Pinching Plants

Starlight · December 18, 2016

I was reading in another post where somebody said for their pepper plants that they pinch off the central stem when they have 3-4 true leaves on their seedlings.

I was wondering, does anybody else do this? Does it help produce more peppers and also does the pinching set the plant back and if so, for how long?

Rajun Gardener · December 18, 2016

I wouldn't pinch it off at that stage of growth, let the plant grow till it forms a "Y" and then prune it below the Y. You'll get 3 times the production from pruning than you will if you let it grow. Not all peppers are the same so this works on some but not others.

It will set the plant back so be warned if you live in a short growing season. There's many vids of pruning on youtube if you're not sure.

Edited to add: Just saw you're in AL so no worries, prune it and you'll me surprised. You do have to keep them fed and watered to get good results but you'll be rewarded with more than you need.

Worth1 · December 18, 2016

I dont do it and see no reason to, not in my climate.
To me it would be like pinching babies.

Worth

greenthumbomaha · December 18, 2016

[QUOTE=Rajun Gardener;605278]I wouldn't pinch it off at that stage of growth, let the plant grow till it forms a "Y" and then prune it below the Y. You'll get 3 times the production from pruning than you will if you let it grow. Not all peppers are the same so this works on some but not others.

What types of peppers would you suggest be pruned this way?
Does size of fruit play a role? DTM of the first pepper? Which peppers did not respond with an increase in productivity? Thanks.

- Lisa

AlittleSalt · December 18, 2016

Star, I've never heard of it. I'll have to look it up.

Two videos a before and after:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swdK2I2CjKU

After
https://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&v=gJHQVHHbBOo

To me, the pruned pepper plants look worse.

Rajun Gardener · December 18, 2016

I don't know all the the varieties but I tried it this year with cayenne and Bananna peppers it didn't work, the super hots and Tabasco went crazy.

Rajun Gardener · December 18, 2016

Robert, pruning improves production.

Pruning vs none, look at the plant size https://youtu.be/9ngeV6Rs5tE?t=34

check out the end of season pepper count https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zetxfpcooXc

**carolyn137** · December 19, 2016

I never pinched pepper plants,be they hot,cold or intermediate as to hotness.

They aren't like tomatoes where some pinch, but tomatoes send out new branches in great profusion,peppers don't, at least in my experience.

Carolyn

dmforcier · December 19, 2016

Also called "topping". We did a non-scientific test on GW(**) a few years ago; several growers, several varieties, topped vs. un-topped siblings, nominally identical growing conditions.

Lessons learned:
* Topping produces squatter, fuller plants, which may or not be desirable (in the thread mentioned above it was to keep the plants short so they continue to fit under lights)
* It does retard development some, which may or may not be a problem
* It does not affect overall production: some examples were better some worse. Seemed to be within the 'natural' variation between individual plants.

** Might have been on C2C, the post-GW board.

AlittleSalt · December 19, 2016

I treat different pepper plant varieties - differently.

If it's a smaller ornamental pepper plant, I just let it grow however it wants. The same with short bushy pepper varieties.

Ones that grow taller like Jalapeno, Serrano, Banana, Tabasco, etc. I trim them like a tomato plant = trim the lower branches. They look more like a pepper tree. The Tabasco peppers picture that I use for my av over there << are trimmed that way.

I have never pinched blooms or done anything like in the videos on this thread.

Gardeneer · December 25, 2016

Mos peppers have a tree-like growth habit. They branch out as they grow. Som do grow real tall, like Bishops Crown, Lemon drop, Aleppo. Are they Baccatum ?

Starlight · December 25, 2016

Thanks for all the information. : ) Think I'll just let them grow and maybe try pinching an extra one or two and see what happens. I'm hoping to try and get some bells this year. Crossing my fingers for sure.

SteveP · April 30, 2017

I topped 2 pepper plants this morning. I guess I will see how they do. I usually only plants 3 pepper plants and have never tried topping them. This year I bumped up to 6 plants. One was very spindly and researched utube and watched a few videos and decided to try it.

December 18, 2016	#1
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Pinching Plants I was reading in another post where somebody said for their pepper plants that they pinch off the central stem when they have 3-4 true leaves on their seedlings. I was wondering, does anybody else do this? Does it help produce more peppers and also does the pinching set the plant back and if so, for how long?

December 19, 2016	#8
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I never pinched pepper plants,be they hot,cold or intermediate as to hotness. They aren't like tomatoes where some pinch, but tomatoes send out new branches in great profusion,peppers don't, at least in my experience. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

December 19, 2016	#9
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	Also called "topping". We did a non-scientific test on GW(*) a few years ago; several growers, several varieties, topped vs. un-topped siblings, nominally identical growing conditions. Lessons learned: Topping produces squatter, fuller plants, which may or not be desirable (in the thread mentioned above it was to keep the plants short so they continue to fit under lights) * It does retard development some, which may or may not be a problem * It does not affect overall production: some examples were better some worse. Seemed to be within the 'natural' variation between individual plants. ** Might have been on C2C, the post-GW board. __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

December 25, 2016	#11
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,922	Mos peppers have a tree-like growth habit. They branch out as they grow. Som do grow real tall, like Bishops Crown, Lemon drop, Aleppo. Are they Baccatum ? __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

December 18, 2016	#2
Rajun Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Tomato Cornhole Posts: 2,550	I wouldn't pinch it off at that stage of growth, let the plant grow till it forms a "Y" and then prune it below the Y. You'll get 3 times the production from pruning than you will if you let it grow. Not all peppers are the same so this works on some but not others. It will set the plant back so be warned if you live in a short growing season. There's many vids of pruning on youtube if you're not sure. Edited to add: Just saw you're in AL so no worries, prune it and you'll me surprised. You do have to keep them fed and watered to get good results but you'll be rewarded with more than you need.

December 18, 2016	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I dont do it and see no reason to, not in my climate. To me it would be like pinching babies. Worth

December 18, 2016	#4
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	[QUOTE=Rajun Gardener;605278]I wouldn't pinch it off at that stage of growth, let the plant grow till it forms a "Y" and then prune it below the Y. You'll get 3 times the production from pruning than you will if you let it grow. Not all peppers are the same so this works on some but not others. What types of peppers would you suggest be pruned this way? Does size of fruit play a role? DTM of the first pepper? Which peppers did not respond with an increase in productivity? Thanks. - Lisa

December 18, 2016	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Star, I've never heard of it. I'll have to look it up. Two videos a before and after: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swdK2I2CjKU After https://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&v=gJHQVHHbBOo To me, the pruned pepper plants look worse.

April 30, 2017	#13
SteveP Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Joplin MO Posts: 1,398	I topped 2 pepper plants this morning. I guess I will see how they do. I usually only plants 3 pepper plants and have never tried topping them. This year I bumped up to 6 plants. One was very spindly and researched utube and watched a few videos and decided to try it.