Are Bell peppers perennial?

Overwintering Peppers – How to Successfully Overwinter Hot Pepper Plants! Most people are not aware that peppers are actually perennials! The reason they are usually grown as annuals is because the winter temperatures in most places will kill them. They are semi-tropical plants, and just cannot handle cold weather.

Freezing temperatures kill chillies, so the plants must be overwintered in a frost-free environment. Keeping them in an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel won’t work, so don’t even think about it. The temperature, however, doesn’t have to be overly warm since the plants need only to survive, not thrive.

Although in their native habitat, tomato plants grow as perennials, they are usually grown as an annual for cultivation. Tomatoes are referred to as tender perennials, as they will generally succumb once temperatures drop, especially once frost hits.

There are many perennials crops that are known and loved by gardeners everywhere, including these ten common ones:

raspberries, blueberries and other berry bushes.

asparagus.

rhubarb.

kale (usually grown as an annual)

garlic (usually grown as an annual)

radicchio (usually grown as an annual)

horseradish.

globe artichokes.

Biennials complete their life cycle within two growing seasons. And perennials live for more than two years, repeating the grow to seed process anew every season until the plant dies. The majority of vegetables people plant in gardens – lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, peppers, carrots, beans, etc. – are annuals.

Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum), which are one of the most common home garden vegetable plants, are tender perennials grown as annuals in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 10. When grown as a perennial, these plants produce tomatoes year round and can reach the size of a small tree.

These squashes grow as annuals in nearly every climate during the warmer months of the year. It takes only one or two zucchini plants to produce enough squash for one family. Because this is an annual vegetable, the life expectancy of the zucchini plant lasts only for the summer and part of the fall.

These warm-weather vegetables are grown as annuals but are actually perennials. Also known as aubergine, eggplants can be grown in a traditional row garden or in containers. They make lovely ornamental borders, too. Like tomatoes, eggplants grow hanging from the vines of a plant that grows several feet in height.

The species is a perennial, often cultivated as an annual in temperate climates, and often grows to around 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall. It is related to such species as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus.

Strawberry plants that are to be treated as annuals are planted closer together than those that are left to grow as perennials. For annuals, mound or hill up rows of soil about 6″ or 8″ tall, spacing the rows about 2′ apart.

Basil is an annual herb that lasts one year. When planning your herb garden, it’s important to keep in mind the growth habits of each plant. Some herbs are annuals, some are perennials, and some form small evergreen shrubs.

Trim jalapeno plants at the end of summer or early fall to extend pepper growth until your area’s first killing frost. Remove suckers, or the thin stems growing between two larger stems. When you remove suckers, the plant puts more energy into pepper production.

Peppers are perennial plants under frost-free conditions. They continue to grow and produce fruits for over five years as indoor house plants. Peppers are self-fertile and don’t need pollinating insects to set fruit. Seeds sprout about a week after planting if the soil is warm enough.

Watering Needs. Jalapeno peppers require soil that drains well but is evenly and consistently moist. When watered, the soil should be moistened to a depth of 6 inches below its surface. You can test moisture by sticking the tip of a pencil into the ground around the pepper.

Growing Jalapeno Peppers. Growing peppers is not difficult as long as you follow a few key things. Jalapeno pepper plants, like any chili pepper, start off a bit slow, so it is helpful to start to grow your plants indoors anywhere from 8-12 weeks before transferring them outside.

During the growing season, a pepper plant will be harvested multiple times overall, producing about 25 to 35 pods per plant. Pepper pungency is rated in terms of ‘Scovolle heat units” and jalapeños can range from 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville units.

Growing Jalapeno Peppers: Planting peppers in the Ground. Once there is no worry of frost, you can plant your pepper plants to your garden or chosen spot. The plants will eventually grow to nearly 3 feet high under proper conditions. Use cages as needed when plants are at a height that they would lean.

Staking pepper plants may not be a requirement for growing them in your garden, but it has its advantages. Not only does pepper staking help support plants, keeping them upright, but pepper staking can also reduce sunscald on fruits and helps keep them off the ground, where they are susceptible to pests or rotting.

Different pepper varieties planted nearby may occasionally cross-pollinate, which will not affect the flavor of the current year’s crop, but can sometimes produce hybrid seeds. This means that seeds saved from these peppers and replanted the following year might produce fruit with unpredictable shapes or flavors.

After the danger of frost has passed, transplant seedlings outdoors, 18 to 24 inches apart (but keep paired plants close to touching.) Soil should be at least 65° F, as peppers will not survive transplanting at temps any colder.