Sometimes I feel like the summer crops are just getting fired up in early autumn, right when it’s time to pull them out and get your winter crops in. If you’re like me and you get a little disheartened pulling out and composting your capsicum plants at the end of the growing season, keep reading!
Capsicums, aka pepper plants, can be grown as perennial plants so that you don’t have to start new plants from scratch each growing season. This also means that when the warmer months come around, your capsicum plants have a huge head start. Because they’re already well established, they don’t need to grow into a whole new plant before they start fruiting, and can then put all their energy into producing capsicums as soon as the weather starts to warm up. This process is called ‘overwintering’.
What does overwintering mean?
Overwintering means ‘to spend the winter’, which may sound a bit unusual for a warm/summer season plant like capsicum. Normally, at the end of the summer, before the cool weather and frost starts, capsicums will start to die off and will need to be removed. However, if you look after them correctly, your capsicum plants can be sent into a dormant state and can survive the winter, ready to spring back to life in the following spring.
Why don’t capsicum plants grow year round in cooler climates?
Capsicum plants originated in the tropical environments of central and south America, so it’s understandable that these plants are well suited to warm, humid, frost-free locations. In these areas, capsicums are grown as perennial plants and are simply cut back before the winter and left to remain dormant in the ground.
In a cooler climate, however, the risk of frost means that capsicum plants need to be treated a little differently. Capsicum plants thrive during summer’s hot temperatures, but if left in the ground over winter, the frost effected plants would die and not continue to grow the following spring. This is where overwintering comes in!
What kind of plants can you overwinter?
There are a few plants that tolerate the overwintering process. These are:
- Capsicum
- Eggplant
- Chilli
- Tomato plants
- Basil (in areas with warm winters)
Do you need a greenhouse to overwinter capsicums?
When capsicum plants become too cold, they will eventually die off even if they are keep out of frost conditions. If you live in an area where the temperature is consistently below 10 degrees C (50 degrees F), then you will need to keep your overwintering capsicum plant in a greenhouse or somewhere that has a relatively consistent temperature between 10 – 18 C (50 – 65 F).
It’s best to keep your overwintering capsicum/pepper plants under cover so that they are not affected by frost.
I keep my overwintering capsicums under our carport as it gets plenty of light through the clear walls, and is sheltered from frost and cold winds. Remember that if your plants are undercover, you will need to make sure to water them a couple of times a week to keep them happy.
What equipment do you need to overwinter capsicums?
You only need some basics to successfully overwinter your capsicum plants. This list below covers everything and you can always find these things for very little or no cost!
Pot or larger container – any kind is fine, as long as they are large enough and have good drainage. I got mine from the local tip for free!
- Soil/potting mix/compost – a use a blend of soil and organic compost.
- Garden fork – to remove the capsicum plant from the ground (if necessary).
- Secateurs or scissors – to remove branches and leave.
- Labels – to label your plants (as they can be tricky to distinguish without leaves).
- Watering can/hose – to water in well.
- Seaweed solution such as Seasol – to help plants manage transplant shock.
My capsicums have been growing in the ground, can they be transplanted to pots for overwintering?
Yes, you can absolutely transplant your capsicums into pots so that they can be moved to a protected space for overwintering. This is what I have done, and the capsicum plants tolerate the transplant fine, as long as you are gentle and give them a good drink afterwards. Try and do this on a day that isn’t too hot, and ideally in the shade if possible.
What time of year is best to start overwintering capsicums?
It’s best to pot up your capsicum plants and begin the overwintering process before the first frost of the season and before it gets too cold. I find the best time to do this is when transitioning from summer crops to winter crops, as normally this is when you’d be removing the capsicum plants from your garden anyway.
How to transplant capsicums for overwintering
Harvest all the capsicums, chillis or eggplants from your plants. Check out my recipes for preserving large quantities of capsicums and eggplants.
Fill pots with soil/compost/potting mix
Gather your pots, you will need them to be at least 25cm diameter to comfortably fit your plants. Fill to approximately 1/2 – 2/3 with soil, potting mix, compost or a combination of these. Make sure it’s nice and moist. The growing medium is important, you need to make sure that it’s good quality to sustain your plant throughout the winter. Try and choose an organic compost or potting mix if using these.
Carefully remove capsicum plant
Using a garden fork, gently insert it about 20cm from the base of the plant and loosen around all sides. Once the plant is nice and loose, you can lift it from the lowest part of the stem. Using your other hand, gently tease off any loose soil to separate the roots slightly. Don’t remove all the soil, you just want to loosen it up a bit.
Place root ball in pot
Place the root ball in your pot, positioning it in the centre. Spread the roots around as much as you can so that they aren’t all clumped together. If the roots are really long, you may have to trim them with secateurs or scissors.
Backfill with soil/compost/potting mixture
Fill around the base of the plant with your soil/potting mix and press down to secure the plant in the pot. The plant may be a bit top heavy at this point, and may need some extra soil around the base to keep it upright.
Remove stems and leaves
Using secateurs or scissors, you need to remove most of the stems and leaves. Take off the stems, leaving the main node and the nodes above it untouched. This is where the new branches and leaves will grow from in the spring.
Remove all the leaves except for two lower leaves. These leaves will act as ‘indicators’, to tell you whether the plant is still alive and and help you make sure that it’s getting enough water during the winter months. If you get any new growth before the cooler months set in, you can remove these too.
Water in well with seaweed solution
Water the plant in well to settle the soil around the roots. If you can, apply a diluted seaweed solution plant tonic such as Seasol, which will help reduce the effects of transplant shock.
Keep your plants out of the frost
Place your plant in a sheltered location that won’t be affected by frost. Ideally, you will be able to pop your overwintering plants in a greenhouse, cold frame or in a sunny window, but you can get away with keeping them outside in a sheltered area if your winters are somewhat mild like ours. If you get really freezing conditions, you may even need to use a heating mat to keep your capsicums alive.
Bringing your plants out of their dormancy
In the spring, once the weather warms up and you’re sure that the last frost has passed, you will see your capsicum plants begin to grow new leaves. You can either keep your plants in the same pot and place in a sunny position or transplant them back out into the garden for the summer growing season. These overwintered plants will have a significant head start on any capsicum seedlings. If you choose to plant more capsicums, you will have a nice succession of capsicums throughout the season, and you can use the newer plants to overwinter your capsicums next year!
My frugal tips
- Source second hand pots – check out Facebook marketplace, buy/swap/sell or your local tip shop for free pots. Those black plastic pots are perfect for overwintering capsicum plants
- Use paddle-pop sticks as plant labels – I write on mine with a waterproof fine line pen. These can then be composted at the end of their life.
Leave a Reply