I am thinking about bringing in some of my tomatoes and peppers but with the
cost of electricity, I can't bare to think of how much it would cost ot run
the light for 12 hours a day.
"chris" wrote in message ...
Hi jim ,
I have have had a pepper plant live for 10 years before it croaked from
old
age.Yes the stem got very woody . It was grown first in soil , then
transplanted to a hydro-ponic system for a few years, then was planted
back
into a soil system .It was called a bolivian rainbow pepper , small marble
sized,... firecraker hot!!
All the while it gave a steady supply of peppers. It periododicaly needed
to
have it leaves trimmed off, dont worry as they will grow back , albeit a
bit
smaller each time.
Welcome to the world of bonsai!! when grown in containers you will need to
do a %25 root trimming maybe every other year. if you keep the same sized
pot.

Btw
Strip the tomatoes of the bottom leaves as they start to yellow, the
bottom
leaves are not needed as the plant gets bigger, the bottom leaves are a
bit
more shaded and most of the plants energy is directed to the growning tip
and fruit production

So in ending , dig up your pepper plants in the fall , and bring them
indoors. You can get it to produce again in the winter if you add some
suplemental light in the winter. just set it ( the light) for a 12 hour
on/off cycle . Hang a flourescent light just above a south facing window.
about a foot or less above the tops of your pepper plants and you'll be
allright. then next summer plant them back in the garden.

Jim Carlock wrote:

1) How long can tomato plants live?
2) They seem to like unpacked soil. If the soil gets packed they tend
to get yellow leaves and die. Is that correct or what else might make
leaves start to turn yellow?
3) I've read that tomatoes should not be replanted where tomatoes
have grown before. What should I plant in place of the tomatoes?
4) Is there a plant that might make a great complement to tomatoes,
maybe provide nutrients to the tomatoes and get nutrients that the
tomatoes do not soak up?

And one question about belle peppers...
1) How long can a belle pepper plant live for?
2) If it dies, what should be planted in place of it?
3) The leaves are not growing as big as they used to. Is this a part
of aging? It's going upon 8 or months of age. Or is it lacking in some
other like thing (nitrogen)?
4) The main stem is turning woody. I've noticed that when basil
starts to die, it's stem starts to turn woody. Is anything similar going
to happen with the belle pepper plant?

Thanks much in advance.

--
Jim Carlock
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