I live in Missouri and dont want to grow plants indoors...
I am really wanting to grow any type of peppers and I want to try and grow Lemons and Limes.

I know they wont produce fruit unless the temprature is right...but will they still survive during winter?

About the peppers I want to grow a hot pepper and need help on how to do so.

Hiya Hazelhorth.

Last spring, I grew hot red peppers in a sunny window inside my house. I got plenty of peppers. As a matter of fact, I sundried them AND I STILL have them. Just by smelling them you can tell they are super "hot" and no one has the courage to try them!

If you want to grow 'tropical' plants outside but are worried you don't have the correct weather conditions, how about a greenhouse? You can buy very small ones if you don't have much space in your garden.

Peppers need heat and sun, and night temperatures of no less than 55 degrees. Frost can cause peppers to wilt, bear less fruit or even kill them, so be sure that any danger of this is past before planting them out.

Click here for information on cultivating hot peppers outdoors.

These websites have information on growing lemons and limes.

Dwarf Citrus Trees

Citrus Care

Peppers will grow in the summer outside in most of the lower 48 (Extreme northern New England mayn't have a long enough summer). You can extend the growing season for vegetables in your garden by using a few tricks, such as laying black plastic early in the spring over the soil, punching holes for plants. The solar heat will warm the soil faster.

Also using thermal mass around plants in the form of water filled gallon milk containers will raise the temperature a couple of degrees during the night close to them - unless there is a wind.

Citrus (Lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit) will die with a hard frost.