For those who stake their peppers....caution!

**nctomatoman** · June 4, 2007

Every year it seems to happen to one plant (and usually the one I am most excited about) - your plants are nice and healthy, getting tall, blossoms are setting - there is a storm on the way but you decide that the plant doesn't need that additional tie to the stake. After the storm, you go out and find that the top of the plant is snapped off becuase the rain and wind weighted it down too much - and your plant needs to start from scratch and grow new stems from the leaf axils. This happened to my beautiful, fruit laden Super Stuff - so the caution for pepper stakers - the stems are quite brittle, so be very vigilant about keeping them well tied to the stakes, esp. if wind and rain is forecasted.

Worth1 · June 4, 2007

The same thing happens every year to me too.
The wind did more damage than the hail storm did.

feldon30 · June 4, 2007

I think I am going to start using those puny 46" cylindrical tomato cages for my pepper plants. Now that I am seeing how heavily the plants can set fruit, I really need to support them with more than stakes. The fruit really will pull the stake over in smaller (4-5 gallon) pots.

tjg911 · June 4, 2007

That's a drag to say the least.
.
If I grow really tall peppers like Corno di Toro or Giant Marconi I use 18" diameter 5' tall CRW cages.
.
For Gypsy, I use those worthless tomato cages that are soft wire with 3 rings. These tomato cages may work for determinants but are useless for indeterminants. But for 20-24" tall pepper plants these cages work very well.
.
I bought a whole bunch one summer at a good discount as the store wanted to just get rid of them and I thought they'd work for peppers and it was a good bet. Last year my Gypsy plants were just loaded with peppers like I never ever saw any pepper plants before. The support afforded by those puny tomato ring style cages worked great as long as you lift the branches over the rings to support the plant and for the largest plants with dozens of peppers I did use 2 wooden stakes just as insurance
.
Tom

feldon30 · June 4, 2007

I just put two of those 46" tomato cages into my pepper pots. I have TWENTY FIVE peppers on my Golden Marconi, and another dozen or so on my Carmen plant. Suffice it to say both plants are weighted down to the point that no bamboo stake will hold the plant up. I had to cut open the cage so it was completely open on one side and put it on the plant sort of like a corset.

The plants are now fully supported and I didn't break a single branch or drop a pepper.

Still on track to get over 130 Jimmy Nardello peppers out of 4 plants!

FlipTX · June 4, 2007

I'd been using short stakes for my two Carmen plants but they're totally weighted down with peppers. I'll have to rig up something. I thought one of the plants had been broken in half by the storm last night, but it was thankfully just flopped over a bit.

harleysilo · June 6, 2007

another cheapo tomato cage user here, it's my first season but it sure seems like a good idea.....

Tomstrees · June 6, 2007

For some strange reason, Suz has always staked her sweet-peppers, it was never MY idea, lol.

She always has her own hybrid plant she takes care of every year on the back patio. They always load up and get top heavy quick.

She has been using a thick bamboo pole. You can just about make out the outline of it in the top of the plant.

~ Tom

June 4, 2007	#1
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	For those who stake their peppers....caution! Every year it seems to happen to one plant (and usually the one I am most excited about) - your plants are nice and healthy, getting tall, blossoms are setting - there is a storm on the way but you decide that the plant doesn't need that additional tie to the stake. After the storm, you go out and find that the top of the plant is snapped off becuase the rain and wind weighted it down too much - and your plant needs to start from scratch and grow new stems from the leaf axils. This happened to my beautiful, fruit laden Super Stuff - so the caution for pepper stakers - the stems are quite brittle, so be very vigilant about keeping them well tied to the stakes, esp. if wind and rain is forecasted. __________________ Craig

June 6, 2007	#8
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	For some strange reason, Suz has always staked her sweet-peppers, it was never MY idea, lol. She always has her own hybrid plant she takes care of every year on the back patio. They always load up and get top heavy quick. She has been using a thick bamboo pole. You can just about make out the outline of it in the top of the plant. ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

June 4, 2007	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	The same thing happens every year to me too. The wind did more damage than the hail storm did.

June 4, 2007	#3
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I think I am going to start using those puny 46" cylindrical tomato cages for my pepper plants. Now that I am seeing how heavily the plants can set fruit, I really need to support them with more than stakes. The fruit really will pull the stake over in smaller (4-5 gallon) pots.

June 4, 2007	#4
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	That's a drag to say the least. . If I grow really tall peppers like Corno di Toro or Giant Marconi I use 18" diameter 5' tall CRW cages. . For Gypsy, I use those worthless tomato cages that are soft wire with 3 rings. These tomato cages may work for determinants but are useless for indeterminants. But for 20-24" tall pepper plants these cages work very well. . I bought a whole bunch one summer at a good discount as the store wanted to just get rid of them and I thought they'd work for peppers and it was a good bet. Last year my Gypsy plants were just loaded with peppers like I never ever saw any pepper plants before. The support afforded by those puny tomato ring style cages worked great as long as you lift the branches over the rings to support the plant and for the largest plants with dozens of peppers I did use 2 wooden stakes just as insurance . Tom

June 4, 2007	#6
FlipTX Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 271	I'd been using short stakes for my two Carmen plants but they're totally weighted down with peppers. I'll have to rig up something. I thought one of the plants had been broken in half by the storm last night, but it was thankfully just flopped over a bit.

June 6, 2007	#7
harleysilo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Woodstock GA Posts: 418	another cheapo tomato cage user here, it's my first season but it sure seems like a good idea.....