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Topping varieties that are naturally bushy?

BurninBob

BurninBob

Ok so I've got some Tepin, Birds Eye, Odham Indian, Thai Sun, and Cumari peppers going, and I'm wondering if I should top them? This is my first year growing these particular strains and I believe all of them are naturally bushy to some extent. So I'm wondering do I let nature take its course or do I top them? These will be in my container garden on my back porch, so space is a priority. Would love to hear some opinions

I also have Trinidad Moruga Scorpion and Carolina Reaper peppers going, and I was definitely planning on topping these. Also interested to hear if anyone thinks this is a bad idea.

Thanks!

BB
 
I don't think it's a bad idea, per se. The idea behind topping is to force the plant to put out more growth nodes, since peppers only form at the juncture of branches. I usually have more than enough pods so don't bother topping, plus I prefer the appearance of the plants when left as-is. The Congo Trinidads I grow are rather bushy and are heavy producers without topping, so I would never feel a need to top those. I strictly see topping as a matter of personal preference, something that depends on what your goals are.
 
I don't think it's a bad idea, per se. The idea behind topping is to force the plant to put out more growth nodes, since peppers only form at the juncture of branches. I usually have more than enough pods so don't bother topping, plus I prefer the appearance of the plants when left as-is. The Congo Trinidads I grow are rather bushy and are heavy producers without topping, so I would never feel a need to top those. I strictly see topping as a matter of personal preference, something that depends on what your goals are.


Yeah, I've never topped before, but I've also had pepper plants get real leggy which is problematic in my somewhat small growing space. Maybe I'll top one of each and not top another and do a comparison.
 
I don't think I would in your situation.  The Thai varieties are naturally small and bushy.  Might just set them back a bit.  In Mass your growing season isn't really long either is it?
 
Depends.
I have some Bolivian Rainbows and Inca Berries in small pots, and I have them topped to constrain size.
 
All my plant outs are topped once before forking due to the high winds in my climate.
Indoor plants are topped 3 times---minimum--and trimmed for shape.
 
For small peppers, it doesn't make much difference in pod size.
 
Jamison said:
I don't think I would in your situation. The Thai varieties are naturally small and bushy. Might just set them back a bit. In Mass your growing season isn't really long either is it?
Click to expand...
I wouldnt call our grow season short, I typically start putting plants outside around mid-May and keep them out to mid-October. July and August are the most intense months. My plants typically start fruiting mid to late July and ripen starting in August. Things really slow down in mid-September, usually just trying to ripen whats left on the plants at that point. Its shorter than places in the South, but not as short as places like Maine.
 
Early topping slow down plants in my experience, considering that your varieties are already compact let'em go for now you can always do some pruning later if really needed. I grow on a balcony and the easiest / laziest method i've found to keep plants small is... small containers ;)
 
Good luck
 
Datil
 
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