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Topping plants at a young age.

7potquezada

7potquezada

Hey guys, I have a bit of a strange question but just out of curiosity I will present it.
 
What will happen if one was to top a plant at a young age? Say, about 3-4" tall or at only 4 sets of leaves?
Anyone ever done this? Had any experience? It'd cool to know I'm considering giving it a try with a plant of mine.
Lower yields? Or super bush? lol Just wondering what one could expect.
 
Anyways guys, take care, your opinions and input are invaluable and always appreciated.
 
Happy growing.
 
-Quezada
 
i think the key to topping a pepper is to know exactly the right time to do it, if not you risk stunting the plant or killing it.
 
for topping, which i support, i believe the key is to identify if shoots are protruding from lower branches, if they are top away. if not don't touch it!
 
i am looking at 2 dozen plants all at various stages of growth. some are showing no signs of producing lower shoots, so there is no way i would touch them. others have lower shoots spilling over the plant.....chop, chop.
 
hope this helps a little, good luck.
 
Burning Colon said:
i think the key to topping a pepper is to know exactly the right time to do it, if not you risk stunting the plant or killing it.
 
for topping, which i support, i believe the key is to identify if shoots are protruding from lower branches, if they are top away. if not don't touch it!
 
i am looking at 2 dozen plants all at various stages of growth. some are showing no signs of producing lower shoots, so there is no way i would touch them. others have lower shoots spilling over the plant.....chop, chop.
 
hope this helps a little, good luck.
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Ok, I see then. My seedlings are still very short barely building their 4th set of leaves but now they're starting to show new growth coming from the leaf stalks. I'm not sure it they're branches or just more leaves that are popping out. They haven't even begun to build a "Y" though.
 
Mr Burning seems to know what he's talking about.  Wait for the right growth stage otherwise your just throwing up an obstacle for the plant.  Also you only need to top the very end of the plant even when it is a bit bigger...just enough to sever the main stalk at the very end in order to redirect the growth.  That way you don't shock the plant as much since it doesn't lose as much foliage.  The biggest mistake a lot of growers make is trying out too many ideas too early because their brain is racing faster than the plant is growing.           
 
Leave a couple bottom  leaves on, especially if their young to ensure photosynthesis. 
 
Mine are similar in size. I'm holding off for a couple more sets before the stripping.

Pr0digal_son said:
Why are people so against harvesting peppers?
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We just want MORE
 
SichuaneseFoodFan said:
I think Jeff aka SpicyChicken knows something about harvesting peppers:http://driedhotpeppers.com/images/2012-Grow_Log/2012_Grow_Log_216.jpghttp://driedhotpeppers.com/2013_grow/2013_grow_019.jpg
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I don't doubt that he knows something about harvesting,probably way more than I ever will. You don't think genetics and soil conditions had anything to do with that plant? It's not even a Jonah,looks to be an Indian type that are known for being ultra prolific.

I am not discouraging folks from topping. Keep topping and I will keep having 5 pound side branches break off of my plants all summer. :lol:

IMG_20130829_200834_517_zps74af01ef.jpg
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There are plenty of folks that grow nice plants and do not top.

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/28101-moruga-scorpion-new-hottest-in-the-world/page-7#entry566788
I see a common theme here at THP.

1. Take a perfectly healthy plant and top it.
2. Spray AACT on it every hour without worrying about properly feeding or managing pH.
3. In late August,buy boxes of pods from Pepperlover.
 
i remember that photo.. topping is a preference.. and also something you put on pizza
 
heres my NON TOPPED bubblegum 7pot... 

 
so damn heavy it split in 3

 

 

 
plant still produced a good couple lbs of bubblegum pods...
 
i also agree with John...
 
you should post the photo from your competition last year with shane and other members...BIRGIT it!
 
Topping a load of mine this year.
Agressively.
 
But that is mostly because I have 8 containers/ 24 plants that will be "houseplants" for a few years (I hope) and they need to be small and bushy to preserve marital harmony. :P
 
I still have 30/40 to go outside in dirt, and those will get 1 topping due to high winds, low humidity, and short season.
 
Small peppers year round is better than a load for a few weeks in the fall to me, but I hope to have a bit of both.
 
SichuaneseFoodFan said:
You Florida and Georgia folks can grow some nice big plants. Not sure if it's fair to compare to Wisconsin though! :)
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An extra 3-4 months must be nice.
 
I am not against pruning for cuttings,asthetics,or space situations. I have been doing it to a few plants this winter. I do believe that there is more to growing a proper plant than topping it though. IMO genes,variety,soil,nutrition,light,etc. play way bigger roles. I will not dispute the facts about topping,it is science. There is no reason to whack a seedling in half though. That growth will be the plants canopy and loaded with pods,the side growth will match or grow taller most times and be loaded with later season pods. Location in the country has nothing to do with it. If you top plants in the northern states you are going to push your harvests even further back into the season and rob yourself.


There have to be 10 topping topics here and they all have spicychickens grow linked to them. They are nice plants in the pictures,I agree.I have seen many others equally nice. If his garden was 100% clay with a pH of 2,I would top every plant I grow. That isn't the case though. From my limited experience,I have noticed damn near all of these crazy superhot strains are super prolific. I live in a cold region and by september I am sick of picking and after giving away bags and boxes full, I throw away pounds upon pounds of them.
 
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