Bed prep

[hdan]

Over winter pepper roots.

 

[ducks4you]

They don't look Great, but I would try it anyway. I know that bareroot plants come with the roots looking dead, But there usually is evidence of growth above. Have you tried bending any of the tops? If they don't bend, or, if you cut and there isn't any green, then they are goners.

 

[hdan]

They don't look Great, but I would try it anyway. I know that bareroot plants come with the roots looking dead, But there usually is evidence of growth above. Have you tried bending any of the tops? If they don't bend, or, if you cut and there isn't any green, then they are goners.

I will go try that now.

 

[ducks4you]

I have watched eNOUGH gardening programs to tell you that the experts do NOT have 100% successes!
When somebody tells you to overwinter your peppers, for instance, they expect about 50% success, but do it anyway,
so you are in good company.
They are ALSO guilty of "this plant just Jumped in my shopping cart!"

 

[hdan]

They are dry & brittle.
Bend test, was a snap into, no green inside.
Cut test on another one, dry & brittle inside. No green.

 

[hdan]

Guess I will have to throw out the potting mix also the pepper plants was in.

 

[ducks4you]

You can reuse the potting soil.
It was a good experiment but it is REALLY HARD to overwinter crops that have been "living in the tropics" outside.

 

[hdan]

You can reuse the potting soil.
It was a good experiment but it is REALLY HARD to overwinter crops that have been "living in the tropics" outside.

I've read you can overwinter peppers, but didn't realize it was that hard to do. Well there must be a minimum low temperture the pepper plant can withstand. I will have to do some more research on this. We did have a usually cold winter here in zone 7a. I do remember in around mid winter one of my plants stalks was still green looking, but after that cold snap that it faded away fast.
Thanks for the feed back.
I find myself learning something everyday.

 

[heirloomgal]

Guess I will have to throw out the potting mix also the pepper plants was in.

Where did they spend the winter? I've overwintered pepper plants the last 2 years, but I didn't really cut them back, I put them under lights and gave them water every week or so. I don't think it's likely that you can overwinter a bell pepper type plant because they have been so bred away from their wild ancestors which are true perennials. Hots, I've found, are a different story. Treating them like houseplants when indoors seems to keep them alive and even flourishing.

I don't think you need to throw your soil out though; you might want to amend it a little with some compost or fertile addition, but I don't see any reason to toss it.

 

[heirloomgal]

Here's my pepper plants that spent this winter inside. I'm very careful with the water, they don't need a lot.