The plants are falling over! Ah!

[imaguitargod]

Hi, I’m new to the forum. Been growing a bunch of veggies in Hollywood for the past year now. A slight problem has occurred.

The Serrano (and some of the jalapeno) peppers are falling over. The peppers are getting so large that they are dragging the stems down. The plants are about 3 feet tall now(when stood up that is). They get a decent dose of the hot California sun, so they aren’t getting tall and spindly.

My question is, is this normal? I’m thinking about tying them up to a pole (in fact, one has a tomato cage around it…remember folks, always reuse ). Will they eventually resemble a small tree?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[sweatnspice]

Completely normal for the peppers to get to heavy. Check these out on Gardners website - I used these on some habaneros this season, worked like a charm.

 

[fatalliman]

Poles, cages or whatever works is fine. Be careful of damaging the the roots when applying the supports.
Probably wouldn't hurt to pick the "large pods" and eat them, also gives the smaller ones to gain more nutrients.
I don't see large and plentiful chiles a problem :

 

[LBTC]

We have a pepper plant in the front yard, next to the porch, that we use a stick to prop up. We have to keep trimming it back. The plant is taller than I am and I'm 5'8"

We use the cages for the plants in the back yard.
They do well in sunny California.
8)

 

[DEFCON Creator]

I have found that the subcutaneous injection of substances scraped from the discharge tubes at various pharmaceutical and plastics factories into the pepper do much better than any storebought feretilizer, or for that matter, a nice sunny day. We now have 20 foot UV-colored habaneros, and we have been able to teach them to not only water themselves when thry are thirsty, but fetch the paper as well. You can have your clean fill gardens and sunny days, I'll take my gene-bending materials any day. Not only are they more exciting to work with, you never know what you're going to get. Hell, last year we grew vegetable-based car parts by accident. Man, what a "bumper" crop. :shock:

 

[imaguitargod]

I have found that the subcutaneous injection of substances scraped from the discharge tubes at various pharmaceutical and plastics factories into the pepper do much better than any storebought feretilizer, or for that matter, a nice sunny day. We now have 20 foot UV-colored habaneros, and we have been able to teach them to not only water themselves when thry are thirsty, but fetch the paper as well. You can have your clean fill gardens and sunny days, I'll take my gene-bending materials any day. Not only are they more exciting to work with, you never know what you're going to get. Hell, last year we grew vegetable-based car parts by accident. Man, what a "bumper" crop. :shock:

HA!

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[LBTC]

Hell, last year we grew vegetable-based car parts by accident. Man, what a "bumper" crop. :shock:

Defcon, you are a very strange man - I like that in a person!

 

[DEFCON Creator]

Thanks for the compliment. My wife has learned to deal with me, it's taken some time, but she has learned...

 

[LBTC]

Hey, the only reason I started dating my husband in the first place was because he made me laugh.

 

[DEFCON Creator]

My wife too. But now, it's more like she is intrigued with what idea I'll come up with next. Hell, our basement looks like something out of an old Frankenstein movie. I think she is waiting to hear me scream out of the basement on a stormy night, while I'm busy playing with chemicals, "IT'S ALIVE!!!", and if I do, I can imagine walking up the stairs and seeing her with white streaks in her hair. It's an interesting household.