If it's green it's alive right? Right?

[OllieMartin]

I tried to overwinter several of my chilli plants, but fear they may have been a tad too cold over winter and most of the leaves have gone crispy. But the stalks are still green and healthy looking.
Doesn't that mean they're still alive? Or am I being over optimistic?

I've tried moving them to a warmer windowsill, but no new growth seems to have appeared.

[Pumpkin Becki]

Ollie, if you gently scrape at the stalk with your thumb nail, does it look green underneath?

If it does, then it should be okay, but if it looks brown or white with no trace of green, then its probably had it.

[danmon_81]

i have 6 on the window ledge looking at bit worse for wear....i hope they'll be ok...i'll try the scratch method tonight!

[organic]

Ditto with my sweet pepper plant.
It's spent all winter on the kitchen windowsill (inside the glass, not out) and in the last few weeks has started looking really very sorry for itself. The leaves are getting brown bits on them, about 2/3 of them have fallen off.
I'm going to keep caring for it and see what happens, but it looks terminal to my untrained eye.

[piskieinboots]

...but it looks terminal to my untrained eye.

I'm guessing it'll be getting itself ready for the growth season

[HotStuff]

Some of my over-wintered ones lost most of their leaves, but a couple are showing signs of new growth now, so I wouldn't give up hope yet.

[organic]

Well - we'll see soon enough!
Thanks for the positive words HS and Piskie.

[danmon_81]

is it worth re-potting them?

[Lazgaot]

Mine too, dropped all its leaves in Jan and no signs of life yet despite looking green and being in full sunlight and on a warm windowsil. Fingers crossed it'll come back to life soon.

[HayleyB]

Most of mine gave up bar 5, a peach habanero, couple of padrons and a couple of jalapenos

[COMPOST CORNER]

Mine are in a similar state, leaves crispy and falling off, but stems still nice and green. I'm hoping that they pick up in the next few weeks.

[Alison]

I always repot any overwintered chillies about now ish (makes note, must do this soon............) and cut back any old or dead growth. They then tend to sprout and put on some good green growth. Have a pretty scruffy Prairie Fire on the window ledge in need of some TLC at the moment.

[COMPOST CORNER]

I always repot any overwintered chillies about now ish (makes note, must do this soon............) and cut back any old or dead growth. They then tend to sprout and put on some good green growth. Have a pretty scruffy Prairie Fire on the window ledge in need of some TLC at the moment.

How far back do you cut them?
The stalks and stems on mine seen healthy, just the leaves are shrivelled and dry, I thought (hoped) this was just a kind of deciduous tree type thing.

[Alison]

How far back do you cut them?
The stalks and stems on mine seen healthy, just the leaves are shrivelled and dry, I thought (hoped) this was just a kind of deciduous tree type thing.

Depends on how scruffy it is really, mainly it's if any of the stems are woody etc as they can get a bit like that if you keep the plants for too long. Have no idea if that's what I'm meant to do but did it the first year I tried over wintering and just sort of carried on since then

[Shadylane]

I always repot any overwintered chillies about now ish (makes note, must do this soon............) and cut back any old or dead growth. They then tend to sprout and put on some good green growth. Have a pretty scruffy Prairie Fire on the window ledge in need of some TLC at the moment.

Hmm I was wondering if I should re-pot mine. Can you re-pot if they're flowering or does it make them sulk?