• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

harvesting Should I harvest this pepper?

This is my first summer growing peppers. This one is called a Garden Salsa (from Bonnie; I got it at Lowe's). I have several flowers and buds and a couple of small pods, but I wonder if this big guy is taking all the energy. I want to wait until he turns red, but I'm interested to know if I should cut him early. I read somewhere that the first flower in the first node should be cut. This guy was already a small pod when I got the plant, so I didn't want to cut him. Bought plant on 4 July 2019 with this pod as a tiny baby pod. Now, 30 days later, he's 6"/15 cm. When should I harvest him? Thanks for your advice!
Garden Salsa3 8.5.2019.PNG
 
Well, I might have answered my own question by going to the producer's website:
 
GS Pick.PNG

 
Probably should have looked there before posting.  :confused:
 
But, any advice on cutting the first bud/flower/pod would be appreciated!
 
i grew one garden salsa plant last year. most of the pods got about 6 or 7 inches long. they can be harvested green or red. if you need a pepper now to cook/eat then pick it. if not let it ripen to red and enjoy its full flavor and heat. 
 
pic from last year. garden salsa picked green are bottom right.
 
20180729_175008_resized.jpg

 
pic from last year. picked red, bottom right. 
 
20180911_173511_resized.jpg

 
 
edit. for some reason the last pic posted up-side down so red GS pods are upper left. 
 
harvesting it now won't hurt the plant but from what I've seen, probably won't help it either.  The only time I harvest early is if I need some peppers for something or if the pod is making the plant lean/bend in a way I don't like, this is typically only for very large pods.  I also remove all pods if I'm transplanting them but I have no proof that actually helps anything.
 
Back
Top