Read our step-by-step guide for overwintering chilli plants — how to prepare chillies so they survive through winter and remain healthy. It’s aimed at gardeners or anyone growing chillies who want to keep their plants alive and productive during the colder months.
🔧 Key Steps / Advice
- Choose the best plants you have avaialble to overwinter - to give them the best chance of survival! Older plants can be more vulnerable during overwinter; ensure no infestations before bringing plants indoors.
- Act before temperatures get too cold - low overnight temps will weaken your plants and give you less chance of success.
- Pick any remaining fruits on your plants and freeze them!
- Prune your plant down to 10-15cm above the soil level, above a node. Removing dead or dying leaves, old stems or weak branches to reduce disease risk and stress during winter.
- Repot your plant in fresh compost - gently tap the root ball to loosen some of the compost and get rid of any dormant aphids or pests hiding in there. You DON'T need to WASH the roots (though you can if you really want to)
- Label your plant so you don't forget what it is!
- Give your plant a very light water in its new pot, to settle the soil down.
- Place your plant in its overwintering spot - ideally in the house on a sunny windowsill or other area.
- Check moisture levels every week or so during the winter and keep the plant slightly moist - you won't be watering regularly.
- Start feeding your plant again once you see signs of fresh growth in Spring!
💡 Why This Matters & What to Watch Out For
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Overwintering properly can extend the life of your chilli plants beyond a single season, giving you harvests earlier next summer.
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Mistakes (over-watering, leaving plants outside in frost, not pruning) can lead to disease, dieback, or total loss of the plants.
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The method helps especially in colder climates (like the UK) — helpful if you don’t have a greenhouse but want to keep chillies year-to-year.