We've done it. A lot. A few things we DO encourage: 1. Pinch your Pepper Plants: We always pinch our pepper plants' first blooms to get the plants to put more energy into growing rather than into a few first pods. This is especially good to do prior to transplanting, as the plants will put more energy into their roots and growing rather than producing fruit. This also works on tomatoes , eggplants, and many other vegetables.
Space out your Peppers We also recommend one pepper plant per pot when in the seedling stage. Sometimes we'll gently "pluck" out the extra seedlings when very young and transplant them into their own pot or pod. Peppers won't be as productive if crowded. Peppers should be planted " apart for maximum growth and yield.
These two pepper plants pictured above should be divided when transplanting. Pinching off any blooms that appear before transplanting will encourage them to put all their energy into growing, resulting in larger plants with more peppers later in the season.
Topping pepper plants can help plants manage harsh winds and build strength to support heavy crops of peppers. If you are growing multiple peppers or other plants, you may even want to prune pepper plants if they are planted closely and likely blocking air circulation. The first time to prune pepper plants is right after planting them because this will encourage the plants to become more resilient. Not only that, right after planting is the best time because you can start shaping them into how you would want in their early stages.
But even then, the plant will still grow in ways that we do or may not want, so we recommend that you continue to top your hot pepper plants every three weeks or so. We often hear from customers "should I prune pepper plants?
As for improved air circulation, it not only helps with improved pollination, but provides much-needed oxygen to the plants as well. Even more, good air flow helps to keep disease, mold and mildew from taking hold by keeping excess moisture from building up. Pruning off the bottom area of foliage allows water to more easily reach the crucial root zone areas of plants.
When a plant is covered in foliage, unfortunately, it sheds water away from the roots when it rains or you water. But by opening up the bottom area, you instantly improve that access. And even better, it also allows for easier weeding, fertilizing, watering and harvesting. But removing those bottom branches also helps big-time with pest control.
Low lying branches that touch the soil make it easy for insects to hop aboard for a meal. Perhaps even more, they can make it easy for the spores of soil-borne diseases such as tomato blight to find a path to your plants.
And when that happens, you can say good-bye to your harvest! How much you remove when you prune pepper and tomato plants is determined by the size and variety of the plant.
We cover the specifics of tomato vs. For larger indeterminate varieties, removing around 12 to 18 inches is the best rule of thumb. One thing is for sure, always use clean, sharp pruners. Dull blades can easily scar and injure plants. That lead to the plant expending even more energy to heal the cut. Cleaning is important as well. Wipe your blades down with a disinfectant wipe when going from plant to plant. Both tomato and pepper plants are notorious for carrying disease. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar. Is pruning pepper plants necessary? When to prune pepper plants There are three main seasons for pepper plant pruning, and which type of pruning technique to use depends on the season.
Prune off the growing point to improve branching Prune out the main growing point when the plants are very small. Pruning or pinching out the growing point of a young pepper transplant improves branching in many varieties.
Remove early pepper flowers to encourage healthy roots Prune off the first few flowers to improve root growth. Cutting the first few flowers off of your pepper plants allows the plants to develop a more extensive root system early in their growth.
Prune out extra side shoots for good air circulation Prune young pepper plants to a few main stems early in the season to open up the plant and encourage a lot of air movement. Remove large side shoots from young pepper plants to encourage a strong, sturdy main stem. Pruning pepper plants to limit pests means removing the lowest leaves Prune off the lowest leaves to keep them away from ground-dwelling pests.
Removing leaves that contact the soil or mulch limits damage from slugs, snails, and other ground-level pests. Prune to prevent pepper diseases and limit their spread Prune off any damaged leaves to prevent the spread of disease and remove any leaves that contact the soil to discourage soil-borne diseases.
Trim off any leaves that show signs of possible fungal diseases or those that come in direct contact with the soil. Trim off the suckers to encourage good plant form Remove the suckers from large-fruited pepper varieties to promote good overall plant form. Suckers are the small shoots that develop where the leaves meet the stems.
You can pinch or prune them off of larger-fruited varieties, but leave them alone on peppers that form lots of smaller fruits. Prune off extra leaves to let sunlight reach the developing fruits Pruning pepper plants to remove any leaves or branches directly overhanging the fruits late in the season exposes the peppers to maximum sunlight and hastens the arrival of their mature color.
Topping plants forces the peppers to ripen and mature to their full size and color faster To top pepper plants, prune off all of the growing points about 3 to 4 weeks prior to the arrival of the first expected frost. Close to the end of the growing season, top your pepper plants to encourage the fruits to develop their full color and flavor. A few more tips for pruning pepper plants As you can see, these 3 early-season, 3 mid-season, and 2 late-season ways to prune pepper plants all result in healthier plants and higher yields.
Always make sure your pruners are clean. Always prune on a dry day.
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