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lexxluthor

Overwintering 1st year trial

lexxluthor
9 years ago

First year I tried to overwinter 6 plants: 2 butch t, 1ghost, 2 jalapenos and 1 super sweet organic cherry pepper. Lasted till early December till the fungus knats and aphids took over and wife banished them to the basement. Very little light and watered ever 3 weeks. The superhots never made it back this spring when I put all six outside May 15 and the other 3 are flourishing especially 1 of the jalapenos, It is a 1.5 feet high with 20 plus pods.

Comments (12)

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    9 years ago

    Insecticidal soap for the aphids. I get an outbreak every time I bring them in side. But once I use the insecticidal soap, they don't come back for the rest of the winter. But, you have to treat them for a while even after you kill off the ones on the plant. They lay eggs in the soil which don't get killed by the soap. You have to keep treating for about a week or two to ensure you kill off all generations.
    Using hydrogen peroxide mixed in with water when watering your plants will take care of the fungus gnats. But they may wind up coming back later on down the road since they will inhabit other plants in the house while you are treating your peppers. The key there is to keep from over watering and letting the soil dry out between waterings. The fungus gnats also lay eggs in the soil and they need damp soil in the top inch or so for their eggs.

    I am glad some of your plants made it. It was probably lack of light that did the others in. But the good thing about peppers is that if you can just get them to hang on under bad conditions, you will find that they respond prolifically when the conditions improve.
    Bruce

  • lexxluthor
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the tip Bruce I may give it ago again this winter since we have a pretty short summer.

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    9 years ago

    Good deal. I didn't overwinter any last year. I may give it another shot this year. Depends on how much other indoor growing I have going on come October.
    Bruce

  • ronnyb123
    9 years ago

    I also tried to overwinter last year. I had mixed results. Here in California we do not have the really cold winters as in other places, so keeping plants in a green house without a heater is usually ok. Only a few times did it get in the 30's. However, out of the 30 plants I tried to overwinter, I believe 9 survived. I fought through the bugs and fungus and still most died. When the overwinters came back, they never really filled out as much as before and pod production was not much sooner than those that grew from seeds.

    I am not sure I will overwinter most this year. There are a few varieties that can handle the cold better than most and it seems easier just to start seedlings early than fight through this again.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    Ronny and Lex, did you re-pot your plants at the end of the season, and change out the old mix?

    Josh

  • ronnyb123
    9 years ago

    I noticed that those I repotted and changed the mixed died, while those that I did nothing survived.

    Maybe the roots didnt have time to regrow in the new mix and when it got cold... wham.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    You should try wintering the plants indoors.

    Josh

  • ronnyb123
    9 years ago

    That will never happen. Our house is so small, we have no basement or other rooms not in use. I can imagine watching TV in a jungle of peppers in the living room, bugs flying from the bushes.

    yea, my wife would really love me for that. LOL

    Thats why I built the green house.

  • lexxluthor
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I changed my soil but used the same soil mix i had used on them all summer, I also downsized the pots from 3 gallons to 1 gallon pots. So i figured the pests must have been in the soil to begin with.

  • Enocelot
    9 years ago

    esox, what ratio hydrogen peroxide to water?

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    9 years ago

    1 HP to 5 water. Make sure it is the 3% hydro peroxide and not more pure than that.
    Bruce

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    9 years ago

    May have to do this for a 2 week period to ensure you kill all generations of the little buggers. They lay eggs in the soil and the adults are flying around. The larva eat the fine roots on the plant which if bad enough can really hurt the plants. But the damn things flying around are just plain annoying.
    Bruce

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