[CH] overwintering habs and such
peg wolfe (sundevilpeg@hotmail.com)
Sun, 19 Aug 2001 19:36:52 -0500
Chet and Curtis
Did that with a hab this year, but with a fiendish twist; continual pruning,
to shape it like a bonsai. Had success last year doing the same thing with
a Carribean Red last year. The horizontal growth habit and compact size of
the hab lends itself to this treatment nicely. My plant has an interesting
windswept look to it, with a corky, gnarled trunk, contorted branches, and
miniature leaves; the ealiest chiles were tiny, too, peasized and powerful,
but the second srop, ripening now, are normal-sized. They look rather like
elegant da-glo orange drop earrings.
Culure: None, really. Pruned the heck out of it in November, and
overwintered it on a south-facing windowsill during a perfectly awful
Chicago winter; it went for an entire week without water when I was on
vacation in February. Put it outside in early April; brought it in when a
hard freeze/snow threatened, but left it out otherwise. It has experienced
outdoor temps from 30 to 98 F over the past two years, and looks happy as
the proverbial clam.
The saying is evidently true: What doesn't kill you does indeed make you
stronger. ;o)
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