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Post by Elkay on Oct 29, 2011 19:59:14 GMT 1
Well, when I got past all the undergrowth to the bases of the roma toms, I found that they were quite unhealthy (sort od 'blighty' looking) so I dumped them. However I had some very prolific chilli peppers and aubergines, so I have cut back and saved one each of them. Am quite excited about my 'speriment'!
I'll try to find somewhere sensible to keep them thru the winter and I will let you all know what transpires
LK
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Post by Madame Moorhen on Oct 30, 2011 8:27:53 GMT 1
I tried keeping chillies one year but they died.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2011 12:51:26 GMT 1
I tried keeping chillies one year but they died. That's a timely word of warning, MM. Success is by no means guaranteed, probably because we don't get the moisture level low enough in the compost, so rot(s) set in. On the other hand, when it does work, the warmest glow comes over you, you've created life from death, which is always uplifting.
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Post by Madame Moorhen on Oct 30, 2011 13:19:52 GMT 1
I think more likely the other way round Annon. I kept them indoors with my geraniums in an unheated bedroom where the geraniums/oleanders etc tend to dry out dreadfully cos I tend to forget to water them although I did try to look after the chillies but they died quite early on the autumn/winter (not that long after bringing indoors) Either it was too warm (about 15C) or they had a shock coming indoors, or the light level was too low .... or.... or.... I dunno! But they are dead easy to grow from seed and make mature plants in one season so it's not a real problem to start again.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2011 14:33:14 GMT 1
MM, I woz trying to keep out of anorak country but you've dragged me bak in it!
15C is a bit too warm. Here's a really nerdy point - soil bacteria is active at about 10C, so plants will try and grow at this temp. But if we've cut them down they have to put on new shoots, which then need good light to extend, and water. So 15C may well dry out the pot too much, and low light will not enable shoot development. So the plant will exhaust itself trying to grow in conditions which don't suit.
Then again, by over-wintering them we don't want them to grow! We want them to wait until Spring! So we set out to hold them in suspended animation. Which means low temp, below 10C but above 0C, absolute minimum moisture, cos they're still ticking over and losing tiny amounts of water, but too much will cause rot, and low light.
If successful, we will get an earlier crop 'cos we're starting with a full root system, instead of a seedling, but it's down to the individual as to whether it's worth the trouble.
I think Elkay has the right idea - treating it as an experiment, out of interest - rather than depending on it, cos you can still sow seeds if over-wintering plants don't make it through, and I don't want to feel responsible for any starving children who don't get any aubergines next season.....
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Post by Elkay on Oct 30, 2011 18:39:48 GMT 1
Thanks for taking us into 'anorak country', annon, it will help me to decide where to keep the two plants with which I am experimenting. I basically have the choice of a tin shed within a large hangar (frost protected but dark) and our cellar which is frost free and has a little light but can become damp (I put the geraniums there last year but lost a couple to the damp) or indoors in an unheated area where it may sometimes be above 10 degrees.
Don't worry, if I am unsuccesful I will sow more seeds next year - we won't starve!
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Post by Madame Moorhen on Oct 31, 2011 8:51:51 GMT 1
Don't mind anorak country when it comes to discussing things like this. We did once try overwintering geraniums in large tubs in the garage - low light, temp from about 1C to 10C, didn't water them. However one tub died and the other stayed moist enough that the plants grew - but grew albino because of the lack of light!! They did however recover when I put them outside in the spring - in the shade - took a month or so to recover/start to green up but then flowered happily again all summer. They were the ivy leafed ones. After that I let them die off because I think with ivy leaf ones all planted together in a big tub it is better to start afresh anyway. The other geraniums (pelargoniums if we're gonna be anoraks ) are special ones which I have collected over the years, so I know they will survive indoors even though it is a bit too warm. I've kept them alive for years this way, and am only now letting the originals die off as I have some decent children and grandchildren from them and have too many at the moment! The only down side to keeping geraniums indoors is that you must be very careful when putting them out in the spring to not let any sun touch them for weeks whilst they get used to the higher light level and for their leaves to start to colour up (I have loads with very pretty leaf colour), and it does take them up to about 2 months to fully get acclimatised and start flowering properly. So the season is rather short when one doesn't have a heated greenhouse or conservatory which would stop them having scorched leaves when put in the sun outside. But hey most of them are still flowering happily outside now and it's the end of October.
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Post by Ali on Oct 31, 2011 11:19:53 GMT 1
All my bits go into the greenhouse over winter in the same tubs as they spent the prev season in (unless they really do need re-potting). The only prob I get seems to be white fly. But come spring all the gerans/pelegs, incl ivy leaf, are in full flower and instant display.
Its probably a good time to take cuttings now too, did loads last year and they were pretty ready for the season by April. We do 2 houses worth, the house we rent for hols and our home.
Am finding this thread brilliant, never understood the difference between annuals and perennials (apart from the abvious).
Thank you Annon.
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simson
I'm settling in nicely
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Post by simson on Oct 31, 2011 14:46:32 GMT 1
thanks anon, it wasn't too late and my best couple of plants are on the way into the green house
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Post by Ali on Jan 23, 2012 10:30:11 GMT 1
January report - still got mad moorhens 2 peppers alive. Potted them up and kept them for this year instead of chucking them.
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