Overwintering Chillie Plants
Overwintering simply describes the process of keeping your plants alive thoroughout the winter. Doing so means that next year you will not have to just rely on plants you have raised from seed in the spring. Most people wrongly believe that chilli plants are annuals and will always die off during winter. This is wrong - with the right treatment it is easily possible to keep your chilli plants going for many years. Not only is it rewarding to see your plants burst back into life in the spring but it also means you can expect to be picking chillies much earlier from overwinterd plants than plants raised from seed.
Why overwinter your chilli plants?
If you can make your plants survive over winter they will have a massive headstart over any plants you try and grow from seed. The main agdvantage will be the root structures will already be large and developed. This will mean they will generally produce much higher yields of fruit, and fruit for longer in subsequent years. This can be particularly useful for varieties such as naga or habanero that can have a very short fruiting season in their first years.
Another great reason to overwinter your chillie plants is that it can be a great challenge and provide you with some good entertainment in the dead of winter when there is little else to do in the garden. If like most chillie growers you are impatient for your plants to grow in spring you'll also have the advantage of getting some good early growth in.
How does overwintering work?
Much like when and animal hibernates a plant that is overwintered acts almost the same. The plant reacts to the lower temperatures and low light levels of winter and effectively shuts down all growth phases, so much so that all signs of life, even leaves may be shed. To the untrained eye the plants will look dead. This process helps the plant protect itself from its new cold and dark environment and reduces it's need for light and food. Once conditions improve the following spring the hibernation will reverse and the plant should sprout new growth again.
How to overwinter your chillie plants - 7 Easy Steps
1. Not all your plants will make it though the winter. Assuming you are like most people available space (away from frosts) such as in the greenhouse or conservatoory will be limited so only choose your best looking healthiest chillie plants to overwinter. Of the 5 main species of chillie pubescens (such as tend to fare better however all will work if you treat them well and have a bit of luck.
2.As summer is coming to an end give each plant a careful check over looking out for any signs of disease or pests. If you find either seperate out the good plant from the bad to avoid any further infestations. Mulch around the roots of the plants that you intend to overwinter. This will help keep the moisture in the roots as well as help protect the roots from sudden temperature changes.
3.Be sure to remove any mature chillies from your plants. Doing so will encourage the plant to keep alaive and on it's mission to grow more fruit (even though the conditions will not allo it to do so until next spring).
4.Pruning. Having just spent a year careing for and nurturing your chillie plants it can seem particularly cruel to cut them back so severley. However to increase the chance of survival it is best to give your plants a sever pruining back as winter closes in. Do not leave it too latre as you should allow time for any new growth to harden off before the temperatures fall. Be sure to prune them 6 weeks before the first ecxpected frost.
5.As you will have learnt already chillie plants like heat. You will increase their chances of survival massively if you move the planbts inside a greenhouse (if they are not in one already). This will help keep the roots warm and protect them from frost.
6.As is the case during the summer it is best to avoid over watering your chillie plants in winter. Rememeber that because of the lower temperatures it will take much longer for them to use the water you give them. As a result water much less frequently than in the summer. Check them once a week and only water if necessary, maybe as little as every 2-3 weeks, especially if you have muched them around the roots.
7.Be patient. When spring come round it can take a few weeks before the plants spring back into life and new growth forms. However when they do they will already have a nice big strong root structure formed that will enable them to fruit long before any plants you are starting from seed.
