How to Prune Pepper Plants

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Pepper plants produce delicious and often spicy vegetables, called peppers, which are cultivated all around the world. Different types of pepper plants can produce a wide variety of different kinds of peppers but, in general, these plants require relatively similar basic care. Though pruning your pepper plant is not necessary for it to produce peppers, careful regular pruning can promote a strong plant and a bountiful yield. [1]

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Pruning Early in the Season

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  1. Early on in your pepper plant’s life it may be easier to use your hand, rather than a pruner, to ‘pinch’ off unwanted stems and buds. Pinch the plant at the desired point between your finger and your thumbnail until you feel the stem break. Then gently and carefully remove the unwanted section of the plant. [2]
    • If you prune by hand, dip your fingers into a solution of powdered milk and water when moving between plants. The protein in the milk solution can deactivate viruses and bacteria that might otherwise spread between your different plants.
  2. Remove the top half of the plant, ensuring that a few leaves remain on the plant. At this point the plant should have a sizable root system, which it will use to quickly strengthen the remaining stem and grow new buds. [3]
    • The center stem of most pepper plants will likely look like a ‘Y’ when the plant is this tall. Make sure the point you are pruning from is above this ‘Y’, as this is the base of your pepper plant. Pruning excess foliage at this stage will encourage the plant to strengthen that base.
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  3. Nodes are sections of a stem where new leaves and stems can develop. If these areas look overly crowded, or underdeveloped, prune them back. While it may feel a bit harsh, limiting leaf production ensures that the leaves you do have left are fully developed. It also promotes further stem growth. [4]
    • If you are leaving very few leaves per node early on in the growing season, try to leave a few more as the season progresses. By the mid-to-late growing season, the stem structure should be fairly strong, and leaving additional leaves allows the plant to best use increasing levels of light. These leaves can also provide shade for incoming fruit.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Pruning Later in the Season

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  1. As your pepper plants grow and mature, keep an eye out for stems and leaves growing inward toward the center of the plant. Space there is limited and too crowded to support full-sized pepper production. Encourage your plant to grow outwards, especially towards its base. This will also keep its center of gravity low so it is less likely to tip over. [5]
    • Keep new shoots from growing around the base of the stem as well, in order to provide space for peppers to hang down.
  2. If your pepper plant seems to be growing well, remove the first few blooms that appear. Early flowers that set and begin to grow fruit take energy away from the plant that could better be used to grown the plant larger and sturdier first. [6]
  3. To ensure that your peppers have enough room to grow, remove flowers that appear at the crown (or top) of the stem, as well as flowers at the first, third, fifth, etc. nodes of the main stems. Pruning out flowers at regular heights not only encourages controlled growth but helps keep your plant from putting all its energy into pepper production at once. [7]
  4. As the season draws to an end, trim back all the parts of the pepper plant that don’t already have maturing fruit on them. Remove branches with flowers and any peppers unlikely to ripen before the frost. This ensures that the plants remaining energy is used to ripen and mature your final peppers. [8]
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How Do You Prune Pepper Plants?


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  • Question
    How do I make my pepper plants bushy?
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    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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    Pruning off the main growing tip will encourage the plant to grow out to the sides, creating a bushier appearance.
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    Can you over-water pepper plants?
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    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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    Absolutely. Pepper plants are very sensitive to excess moisture. Avoid getting water directly on the leaves, which can cause rot. Your pepper plant needs to be watered regularly, but it should never sit in soggy or waterlogged soil. Symptoms of overwatering include wilted leaves and black spots on the leaves and stems.
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    How often should you prune pepper plants?
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    You don’t need to do it often. Ideally, do it twice a year: once early in the season to promote higher-quality peppers or a greater yield, and again late in the season to encourage the plant to put most of its energy into producing bigger peppers.
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      Tips

      • Cut 3mm-4mm above a notch or bud when pruning. This is far enough away from the bud that it should not be damaged when pruning. Cutting too high up a stem leaves a ‘snag’ that dies and can begin to rot. [9]
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      • Use a bypass pruner to prune larger pepper plants. Pruners typically come in two types – ‘bypass’ and ‘anvil.’ Bypass pruners are best for making cuts that may affect the health of the plant, and feature a sharp blade that sweeps past the pruner’s lower jaw. [10]
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      • Prune out spotted brown leaves. Brown leaves often mean that your plant is under watered. If you continue to see a problem - or if the leaves begin to show spots that appear sunken on top and raised on the bottom - this can be a sign of bacterial leaf spot. Prune away the infected leaves and remove them from the garden to prevent further infection. [11]
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      Warnings

      • Avoid ‘blinding’ the main stem. Be careful not to prune out a central stem’s growing point if you want that stem to grow out further. You can avoid accidentally stunting the stem by allowing lateral shoots and branches to grow to between a 1cm-2cm before pruning them. This ensures that you know what you’re cutting off. [12]
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      References

      1. ↑ Steve Masley. Home & Garden Specialist. Expert Interview. 19 June 2019.
      2. ↑ http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/%24department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp4523
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ckg4Vh9ga8
      4. ↑ Steve Masley. Home & Garden Specialist. Expert Interview. 19 June 2019.
      5. ↑ Steve Masley. Home & Garden Specialist. Expert Interview. 19 June 2019.
      6. ↑ http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/%24department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp4523
      7. ↑ Steve Masley. Home & Garden Specialist. Expert Interview. 19 June 2019.
      8. ↑ https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/pruning-bell-peppers.htm
      9. ↑ https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-prune-your-plants/
      1. ↑ https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/choosing-and-using-pruners-and-loppers
      2. ↑ https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/browning-pepper-leaves.htm
      3. ↑ http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/%24department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp4523

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      You may need to prune your pepper plant to remove unhealthy foliage and help the healthy peppers grow. To remove unhealthy portions of your plant, pinch the dead leaf or branch between your fingers and pull it off. Use pruning shears to remove thicker portions of the plant if you can't pinch them off. Pepper plants may not produce tasty peppers if the plant gets too big, so cut your plant back when it’s roughly 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall. Find the spot where the main stem splits into two large stems, then cut off one or more of the stems above that spot just above a node using pruning shears. As your plant matures, look for smaller stems that grow in toward the center of the plant and cut them off beneath the lowest node on each stem. You should also trim any flower buds before they bloom so the plant can continue to mature. For more help from our Horticultural co-author, like how to trim your pepper plant before the first frost, scroll down.

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      Reader Success Stories

      • Richard Lacy

        Jun 6, 2020

        "First time I grew box of cubannele peppers and tomato. Trimming instructions for peppers very helpful. Plant now 3 ..." more
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