Beginner Gardening: Overwintering Tomatoes and my bell pepper plants, 1 by Blondeme

Blondeme wrote:
I am online trying to find information about Bell Peppers that have been overwintered. I live in the Phoenix, AZ area and our Winter was so mild mine bore beautiful peppers all season and were still out in the garden. Four of the green variety were close to 4 ft. tall by Fall but hadn't had much fruit. They sure made up for it. Now I'm wondering how much I can safely cut them back. They are starting to send out new growth down low and I'd like to encourage more of the same. I sudder to think how tall they'd get if I don't cut them back. I couldn't contain them and they'd suffer broken branches (already had some of that when they got so many big peppers on one limb) . Ha ha ha ha ha!!!
The picture was taken Jan 6, 2010. Unfotunately, I had no idea they would get so big so didn't put tomato cages on them. That's the main reason to cut them back, so I can get some kind of support system in place before they take off again.