Over-Wintering Bell Pepper Plants & Spacing Tulip Bulb Plantings

Question:

 I'm curious to know if I can keep my bell pepper plants growing all winter. They're in containers and portable so that I  could bring them inside. However, I'm not sure if they're cat-friendly. My cats like to eat the leaves of plants. Plan B'  is to leave them on a balcony. What precautions do I need to take to keep them from dying?

Answer:

  • Bell peppers and other sweet pepper fruits aren't toxic to cats.  So, the fruits themselves are harmless.
  • The risk comes from the cats eating the stems or leaves. They contain a glycoalkaloid substance called solanine found in the leaves and stems or capsaicin in fruits and seeds, depending on the plant.
    • Chili Peppers, Ornamental, and any other hot pepper should be kept away from cats completely. So, bringing them indoors with cats is not advisable. Now, on to Plan B's. Although it is possible to grow peppers through the winter, it is not very practical.
  •  Pepper plants are an annual, warm-season vegetable. They like warm days, around eighty degrees, with night temperatures above 55 degrees. It is nearly impossible to duplicate these conditions on your balcony without some heated greenhouse structure.
    • Also, it may be prohibited to heat this structure during the winter.
  •  So, I would enjoy the peppers until the cold causes them to collapse and plant new ones next year.

NOTE: Glycoalkaloid solanine causes gastrointestinal problems for cats. These problems can lead to issues like a lack of appetite, lethargy, ulcers, diarrhea, and vomiting.  Here is a list of toxic and non-toxic plants for cats from ASPCA (paste this link into your browser) https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list

Question:

 I planted tulip bulbs four weeks ago. I also refrigerated some with the intent of planting them in six weeks. Which set of tulips will spout first, and can I leave them in the ground forever?

Answer:

  • Unless we have a warm fall, they should emerge from the ground about at the same time if they are the same typ
  • e.  Tulips are grouped into early, mid-season, and late varieties. Usually, the early season varieties sprout first, but it will vary from year to year.
    • Also, you will find that the chilled tulips will have longer stems than the non-chilled bulbs.
  •  Tulips are not necessarily a bulb to leave in the ground year after year. Since these areas are often replanted for summer color, the excessive summer water and our heavy clay soils rot the over-winter wintering bulbs.
  • Tulips should be removed from the ground after the foliage has turned yellow and easily separates from the ground. The Darwin Tulip is the best variety for naturalizing. Also, tulip flowers will vary yearly as the newly formed bulbs take time to mature.
  • For the best color show, think of tulips as an annual and replace some, if not all, the bulbs each season.