Re: [CH] slight panic and frustration

Paul Karpowicz (hondamedic@mediaone.net)
Mon, 10 Sep 2001 22:25:42 -0400 

Hi Eruna,
 Ever since I lost my first nursery bought cayenne's before they turned red,
I've searched the web for season extending hints/ideas. Considering it's
that time of year again, I'll relate all I've learned/tried since then.
  First is having an idea when that first killing frost will strike. In my
Z6A
that's usually mid to late Sept., but can hit as early as first week of
Sept.
I watch the weatherman carefully & interpret the first time he says two
nights of below freezing as the end. Prior to this date I've driven lots of
stakes in the ground around my plants. I drape blankets & sheets over
 the stakes & plants to get them through this first killing frost so as not
to end the season this early.
   At this point I cut all flowers & small shoots from plants I intend
to pull but leave small peppers on plants I intend to try to extend season
with (lately, has been Serranos & Thais because their the most prolific).
 After this first killing frost I've found I usually get two to three weeks
of
nights without frost and get ready for "The End" of the season by getting a
bunch of five gallon pails with holes drilled in bottom and lined with black
landscape fabric ready for my 'Best" plants. When the weatherman predicts
the next frosty nights I dig up all plants & put the most productive in
pails &
the others I hang in the boiler room at work. The ones in pails I bring
outside
to sunlight when weather permits & the others get stapled upside down in the
boiler room & I spray exposed roots with water from a spray bottle every
two/three days.
  Over wintered some plants this way (in pails) & picked red Serranos from
boiler room as late as early Jan.
   No Eruna, this is not a joke. Wish I could remember half the websites I
learned this stuff from so I could give them credit for this advise, but my
hard drive is 9/10's full of current gardening projects &
have had to delete older/learned practices as new stuff comes up.
 Hope this helps everyone in frost zones to get the most from their
gardening endeavors.
  Paul (The NorthEast ChileMan)

From: "Eruna Schultheiss" <eruna@taom.com>
Subject: Re: [CH] slight panic and frustration
 I have never heard this. You are not making a joke? If it works, that would
 be great. Thanks,
 Eruna