Winterizing your Peppers

Winterizing your peppers allows us living in a more northern climate to have a step up on a beautiful, bountiful growing season. As a perennial, peppers have the ability to regrow next season as long as the plant doesn’t dry out or freeze. Winterizing your peppers gives your garden a faster to flower ability , providing your family with fruit very early in the season.

Repotting from a Garden Bed

Pepper plants are very hardy, and even those in raised beds can easily be transplanted into a pot. Depending on the size of plant, cut a circle about 8″ to 12″ from the stalk of your pepper all the way around and then lift the plant up and out of the garden bed. Allow any excess soil from the plant to fall and place in your pot with new potting soil. This also gives your pepper a quick nutrient boost beneficial to the transplant. Once in a pot you allow a week or so of watering and sunlight ensuring the plant has rebounded from the stress of transplanting. When the plant has recovered you can start your winterizing process. Winterizing allows you the ability to save a high yielding or preferred type of pepper for next season.

The Process

Winterizing your peppers is quite the simple process, even easier if your peppers are already potted.

Step One : Place desired pepper plant in a pot

Step Two : Trim all leaves from the plant, leaving it looking bare and sad.

Step Three :Find a cool spot in your basement , cellar, or attic. Usually around degrees with a fan and a light on a timer for about 12 to 14 hrs of light time. ( almost any light will do)

Step Four :Water very sparingly once in a while over the winter

The cutting back of the leaves and cooler temperatures reduces the requirements from the root system allowing the plant to almost pause it’s growth. After a month or so your pepper will start to see new growth. If you are seeing new growth earlier you may want to reduce the temperature or watering cycle.