All kinds of info regarding overwintering peppers in the HOT pepper forum.

Kevin

If you're in the San Mateo near Oakland/Hayward CA (where a relative of mine lives) you should have a few months of mild weather yet. Your plants will probably mature a lot of the small peppers that look to be forming on the plants now. Nice looking plants, by the way. No need to prune them now or later. Most fruits probably will not grow past 4 inches. When temps drop below 50 degrees at night you may want to put on the row cover....and leave it unless it gets over 75 degrees day after day. The warmer microclimate under the row cover will keep them happy and growing faster. Peppers will survive in cool weather, but cold temps below 32 degrees kill them. The row cover will give you a few degrees of protection against freezing. Cool weather may reduce or stop the flowers from setting fruit. If you already have small peppers, though, they will continue to grow, just slower than during hot weather. The shorter days and weaker sun also slow growth down. I think that most years you don't have freezes....If that is right, your plants should survive outside unless pests, disease, etc. get them.

Yup, you can overwinter peppers inside, but in your location I'd give the outdoor route a try. Your variety should be easy to replace if you do lose them.....and you won't have to deal with aphids all over your indoor plants! (Can you tell my overwintering indoors was not so great?)

San Mateo is on the other side of the Bay close to the San Francisco International Airport. Last year we did get some rare freezes of below 30, I think one night even got down to 25. But I'm hoping that does not happen and if it does I can some how protect them with the row cover.

This is my first year for bells too and I have lost count on how many I have harvested, I was impressed! Just so you know if you let the fruit turn red the plant will slow down production because it will think it has done it's job by producing mature seed. I pick mine about the size yours are now, As we near frost I will let the larger ones go red.
Good luck!!

That is the problem with most bell pappers; They set 2- 3 fruits and sit on them for ever. Unless you pick them, Them you get them back to work but even then it will take a while. I have just one of those. I picked 3 and then so far nothing.
That is why I never liked growing bells. Instead grow cubanelle, gypsy, yellow wax, poblano , Holy moley, Carmen...

This post was edited by seysonn on Fri, Aug 30, 13 at 5:54