Growing Tomatoes and Peppers in Winter by Regina Anneler 

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Soil preparation for your winter crop is simple: dirt with just a little fertilizer added to help your tomatoes and peppers grow strong and healthy.  If you have chickens or rabbits then you already have access to free, natural fertilizer.  If you use poultry manure for fertilizer, you need to be certain that it is thoroughly dry before adding it to the soil, as chicken manure is extremely hot and must cure before being used on plants.  If it is not cured beforehand, it will burn the plants up before they ever get the chance to grow.  Rabbit manure, on the other hand, can be used at anytime without detriment to plants or soil.  Rabbit manure is one of the best natural fertilizers for plants, and the great benefit of it is that it is totally organic.  As the plants grow, continue to maintain the soil in the pots with your chosen fertilizer and be sure to keep the soil moist - especially for the tomatoes.  Peppers on the other hand need a bit drier soil.

Pick a spot that has natural lighting as well as a spot for placing your artificial lighting.  You will need to mist your plants occasionally with water and keep them away from drafts.  This ensures that your winter crops have the best chance for winter production.  Tomatoes and pepper plants will need either natural light through a window or the aforementioned lamps to make sure that the plants do not become weak or leggy.  Tomatoes require at least 12 hours of light a day to produce and do well.  Make sure to turn your potted plants often where all sides of the plant will be exposed to the light at least some of the time. 

If you are working with tomato plants that are new and have not yet produced, you might need to help with their pollination during the winter months.  Outside in the summer the bees and bugs help with this, but in winter the job is left to the grower.  When you see blossoms start appear on the plants, you need to move the flowers over other branches and mildly shake the plant.  It is also a feasible alternative to blow a small fan over the blossoms to help with pollination.  Either way, these actions will help to make sure that pollination occurs.  You won’t really need to worry about this on peppers, since they are self-pollinating and will take care of themselves.

You may wish to build more than one cold frame and separate your tomatoes and peppers, because pepper plants generally require a warmer temperature than do tomatoes.  Separating them would allow you to maintain a higher temperature in the pepper frame than in the tomatoes’ frame.  However, they can both be managed well enough together if you are confined on space and supplies.  Two different cold frames will double your cost and space allowance, but might allow for better management of your winter crop.  Ultimately, you will have to decide which way is best for you and plan your crop from that perspective. 

Now you have all the information that you need to plan your budget, choose supplies, and select the types of plants that will best fit your situation.  You will be able to experience the taste of produce you would otherwise be unable to have during the winter.  It is a great feeling to know that while there may be frost outside on the ground, there is homegrown freshness waiting at your table.  A little care and planning can go a long way in providing summer freshness in the winter.

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