The nights are turning cold and your chilli plant is still covered in pods. Does it have to go on the compost heap? No. Chillies are frost-tender perennials that we grow as annuals because they can't survive a British winter outside. Brought indoors, cut back and kept just ticking over, a plant can come through to spring and start cropping earlier than one grown from seed. It takes a bit of space and some attention, and it isn't always worth it.
01At a glance
- When: bring plants in before the first frost. The RHS gives a minimum night temperature for growing chillies of about 12°C, so October is usually the time.
- Cut back: prune the plant back to a manageable size once it's inside.
- Water: sparingly.
- Where: somewhere bright. The RHS suggests a warm spot, such as an indoor windowsill or conservatory.
- Watch for: aphids, which keep breeding on indoor plants all winter.
02Bringing a plant in
- Choose your best plants. Healthy, pest-free plants in pots are easiest. Lift one from the border into a pot only if you have to.
- Pick the ripe pods first. The RHS suggests bringing plants in at the end of the season to help the last fruit develop, so leave a few green ones on if you're hoping they'll colour.
- Check every leaf and stem tip for aphids before the plant comes in. It's much easier to deal with a few greenfly outside than a colony on your windowsill.
- Bring it in before the first frost. Chillies are frost-tender.
- Cut it back once the last pods are off. The RHS just says "to a manageable size". Leave a short framework of main branches that will fit your windowsill and grow new shoots in spring.
03Warm or cool? Two ways to do it
The experts differ here, so here are both approaches.
- Warm and bright (the RHS approach). The RHS suggests a warm, bright place such as an indoor windowsill or conservatory, a heated spot, with sparing watering. The plant keeps some leaves and growth.
- Cool and dormant. Oregon State University Extension describes keeping peppers in a resting state at 40–55°F, roughly 4–13°C. At that temperature the plant stays alive but hardly grows. Water is cut back severely and there's no feeding until spring. It also points out that in winter, even above that range, short days and no pollinators mean you won't get a decent crop anyway.
Which to choose: if you have a warm, bright windowsill or conservatory, follow the RHS. If your only bright spot is a cool room, the Oregon State approach is a reasonable fallback; aim for the warmer end of its range, because chillies don't like the cold. Don't put it in a dark garage unless you're giving it a grow light.
In both cases, water sparingly, because compost stays wet for a long time in a cool room. Don't feed through winter.
04Spring restart
When days lengthen and new shoots appear, increase watering gradually and start feeding again. Pot the plant into fresh compost if the old compost is tired. Our chilli profile covers the high-potash feeding regime once it flowers. Don't move it back outside until all risk of frost has passed and the nights are warm. Overwintering gives you a head start on next summer's crop, and the RHS says so too.
05Aphids and other indoor pests
The RHS notes that aphids stay active all year round on indoor plants, as live aphids, not just as eggs. Check the shoot tips and the undersides of leaves every week or so, and squash colonies between finger and thumb as soon as you see them. The RHS lists glasshouse red spider mite as a common chilli problem too, so look closely at the undersides of the leaves too. The RHS advises against using pesticides, including organic ones.
06Is it worth it?
We'll be honest. A packet of seed is cheap, and quick, mild varieties crop well from a February sowing anyway. In our view it's worth overwintering if:
- you grow slow varieties that struggle to ripen in one British summer;
- you have a favourite plant you can't easily replace from seed;
- you have a bright, cool spot (above about 4°C) that's free anyway.
It's probably not worth it if your only space is a warm, dim room, or the plant already had aphids or red spider mite at the end of summer. You'd be keeping the pests through winter as well.
Before placing it where children or pets can reach, check the safety flags on our chilli profile.
How we checked this
Every care and safety claim on this page is verified against horticultural and veterinary sources.
Sources: RHS — How to grow chilli peppers · RHS — Aphids · Oregon State University Extension — Five home-garden plants that are suitable for overwintering · NC State Extension — Capsicum annuum (Plant Toolbox)
Checked 8 October 2026. If our advice ever conflicts with the RHS, believe them and tell us.