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Should I Top These Peppers Now?

R

Ronin

Hi,
I have 3 Aji Lemon Drops pepper plants and there starting to really grow now and there getting tall and lanky. I still have about a month and a half till they go out in the greenhouse where I live. So my question is should I top these now or is it too late? I worried they will break off in the wind when I start hardening them off, because it almost always windy where I live.
Here are the plants (sorry for the quality)
Photo 2020-04-19, 12 27 56 PM.jpg

Photo 2020-04-19, 12 27 00 PM.jpg

Photo 2020-04-19, 12 25 16 PM.jpg
 
If it were me, and I had no way to trellis or support it outside I'd top it.

However- lemon drops will get bushy and produce mass amounts of pods if topped. At least mine always have.

I had one that I topped and it got so bushy I had to elevate it like a house plant and allow the limbs to hang.
 
sirex said:
If it were me, and I had no way to trellis or support it outside I'd top it.

However- lemon drops will get bushy and produce mass amounts of pods if topped. At least mine always have.

I had one that I topped and it got so bushy I had to elevate it like a house plant and allow the limbs to hang.
Click to expand...
 
How far down each plant would you top them? Half there height? 
 
Agree with NECM. You already have some
nice lateral branches, so the plants won't
miss a beat. You might even consider topping
the longest branch in the top pic a little.
 
After a couple of weeks, when you see where
the laterals are developing, you might want to
top it a little more. I usually like to have 6-8 laterals
going forward.
 
I don't see a problem with some trimming.  I had the same issue with my 1sy-year plant, and it helped last year. Now after overwintering, it is pack-jammed with peppers, and I have no idea what to do with them.
 
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