It would be fantastic to have a quick reference.
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Can we get a stickied thread on how to prune/top?
- Thread starter trevonator
- Start date
I think a quick reference might be a good idea, as far as just walking you though the basics of pruning technique - how to make a cut. But when we start getting into the reasons behind cuts that need to be made, there's just not going to be one definitive way to go about it.
Some people might want to increase the bushiness of their plants, thereby increasing the number of nodes available to produce flowers/fruits. Others may want to prune their plants for strength so their plants withstand wind load or the weight of fruit. Another consideration is pruning a plant to allow air flow and light penetration to reduce the chances of bacterial or fungal infection.
I am of the opinion that it is important to prune any plant for more than one simple goal (lately fruit production seems to be the only consideration around here). I have pruned thousands of plants, from small spirea shrubs to monster >100' tall white pines and everything in between over the course of my career as a certified arborist. And although the desires of my clients play a big part in deciding which cuts to make, improving the health of the plant in question is always the foremost consideration.
If fruit production is your only goal, then by all means, top or FIM your plant. But if you experience a particularly cool, wet year, your super bushy plants may not thoroughly dry out and could quickly succumb to mold or blight. Also, what good is a pod-laden plant when heavy rain or hail bend down your branches and all your pods end up dragging on the ground and rotting. Or what if your topped plant, with 12 podded-up branches all originating from one spot on the stem is hit with a high wind? All those weak side shoots might just rip off your plant.
I'm not trying to tell everyone that there's only one true way to prune a plant. I just want folks to understand that there are many reasons to prune a plant besides simply promoting bushiness. But if you grow in a dry, windless climate where storms and disease aren't an issue, then go for it! Everyone knows what works in their own garden.
Just don't get me started on the practice of "pruning" all the leaves off a plant. That's not pruning, that's just silliness.
Some people might want to increase the bushiness of their plants, thereby increasing the number of nodes available to produce flowers/fruits. Others may want to prune their plants for strength so their plants withstand wind load or the weight of fruit. Another consideration is pruning a plant to allow air flow and light penetration to reduce the chances of bacterial or fungal infection.
I am of the opinion that it is important to prune any plant for more than one simple goal (lately fruit production seems to be the only consideration around here). I have pruned thousands of plants, from small spirea shrubs to monster >100' tall white pines and everything in between over the course of my career as a certified arborist. And although the desires of my clients play a big part in deciding which cuts to make, improving the health of the plant in question is always the foremost consideration.
If fruit production is your only goal, then by all means, top or FIM your plant. But if you experience a particularly cool, wet year, your super bushy plants may not thoroughly dry out and could quickly succumb to mold or blight. Also, what good is a pod-laden plant when heavy rain or hail bend down your branches and all your pods end up dragging on the ground and rotting. Or what if your topped plant, with 12 podded-up branches all originating from one spot on the stem is hit with a high wind? All those weak side shoots might just rip off your plant.
I'm not trying to tell everyone that there's only one true way to prune a plant. I just want folks to understand that there are many reasons to prune a plant besides simply promoting bushiness. But if you grow in a dry, windless climate where storms and disease aren't an issue, then go for it! Everyone knows what works in their own garden.
Just don't get me started on the practice of "pruning" all the leaves off a plant. That's not pruning, that's just silliness.
Yeah, just a how-to. It would be really nice to have a place to look back on just in case you forgot.
Here's what I do. The only time I make a cut on a plant during the first four or five months of its life is to pinch back a plant that is growing up into my lights, or to remove a damaged shoot. After I plant them, I let them do their thing for a while and get established. During this time I keep an eye on them looking for emerging structural problems.
I usually (depending on the variety) remove branches that are too close to the ground. If I have an Anaheim with a branch that is 6" off the ground, I cut it off. It's only going to produce fruit that rots on the ground anyhow. Small-fruited varieties aren't so much of a concern here. Keeping the canopy raised off the ground also promotes air flow (see below).
If a plant has branches that overlap or grow into each other, I'll either remove one or prune them so they don't fight for space so much. All crowded branches do is shade each other and limit air flow - which can lead to disease.
If two or more large branches originate close to each other on the main stem and grow in the same direction, I might remove or subordinate one. As these branches grow unhindered, they can crowd each other, leading to a weak attachment to the stem. This can lead to one or both of them tearing out when mechanically stressed (wind, fruit, heavy rain…).
Damaged or diseased branches obviously should be trimmed or removed, regardless of the above guidelines. Also, sometimes I will remove flowers and new growth from a plant late in the season to help already-formed pods to ripen before frost.
Aside from that, I don't see much reason to prune pepper plants. They seem to do their thing just fine without a lot of tinkering and over thinking.
FAQs are good for answering questions where a group has come to a consensus on one answer. What is the N content of Miracle Gro fertilizer? How many lumens does a T8 produce...
But having a FAQ for "how to prune" or "organic or no" seem like train wrecks waiting to happen. Those questions just seem too open-ended for that kind of an approach. Having noobs constantly ask the same questions definitely gets old after a while, but getting a dozen (very) different answers can help the OP (as well as other readers) make up his/her mind on a game plan, or at least what question to ask next.
I usually (depending on the variety) remove branches that are too close to the ground. If I have an Anaheim with a branch that is 6" off the ground, I cut it off. It's only going to produce fruit that rots on the ground anyhow. Small-fruited varieties aren't so much of a concern here. Keeping the canopy raised off the ground also promotes air flow (see below).
If a plant has branches that overlap or grow into each other, I'll either remove one or prune them so they don't fight for space so much. All crowded branches do is shade each other and limit air flow - which can lead to disease.
If two or more large branches originate close to each other on the main stem and grow in the same direction, I might remove or subordinate one. As these branches grow unhindered, they can crowd each other, leading to a weak attachment to the stem. This can lead to one or both of them tearing out when mechanically stressed (wind, fruit, heavy rain…).
Damaged or diseased branches obviously should be trimmed or removed, regardless of the above guidelines. Also, sometimes I will remove flowers and new growth from a plant late in the season to help already-formed pods to ripen before frost.
Aside from that, I don't see much reason to prune pepper plants. They seem to do their thing just fine without a lot of tinkering and over thinking.
OKGrowin said:
FAQs are good for answering questions where a group has come to a consensus on one answer. What is the N content of Miracle Gro fertilizer? How many lumens does a T8 produce...
But having a FAQ for "how to prune" or "organic or no" seem like train wrecks waiting to happen. Those questions just seem too open-ended for that kind of an approach. Having noobs constantly ask the same questions definitely gets old after a while, but getting a dozen (very) different answers can help the OP (as well as other readers) make up his/her mind on a game plan, or at least what question to ask next.
I started one before. Here's the link.
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/38705-a-simple-guide-to-topping-and-pruning/
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/38705-a-simple-guide-to-topping-and-pruning/
millworkman
Extreme Member
I'll sticky Jamison's link. Feel free to add to that thread. I will see what I can do to clean it up when/if more people add to it.
Write one up and I'll do it.
OKGrowin said:
Write one up and I'll do it.