Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time

elliephant 8/24/2012, 1:56 pm

So, I know this is a "problem" most of you can't relate to, but my pepper plants have been getting overgrown and top heavy and I still have at least 4-5 months before a freeze (didn't get one at all last year). This is the first year my peppers have come through the summer in good shape, so instead of planting fall peppers I'm just pruning back my spring peppers and letting them grow back nice and bushy rather than the lanky trees I've got going on right now.
Here's a pic of my kids helping pick the peppers off the branches I pruned this morning.
Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time Img_3412

Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time Img_3412

Don't think I'll let them help with the spicy ones tomorrow. Evil or Very Mad

**RoOsTeR** 8/24/2012, 2:24 pm

Uh am I the only jealous one? I can't get my peppers to grow worth beans and you're cutting yours back! Lol. Love the picture and the kids look like they're having fun picking all the peppers.

**camprn** 8/24/2012, 2:35 pm

Ellie, how tall did the plants get? What height are you cutting them down to? Great shot of the kiddos!

elliephant 8/24/2012, 2:47 pm

They're probably about 4 feet tall. Most of the branches I've been cutting off are about 2-3 feet long. I'm cutting them back to about 18 inches or so. The first one I did I cut all the way back to a single 12 inch stick with not a single leaf. Here it is today.
Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time Img_3413

Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time Img_3413

Here's the one (Anaheim) I'm going to do tomorrow...didn't even get the whole thing in the picture, but you get the idea. All that is one plant.
Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time Img_3414

Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time Img_3414

CapeCoddess 8/24/2012, 4:29 pm

Not the only jealous one, Rooster.

Out of 6 bell pepper plants, this is what I have:
Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time Aug_2410

They are the size of a golf ball.

My 6 jalapenos have produced 2 usable but small fruits so far.

So I have no idea how to prune them. May I have the problem next year. Rolling Eyes

CC

**walshevak** 8/24/2012, 10:27 pm

Peppers are perennials and will keep growing if not hit by a frost. Here is one we kept last year in a pop up greenhouse with Christmas lights. Trimmed it up a bit this year and have had over 300 peppers from it so far.

Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time 7-15-110

Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time 7-15-110

I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to cut my pepper plant down as much as you did, so I hope it goes well.
Kay

elliephant 8/25/2012, 9:35 am

walshevak wrote:snip

I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to cut my pepper plant down as much as you did, so I hope it goes well.
Kay

Well, one of the reasons I was "brave" about it was that one year I brought a couple of potted peppers inside during our week of winter and it dropped all its leaves, but came back to life when I brought it back outside.

**RoOsTeR** 8/25/2012, 9:59 am

They're probably about 4 feet tall. Most of the branches I've been cutting off are about 2-3 feet long. I'm cutting them back to about 18 inches or so.

Lol, the branches you're cutting off are larger than my plants Razz

Sadly, most of my pepper plants are JUST starting to look good and I doubt at this point they'll have enough time to do much Sad

Kay, I never get tired of seeing your sons pepper plants. Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time 3170584802

**camprn** 8/25/2012, 11:01 am

RoOsTeR wrote:
They're probably about 4 feet tall. Most of the branches I've been cutting off are about 2-3 feet long. I'm cutting them back to about 18 inches or so.

Lol, the branches you're cutting off are larger than my plants Sadly, most of my pepper plants are JUST starting to look good and I doubt at this point they'll have enough time to do much

Kay, I never get tired of seeing your sons pepper plants.

are they somewhere you could place a hoop over them? If they are that small, maybe dig'em up and bring 'em in when fall comes on.

countrynaturals 12/3/2019, 8:32 pm

walshevak wrote:Peppers are perennials and will keep growing if not hit by a frost. Here is one we kept last year in a pop up greenhouse with Christmas lights. Trimmed it up a bit this year and have had over 300 peppers from it so far.

I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to cut my pepper plant down as much as you did, so I hope it goes well.
Kay

WOW! I had no idea. One of our sweet pepper plants made it through the snow and hard frost and is now producing another pepper. It's in a container, so I think we should bring it in, tomorrow and have peppers all winter. happy turtle

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Pruning and harvesting peppers at the same time

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