When to stop picking flowers? Habanero

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pepperNoob88

Hey I am picking off flowers on my habanero to allow it to grow more since it's pretty small, about a foot right now. It has developed a nice Y node and has two Ys coming off for a total of 4 brilliant tops.
 
Should I stop picking off flowers and just let it develop at this point? Or wait a bit more until she is bigger? She is indoor and gets sun half the day.
 
I used to have a "let it be" perspective, as often if the plant is too small it will drop the flowers, anyway. But that's not always the case, so now I generally pick the buds/flowers until either a) I'm tired of it, or b) there are too many, too quickly for me to get to them. But then, I have a lot more than just one plant. I'd suggest you continue picking a bit longer, and allow the plant to bush out a bit. Keep in mind that pods are only produced at the growth nodes - more growth nodes = more production. Once the plant starts producing pods, it will slow down the branch and foliage growth.
 
@geemee So should I wait until early July to stop? This is what I read is the proper time to LET IT GOOOOOOOOOOOO
I might just stop starting now. It might not grow too big since it isn't outdoors, anyway.
 
Had to add that hehe :P
 
It's a personal decision.

For every pepper it doesn't grow now the plant will get larger and you may get 10 peppers later for every one it doesn't grow now.

Every pepper it doesn't grow now is a pepper you don't get to harvest earlier in the season.

Every pepper that grows with ~ 45 days (varies per specific pepper type) of the end of season (in climates where the season won't extend past fall) won't make it to ripe if the plant can't come indoors, so then the last month of the season you might want to start picking blooms off again to give the plant more energy towards finishing growing the pods already on it, except that's a LOT of work on a healthy plant to pick hundreds or more blooms off over and over.

Personally I like to leave the first bloom or two on so it starts growing a couple peppers so I am sure of what I'm growing, especially if there is any chance the seed came from an open pollinated plant so there is a chance it's a cross breed.
 
pepperNoob88 said:
@geemee So should I wait until early July to stop? This is what I read is the proper time to LET IT GOOOOOOOOOOOO
I might just stop starting now. It might not grow too big since it isn't outdoors, anyway.
Click to expand...
 
As Dave said, it's a personal decision. But he also elaborated on how much more production you can get if you wait a while. You stated the plant only has 4 "tops" right now, so it doesn't have much in the way of growth nodes. Only you can decide the level of production you will be satisfied with.
 
geeme said:
 
As Dave said, it's a personal decision. But he also elaborated on how much more production you can get if you wait a while. You stated the plant only has 4 "tops" right now, so it doesn't have much in the way of growth nodes. Only you can decide the level of production you will be satisfied with.
Click to expand...
Every time I cut off a bud, I am effectively telling the plant to make a new node right?
But am I doing that at the cost of losing a potential pepper each time? So like I lose one but gain 2? For a net gain of 1 pepper? Is this the idea?
 
Of course, since each of those nodes will extend and grow, the overall gain is much more than just 1 extra pepper per new node.
 
But I don't see new buds developing at the places where I cut off one.
 
Anyway, she's looking good now, I think I see 16 tops.
 
@Phil Why? 
 
I only clip off the flowers from the first Y. So in evolka's first picture... i take off the two at the first Y split but then leave the next one up on the left second Y. Seems to me the plants develop faster that way and build stronger "trunks". But its really just my imagination.
 
I picked no flowers on my red bhut and it has thicker stems and branches than any of my plants, even the tomatoes. It is also both taller and bushier than my other plants. Genetics I guess? Perhaps it also depends on climate? I wonder how much picking the flowers would have affected this particular plant.
 
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