Our science experiment

[setter4]

My husband decide last fall that he wanted to bring one of the pepper plants from the garden into the house. He dug it out right when they called for the first frost and put it in a pot. We put it down in the basement where there is a BIG windowand we also put a small grow light above it turned on for about 12 hours a day.. We have watered it and given it a little Miracle Gro now and then. I expected it to croak within a month....WRONG!
It now has at least 8 peppers on it and also still has a few blossoms. A couple of peppers are about 3-4" long now
This plant produced like crazy last summer and doesnn't seem in a hurry to stop. lol The leaves look droopy like this all the time but it just keeps on going. lol
It is about 1 1/2 inches across the stem now and it's actually gettiny woody like a tree or shrub. It's about 30" tall.
I am 99% sure it is a Califonia Wonder plant.
Just thout you all might like to see Bill's "Super Pepper".

 

[curly_kate]

That's really cool! I was thinking about bringing a tomato plant in next winter, so maybe I'll try a pepper, too! Do they ripen completely, or do you just eat them green?

 

[smom1976]

I wonder how long it will keep going?? are you planning on putting it back outside ?

 

[patandchickens]

That's pretty healthy-looking for an indoor pepper! Good work!

Some northerners save a few pepper plants indoors under lights, over the winter, so as to get much MUCH earlier harvest the next year when they're planted back out.

I gather that they are by nature short-lived perennials, it's just that we *grow* them as annuals usually. Same with some but not all tomatoes.

Pat

 

[setter4]

We were going to bring in a tomato too but they got caught in a frost before we got one inside.
Yes we will put it back out in the spring but can't decide whether to leave it in the pot or plant it back in the ground.
We will probably use the peppers while they are green since it takes forever for them to turn red even outside.

 

[vfem]

That is AWESOME! WTG!!!

I wish I thought of that last year with my tomato plant. I was still learning though and just figured no matter what that they die the same time of year and start over. Didn't know you could do that. And yours looks VERY healthy and thriving.

 

[nightshade]

That is really cool, you will have to let us know how long it lives and how many peppers you get.

 

[momofdrew]

My BIL in Tampa area planted a tomato plant in Feb one year and it produced for over a year before he pullled it out he said it just went wild and was taking over his yard...

 

[setter4]

My BIL in Tampa area planted a tomato plant in Feb one year and it produced for over a year before he pullled it out he said it just went wild and was taking over his yard...

Oh bummer! I'd love to know how long one would live.