Synchronized ripening

Mr. West · Oct 9, 2018

How do you get your plants to ripen all of their pods at the same time? I usually harvest a few pods at a time as they color up, leaving the green ones to finish. Now that I've started many types of plants from seed (indoors), I want to achieve the consistent uniform ripening I've seen on vendor sites and from experienced members here with a "photo finish".
Are there determinate varieties that are bred for harvesting in one go instead of continuous picking, like tomatoes?
I've heard of topping to create an even canopy and a larger harvest. Also, late season pruning to focus the plant's energy on mature pods. Leafing, as is done with grapes, provides fruit with more light exposure affecting color.
I understand that peppers cycle between leaf/shoot growth and flower/fruit set. Pods take a certain amount of time to develop and ripen. It follows that unanimous ripening is dependent upon flowers forming fruit within the same relative window.

karoo · Oct 10, 2018

I think the " photo finish" you are referring to is just ripe pods left on the plant for 3-4 weeks while the others ripen to get a big group photo. Nothing happens to the pods on the plant and I believe you get better taste by leaving pods on the plant for 2 weeks after full color is achieved.

Walchit · Oct 10, 2018

Unless you are getting a bunch of rain, then some of the over-ripe pods will start to split.

CMJ · Oct 10, 2018

As you said, plants tend to cycle between vegetative growth and flowering, so I make sure to give them a good shot of nitrogen after a big harvest to encourage new growth and a more consistent pod set over the entire plant. The weather also plays a pretty big factor in that. Living in the south, extremely high temperatures and humidity for long periods of time effects flower production and pod set, which in turn will affect the rate and consistency of ripening. A shade cloth will help with that. I also try to give them a good feeding if there's a break in the temperature, a cool front or several cloudy days in a row, anything that would naturally induce flower production. The idea is to get as many pods to set at the same time as you can. And as Karoo said, just leave them on there until you can get a big Harvest.

Mr. West · Oct 10, 2018

Thank you all for the helpful input.
I was using a shade cloth early summer, I managed to get some clean harvests with plenty of pods. I've sort of let everything go... out in the yard. Putting more care into my new plants that are near flowering. In zone 9b, I'm sure i can get good pod set outside during fall. I guess the tricky part would be ripening in jan-feb (even with daytime temps above 50 and bringing them inside at night). I haven't done this before, but i know it presents a problem. Maybe just carry them in veg through winter; let them flower in march.

austin87 · Oct 10, 2018

I think you will ultimately get more pods if you pick ripe ones rather than leaving them on the plant, but those fully loaded plants with a ton of ripe pods certainly look very cool.

karoo · Oct 10, 2018

austin87 said:
I think you will ultimately get more pods if you pick ripe ones rather than leaving them on the plant, but those fully loaded plants with a ton of ripe pods certainly look very cool.

We would love to think that harvesting would stimulate new growth and flowering , but i think that theory is still untested .

A well nourished plant should not be too taxed by a few pods just hanging around.

Maybe someone can correct me......

ako1974 · Oct 10, 2018

Staggered harvest can be a PITA, but I take what I can get. For example, I was getting a paprika pepper here and there during growing season, but now I'm getting 6 or more at a clip. It's the way they've always grown for me. But other peppers put out small bunches as well, so I can dry multiple varieties at once instead of just holding on to a few peppers and waiting for more to dry.

stettoman · Oct 10, 2018

Me with the Paprika as well, will get one or two initially, then a bunch. My Rocotos are doing a domino-ripening act, and if I'm patient I can pull them all at once.

I don't remember ever seeing any all-at-once ripening trigger tricks that worked, or I'd have much more colorful harvests in Zone 3....

CMJ · Oct 10, 2018

Agreed. I don't think a plant would need to focus much energy into a pod that has already matured. It is basically just waiting to rot and fall off so it can spread it's seed and reproduce.

karoo said:
We would love to think that harvesting would stimulate new growth and flowering , but i think that theory is still untested .

A well nourished plant should not be too taxed by a few pods just hanging around.

Maybe someone can correct me......