is there any point of overwintering and how is it done

[chris]

Have read this thread with interest.

I have a Sweet Pepper "F1 Mohawk" which has about 4 largish fruit on, still green, and waiting for them to ripen to orange. There are also some smaller fruits just emerging, which going by the growth rate of the others will probably not be ready before the frosts so was considering popping it on a windowsil once it gets cold to allow the younger fruits to mature - think it will work?

Also have cayenne chilli, and Gusto purple chilli, producing really well. I'm now inspired to overwinter those too having read the successes reported here.

The main problem will be the lack of light at that time of year.. They may well drop off. I'd cut them off so the plant can divert all its energy into ripening the larger fruit then bring it indoors for overwintering.

[Leif]

Have read this thread with interest.

I have a Sweet Pepper "F1 Mohawk" which has about 4 largish fruit on, still green, and waiting for them to ripen to orange. There are also some smaller fruits just emerging, which going by the growth rate of the others will probably not be ready before the frosts so was considering popping it on a windowsil once it gets cold to allow the younger fruits to mature - think it will work?

Also have cayenne chilli, and Gusto purple chilli, producing really well. I'm now inspired to overwinter those too having read the successes reported here.

I have kept a chilli indoors on a windowsill, and had new pods grow and ripen over mid-winter. This was an Orange Habanero. I subsequently pruned it ready for new growth. Your Mohawk might be a bit more troublesome due to larger pods, but you never know. If the new ones will be roughly full size by the time of the frosts, I would be tempted to leave them and place the plant on a windowsill. Peppers are not that demanding of light, they are more needy of heat, though my experience tends to be with non annuum Capsicums. Capsicum annuum varieties are usually if not always very far from the wild plant, so they might need more light.

Your chillis should do fine. West and east facing windowsills are better than south, although during winter the sun is low so south is fine. It is only during summer that south facing windowsills are not good, unless the window is quite tall.

[cazp]

Thanks for the advice Lief - interesting point about peppers needing heat more than light. I'm certainly going to give overwintering a try.

[darcyvuqua]

Thanks for the advice Lief - interesting point about peppers needing heat more than light. I'm certainly going to give overwintering a try.

really im still in two minds!

[veggiechicken]

really im still in two minds!

Still talking to yourself then, Nutter

[Leif]

really im still in two minds!

If you've got one spare, I can give it a good home.

[Chocolate8me]

I'm going to cut all the 'fruits' off a chilli plant and sweet pepper plant tomorrow then prune it back (as per instructions earlier in the thread).

Fingers crossed they survive the overwintering & surprise me next year.

[Thelma Sanders]

Two of my Doux D’Espagne (aka Spanish Mammoth) peppers still have green fruits trying to ripen - so I've brought them indoors.
After the fruits have ripened I'll give them a prune, and keep them in the spare bedroom, the same as I did last year

[darcyvuqua]

Two of my Doux D’Espagne (aka Spanish Mammoth) peppers still have green fruits trying to ripen - so I've brought them indoors.
After the fruits have ripened I'll give them a prune, and keep them in the spare bedroom, the same as I did last year

how far back do you prune i will be doing mine this weekend too

[Two_Sheds]

West and east facing windowsills are better than south ... It is only during summer that south facing windowsills are not good, unless the window is quite tall.

Could you explain a little more: your reasoning for this?

In my experience, chillies & tomatoes (and French beans ie, fruiting plants) on east facing windowsills don't get enough light: they need my south windowsills. The pic shows the beans I grew to demonstrate to my class the effect of daydlight. The south facing, bigger healthier plant is on the left. The east-grown, smaller one on the right. They are the same variety, planted on the same day, in the same compost.

[vikkib]

I'm definitely going to have a go at overwintering a couple of chilli plants this year.

At the moment they are still going strong in the greenhouse (the facing heaven and bishop's crown plants are HUGE, tall and very bushy and still flowering! ) but at some point soon I'll trim back the roots and prune the tops as suggested above and have a go!

Sadly I don't have any south facing windowsills so, for mine, it will have to be east facing with an elaborate tin foil monstrosity to give them a bit more light.

[VirginVegGrower]

It states in the GYO mag that a sunny east facing windowsill is best for overwintering peppers. Never having done this, I can't pass any other comment, but I thought I'd give it a go with my Black Hungarian Wax, which is so pretty. Thanks to whoever gave me that seed

[Two_Sheds]

See, my east facing windowsills are only sunny until about 11am, then the sun moves round the back of the house

[Thelma Sanders]

Apart from a tiny kitchen window - all the windows here face West, so plants have to manage with that the same as I do

[darcyvuqua]

have i pruned to much or not enough

this is my first year for over wintering