Praxxus Pepper Pruning Started

IndyGerdener · Sat Feb 22, 2014 1:02 pm

The plants that I grew myself did amazing last year. Huge plants and no support needed. One of my customers took my plants side by side with another super hot vendor and didn't trim any more than I had already done. He told me that the other plant put peppers on earlier, but by August mine had produced more peppers than the other plant did all year. I am a believer in this method and will never grow peppers or basil or eggplant again without using it!!

Northernfox · Sat Feb 22, 2014 1:42 pm

I am amazed how well these plants do with the abuse ! I did a few more rounds of pruning and so far so good!

[youtudotbe]https://youtu.be/43l88CAaEOk[/youtudotbe]

evtubbergh · Sat Feb 22, 2014 2:15 pm

That's really interesting. My peppadew is huge and ridiculously top heavy. I regret not asking months ago if I should cut it. I am still going to go and do light pruning to try to help it, even though there are fruits on every branch!

From now on I will keep all my pepper plants lower and bushier.

Cola82 · Sat Feb 22, 2014 2:32 pm

I should probably get on that pretty soon, myself.

Northernfox · Sat Feb 22, 2014 3:59 pm

Cola hack away my friend

it will benefit !!

If you already have fruit I would just hold on and try !

applestar · Sat Feb 22, 2014 5:00 pm

Yep just above those two nodes with side shoots growing look like the right spot.

IndyGerdener · Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:39 pm

My pepperoncini plant after a few pruning treatments. look at the production with no support.

This is July. Look at the diameter of the Trinidad pepper plants (The ones my son is sitting behind)

Again No support on any of these plants.

Northernfox · Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:01 am

If I can get my plant that large I sure will be happy!

PunkRotten · Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:37 am

Cola, at how old is that plant?

Cola82 · Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:59 pm

It's about two months old. I went ahead and pruned. It's already putting on new growth.

Those little side shoots are twice as big as they were last night.

IndyGerdener · Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:54 pm

It hurts early in the plant's life, but as it gets bigger the changes happen so fast until it has so many shoots and the main stalk is as big around as your wrist...

Northernfox · Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:09 pm

It looks terrible but it is such a good investment !

Cola82 · Sun Feb 23, 2014 11:35 pm

Well, last year I watched the plant grow out more than up for so long that I eventually just planted it outside and then it shot up and only put on fruit at the ends of these very long branches. I had to rig a very elaborate system of strings to keep them from snapping.

I'm sure it'll be fine, but even if it isn't, it's okay. I can start over.

IndyGerdener · Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:18 am

Cola82 wrote:Well, last year I watched the plant grow out more than up for so long that I eventually just planted it outside and then it shot up and only put on fruit at the ends of these very long branches. I had to rig a very elaborate system of strings to keep them from snapping.

I'm sure it'll be fine, but even if it isn't, it's okay. I can start over.

I wonder why it only put fruit at the ends. I have never had that issue, and I did this to over 40 pepper plants last year.

applestar · Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:30 am

What variety was yours, Cola? And what were the 40, IG -- varieties or plants? Which ones?
There are different species in peppers that may explain the growth pattern differences.

IndyGerdener · Mon Feb 24, 2014 1:23 am

I did multiples of the following: (and not just peppers)

California Wonder
Pepperoncini
Sweet Banana
Spicy Banana (Hungarian Wax)
Cayenne
Jalapeno
Scotch Bonnet
Congo Habanero
Ghost (Sold over 30 plants and none of my customers had that either)
Trinidad Butch "T"
Black Pearl
There were a few exotic peppers as well, but I will have to look them up in my history.
Egg Plant
Basil

I am certainly not saying that it is impossible, just that I have not seen that happen, and I did it ALOT last year with always having a positive outcome. However, it makes me wonder what caused it so I can look out for it in the future.

Cola82 · Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:30 pm

Oooooh, eggplants? Let me know how that goes. I have some eggplants. I'd like to do right by them.

What I meant in my earlier comment about the peppers putting fruit on the ends of the branches was that I didn't prune them. They branched near the base into three branches and I didn't know what to do, so I just put them outside. It was really frustrating. Flowers and fruit would start all over but shrivel and die except for whatever was at the ends, which made it so top heavy. That's why I'm trying to for sure prune them properly this year. Edit to Add: they were orange California Wonder Peppers.

As for what varieties I'm growing, it's Serranos and "Orange" Bell Peppers. I was at Wal-Mart, the seed selection wasn't great and I was like, "Well I wanted some sweet peppers, too, and the California Wonder Peppers aren't sprouting."

Praxxus Pepper Pruning Started

Re: Praxxus Pepper Pruning Started