Let's Talk Overwintering Plants!

Let’s talk overwintering plants – specifically pepper plants.

Did you know pepper plants are considered perennial plants? By definition, perennial plants live more than two (2) years and regrow each spring – meaning each spring when the plant is replanted in the soil outside, its root system is already mature. This is a huge benefit as less energy is spent on growing the plant and instead focused on producing fruit.

Overwintering your perennial plants is a great alternative to composting or mulching the plants at the end of the season, Overwintering is the process of collecting, and bringing your ‘outdoor’ plant(s) indoors, and creating an environment with favorable conditions over the winter months in order to help keep the plant(s) alive. It’s important to wait until temperatures begin to dip into the mid-40s Fahrenheit overnight, prior to starting the overwintering process; this allows any late peppers to ripen prior to digging up and collecting the plants to bring inside.

Now comes the work, it’s time to harvest any remaining peppers, and then prepare to prune. Jessie recommends when pruning the branches, to leave 4-5 nodes on the main steam; as long as there are a few nodes remaining the plant should be able to regrow. Next, it’s important to remove any leaves remaining on the plant as this creates a perfect hiding spot for insects, and then it’s time to dig up the root ball – this can be done by using a spade to dig around the base of the plant, approx. the same size as the pot you’ll be transferring it to. If needed, Trim the roots with scissors or pruning shears to the approximate size of your overwintering pot; Excess roots can become tangled. Next re-pot, water, and transfer inside to a dry, cool location with ambient light.

Remember it doesn’t have to be expensive/fancy, we’re using a 5-tier shelving unit, black-out curtains, and grow lights.