that fits over the bed. My aim is to keep them alive as long as they're willing.
 
3 years isn't even close to the oldest among members here.
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as long as it doesn't drop below 55, they will eek it out, but they wont be happy.  I over wintered a orange hab once.  Thought to myself, Ill transplant it into the garden come spring and get an ass load of peppers!  It didn't grow to half the size of the ones I started that winter.  Overwintering seems like too much work for no real gains, at least compared to starting a new batch in climates where you can grow outside.  I'm curious if any inside growers have done a side by side "yield" comparison where they recorded yields from an overwintered plant verses a starter.
 
I have a 3 year old Reaper plant that is an absolute beast. I've never seen a chinense bear so many pods. I don't eat the pods off of it though, because they are way to hot! It was over 6.5 feet tall last year planted in the ground. I didn't get an exact measurement, but it was taller than me. I'm keeping it in a huge pot this year. Here it is a couple of weeks ago when I put it back outside.

I also have several two year old rocoto plants that are extremely productive as well. I plan on keeping them going for a decade, if possible. As long as they stay productive, I'll keep them alive.
 

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Topsmoke said:
as long as it doesn't drop below 55, they will eek it out, but they wont be happy.  I over wintered a orange hab once.  Thought to myself, Ill transplant it into the garden come spring and get an ass load of peppers!  It didn't grow to half the size of the ones I started that winter.  Overwintering seems like too much work for no real gains, at least compared to starting a new batch in climates where you can grow outside.  I'm curious if any inside growers have done a side by side "yield" comparison where they recorded yields from an overwintered plant verses a starter.
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You tried it once, and have since decided it is a bad way to go about things? My experience with over winters is quite the opposite.. Of my 20+ peppers started this winter from seed, my over wintered Savina is miles ahead. It currently has a bunch of pods and over 50 buds. My seeds from this season are just now going into their summer pots as we are still waiting out the last frost of the season.

Last season, same plant vs 19 seed grown first year plants it wasnt even close. By time my seed grown plants set their first pods, my Savina has dozens of pods ripened and picked. I didnt keep count, but based just on the amount of powder I got for the season, the only plant that came remotely close was a Naga I started in November the previous fall. Not technically an over winter, but might as well have been.

Its hard to argue a new plant vs a plant with a fully established root system, at least in Michigan where our grow season is very short.. I can see how a longer grow season would benefit new plants..

I will give you that its never my biggest plant, but it easily wins the number of pods.
 
Topsmoke said:
 
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Many of my peppers survived outdoors in beds with winter temps dropping lower than 55. No protection. These were baccatums and a pubescen. The pubescen was happy about it actually.
 
I wasn't trying to over winter any, I just left them outside in beds. 12 overwintered this way, all baccatums and 1 pubescen. I think I could plant tons of those varieties and have them overwinter again without protection if I wanted so long as they were established with large root structures.
 
Interesting experience in regards to your overwintered versus first years. I think the general consensus is more production second year from members here. That's the case with my 12 overwintered. They set tons of flowers and some fruit before the first years bloomed a single flower. 
 
As for whether it's too much trouble for what it's worth. I think it comes down to the varieties in question and if you have any means of keeping them warmer (via indoors or greenhouse if necessary with said varieties). If you specifically only grew some of the tougher cold tolerant baccatums (which seems to be many) then I don't think it would be much trouble at all for instance.
 
I would say there is most definitely a production advantage for growing them perennially. If not just because they won't necessarily reach their full-size potential in one seasons growth.
 
12-15yrs. for my original (from the place of origin) Habanero De Arbol(orange).
Original Red Hab. De arbol were either from Richard Bartow or Chris and My grow.
 
I am the source of the original seeds.
 
12ft high x12ft.+wide when it died.
I got tired of picking 2 ,5gal. buckets of pods + per season-from a ladder.
Trimmed it to 12 ft. the 4rth or so year.
Mites,not age , killed it.
Beth wanted me to plant another so I could put a Hammock between them and post a pic of me on my hammock,ice chest below,just kicking back under them.
She did send me a string of Pepper shaped Christmas lights for it though. LOL
Sent her a card of it taken at Christmas though.
All but a few of my plants are 2-3yrs. old right now.
Cancer etc. has made the last 3-4 seasons suck.
All the old stuff I'm making Bonzi out of,if I have the time.
I can't afford my garden these days.
So I keep some stuff just for the SASBE seed bank I take care of.
 
LordHill said:
You tried it once, and have since decided it is a bad way to go about things? My experience with over winters is quite the opposite..
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I said it was my experience.  In your climate it absolutely makes sense.  For me zone 6b/7, it didnt pay.
heres a pic of me standing next to a moruga, I start them in doors in Feb, transplant in May, this pic is from September. My season ends in October.  Im 5'8"
Morugas%20to%20my%20left%20-%20Copy_zpsyz7cidow.jpg
 
Topsmoke said:
I said it was my experience.  In your climate it absolutely makes sense.  For me zone 6b/7, it didnt pay.
heres a pic of me standing next to a moruga, I start them in doors in Feb, transplant in May, this pic is from September. My season ends in October.  Im 5'8"
Morugas%20to%20my%20left%20-%20Copy_zpsyz7cidow.jpg
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Yea, I am always a little jealous of people in better pepper climates. I am zone 5.. at best lol
 
LordHill said:
Yea, I am always a little jealous of people in better pepper climates. I am zone 5.. at best lol
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hehe, things are nice here in climate zone 8 :) but we pay the price in rent/mortgage. Orange County, Ca
 
But I do get to keep my plants out all year round as long as they're not seedlings going into winter. Gets a tad cold for immature plants.
 
I have a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion that I planted out this year after losing [it's mother] a huge tree of a pepper plant to transplant shock last year. So, after this one grows for a few years, I'm hoping to have a huge tree of TMS peppers!
 
 
.
 
mrgrowguy said:
 
 
hehe, things are nice here in climate zone 8 :) but we pay the price in rent/mortgage. Orange County, Ca
 
But I do get to keep my plants out all year round as long as they're not seedlings going into winter. Gets a tad cold for immature plants.
 
I have a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion that I planted out this year after losing [it's mother] a huge tree of a pepper plant to transplant shock last year. So, after this one grows for a few years, I'm hoping to have a huge tree of TMS peppers!
 
 
.
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Only 2 reasons I would ever move from here. Internet (only downside to the woods in the middle of nowhere) and better pepper growing. Other than those 2 things, I love it here. Winter and all
 
Love the replies! Can't wait until I have some candidates to overwinter at the end of the year!

I'm getting pepper fever bad... I have a bunch of seedlings I'm transplanting soon arms already thinking about overwinters and my 2017 grow list!
 
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