Hi, Becky. You're very kind. ;o) I left this on the tree forum when the subject of early onset of growth due to warm temperatures was posed. It also would apply to roses. "The primary stimulus for the emergence of deciduous woody plants from quiescence (a post dormant state where plants are capable of growing, but are prevented from doing so by low soil temperatures) is rising soil temperatures. Usually, even prolonged periods of warmth in mid-winter are insufficient to induce post-dormant plants to move; however, sustained soil temps above 45* F. can/will induce onset of growth & accompanying substantial loss of cold-hardiness in many plants." The preceding was written about in-ground plants. Early onset of growth is the norm in containerized plants over-wintered in a building like a garage or shed, but not usually THIS early. Resist the urge to bring the plant indoors. Give it light, but keep it as cold as you can w/o allowing temperatures to drop below freezing. There is more good info in the post I took this from that will likely answer your questions. If not, pose them here & I will try to fill in the blanks. ;o) PS I overwinter about 50-60 woody deciduous plants in my garage & this is a problem every year. When it occurs later in the year, I simply put them on a large wagon I can roll outdoors when it's warm enough and back indoors when frost threatens. Of course, it's probably impractical for you to consider that strategy now. Al Here is a link that might be useful: Click me and I'll take you to the exact post Al was talking about. ;o)

Oh no! ThatÂs terrible! Garden Pleasure, too. ThatÂs one IÂve wanted so I know how beautiful it is. When you bought at Van Engelen: was it their fall sale (which always comes too late for me) or their regular catalog? The fall sale stuff they ship right away. I bought in fall once and it was really too late for me to plant: they arrived mid-November and I had to plant them temporarily in a holding bed. Then in spring I had to move them. Some did not make it (Album and some rubrum) so I called and they gave me credit for them, which I used in regular season. Since then, I have looked at their fall sale offerings but never bought because it was really too late for my zone. They give half credit, but itÂs better than nothing. But if it was NOT the sale, there was no way they should have shipped so late. I would definitely make a fuss and insist on replacementÂto arrive at the RIGHT time.

My worm bin has been doing fine in Central FL this summer even without ice jugs. The bin is pretty big and deep. Currently about 2foot by 2 foot by 16 inches deep. It will expand to 2 foot by 4 foot as the population increases. Anyway, even when the top of the bedding dries out, the lower levels stay moist and cooler. I have a good location for them, in an old dog kennel with a roof so they are in the shade but plenty of air to keep things cool. As for the ice jugs, it might not be necessary to keep the worms alive in the heat but it could help keep the temps in a better range for worm breeding. FYI the bigger the bin/deeper bedding, the more insulated the center will be from all adverse outside temps.

Thank you everyone. What an interesting conversation this has become! tomt226 and stevie: I am definitely going to practice with a cutting during the summer to see what its all about. Lot of healthy new growth around the garden now. Thank you so much! Its a great idea. I have been thinking about it, the only draw back, if at all, is to make sure the cuttings root and stay alive through the winter. Just like making sure the dug out plants make it. Seems like the cuttings would take less room and are less work. But the important question was, the whole point of overwintering for me was to get a significant head start on the season and get more peppers (for those peppers that take a long time to form and ripen). Starting from seed means, no matter how early, having to go through the maturation process. I was hoping overwintering a mature plant would take off one or two months of the maturation time the next season. That would be the reason to go trough all the trouble. That isn't all that true then? Does one get better head start with cuttings? esox07: thank you so much for taking the time to post such an illustrative and explanatory post. It answers many of the questions that are swirling in my mind. You know many years ago I was in love with fragrant tropical plants and did this whole dance of taking in all those plants. The insects and cleaning. I felt exactly as you are describing. But in my current excitement I am forgetting all that. Are you saying then, that there really isn't that much to be gained by overwintering? The tropical plants were my pets, they were not for fruit production. Pepper plants are different, at least at this time. Thank you! K.