Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
warmth (if the temperature is okay for you, it will be fine for your plant also); light - if
sufficient light will not be obtained from the light outside e.g. by placing on a windowsill,
use indoor grow lights or fluorescent lights to give your plant enough light to stay happy;
water - this is the tricky part; too much water and you run the risk of rotting, but you don't
want to give enough to encourage growth. This can be a balancing act, but with careful
monitoring you can see what works best. You may find the leaves may turn yellow or light
green, or indeed some stems may die. This is largely a consequence of the new growing
conditions, and your plant may look to have gone dormant, however by next spring you
will be rewarded with a vibrant plant with a head-start on pepper production.
Prepare for next year
- you may not wish to try and overwinter your plants, and
instead may wish to put your feet up until next spring. However before you sit down there
are still some small jobs to do to make next year an easier one. Firstly make a note of where
you grew your peppers. Growing peppers repeatedly in the one area can quickly deplete
the soil of its nutrients and can encourage disease, allowing pepper-attacking organisms to
harbor in the same spot.
A general tidy up will leave everything in tip-top shape for the following year and
reduce any threat of disease. Remove any stakes or cages you may have used, cleaning
them of any residual dirt and cleaning them with soapy water before rinsing and allowing
to dry. When dry, store indoors until the following year. Dig up and remove any pepper
plants (all roots included). While it is tempting to let them decompose or to till them in to
the soil, the plant (and roots) may be harboring fungi or other harmful organisms which
could survive in the soil or compost heap, and so infect next year's plants. Place any mater-
ial in the bin for garbage removal. Finally give the soil a gentle working over, turning the
soil with your spade or fork, helping to aerate the soil. There's no need to till as if you were
ready to plant, just a gentle working!
