I have several pepper plants and since I live in NY, I thought I was done for the season. I have noticed that there are many more "baby" peppers starting. Should I expect them to fully grow? What can I do to help them along?
2006-09-18 14:44:41 · 4 answers · asked by vande-man 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
This is an outdoor garden
2006-09-18 14:57:16 · update #1
The thing that kills the plants is the frost. The pepper plants themselves can survive down into the upper 20s as long as there is no frost. Frost causes the cell walls to burst killing the cells and so the plant.
If you cover them when there is a frost warning you can keep them going well into October in NY. I get that far in OH. Garden centers have a spun fabric called Harvest Guard and it comes in sheets of varying sizes. You put it over you crop when there is a frost warning and in the morning when the danger of frost is gone take it off. You can use it for years. If you don't want to buy anything you can use newspaper or paper bags but they can get messy and heavy. Don't cover with plastic. It can't breath and so condensation that forms between the leaves and the plastic can freeze and kill the leaves. No plastic unless you can suspend it above the plants but not so high frost can form underneath. I'd just recommend getting the Harvest Guard and being done with it.
Once the temp gets into the mid 20s even covering them won't help but if you have little ones on there now you have a good month for them to mature before it's too cold. Then enjoy the winter and plan for next year's garden.
2006-09-18 17:03:49 · answer #1 · answered by college kid 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, those peppers won't make it if you leave the plant outside. Pepper plates need warm temps. If you want to try to keep that plant dig it up and put it in a decent sized pot then bring it indoors. Put the plant in a warm and sunny location. You may want to buy a grow light to help it out. You can get one at Walmart fairly cheap. If you don't have a spot in front of a window put it someplace warm where you can use the grow light for at least 9 hrs. if not longer.
2006-09-18 22:55:18 · answer #2 · answered by fiestyredhead 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In yardwaste and clay shale, they'll grow and flower for years at a time as long as they don't freeze, but they'll drop leaves if they're not placed near a bright enough window.
Consider a well ventilated room, or else watering will raise the humidity noticeably, causing your plants to suffer from mildews, etc.
2006-09-18 21:53:39 · answer #3 · answered by andrew s 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In New York... OUTSIDE.. no, those little youngsters will not make it as it will be too cold for them. The only thing to do NOW.. this late in the season is to pot them and bring them inside the house and put them by a window for sunlight
2006-09-18 21:54:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋