• Most people grow chili peppers outdoors as summer annuals, but in their native South American climates, they are actually perennials and will produce fruit all year long. While the frigid climates of most North American regions will kill chili plants left outdoors, they can survive throughout the winter, as long as they are properly prepared, kept near a sunny window and carefully monitored for pests. While these plants will likely produce fruit throughout the fall, the biggest advantage is that you can start mature plants as soon as spring temperatures rise enough to move them back outside, giving you an earlier crop in the summer.
  
  

Selecting a Plant

• You probably will have only a few windows sunny enough to keep your chili plants alive all winter. This means you can afford to be selective when deciding which plants from your garden you would like to save. Look for plants that are full of buds and immature fruit but not too large--think 18 inches tall or shorter. Fertilize the plants you choose a few days before you plan to move them. On transplanting day, give them a blast with your hose, making sure to get the underside of the leaves, to knock off any insects, then give them a good rub with insecticidal soap. If you are moving a potted plant, simply bring it inside. If you are digging up plants from the ground, make sure to transplant as much of the root ball as possible, then, once you have the plant in a pot, trim back the top growth to make sure its new, smaller root mass can support the plant.
  
  

Placement

• You will need to put your potted chili plant next to a window that gets full sun but is not drafty. You can also put them under grow lights that are on for 16 hours a day, making sure the leaves don't touch the lights themselves. In the fall, you can move the plant outdoors on warm days, but make sure not to leave it out during frosty nights.
  
  

Care

• Chili plants prefer dry soil, so be careful not to overwater them. Water only when the soil appears dry, and water sparingly. If the plants wilt, water them lightly, then check them in a few hours to see if they have revived. If not, give them another shot of water, being careful to water the soil and not the leaves. They will not need much fertilizer, especially during mid-winter, when they will go through a period of dormancy. Expect some leaves to fall. When this happens, cut back on watering and trim back the stems an inch or more.
  
  

Spring Replanting

• You will also need to take some care to re-introduce your hibernating chili plant to the outdoors in the spring. You will start to see some leaves emerging when as the days lengthen at the beginning of the spring. When this happens, increase your watering, transplant the plant to a larger container, and resume feeding it with an organic fertilizer. If you gently shake the plants every week or so at this point, they might self-fertilize and resume producing peppers. As the weather gets warmer, acclimate your plants to the outdoors by bringing them outside for a few hours every day before you move them back outside permanently. But Keep them inside during the sunniest, hottest parts of the day until they are hardy enough to handle the heat.