# Pepper plants and cold



## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

I need to set out my pepper plants, but its supposed to get down in the 40 s at night here. At what temperature will it get cold enough to stunt or hurt my plants?


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## elkwc (Jun 3, 2007)

Randy,
I was raised in NM and still go by what I learned there when I was small. On the chili and hot types I transplant them when I plant okra. Which here is from late May into June. I will transplant tomatoes 2-3 weeks earlier. My experience is they just set there till the soil warms up. Unless I use WOW's or plastic buckets with a partial clear cover on the top I don't gain anything by starting and transplanting earlier here. If your soil temps are good and daytime temps are good then you might be ok. I like night time temps in the 50's at least personally. Many feel sweet peppers can take a little more coolness. I always plant at the same time so have never really experimented with that. Jay


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Peppers HATE the cold. They will sulk if too chilled and end up never giving you the results you want if planted too early. I know everyone wants to get their garden going, including me, but best to wait. In fact I just planted my regular and hot peppers-6 kinds-in my greenhouse for June planting out. I end up with bags of peppers that I can freeze and share the bounty with the family. Just my opinion but 43 years of gardening in various zones has talk me alot. 
DEE


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## Rowena (Feb 7, 2008)

Peppers are the last I put out; just don't tolerate at all; tomatoes will turn purple and come back, but not the peppers. Peppers and cucumbers are the last to go out until night time temps are in the high 40s preferably low 50s.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

If mine get too large for their pots before it's time to go out - I put them under plastic tunnels. I always gamble on my plantings and plant some out early. I always make sure I have some to lose also. I put scraps of black plastic on the ground, plant through it and cover with plastic supported on wires. I haven't ever lost any, but some have sulked as stated above. The ones I don't want to gamble with, I put out 2 weeks after the last frost date.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Most of the sulking after transplant isn't from the cold but from root shock. When young, they have a terribly inefficient root system which grows very slow. That's generally damaged at transplanting no matter how careful one may be. Then it takes several weeks to regenerate a new one.

Martin


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

i live in Michigan, mine are always in my greenhouse, never outside..but they should be ok, might lose some blossoms, at 40, my greenhouse will drop to about 35 some nights when they are in there and they still do ok..


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

Try using Jiffy'7 for growing your peppers. There is very ;ittle root shock when you use them. Water before transplanting and again after transplanting. I cover my peppers and eggplant with a floating row cover for a week or two for extra heat and to keep away those awful flea beetles.
Linda


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## LonelyNorthwind (Mar 6, 2010)

If you give your plants a dose of nettle tea before and after transplanting it helps with prevent shock.


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