How well do habaneros and cayenne peppers handle cold weather?

[Togath]

So with Fall approaching I've gotten curious how well by various plants will handle the lowering temperatures.
But... I just don't know much about some of them. Research indicates stuff like my lemongrass, lemons, and verbena should all be fine even in the depths of Winter, but I am far less sure of my habaneros and cayenne peppers.
From my memory, it does sometimes dip to 30 Fahrenheit at night during the colder parts of Winter here, but very very rarely below that.
One big issue is that we get really mild winters over here in the Puget Sound, meanwhile a lot of gardening guides I'm finding online seem to expect somewhat harsher temperatures.
Anyone able to offer some advice? The habanero does seem like a tough little plant, but this is also my first time growing them.

[caden_varn]

I haven't grown those specific varieties, but chilli plants I have had have not survived the cold.

That said, I generally grow my plants indoors so I only have a few outdoors plants to go on (I only plant the extra ones outdoors).

You may be able to overwinter them outside if you protect them from frost...

[Willie the Duck]

Habanero plants generally do not survive frost. We're clearly a bit colder than the Pacific NW here in MN, but for us such plants are a buy-every-spring type plant or take indoors type. If you only get 'dips' (not sure of your definition of that) down to ~30, they might survive.

[Peelee]

My cayennes absolutely took over, and my previous year's mix of cayenne, jalapeño, habanero, and tabasco peppers turned into a bountiful cayenne harvest after the first winter. I think this was much more due to the cayennes being an heirloom while the others weren't (I also discovered there's a special word for "will last more than one year" in the gardening world), because I'm pretty sure they would have survived the winter otherwise. It's just a little cold, it's not lik-

Location: Washington

Oh, nevermind.

[Gnoman]

A frost will generally kill this sort of plant. That said, this isn't necessarily an entirely bad thing, as the peppers tend to get hotter for each year that they've been alive, which can easily take them from "a pleasant burning" to "This was a mistake. Somebody kill me".

[Togath]

Moving my pepper plants inside today. Any advice for how much I should water them?

[AMFV]

Oh, nevermind.

You do know that Washington state doesn't get really cold, right? Like nothing like even Alabama. Like the record low for Sea-Tac airport is 0 degrees. That's a full six degrees warmer than the record low in Birmingham. And 22 degrees warmer than Pittsburgh's record.

Edit: Although Eastern Washington is much colder, by comparison than the coastal regions.

[Peelee]

You do know that Washington state doesn't get really cold, right? Like nothing like even Alabama. Like the record low for Sea-Tac airport is 0 degrees. That's a full six degrees warmer than the record low in Birmingham. And 22 degrees warmer than Pittsburgh's record.

Edit: Although Eastern Washington is much colder, by comparison than the coastal regions.

I got that from the OP, but I think I'm funny. And a lot of humor down here basically boils down to "its stupid hot."

Coastal Oregon actually sounds like I'd enjoy living there.

[Knaight]

Edit: Although Eastern Washington is much colder, by comparison than the coastal regions.

It's still a fair bit warmer than areas significantly south of it, but further east (especially when looking at temperature extremes and areas far away from the ocean). Wyoming has hit -66 F before, and it's also arguably the worst state in terms of wind chill.

[caden_varn]

Moving my pepper plants inside today. Any advice for how much I should water them?

This site has some info on overwintering chillis - mentions habaneros specifically. http://www.hotpepperseeds.com/OverWinteringPeppers.asp

It doesn't give much information specifically on watering - I watered mine every week or so if I remember. I think the soils to dry out between waterings - if they get too much water the fruits become bitter apparently?

[Peelee]

Wyoming has hit -66 F before, and it's also arguably the worst state in terms of wind chill.

I think you misspelled "hell."

[Knaight]

I think you misspelled "hell."

I'm on board with that.

Granted, I live in northern Colorado. We make a lot of Wyoming jokes.

Fortunately both people who live there have a pretty good sense of humor about it.

[Tvtyrant]

I got that from the OP, but I think I'm funny. And a lot of humor down here basically boils down to "its stupid hot."

Coastal Oregon actually sounds like I'd enjoy living there.

Coastal Oregon is a literal rainforest. I'm from there, it gets depressing as hell after a while.

[Peelee]

Coastal Oregon is a literal rainforest. I'm from there, it gets depressing as hell after a while.

If only you had thrown "tropical" into that description...

[Tvtyrant]

If only you had thrown "tropical" into that description...

Nope, nice temperate rainforest. Winter is wet and cloudy, and very very windy.

[Togath]

Bit of an update. After a few peppers shriveled in the day or so following bringing them inside, the plants seem to have now revived and even got a new burst of leaves and flowers!

[Razade]

Nope, nice temperate rainforest. Winter is wet and cloudy, and very very windy.

That's the joke.

[Erloas]

I'm on board with that.

Granted, I live in northern Colorado. We make a lot of Wyoming jokes.

Fortunately both people who live there have a pretty good sense of humor about it.

I'm from Wyoming, though I'm currently living near Seattle. I've only seen -40 when there. Although I think the out of place weather is more interesting, like snow on the 4th of July. Or just the 50 degree swings that happen in hours around a storm front.

The wind really is worse than the cold though, because that never really goes away.


As for the plants, only been in Washington one year, but I think you could easily get by with a cold frame or other sort of simple protection for the plants. Even a simple tarp on the 3 days it clears up enough to get cold. Although some I think might get too much water over the winter, rather than being too cold. The lack of sun might be an issue too.

[Knaight]

I'm from Wyoming, though I'm currently living near Seattle. I've only seen -40 when there. Although I think the out of place weather is more interesting, like snow on the 4th of July. Or just the 50 degree swings that happen in hours around a storm front.

The wind really is worse than the cold though, because that never really goes away.

Agreed. Even aside from wind chill I've spent enough time on Wyoming highways in a box truck (a.k.a sail) for the wind to be concerning just from that, and god forbid you're trying to bike in Wyoming or something. Headwinds are bad, 30 mph headwinds are just a nightmare.

Northern Colorado weather is basically slightly milder Wyoming weather (partially because the mountains are generally higher and block winds better, partially because it's slightly further south), so I've gotten inured to to the 50 degree temperature swings, snow on the 4th of July and hot, sunny, January days. Sure, sometimes a day starts at 80 degrees with clear skies and ends in a 15 degree hail storm, but that doesn't register as Wyoming specific until I get a reality check from someone in coastal or humid regions, where "temperature stability" is a thing.

[caden_varn]

Bit of an update. After a few peppers shriveled in the day or so following bringing them inside, the plants seem to have now revived and even got a new burst of leaves and flowers!

Good to hear. You many need to pollinate by hand indoors of course...

[Ruffbassn]

Are you trying to grow them throughout the winter??? Im confused?

[Insane Jeenyus]

I do not know about other ways of existing for sure, but In my stomach, peppers do quite well

[caden_varn]

Are you trying to grow them throughout the winter??? Im confused?

Chillis (and peppers in general) won't survive frost, so if you want the plants to survive to next year you need to protect them from frost. The may or may not continue to flower & fruit over the winter, but they'll survive to do so next year if you keep them from freezing