Peppers aren’t ripening and the nights are getting cold in southeast Ohio
The plants are all super healthy and beautiful this year, but the onset of colder nights early in the year has me worried that my peppers are not going to ripen. Someone make me feel more at ease!
by PicksburghStillers
15 Comments
BeigGenetics
Are they in pots? Or in the ground?
If in pots bring them in overnight or days where it will be cold.
If they are in ground, cover them with insulating fabric or build a makeshift greenhouse with sticks and plastic sheeting.
Peppers can ripen in the dark while still on the plant – some people leave their plants in their garage without light and the pods will ripen up, but the plant will die
Winter_Dare1274
Mine looked like this a week ago, then turned bright satan red practically overnight. Be patient, grasshopper.
PepperMeTonight
Keep them going until the 1st hard frost. If they are healthy and full leaves over the fruit they will survive a soft frost. I’m in Michigan zone 6a and I usually make it into November before I pull them. They don’t do much in October but let them make all the green fruit they can muster. Any fruit that is still green after a few weeks off the vine I make a dehydrated Verde mix. You will be surprised hot much heat is in the green peppers and the taste is different but good!
janisthorn2
I’m in NE Ohio. I usually harvest well into the first week of October. You can probably go a week or two longer than I can. That gives these babies almost 6 weeks to ripen. No matter how chilly our nights get, those pods are not going to stay green for 6 whole weeks. As long as it doesn’t frost early you should still get a decent harvest.
This was not the best summer for peppers. Spring was way too cold up here. I didn’t even plant until the first week of June! But your plants look great, and I really think you’re going to be okay in spite of the difficult growing season.
SE Ohio is so beautiful! My parents used to take me down to Marietta for weekend trips when I was a kid. I loved playing alongside the canal locks.
Jackatakk333
Unless its going to be a hard frost you should be fine. You can also cover em with a tarp on the cold nights to help a little
Samplestave
I used a clear plastic tarp last year. Got most of the fruit that was already set.
Squatch1383
I took all new growth, flowers and leaves off mine. Trimmed it much like i wpuld a cannabis plant, and have mine POPPING
Winter-Ad7912
When we get to the end of the season, I collect all my green peppers in a brown paper bag, roll it shut. Check every day or so. Almost all of them will ripen.
idrawinmargins
I got the same thing with my scorpion and ghost plants. Lots of green peppers. Waiting patiently.
Pretend_Order1217
Soon, I will pinch off new flowers so the plant can put all the energy into ripening. I am also giving a liquid bloom fertilizer boost and a cal/mag boost to help with ripening.
escherAU
First season living in North America again growing peppers after growing peppers in Queensland, Australia (where we never got frost) – I’m so sad to have to cut back my beautiful plants that are also still about to spit out about 100 fruit (habanero, Armageddon) – learning to overwinter will be good, still sucks though!
LockNo2943
Maybe cover it in plastic sheeting and let it retain ambient heat overnight? Like a temporary mini-greenhouse.
Mike135781
Personally, I would get a cheap poly tunnel to c9ver that. Worse comes to worse, you can diy one with some tubing and clear plastic.
PreparationFit6327
In the same boat in zone 6a in Colorado, got tons of green scotch bonnets, scorpions, reapers, and ghosts. Trying to be patient. I’m hoping mine all turn by first or second weekend in October
15 Comments
Are they in pots? Or in the ground?
If in pots bring them in overnight or days where it will be cold.
If they are in ground, cover them with insulating fabric or build a makeshift greenhouse with sticks and plastic sheeting.
Peppers can ripen in the dark while still on the plant – some people leave their plants in their garage without light and the pods will ripen up, but the plant will die
Mine looked like this a week ago, then turned bright satan red practically overnight. Be patient, grasshopper.
Keep them going until the 1st hard frost. If they are healthy and full leaves over the fruit they will survive a soft frost. I’m in Michigan zone 6a and I usually make it into November before I pull them. They don’t do much in October but let them make all the green fruit they can muster. Any fruit that is still green after a few weeks off the vine I make a dehydrated Verde mix. You will be surprised hot much heat is in the green peppers and the taste is different but good!
I’m in NE Ohio. I usually harvest well into the first week of October. You can probably go a week or two longer than I can. That gives these babies almost 6 weeks to ripen. No matter how chilly our nights get, those pods are not going to stay green for 6 whole weeks. As long as it doesn’t frost early you should still get a decent harvest.
This was not the best summer for peppers. Spring was way too cold up here. I didn’t even plant until the first week of June! But your plants look great, and I really think you’re going to be okay in spite of the difficult growing season.
SE Ohio is so beautiful! My parents used to take me down to Marietta for weekend trips when I was a kid. I loved playing alongside the canal locks.
Unless its going to be a hard frost you should be fine. You can also cover em with a tarp on the cold nights to help a little
I used a clear plastic tarp last year. Got most of the fruit that was already set.
I took all new growth, flowers and leaves off mine. Trimmed it much like i wpuld a cannabis plant, and have mine POPPING
When we get to the end of the season, I collect all my green peppers in a brown paper bag, roll it shut. Check every day or so. Almost all of them will ripen.
I got the same thing with my scorpion and ghost plants. Lots of green peppers. Waiting patiently.
Soon, I will pinch off new flowers so the plant can put all the energy into ripening. I am also giving a liquid bloom fertilizer boost and a cal/mag boost to help with ripening.
First season living in North America again growing peppers after growing peppers in Queensland, Australia (where we never got frost) – I’m so sad to have to cut back my beautiful plants that are also still about to spit out about 100 fruit (habanero, Armageddon) – learning to overwinter will be good, still sucks though!
Maybe cover it in plastic sheeting and let it retain ambient heat overnight? Like a temporary mini-greenhouse.
Personally, I would get a cheap poly tunnel to c9ver that. Worse comes to worse, you can diy one with some tubing and clear plastic.
In the same boat in zone 6a in Colorado, got tons of green scotch bonnets, scorpions, reapers, and ghosts. Trying to be patient. I’m hoping mine all turn by first or second weekend in October
It’ll get warm again soon.