Planting peppers

Jdubst13 · June 29, 2015

Hey Everyone,

I just planted some peppers a couple weeks ago and they are only about a foot tall and are already starting to produce small peppers. My question is should I pinch them off or let them grow? It seems like the plants themselves are not growing any taller since they started to bloom. Thanks!

Zeedman · June 29, 2015

IMO, you are better off pinching off those first peppers, so the plant can dedicate all of its energy to growing roots & foliage. You might lose some time - which you have plenty of in your location - but you will be rewarded with a much higher yield later on. The plants will likely be stunted if allowed to mature a fruit this early in their growth cycle.

Jdubst13 · June 30, 2015

Ok thanks Zeedman!

drbobintx · July 2, 2015

I don't know if there is an easy answer to this question.

In my uncontrolled experience, some peppers (not all) go through stages where it will put out a batch of fruit and then stop flowering. Growth may also stagnate when it is burdened with ripening fruit, as you mentioned, but it isn't a hard rule. My philosophy has always been to harvest green, unripe fruit early in the season, and wait until the end of the season for ripe fruit (some exceptions: cayenne, tabasco, etc...they must be ripe). That seems to keep them growing and producing. If you have a short growing season, it may make sense to pinch off until the plant is as large as possible to get the maximum amount of ripe fruit, but otherwise I'm not sure I would waste my time. Just pick the small, unripe fruit on the small plants early in the season. That way you get something for your effort.

To really know the answer, someone would have to do a controlled study with different flower pruning strategies, in different climates, for different pepper varieties. I'm not sure those studies exist since it would only be feasible for home gardeners.

Anyhow, it would be interesting to hear about experiences from other gardeners on this topic.

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Jdubst13 · July 2, 2015

Thanks for the info. Reason I ask is because I planted a couple early in the season (April) and I let the first peppers ripen on the plant, since then the plant has not grown at all. Wanted to try pinching off the first ones and wait til the pepper grows bigger for better production.

drbobintx · July 2, 2015

Peppers can be temperamental, especially bell peppers. I don't mess around with bell peppers much anymore. They go through periods where they don't produce and they take forever to ripen. Pain in the butt. Apparently if you live in an area that doesn't freeze, perennial bell peppers produce like crazy on pepper shrubs. For annual growing, they just aren't worth it to me...especially since there are so many delicious single lobe peppers that produce well.

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Jeff S · July 3, 2015

Sounds like you're doing your own control study. Let us know how it turns out.

Reelcharacter · August 13, 2015

Me thinks it comes down to the soil, proper watering and soil amendments. After years of planting plants in landscape plantings, I've pulled off planting and transplanting plants against all logic and professional opinion. A good healthy plant in good healthy soil with the right TLC can put out roots quickly - I would never rush to trim and shape a plant or cull fruit unless the plant looks stressed from transplant. Just my 2 cents - which along with a penny will get you 3 cents.

CelticFarmer · August 23, 2015

If you really want your roots to take off, dip the roots before transplanting into some mycorrhizae. This will increase the surface area of the roots 1000 times over while allowing more nutrient/water uptake.

June 29, 2015	#1
Jdubst13 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 27	Planting peppers Hey Everyone, I just planted some peppers a couple weeks ago and they are only about a foot tall and are already starting to produce small peppers. My question is should I pinch them off or let them grow? It seems like the plants themselves are not growing any taller since they started to bloom. Thanks!

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June 29, 2015	#2
Zeedman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 313	IMO, you are better off pinching off those first peppers, so the plant can dedicate all of its energy to growing roots & foliage. You might lose some time - which you have plenty of in your location - but you will be rewarded with a much higher yield later on. The plants will likely be stunted if allowed to mature a fruit this early in their growth cycle.

June 30, 2015	#3
Jdubst13 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 27	Ok thanks Zeedman!

July 2, 2015	#4
drbobintx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 20	I don't know if there is an easy answer to this question. In my uncontrolled experience, some peppers (not all) go through stages where it will put out a batch of fruit and then stop flowering. Growth may also stagnate when it is burdened with ripening fruit, as you mentioned, but it isn't a hard rule. My philosophy has always been to harvest green, unripe fruit early in the season, and wait until the end of the season for ripe fruit (some exceptions: cayenne, tabasco, etc...they must be ripe). That seems to keep them growing and producing. If you have a short growing season, it may make sense to pinch off until the plant is as large as possible to get the maximum amount of ripe fruit, but otherwise I'm not sure I would waste my time. Just pick the small, unripe fruit on the small plants early in the season. That way you get something for your effort. To really know the answer, someone would have to do a controlled study with different flower pruning strategies, in different climates, for different pepper varieties. I'm not sure those studies exist since it would only be feasible for home gardeners. Anyhow, it would be interesting to hear about experiences from other gardeners on this topic. Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

July 3, 2015	#7
Jeff S Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Michigan Posts: 18	Sounds like you're doing your own control study. Let us know how it turns out.

August 13, 2015	#8
Reelcharacter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 29	Me thinks it comes down to the soil, proper watering and soil amendments. After years of planting plants in landscape plantings, I've pulled off planting and transplanting plants against all logic and professional opinion. A good healthy plant in good healthy soil with the right TLC can put out roots quickly - I would never rush to trim and shape a plant or cull fruit unless the plant looks stressed from transplant. Just my 2 cents - which along with a penny will get you 3 cents.

August 23, 2015	#9
CelticFarmer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Corona Ca Posts: 6	If you really want your roots to take off, dip the roots before transplanting into some mycorrhizae. This will increase the surface area of the roots 1000 times over while allowing more nutrient/water uptake.