side shooting peppers/chillies

[brooklynodog]

Should you remove side shoots from chilli and pepper plants as you would with tomatoes?

[shirlthegirl43]

Short answer = no need.

[brooklynodog]

Why is that then Shirley?

[TPeers]

Peppers are fine with side shoots - it will increase the crop they carry. The reason for removing sideshoots from Toms is - strange as it sounds - to increase the crop! If you allow leafy side shoots they grow at the expense of fruits - this is not generally the case with peppers.

Terry

[shirlthegirl43]

Why is that then Shirley?

What Terry said. They are bush plants and if you take off the side shoots you will get a very poor crop.

[brooklynodog]

Thanks for that, I am growing lots of peppers and chillies this year, and want to get it right.

[rustylady]

Chillies and sweet peppers are grown as bush plants, leave the side shoots on. Some tomatoes are grown as bushes, some as cordons (tall upright plants with no sideshoots - all depends on the variety)

[TPeers]

Thanks Rustylady - I was somewhat unclear there! It is important to check the variety of tom - if you took all the sideshoots off a tumbler tom you'd never get a crop!

[brooklynodog]

I had better check about my toms then. I am growing Ailsa craig, sub artic plenty and gardeners delight. These are all cordons I hope?

[Flummery]

Sub arctic are bush - leave the side shoot ON these!

[brooklynodog]

Thanks Flummery, will do so.