Pruning peppers?

[EBHarvey]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

What would be the goal of pruning? To limit the number of branches? (Like pruning a tomato?) Or increase the number of branches?

The peppers I grow branch quite readily, maybe I could get bigger peppers if i pruned these branches off, but I dont feel any compulsion to prune them for that.

The idea is to increase branching. By topping a pepper plant early on - like after 4 or 5 sets of true leaves appear, you can encourage that plant to direct it energy towards producing more flower and fruit-bearing branches as opposed to vertical growth. Such a plant will often fruit sooner, and in a short growing season this can significantly increase yield.

However, over a sufficiently long season it is of doubtful value because a larger, taller plant will eventually canopy-out on its own and produce more flowers and fruit. Peppers are trees, so its sort of like using dwarfing rootstock for apples - you get earlier fruiting on a smaller plant, but the plant never reaches its full size potential and proportionately full potential yield.