How to pick peppers: is it necessary to do it, how to do it, pros and cons

Disputes between gardeners about whether it is necessary to plant peppers are ongoing. Many vegetable growers with extensive experience in growing different varieties of nightshades claim that it is necessary to remove side shoots, but not always. It all depends on what type of plants they are - short or tall, and in what conditions they are grown. Therefore, before planting peppers, the farmer needs to study the nuances of the procedure, find out when it will be useful, and in what cases it can harm the vegetable crop.

Do I need to chop peppers?

Growing peppers is a necessary procedure for this garden crop. Most bell peppers are represented by medium-height or tall bushes. If you do not remove the side shoots, the bushes will begin to overgrow, which will negatively affect the quantity and quality of the harvest, and the general condition of the plant.

There is no need to plant undersized varieties, because They do not have powerful side shoots, or they are weak, and therefore do not affect the growing season and fruiting.

Additional Information! After pruning the stepsons, the bush spends energy not on the development of shoots, but on the formation of ovaries and fruits.

A correctly carried out procedure increases the number of ovaries

The need for pinching peppers in a greenhouse

Giving the bush the correct shape by pinching and pinching is an effective agrotechnical technique.
It gives multiple result:

nutrients are spent strictly for their intended purpose, that is, for the development of fruits, and not for the growth of unpromising shoots;
all parts of the bush receive sufficient light;
the bush is well ventilated.

Measures to form a bush lead to an increase in the size of the fruits and accelerate their growth. Tall varieties especially need this.

Pros and cons of manipulation

Stepping is a useful procedure that has a number of advantages:

increasing the quantity and quality of the harvest;
clearing the bushes of excess branches, so they receive more sunlight and oxygen;
improvement and strengthening of ovaries;
ensuring long and lush flowering;
adding meatiness and flavor to the fruit.

Novice gardeners should know that manipulation is not without its drawback, which is to slow down the growth of the bush.

Features of removing pepper shoots

Pepper culture is tender and vulnerable , so shoots are removed very carefully, following certain rules.

The main features are as follows:

The first side shoots appear when the plant has formed 9-10 leaves. At this stage, 2-3 strong and healthy shoots are left.
You should not start pinching before the bush reaches a height of 25-30 cm. After this, the upper part is pinched.
All stepsons on the lower part of the plant are removed.
All shoots without ovaries , painful branches and yellowed leaves are removed.

It's important not to overdo it . Unlike tomatoes, which tolerate pinching painlessly, pepper bushes do not recover so well. If you remove too many stepsons, the bush will stop growing or drop the fruits that have set.

Important! All actions are carried out with extreme care so as not to damage the fragile stem.

How temperature and humidity affect pinching

The shoots on pepper seedlings are not removed in very hot weather combined with high humidity. Such conditions create a favorable environment for the development of fungal diseases and root rotting.

It is better to remove unnecessary shoots in the morning so that by evening the wounds heal and dry out. It would not be a bad idea to sprinkle the cracks with wood ash.

Attention! If pruning of shoots is done incorrectly, this can lead to a lack of flowering or complete death of the plant.

What is stepsoning and why is it done?

Pinching, or removing lateral shoots, is an agrotechnical technique aimed at increasing productivity . Stepchildren appear from buds in the axils on the main stem. Removing unnecessary shoots allows you to grow larger fruits of the correct shape and speed up their ripening. The plant does not waste energy on side shoots and provides the formed fruits with adequate nutrition.

What varieties of peppers must be grown?

This procedure must be carried out wisely , since it is not indicated for all varieties of pepper. Tall and medium-sized crop varieties need to remove excess shoots.

Only the strongest and healthiest shoots located in the upper part of the bush are left. The optimal number of stepsons is 3-5 pieces per bush. The rest are superfluous. Damaged and diseased branches are also removed.

Step-son scheme

Growing peppers in the greenhouse and in the garden has its own nuances.

For peppers in a greenhouse

In greenhouses, pinching is carried out from the moment the seedlings are transplanted into it, and continues on the adult plant:

on seedlings transplanted into a greenhouse, shoots are pruned as soon as the bushes grow to 15 cm;
The upper growing point is removed to provide the plant with abundant branching shoots.

On adult bushes:

removal of god branches;
cutting off the first bud that appears;
removal of top shoots.

Attention! In heated greenhouses, the bushes grow more spreading, so shoots are removed regularly as they grow.

Without pinching, greenhouse peppers will become overgrown, sick, and yield will decrease.

In the open ground

The first thing a gardener should do is remove the crown bud. This will help stimulate active growth of the bush. Only after this procedure can further pruning be carried out:

removal of excess processes that are located on the sides;
cutting off those branches that have many leaves, leaving no more than 2-3 leaves on each shoot;
cutting off the top of weak branches;
plucking shoots that are located above the first leaf.

Features of the formation of peppers in a polycarbonate greenhouse

Polycarbonate helps create the most comfortable conditions for peppers. Increased temperature and humidity accelerate fruit ripening. But these conditions are also the most favorable for unwanted microorganisms. Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to ventilation of the greenhouse space.

You can improve the ventilation of the bush by removing shoots from its lower part. They are left only in case of insufficient watering: in this situation, the lower branches help retain moisture in the soil.

Pepper in a greenhouse

It is recommended to pick off the first flowers of peppers. This will help the plant direct all its strength to the growth of its mass. Powerful bushes and a large harvest. But if there is no more than a week left before the seedlings are planted in the greenhouse, it is no longer possible to remove the flowers. In well-formed seedlings, which did not bloom at the time of moving from the house to the greenhouse, the primrose is preserved.

Sweet pepper is the same plant as all the others and develops according to the same laws. Therefore, it is undesirable to ignore pinching - the harvest will be better with it than without it. You just need to act extremely carefully and thoughtfully, otherwise the bush can be seriously harmed.

Differences between pinching greenhouse peppers and in open ground

The diagrams for how to grow peppers step by step in a greenhouse and in a garden are very similar, but there are still some differences between them:

Peppers grow faster under polycarbonate, so they need to be thinned out regularly. Among the side branches, you can leave no more than 3 pieces; the terminal branches must be removed. The tops are cut off only towards the end of the season.
In open ground, peppers do not have protection from weather conditions, so the intensity and frequency of pruning is less. First, the crown bud is removed, then the lateral and weak shoots.

Attention! The procedure must be carried out very carefully so as not to injure the delicate bushes.

Removed stepsons should not be left on the site; they may have fungus on them

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Growing crops on a plot of land is a rather painstaking and labor-intensive task. Each type of plant requires special care, from the moment of growing seedlings to harvesting. Of course, any owner of a plot of land tries to rationally use every square meter of his garden. At the same time, it is important to harvest a decent harvest in the fall and thereby reduce the cost of purchasing imported vegetables for the winter. This article will discuss how to properly plant peppers in order to achieve maximum yield.

The nuances of growing peppers

Pepper diseases

Pepper cultivation

Traditionally, gardens grow a little bit of everything. After all, the main part of the plot is planted with potatoes. After analyzing the location of the crops from the previous harvest, you can begin planting new seedlings. There is an opinion that the same crop should not be planted in the same place for two years in a row. Thus, it is possible to significantly increase the amount of harvest.

In order to get a good harvest of sweet peppers, it is necessary to perform the following tasks in strict sequence:

buy seeds of the variety you like and carefully study the instructions prescribed by the manufacturer;
sow seeds in the ground to grow seedlings;
plant seedlings in separate cells for better growth and acclimatization;
plant seedlings in the garden;
water and fertilize;
pinch;
collect ripe fruits from the bush.

It would seem that you plant and water, and a little later all that remains is to collect the fruits of your labors. Actually this is not true. Each crop requires proper care and timely planting. By ridding the plant of excess, unnecessary shoots, you can achieve:

in flowers - rapid and longer flowering;
in fruit-bearing plants - an increase in yield due to large fruits that ripen faster.

Before planting seedlings, it is necessary to water the bed properly, and after waiting for some time, it will fluff up. Peppers should be planted in moist soil and then watered additionally. However, you need to be vigilant, since pepper is sensitive to both waterlogging and drought.

Pepper, like many crops, loves warm weather, sunlight, and moderate soil moisture. Mostly it gives good yields if it grows in the soil:

sandy loam,
medium loamy;
floodplain;
black soil

A high level of acid in the soil can be simply destructive for peppers. You can achieve the required humidity in the garden bed by placing dry grass around the root system.

In addition to arranging an irrigation system that allows life-giving moisture to be delivered to each plant, it is necessary to carry out loosening after a certain period of time. It is the periodic alternation of these two processes that will have a beneficial effect on the development of the bush, providing the root system with everything necessary.

Planting peppers

All cultures love warmth. Therefore, their planting is planned at a time when frosts and temperature drops are no longer expected. A culture such as pepper is widely used in cooking, raw and canned. There are more than enough colors (red, yellow, green, orange, dark green) and configurations of these fruits. They may take the form:

cone-shaped;
ovoid;
pyramidal;
trunk-shaped;
tomato-shaped;
cherry-shaped.

Interesting to know: it contains more vitamin C than lemon. Doctors strongly recommend eating sweet peppers as a natural appetite stimulant. Since it is considered a dietary product, no allergic reaction occurs after taking it.

Having planted pepper seedlings in the ground, you need to carefully monitor how they will endure this stressful movement. Do not forget that it is advisable to plant seedlings in the evening, when the heat has subsided, and be sure to water them for better acclimatization. Since the air temperature is more favorable at night, the plant will be much more comfortable acclimatizing.

In addition to the main shoot, any plant also produces side shoots. When you have doubts about whether the peppers are growing, you need to understand that if you don’t remove them, you may not have enough strength to do everything. As a result, the fruits will be small and will not be able to ripen normally. The so-called “stepchildren” grow from buds, which are located in the axils on the stem. They, like leeches, take vitality and nutrients from the plant, and sometimes even block the path of the sun's rays.

Pepper care

Unlike tomatoes, peppers must be planted with extreme care, since this crop is quite delicate and vulnerable. Moreover, this applies to pepper of various varieties and types, both bitter and sweet. There are some peculiarities of this event, which we will consider.

Based on weather conditions, independently determine the need to water the beds after several days. The frequency of subsequent watering measures should be determined solely by the well-being of the plant. However, excessive moisture can lead to rot on the stem and fruit. And from a lack of water, the fruits will not be juicy and fleshy enough. There is a recommended frequency, namely:

10-15 days after planting in the ground;
during the period when mass fruit set is recorded;
two weeks after the formation of fruits, it is necessary to fertilize the seedlings.

The choice of feeding products must be approached with extreme caution. After all, an excessive concentration of any element can destroy the plant. This applies not only to chemical compounds, but also to those tinctures that are prepared from natural ingredients of plant or animal origin.

How to pick peppers

As the pepper grows, you need to be alert and not miss the moment when the first stepsons appear. As a rule, this moment falls during the period of life of the pepper, when 9-11 leaves have already formed. Having carefully examined all the shoots, it is important to select the 2-3 most powerful ones, which will subsequently become the main parts of the single “skeleton” of the plant.

Until the height of the plant reaches 25-30 cm, no action should be taken to remove stepchildren. During this period, pepper seedlings are only gaining strength and actively developing. Once the plant reaches the above mark, you should begin pinching, namely:
remove all shoots located in the lower part of the bush, leaving only 4-5 upper ones;
On the remaining stepsons, check for the presence of shoots and prevent the appearance of new ones.
Left stepchildren, after their full development, are capable of producing fruits of up to 20-25 pieces per bush. At the same time, the peppers will be juicy and meaty. Typically, the flower bud is located on the main stem. Ovaries are formed on almost every branch.
In addition, there is a possibility of shoots forming where there is no ovary. At certain intervals, it is necessary to check the bush and remove fruitless shoots, as well as those that look painful or damaged. Yellow leaves are best removed. However, all these procedures must be done with extreme care, since the stem of the plant is very fragile and can be damaged.

Pepper pinching video

Growing peppers in a greenhouse follows a similar pattern.
Removing excess foliage from a bush is a vital process. If this is not done, then the pepper will lack sufficient sunlight. It is possible that some particularly branchy bushes will need to be tied up. Quite often it is even necessary to install some kind of support so that the bush does not break under the weight of its own fruits. This is especially important when growing tall crops.

The relationship between weather and pepper planting

Weather conditions play an important role in the growth of pepper. If the summer turns out to be hot and rainy, then stepsons will constantly form and there is no way to do without removing them.
In this case, the lower leaves will need to be removed to ensure sufficient ventilation to avoid the appearance of rot and various diseases. Excessive and uncontrolled growth of stepsons can lead to the fact that the root system will not receive moisture and sunlight in the required quantities, which will lead to disruption of the plant's metabolic process.
Dry summers and lack of watering will lead to side shoots developing very slowly and incompletely. In this case, it is better to leave the lower leaves on the bush, since they will be the only way to maintain at least some moisture in the ground.

The nuances of growing peppers

Before you begin any procedure for caring for a plant, you should carefully analyze the information about the variety being grown. Breeders could have already developed a universal variety of pepper that does not need to be processed.

You can pinch a side shoot immediately, even at the stage of its formation, and do not wait until the ovary begins to appear on it. This approach will allow you to form a compact bush and obtain large-sized fruits.
It is better not to touch a pepper plant that looks sick at all. Any mechanical damage can further aggravate its deplorable condition or lead to death.
A crop like pepper prefers group planting. They love to grow together and cannot stand loneliness. If there are not as many seedlings as we would like, and the planting ends up being sparse, then in this case it is not worth removing the side shoots at all.

During the period of rapid growing season, the bushes should be pruned repeatedly, shortening as much as possible the shoots that are longer than the rest. This action will minimize darkened areas on the branches, which will contribute to the rapid ripening of fruits. It is advisable to carry out the procedure at least once every 10-14 days, as well as after harvesting.
Peppers can be grown both in open ground and in greenhouses. Each of the conditions has both its pros and cons. But if everything is done correctly and in a timely manner, you will get an excellent harvest even if the required temperatures are not available. However, in the latter case, the growing season increases slightly. Due to the insufficient number of insects involved in the pollination process, you may have to carry out this activity yourself.

Pepper diseases

Pepper, like many crops, is susceptible to the spread of diseases such as:

late blight;
white rot;
blackleg;
macrosporiosis;
crown rot;
septoria.

Of course, if you do not take any action in a timely manner, you can lose not only part of the shoots and leaves, but also the plant as a whole.

The fruits will look underdeveloped. In addition, the invasion of pests and other insects (aphids, Colorado potato beetles, mole crickets, slugs, etc.) will cause irreparable damage to the condition of the bush. There are some subtleties in processing the plant. For example, to combat aphids, you need to treat the bush with serum diluted with water (1½ liters of serum per 10 liters of water), after which the plant should be dusted with wood ash.
It is also very important for peppers to have compatible neighbors in the garden, such as onions, marigolds, basil, coriander, and okra. Similar herbs growing nearby serve as a kind of protection for peppers from aphids.
It is not recommended to plant peppers near beans, since anthracnose is on the list of possible diseases for both crops. It is important to understand that diseases can affect both young plants and adults.

Even experienced gardeners may have problems with growing peppers:

leaf fall, lignification of stems . Flowers and even the ovary may also fall off. As a rule, the reason for this is too high a temperature, insufficient watering;
complete absence of flowering and ovary, as well as growth inhibition. This may be preceded by cooling air temperatures, watering with too cold water, and not enough light;
the formation of defective fruits (crooked) due to insufficient pollination of the plant flower.

Stepping methods

There are three methods of pinching, each of which has its own characteristics.

In one stem

This method involves removing those shoots that have formed in the leaf axils. As a result, only the stem and leaves that come from it will remain. The branches are removed with a sharp knife, which must be sterilized with alcohol.

In two stems

This manipulation is softer and more gentle on the bushes. The stepsons located at the bottom are cut off, leaving only one, which develops from the axil of the leaf located at the top.

Three stems

The purpose of the procedure is to leave the main trunk and two stepsons located at the top. All lower shoots are cut off. This method will help increase the number of inflorescences and buds.

Attention! There is a way when 4 stems are left. But this method is rarely used, and mainly by those gardeners who are just taking stepson lessons and have no experience.

The less energy a plant spends on supporting shoots, the more energy it will have to form fruits.

Is it necessary to pick off the stepsons of peppers?

Pinching is a procedure for thinning the density of a garden crop bush in order to strengthen the remaining shoots and increase their yield. Many people today wonder whether it is necessary to plant hot or sweet peppers, whether this action is useful and effective or, on the contrary, only harms the culture and does not lead to the expected results.

Important! Pinching can be done for any variety of peppers. But only correct stepsoning can have a beneficial effect on the development of culture, which is why it is very important to know the basic nuances of this procedure.

Some experts argue that stepsoning is a necessary thing, while others insist on its harm. The experience of our ancestors suggests that carrying out correct pinching means strengthening the crop and increasing its productivity. Our grandparents told us about this, and we continue to follow their recommendations. But it is worth understanding that there is no consensus on the benefits and harms of stepsoning.

If you do not do this procedure, then it is believed that the volume of the harvest will be lower and of less quality, because the forces of the bush will be directed to the development of all shoots and shoots, which will take away the necessary elements from the fruits and reduce the yield. All the most common pepper varieties known in Slavic countries are subject to thinning: Bulgarian pepper, Indian Summer, Salute, Fireworks, Tenderness, Corvette, Golden Calf, Arsenal, Sweet Chocolate and many others.

Further care of the plant

Growing peppers, eggplants and other garden crops will not give the desired result if the plants are not properly cared for in the future:

Watering is regular, as the top layer of soil dries out.
Loosening - after each watering.
Weeding - timely removal of weeds.
Fertilizer - nitrogen compounds are applied in May-July, potassium and phosphorus are applied in August-September.

The last pinching takes place around the beginning of September.

Care after formation

Having completed the formation, the plants are provided with the most favorable conditions for their further development. To do this, exclude all possible stressful situations. After the formation begins, supports or a trellis are installed next to the pepper bushes. Bushes are tied to them to reduce the load on the central stem. This will also protect against possible damage to the plant from strong winds.

The bushes are watered regularly. For irrigation, only water heated in the sun and pre-settled is used. Watering is carried out in the morning or evening hours. The next day, be sure to loosen the soil between the rows and under the bushes. Apply the necessary fertilizers in a timely manner. In greenhouse conditions, to prevent air stagnation and reduce humidity levels, windows and doors are periodically opened for ventilation.

Common mistakes, tips

The most common mistakes:

Pinching in dry weather is not recommended, since dense foliage protects the plant from moisture evaporation.
Planting peppers with diseases is prohibited; the plant is already weakened.
Thinning bushes that are planted at a large distance from each other - there is no need for this procedure, since it will be difficult for a single bush to withstand different weather conditions.
Seedling of varieties with a bush height of up to 20 cm is not carried out.

Useful recommendations for stepsoning

In order for pinching bell or hot peppers to bring only benefits to the vegetable crop, improve its development and increase the quality and quantity of fruits, you need to remember several important rules of the procedure.

To pinch peppers, you need to use only disinfected tools, otherwise fungal microorganisms and infections can penetrate through the wound.
After treating each bush, you need to wipe the garden tool with a disinfectant solution or soak it in potassium permanganate.
When pinching, any sudden, careless movements are excluded - pepper bushes are very fragile and any careless movement can injure them.
Pinching is best done in the morning - scorching sun rays can cause burns to the wound surface.
Pruning bell or hot peppers cannot be carried out if the plant is weakened, damaged by insect pests or diseases. In this case, the plant may lag in growth, wither, or even die.
You cannot plant pepper seedlings that have not reached a height of 20 cm. This is a period of intensive growth of the bush and any intervention can cause serious harm to it.

Pinching bell or hot peppers is an important and popular agrotechnical procedure that helps strengthen the plant. When carried out correctly, taking into account all the subtleties, pinching helps improve flowering and ovary formation, increase productivity and harvest tasty, crispy and large peppers.

Possible errors and ways to fix them

Beginners and experienced gardeners make mistakes. When shaping peppers, the following nuances may arise:

Removing all leaves near the bud. In this case, the ovary is unlikely to occur, because the flowers will have nowhere to take nutrients from. The optimal scheme involves two leaves for each bud.
Leaving shoots on the plant from which all the fruits have already been removed. These empty shoots will take away the strength of the rest of the plant, so they must be removed immediately after picking the peppers.
Lack of fruit load control. The maximum number of peppers that a bush can produce is 20–25 pieces (depending on the variety and the chosen formation scheme). Once this number of ovaries is reached, it is necessary to pinch the tops of the shoots. If the plant continues to develop and bloom, it will not allow the fruits to fully ripen.
Excessive or insufficient removal of leaves. In hot climates, the lower leaves should be left to provide natural shade to the soil. In a damp climate, on the contrary, remove it to ensure air access to the soil.
Leaving excessive green mass. Numerous leaves, even healthy ones, take away nutrients from the fruit and also interfere with the access of light and air. As was written above, the optimal ratio is two leaves per fruit. The rest should be deleted.

The formation of a bell pepper bush is an important stage that should not be neglected. It is this that allows you to grow a rich and beautiful harvest even in regions with an unfavorable climate.

What techniques are used

When forming a bell pepper bush according to any scheme, the same techniques are used. This is pinching, pinching, pruning. It is important to know where and on which branches each technique is needed.

Stepsoning

A stepson is a shoot formed in the axil of a leaf or at the base of a formed shoot. Stepchildren must be removed completely, leaving a “stump” of no more than three millimeters. As a rule, these are weak branches that will not produce normal fruits. If you leave them, the plant will spend extra energy, which it could direct to full-fledged peppers. There is no need to plant dwarf and ornamental varieties.

Topping

Pinching allows you to stop further development of the shoot by removing the growing point. This eliminates unnecessary side branches. Pinching is carried out taking into account that the ovary and one or two leaves should remain on the shoot. You cannot leave only the flower bud and remove all the leaves. In this case, the plant will not have enough strength to set fruit.

You need to pinch out shoots of the second and third order, forming a neat, well-fruiting bush. In the same way, the growth points of all shoots are removed when the required number of fruits on the plant is reached.

Trimming

Pruning involves removing parts of the plant using special tools (garden shears, knife, pruning shears...). What to trim from peppers:

shoots and leaves below the first fork;
barren, “fat” branches;
diseased, twisted shoots inside the crown;
too densely growing leaves that interfere with the penetration of light.

You should also trim the first, royal bud. It forms in the middle of the first fork; if left, it will produce the largest pepper, but will take a lot of effort to form the remaining fruits. It is advisable to leave the royal bud to obtain seeds - in it they ripen healthy and full-fledged.

Basic stages of pinching

Correctly pinching a bush is not difficult if you follow all the steps according to the instructions. This process takes a lot of time and effort from the gardener, but it all pays off handsomely after the first fruits appear.

In the first days after planting, only one, main shoot will develop, which will become harder and stronger. When the trunk grows to 25-30 centimeters in height, the development of branches will begin. At the branching point of the bush, a root shoot is formed, which is cut off first. Along with this process, approximately 3-4 centimeters of the top are removed.
The second stage is the removal of excess shoots. In order for large, sweet fruits to form on the bush, only 2-4 main shoots are left. The largest and healthiest ones are selected. The rest are pinched.
After the ovary has formed, it is necessary to remove the side shoots that do not bear fruit, as well as the lower large leaves. They bring no practical benefit to either the plant or the gardener, and a lot of vital energy that can be spent on the development of other fruits is wasted.
After the peppers are formed, you need to pinch the skeletal branches. This accelerates the growth of the plant, develops new branches, which help the fruits gain sweetness.
Further pinching depends on the number of ovaries and the growth rate of the pepper. In spring and summer, the top of the bush is trimmed once every 2 weeks. In autumn, 1 pinching per month is enough. Side shoots are removed as needed.

Seedling

When growing seedlings, you need to pinch peppers, but to a lesser extent. This is due to the special growth conditions of shrubs. The main differences in the process of pinching seedlings:

The top of the pepper is not trimmed. The exception is late planting of shrubs, when an excessive number of stepsons appear on the main stem.
Excess shoots from seedling peppers are not removed. This significantly weakens the plant and can lead to the development of diseases or pest invasions.
If pinching was carried out before the seedlings were planted in the ground, then the sprouts are pre-treated with a solution of copper sulfate.

Barren shoots and leaves

An important stage in planting sweet pepper bushes is pinching out shoots and leaves that no longer provide any benefit to the plant. If you neglect this procedure, then the old branches will take a lot of vitality, which will lead to a decrease in the quality and quantity of the harvest.

Shoots that can no longer bear fruit must be removed in the spring, when the bush is just entering the active growth phase. The branch is separated as close to the stem as possible. After this procedure, fertilizing is applied to the soil so that the bush can regenerate.
Old leaves can be pruned at any time of the year, except winter and late autumn. The leaves are separated with forceps, after which there is no need to additionally fertilize the bush.

Skeletal branches

Removing skeletal branches is the simplest, but at the same time very important stage in pinching peppers. In order for the plant to be healthy and bear fruit abundantly, the following rules of pinching must be observed:

The first step is to remove the first flower shoot. It appears quite early and takes a lot of energy that the bush can spend on the development of branches and fruits.
In spring you need to get rid of all weak skeletal branches. If the shoot cannot support the weight of its leaves, its skin is too thin, and the tip seems withered, it needs to be pinched in the near future.
In some cases, it is recommended to remove even completely healthy skeletal branches, for example, from too old shrubs or when the pepper has become too spreading and begins to interfere with other plants that are planted nearby. Such stepsoning is allowed to be carried out from April to September inclusive.

Pinching sweet peppers is an important process, without which it is impossible to reap a good, rich harvest. By removing excess leaves and shoots, the gardener helps the plant focus on developing the necessary branches and fruits. In addition, this procedure significantly increases the bush’s immunity.

Scheme of formation of bell pepper step by step

You can form pepper bushes in 1, 2, 3 or 4 shoots. Each gardener decides for himself which option is suitable for him, since it depends on the place where the plants are grown (indoors or open ground), the density and area of plantings. The formation of bushes in any variant is carried out in several stages:

Stage 1

After planting in the ground, pepper seedlings begin to branch when they reach a height of 20 centimeters. The first (crown) bud is formed at the branching site. He is immediately removed. Sometimes several buds form on the bushes at once. In this case, all flowers are removed, otherwise they will inhibit the development of plants. This procedure is carried out even if the flowers appeared before the pepper seedlings were transplanted into the ground.