As the cool weather creeps in, it's time to prepare your garden for winter. It means cleaning your yard, harvesting veggies and herbs, and protecting perennialstrees, and shrubs. With all that in mind, it's good to take a closer look at what to do with your perennial pepper plants. Should you add them to compost with dead leaves and annuals? Or is there a way to overwinter them and enjoy new growth next year? Here's the answer: don't toss your frost-tender pepper plants when it gets chilly!

With the right tools and knowledge, overwintering these fruit-producing plants is incredibly simple. Below, you'll find a list of the items you need and a step-by-step guide to ensuring these plants make it through the season.

Tools You'll Need

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While a large enough space indoors to house all the plants you want to overwinter is necessary, there are a few more tools you'll need. Find the essentials listed below.

Why Overwinter Pepper Plants?

Chili pepper plants

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Overwintering pepper plants boasts many benefits. First, you won't need to germinate the seeds to start a fresh plant again next year! While there are tips and tricks for speeding up the germination process, it's nice to have an established plant already on the go. It is especially beneficial for rare or harder-to-grow varieties, such as peachgum tiger pepper and black panther pepper.

You'll also have a head start on the growing season since the plants already have an established root system and can take off as soon as spring arrives. It will then make your plants hardier as they are more mature.

Also, since peppers are generally not frost-tolerant and won't survive in cold weather, it's important to implement the proper procedures to ensure they make it through the winter. There are a few cold-hardy varieties, such as the olive rocoto perennial pepper and chilli peppers, though you should generally keep them in temperatures above 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remember that this process does not provide fruit throughout the winter but keeps the plant dormant until next year, and the plant will produce again.

How To Overwinter Pepper Plants

Step 1: Timing and Preparation

Adding soil in pot

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Knowing when to begin the overwintering process is essential to the health of your pepper plants. Generally, the perennials are not cold-tolerant and won't survive a frost. Most pepper plants, such as bell peppers, jalapenos, and poblanos, are not cold-tolerant and will not produce fruit in temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. About two to three weeks before the first expected frost, you'll need to prepare to move your plants indoors.

It means making room on a windowsill or another brightly-lit area indoors for your plants. You can also prepare pots for replanting. Small pepper plants do well in a 12-inch pot, while you should plant larger pepper plants, like bell peppers, in a 5-gallon container. Also, ensure the pot has proper drainage.

Step 2: Pruning

Hand in green gloves with pruning shears and chili pepper

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Once you know it's time to bring your pepper plants indoors, harvest any remaining pepper fruits. While you can continue growing pepper plants indoors with the right conditions, a period of dormancy in winter is natural as the shorter days and cooler temperatures aren't optimal for the plants.

Also, dormancy during winter allows plants to conserve energy by using stored sugars and carbohydrates produced during the spring and summer growing season. Once your plant sheds its leaves, prune the stems using clean and sharp pruning shears just a few inches above the soil.

If you've harvested a few too many peppers to use right away, you can dry them! There are a few different methods, including hang drying, oven drying, and dehydrating. Store in a sealed glass jar and use it as a garnish to spice up your favorite winter soups and dishes!

Step 3: Transplanting

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With the pot prepared and the plant pruned, it's time to transplant! Dig up the pepper plant, keeping the root ball intact, and repot with high-quality, well-drained soil in your prepared pot. Water once every other week, ensuring the soil doesn't fully dry out. Pay attention to your plant, watching for pests such as whiteflies. Keep your pepper plants in a sunny location with a temperature of around 40 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the warmer spring weather returns, transplant your pepper plant back into the garden or keep growing it in a container. Do this in the morning when the sun is not too hot to avoid drying out roots and stunting growth. Pick up regular watering and fertilizing routines, and you should see fruit in no time!

Chilly Peppers!

There's no need to toss your pepper plants away unless they are infested with bugs or diseases. If they're healthy, it makes sense to prune them down and overwinter them! This simple task will help you save time and money as you won't have to replant seeds. Instead, transplant in spring and watch your plant flourish and produce fruits.

Do you have any tips for overwintering pepper plants? Share in the comments below!