Do you stake eggplant and pepers?

florenceq 1/25/2011, 5:35 pm

I have never grown eggplant or peppers and was wondering if they needed to be staked and/or caged. I was looking online and found conflicting info so I decided to ask here. One website said that the circular tomato cages worked well for these plant. Thanks for any help you can offer.

Megan 1/25/2011, 6:04 pm

florenceq wrote:I have never grown eggplant or peppers and was wondering if they needed to be staked and/or caged. I was looking online and found conflicting info so I decided to ask here. One website said that the circular tomato cages worked well for these plant. Thanks for any help you can offer.

Here's my $0.02 from one year of pepper growing:

Peppers with large fruit need support.

Two of my pepper plants were of a type which had smaller fruit about thumbnail-sized (wow were those hot!!!). One got a cage, one didn't. Both did okay. However, I had to tear them out before they were done bearing...so maybe if it started to get more laden with fruit it would have made more of a difference. I did notice the small-fruit plant in the cage seemed to grow a bit more upright, while the the other sprawled a bit.

No personal experience with growing eggplant, but I can't imagine caging would hurt it. Eggplants can get heavy. All the larger, heavier fruit I grew (including rampicante) I tried to keep off the ground.

acara 1/25/2011, 6:17 pm

Never met a (veggie) that wasn't better off for staking and or trellis supporting it it.

If you can see the produce growing on the plant ... stake and/or trellis it IMHO Very Happy

Patty from Yorktown 1/25/2011, 6:19 pm

Egg plant does not need a cage. It takes forever to produce. 9 egg plants produce way more than anybody could possibly eat in a lifetime. The plants also get pretty big. I planted mine in the middle of my bush bean squares, worked out pretty well. Happy gardening.

Patty in Yorktown

Chopper 1/25/2011, 6:20 pm

I did not stake my peppers but I might next time. They are on the cusp. Couldn't hurt and since we are growing in limited space it would be smart to help keep it where it belongs and not leaning into the next space.

I found my eggplant stalks were very sturdy and needed no staking. And if worse comes to worse, you could always stake later if it looks like they are leaning.

CarolynPhillips 1/25/2011, 6:35 pm

From my own experience, my eggplants and my pepper plants were so loaded with fruit that they fell over. So yes, in my world, they need a stake.

kimbertangleknot 1/25/2011, 6:53 pm

I don't know about egg plants, but I do something with the pepper plants. What I used is sections from my pea fence on one side and laid some of the leaves and fruit through the squares. It served as plenty support for them. They didn't need a lot of help, but the ones I bought weren't as hardy as the pepper plant I grew. And the wind was blowing them around a bit, better safe than sorry, I didn't want them to snap.

**camprn** 1/25/2011, 7:33 pm

florenceq wrote:I have never grown eggplant or peppers and was wondering if they needed to be staked and/or caged.

yes.

The Cat's Other Mother 1/25/2011, 9:39 pm

I didn't use cages last year for either my eggplant or pepper plants, but I wish I had. They tended to want to sprawl and crowd out of their squares. I am going to cage this year, for sure.

Megan 1/25/2011, 9:48 pm

That is a good point. I planted my tomatoes and (some) peppers directly adjacent last year and I wish I hadn't... because the 'maters had a territorial dispute and won. I was all about companion planting when I was trying to plan last year....with a nod to what I thought would be plant size. I am going to pay FAR more attention to plant size, this year! (That, and prune much more cold-heartedly, too.)

Chopper 1/25/2011, 10:01 pm

Megan wrote:That is a good point. I planted my tomatoes and (some) peppers directly adjacent last year and I wish I hadn't... because the 'maters had a territorial dispute and won. I was all about companion planting when I was trying to plan last year....with a nod to what I thought would be plant size. I am going to pay FAR more attention to plant size, this year! (That, and prune much more cold-heartedly, too.)

Although warned by those more experienced, I did not give enough attention to plant size and shading issues either. I learned - it's the hard way or no way with me.

Odd Duck 1/26/2011, 9:44 am

Peppers will break the branches if they set heavily, even my jalapeno. Eggplant definitely needed cages for me.

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