For various reasons the entire website is not as active or as populated as it was in past years. But there are still many avid and experienced gardeners that post here. You are just not as likely to encounter that many in the depths of January.......midwinter is always a slow time.

There is also the issue of some forums being a bit too specific in their subject matter and thereby generating less activity.

Not dead, just a lot slower than it used to be 10 years ago.

It's going to be a boring pepper year for me.I need to restock the larder more than have fun this time. I need pepperonchini for canning up. Tobago seasoning- I'm almost out of dried and smoked dried on the shelf. Aji Amarillo, it's become a favorite hot pepper. Red and yellow Italian sweet peppers. I might pick up a couple poblano plants, will see if I got space or not.

Last year was trying out a few new things, but none of them were enough to be in the regular rotation. This fall is going to be ordering some new seed. I need to grow out a few super hots next year since my hot pepper solution for the gardens will get used up this year. I haven't done so in a while and there seems to be a lot more niche pepper companies than there were a few years ago.

You all have completed me. This was my place to learn year ago when I became absolutely obsessed with growing peppers. So happy to see you all are out there. I was on Reddit and found that it’s more for a younger crowd and a lot of people who want to just prove others wrong and show they know more than the next person.

I concur with other comments re the severe slowdown of most forums. I try to scan the forums I used to be active in, but there is so little activity, that it sometimes seems futile. But, this website has been a central part of my gardening life for over two decades, so I'm not ready to let it go, yet.

It might help if you posted any new threads to a few different forums, so the chances of someone seeing them are better.

Martha

Years*

Hey Martha! Thanks

I am still around after many, many years. I still search through Houzz for old threads about topics that interest me as well. There is a wealth of information buried in here. And some of the best subject matter experts.

I joined Reddit as well because it is busier and I enjoy some of it. They have a great plant trading group. To me, the format isn't as good there. The main focus of Reddit is on "top" or "newest" posts and many others just get buried after even a few hours. On top of that, you cannot post pictures in comments (only in the top post) which is different and I think harder to make a conversation about some topics. They recently said you would be able to add pics in comments but I have yet to figure out how.

Anyway, I am still here! With that being said, I'm in the Container Gardening group but I don't do anything with hot peppers.

This place has been dead for years. If you’re looking for a forum dedicated to peppers, I’d suggest ”The Hot Pepper” forum (a completely different website than Houzz). For whatever reason, Houzz wont let me post the link but, it’ll come right up in a Google search. Lots of helpful members there with a lot of knowledge on everything from growing to “processing” your peppers at the end of the season (sauce recipes, fermenting, smoking peppers, salsas, etc.).

The main problem with Houzz is the inability to search all threads. For example, I follow @tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a) and can see only his latest posts.

Ditto to all above comments, especially Martha's - I too scan all the forums I used to be active on, and for me too GW has been part of my gardening life for decades and I'm not ready to give it up, even though it is not as active as it once was (and admittedly, I am not as active on it!)

I used to read and post to many individual forums, but I find they are nearly dead now, so I mostly just post to perennials and shrubs. These broader forums seem to cover most things/plants/topics for me and seem to be more active than the more focused forums. Even wintersowing, which used to be hopping, is practically dead. I guess users have migrated to facebook groups, etc, which aren't for me.

LOL I also lurk on the roses, daylilies and hosta forums. These seem like they are still quite active, but compared to many there I just "dabble" lol, so I read and enjoy but don't post too often!

:)

Dee

It is middle of winter.

There are generally more informational posts in spring and summer, and more picture posting in summer and fall.

Winter is a sad time for gardeners, with only dreams of spring.

p.s. Go check out the hosta forum. There are always entertaining posts by these gardening realists who garden on despite shady conditions. Hosta gardeners appear to be, in my experience with Houzz forums, the happiest gardeners.

I'd like to see some activity in regards to winter gardening for the middle of winter months , like in the greenhouse structure forum or 4 season forum.

I myself have been experimenting with low tunnels and small greenhouses during the winter months.

Of course I try to grow cold tolerant greens and such , not tomatoes.

I do hot peppers too. The superhots especially. , like reapers ,scorpions and such.

But in the winter I just try to overwinter pruned peppers in the house.

AP

I've overwintered peppers a couple times in the past. More as a learning experience than anything else. Peppers that have more of a central trunk structure did better for me than peppers with more open branching habits. I havent' done it in a while though, that space is usually used for other plants through the winter now.

I tend to put my peppers in the outdoor greenhouses in the fall for season extending. Then they get moved to the enclosed porch. If they still aren't done, they sit in the kitchen window for a while. Last year the Aji Amarillo took through November to finally get done with it's last flush ripening.

I think the greenhouse forum is pretty quiet because it's mostly considered for more serious or built greenhouses, and not so much the season extenders or poly growing that some of us are tending to do more. I think a lot of folks forget the four season one exists and post in the veggie gardening or cooking or sometimes growing from seed (microgreens).

I'm in my 2nd winter of overwintering superhots inside my house. I tried last winter for the first time. but they didn't quite make it through till the weather got warmer. I have them in 5 gal buckets and pruned down and kept in my house in various place like in the back utility room (by the water heater) and some in my living room lamp shade. I water them about once a month ( or when the leaves start falling off).

AP