Do Tomato and pepper plants survive the winter?

bazzaboo

Sorry its probably a real stupid question. For the first time I've grown some tomato and pepper plants on my balcony in growbags. I'm looking ahead and wonder if they would survive the winter outside or would I have to put them in pots and put them indoors. Or do they die anyway and do not last more that one season?
Thanks for your help.

Farway

No is the quick answer

Just get, or sow, new ones next spring

Although they will survive with cosseting indoors it really is just not worth the time & effort

Mojisola

No such thing as a stupid question when you're learning new stuff.

They are both annual crops. They will die when the frosts come and you start with new plants next year. It isn't worth trying to keep them over the winter.

bazzaboo

Thanks guys.

olly300

The information given to you here is not strictly correct.

Tomatoes won't last the winter.

Peppers and chillies can as they are perennials in their native lands. There is a big but though.

Peppers and chillies are prone to white fly and other insect infestations so if you want to over winter them then you risk bringing those insects into your house. Not good if you have other plants.

Other posters have reported lower yields in the second year. While I personally don't mind a lower yield a lot of people want as many as possible.

Ideally if you are going to over-winter peppers and chillies you should grow them inside and keep them indoors from the beginning to limit the risk of pests. I currently have mine indoors and I didn't do any specific cosseting in winter.

rms1

bazzaboo wrote: »

Sorry its probably a real stupid question. For the first time I've grown some tomato and pepper plants on my balcony in growbags. I'm looking ahead and wonder if they would survive the winter outside or would I have to put them in pots and put them indoors. Or do they die anyway and do not last more that one season?
Thanks for your help.

One thing I would advise is that you dry out the seeds from a few tomatoes on kitchen paper and save them for next year. I did this for the first time last year and I now have 20 odd plants all heavily laden with tomatoes, we just need them to ripen.

annie123

Chili Peppers are fine to over winter.

Pot up your fav or several depending on how much space you have and bring in as soon as nights start to get even a bit chilly, I bring mine into my kitchen mid/end of Sept as a rule (I'm in London).
Keep by a sunny south facing window.
I had one that was several years old but I lost it to spider mite earlier this year.
You will find that indoors they sometimes carry on producing flowers and chillis till January, then they drop some leaves grow new ones and you get a head start on the year for flowers etc.:D