Hi, there are 2 species of Solanum commonly called winter cherry, {S capsicastrum, and S pseudocapsicum} both of which are usually grown as winter fruiting annuals, in which case there will be no need to repot, but if you want to try keeping them, repot into john innes no 2, and give them a min winter temp of 5 deg c, but they are a bit time consuming to give them the attention they need, I think it's easier to buy fresh ones each year, and certainly cheaper, Derek.

I've got a couple from previous years that have both berried well but find it difficult to keep the leaves looking healthy. They seem to need rather more water than i remember to give them - they did better outside in the rain! I would pot them on if they were mine. If getting good results is time consuming that probably explains why mine aren't in the prizewinning class. How can it be cheaper to replace them Derek? I don't spend anything on mine!

Thank you Derek, but I'd like to keep them, so I'll give it a try. A famous TV Gardener once said not to try and keep Azaleas, for the very same reason, but I ignored that advice and mine has been going just over two year now (hope I'm not tempting fate here)
Steragram; I'm not bothered about prize winning, just a nice survived plant will be a plus. I've already noticed they need lots more water than their label suggested.

Hi Sue, it would be cheaper to buy 2 new plants, than to heat a greenhouse to a min of 5c for a whole winter, Derek.

If it was me I would pot them on and see how they go and use them to propagate on. Collect some seeds from the ripe berries to grow in the summer. Wait until the berries dry out, collect the seeds and plant them indoors, they are very easy to grow and you will end up with a lot of them.

When the last frost has gone plant them outside into pots or into the ground. They make a lovely colourful addition to a border when they are interspersed with bedding plants.

If you end up with a lot of plants, and you probably will, you can give them away to family or friends or, do what I do and offer them to your neighbors for swapseys.

Oh Myron, I like this idea...ever one for a challenge.

Thank you very much, I'll save your advice to my favourites.

Thank you.

I don't have a greenhouse Derek - mine are in a conservatory. I run a fan heater on a frostat on really cold nights but it hasn't fallen below 7 so far. There is a radiator in there but it isn't normally on as I don't want the fuchsias to start growing yet. (CH isn't on at night anyway)

Hi Sue, lucky you, having a conservatory, I would love one, but the positioning of the house makes it impossible without spending a fortune having the ground built up, and new steps put in, { when I was 12 years old, I thought the garden had character, now it just has steps, far too many of them,} so I have to heat my greenhouse to keep plants going over the winter, I keep it at 5c, and so far this year has cost me £87, thank goodness we have had a mild winter so far, Derek.

Heavens, that's a lot of money! I daren't have a greenhouse because we have strong winds and lots of trees and I'm sure something would fall on it eventually or else it would blow away like next door's did!
Perhaps you could put a small conservatory on pillars, like a huge bay window, with access from the house and no steps outside?

Hi Sue, that's an idea, might look into that, I think next year I might divide the greenhouse, and just heat half of it, and squash the plants up a bit, Derek.

Just to let you all know the latest (and thank you all so much for your advice, by-the-way) I have this very day repotted the 'Cherries' and I must admit they were VERY pot bound and took a lot of persuading to leave their pots. They are now back on the lounge window, which faces east and where they have done so well over the Christmas/New Year. Fingers crossed they continue to do so. I will try to get cuttings in the spring (tra! la!) so watch for my blog on their progress them :):)

Great stuff Waddy - all the best with them.

Good idea Derek - I've heard of people dividing it with a sheet of bubble wrap. Have you insulated the house with it as well? Some folk have success with soil warming cables, which would presumably cost less than heating the air, but I never I anything so technical!

Hi Sue, I have 80 ft of soil warming cable that I used to use or propagating about 25 years ago, but I don't know how effective it would be in actually heating the greenhouse, not very I suspect, as the greenhouse is 12 x 8, and almost 9ft high at the ridge, I think the cable is rated at 20 watts per ft, so that equates to 1600 watts, but my gas heater is 6000 watts, or 6kw, the cable might work if it doesn't get too cold, but to be safe, I'll keep using the gas, Derek.

Wow, lovely size you have! Worth the heating bills if you can afford them.

Hi Sue, I gave up smoking so that I could afford it, lol, Derek.