On 9 Sep 2004 16:39:44 -0700, (Lost) wrote:

Hello all. I have a question I hope you can answer. In my garden I
have jalpeno, habenero, and cayenne pepper plants. They have been
producing for a month or two now, and I was just wondering if it is
possible to take some cuttings from these to keep indoors for the
winter(or did I have to do this before flowering?

Unless they're difficult to get varieties, I wouldn't bother. The
time, money, and effort you put into keeping the plants alive
would far exceed just buying new ones in the spring.

Are you looking to extend your growing season or get an early
spring start? I'm always reluctant to let the growing season
end, and I try a variety of things to keep the plants going
for an extra month or so. By late Nov/Dec, though, there
isn't enough sunlight to produce much in the way of peppers,
and I finally have to let the cold have them.

If so, what do I
have to do to keep them alive? Will they have to be kept on a certain
light schedule to keep producing, or can I get them back into a
vegetative state(what I want to do) until next spring?

I have over-wintered peppers in a cool, dark room before; but it
was only for just over a couple of months. I cut them back, cut any
new growth back, and watered lightly.

Otherwise, to over-winter them in a house, you'll need good
light, regular water, and a place that doesn't get hot air directed
towards it from the heating vents. Watch out for aphids, they always
seem to crop up shortly after bringing the plants inside, and with no
natural predators, they can do a lot of damage in a very short time.

When you take it back outside in the spring, be sure to harden it off
slowly, any leaves that grew over the winter will not be able to take
direct sun. Also watch out for windy days, the wind can damage those
new leaves, too.


Penelope