Trimming from the bottom

[DatilDaddy]

Have noticed a lot of peoples plants have an overall "V" shape to them. Is this from pruning or just maturity over time? Below is pictures of a couple of my plants. There is one in each pot. Should I just leave them alone or would pruning produce more blossoms? Also, I was thinking of using those bottom cuttings if trimmed to make new plants. Do I HAVE to have a hormone or just put them in the ground? Wow, a lot of questions I know, but they seem to go together.

 

[spicy_echo]

I try not to touch mine much, but mine look ALOT like this as well.

 

[DatilDaddy]

Oh and I forgot, these are about four months old.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Great looking plants

 

[millworkman]

Leave them alone, the bottom shoots will shoot up past the original so you then have additional "main stalks." Like having multiple plants.