Kitchen Garden Forum

I've accidentally snapped off the tops of two pepper plants whilst moving them. The break is about two thirds up the height of the plant. Is this the end of them or will they resprout from the junction between the existing leaves and the stalks, i.e. where tomato sideshoots grow?

Hi Primrose, yes, they should do, although they may now be a little behind the intact ones!!

Hi Primrose,
The other day I looked up what to do with aubergines and my gardening book said "as with peppers pinch out the growing tip when plant is 6" tall to make them bushier.
So it's all for the best.
Regards,
Gerry.

Thanks for your reassurance. I can't see any signs of growth from side shoots but perhaps they won't appear until the top of the plant has been lopped off. It's a pity this technique doesn't work with humans, then everybody whose head had been chopped off with the guillotine would have had a second chance !

I wouldn't want all that French nobility running about, it's bad enough having to put it with ours - off with their heads!

Primrose, if you work on plant principles, would that not mean they would grow two new heads, one on each side

You should offer that plot to Dr Who

Reminds me of Zaphod Beeblebrox, he had two heads and they were always arguing with each other

Does anyone recommend pinching out pepper plants to get bushier plants or are they best left to do their own thing? Would this perhaps just give bigger plants with lots of smaller fruits?

John

It does seem to depend on the variety. I don't usually take out the growing point and find that the tiny little hot chillies are very bushy, but the big chillies dodn't do much except grow straight up.

I can report that I now have sideshoots growing from the stems of my two pepper plants whose main growing points I accidentally snapped off, so I'm hopeful of getting a crop from them, even if they perform later than the others.

I'm growing California Wonder, which were given away with KG mag earlier in the year. I pinched the tops out some while back, and they are now growing in 10 inch pots. The question is, how many flowers do I allow? Just one on each side shoot, or more than that?

I pinch out all peppers and chillies, then leave them to it. Get lots of ripe pickings. The only things I restrict are grapes, melons, squash and pumpkins.

Thanks Tigger, Perhap's I'll just leave them then

If you've got lots, you could always experiment with a variety of management techniques and see which does best.