Why I choose to prune my pepper plants

[@radiotowers1159]

And of course, if you pinch out only half of your plants you can extend the time you will have fruiting plants (providing we have a half decent summer !)

[@Honest_Reviewer.]

In a future video, can you talk about keeping earwigs away from the peppers? Thank you for the video. 😊

[@raeavery2161]

Can you do a talk on the contraption behind you please

[@raeavery2161]

Also can I get it in Australia?

[@eliandkate]

It’s just a heated propagator but that particular brand is not available outside the UK

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

We just got our peppers going last night! As always, great video!

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

PS... I used to top my plants for the same reason as you! It wasn't about getting more peppers, it was about controlling their size!

[@eliandkate]

Gotta be in control 😂

[@WhitepepperFarmshomestead]

There was a time that I lived in an apartment and my wife let me use a big walk in closet as a grow room where I grew about 20 mini pepper plants. Some of the most fun I have ever had gardening!@@eliandkate

[@chicosgarden]

After watching this, I felt super confident to top my peppers. I am also topping them to keep them more compact as they will be growing under cover. Thank you!

[@eliandkate]

You go for it! You’re having a good year already!

[@christinebrooks6364]

Hi Eli & Kate, very interesting, pricking outthe tip off your peppers. Mine arent as big as your but when they grow more leaves, Im going to give it a try to compare. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊

[@debbybrady1246]

Your peppers are about the size of mine right now. I'm going to wait until they are about 3-4" taller, then I pinch. I do pinch off any little buds though.

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Funnily enough, I was talking about topping peppers with Pammie last week, and wondering if I should. This video answers everything I wanted to know. I have a few of some varieties, so I’m thinking topping them can help twofold… maybe I’ll need to grow less of each plant if they yield higher when topped (yay… as I’m trying to narrow down from 22 plants!) but also.. maybe I could leave the odd one untopped as a comparison. Loved this video. Been watching on the tv and catching up with comments now 😊😊

[@eliandkate]

22?????????

[@electricsheepdream]

I experimented this year by popping my chilli seed tray in the airing cupboard for warmth, seeds germinated in only 5 days! Now on dining room table under grow lights

[@eliandkate]

Heat is the magic 😁😁

[@JohnWood-tk1ge]

Very of topic but I would like to suggest a book for you to try and find, Garden Way’s Joy Of Gardening by Dick Raymond. I found this book when I was a kid in grade school. I am a bit of a Garden Way/ Troy built fan, the test farm was on my buss ride to school and went with my parents to the factory store in Troy New York several times to get seeds and plants 🪴 ( long gone now). challenge in the book it explains how to grow a pumpkin with a child’s name or a ghost,cat outline for Halloween. Thinking you would get a kick out of it, great way to surprise a kid and interest them in gardening!

[@cheryl4511]

I have not started anything yet all ways behind

[@Ukgardeningvlogs..]

Wow beautiful sharing❤❤❤❤❤

[@GardenMyselfHappy]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. I've yet to grow peppers. Jane

[@eliandkate]

Go for it!!!

[@normalivengood1197]

Those are some beautiful peppers! Great video as always. Thanks so much!

[@Garden-of-weeden]

It’s all very exciting! Here’s to a bumper crop 😊

[@eliandkate]

Fingers crossed!!!

[@judithhuntly2375]

I planted my peppers, chillies 🌶 and aubergines 🍆 three weeks ago tomorrow (thursday) not 1 has come up yet 😭

[@eliandkate]

Booooo Have they got a heat mat or other way to heat the soil? If the soil is t warm ( about 18c) they can take a while…. Especially peppers and chillies

[@kathleenwilliamson174]

Peppers and chilies can take up to 3-4 weeks, hang in there. And yes, they need warmth to germinate. I'm not sure about aubergines as I haven't tried them.

[@annthomson-ewers2835]

Good explanation mine was really tall last season so I’ll try this as my green house space will improve 😀

[@eliandkate]

We all fight the tiny greenhouse fight 😂😂😂

[@tater357]

I try to do this every year to mine, depending on the type of plant. Jalapeno, absolutely. Last Year, I pinched the top on one of my Golden Jalapeno plants and it alone had over 40 peppers on it at one time. The one I didn't pinch, only established a total of 10 peppers and actually didn't look as healthy a plant.

[@eliandkate]

Hurrah for bumper harvests!!

[@lorainemcguire5795]

Good video as I've started mine without a heat mat or a light its taken a while for the first real leaf to grow i doubt i would pinch mine out i just be glad to see them grow 😂 Your peppers do look fantastic ❤

[@eliandkate]

Are you like me…. Sitting staring at them WILLING them on?

[@lorainemcguire5795]

@@eliandkate yes lol

[@lynnemcewan1076]

@Eli have you tried ground cinnamon on the compost for the algae?

[@eliandkate]

I’ve never found the cinnamon thing to be particularly usefuk

[@nitelite78]

I guess it's possible you may get smaller fruit but more of them and that in turn my mean you get a bigger overall yield by weight. I've tried it with chilli peppers in the past but not sure how much difference it made. It might be best for me to do it though because a lot of my plants end up outside in June and July and shorter stockier plants will cope with the wind much better. I think in a green house or polytunnel this is much less an issue.

[@eliandkate]

Yeah I think that’s their theory that the fruit are smaller with thinner walls because the plant is focussed on making so many but in all honesty I didn’t find any negatives

[@nitelite78]

@@eliandkate Of course if that's the case you could always cut off excess the fruit to allow the others to grow bigger. Then you would get big fruit and a stockier plant.

[@FrauHofnarr]

What's that genius plant box behind you? And can I get it in Germany? Thanks for all your videos. I've learned so much, especially while weather is really rough in our region.

[@eliandkate]

It’s just a heated propagator but I’m afraid that brand is UK only

[@FrauHofnarr]

😭@@eliandkate oh that's not fair. This ist just the thing I've been searching for for years. But lucky you😁 the UK is great in garden equipments,.

[@eliandkate]

I’m sure there must be heated propagator options available to you 😁

[@ninemoonplanet]

I flunked trying to overwinter my pepper. The ones I have planted are still yet to show up. The weather, sunlight hours have been dismal so far. I poked around, one seed is just starting to break the shell. 🤷 I don't have a greenhouse nor a heat mat so it's probable the new seeds are taking their sweet time.

[@neemib5202]

Try using your radiator to help keep soil warm... Good luck

[@eliandkate]

They’ll be slower than if you have the fancy kit but they’ll be great!

[@MrJokerslave]

Where is your go to place for unusual seeds? I think you mentioned it at some point but can't for the life of me remember where.

[@eliandkate]

I don’t really have one… wherever is cheap… premier seeds, mr fothergills etc

[@christytattersall5859]

Towards the end of the season when there is quite a bit of fruit left to develop, do you trim the top to focus the last part of the season on the fruit?

[@eliandkate]

I do indeed. I actually did a video about pruning last year and it shocked quite a few folk to see just how much pruning I do

[@markrollings1762]

Thanks Eli. Question? The green trays on the left of the picture which you are storing planted containers, could I trouble you where I can source these; I’ve been looking for ages Thank you

[@eliandkate]

Oh the big ones are the bottoms of my propagators and the slim ones are just plant trays. All from garland….

[@markrollings1762]

Thank Eli…….. again Wishing both a good weekend 👍

[@juliehale9491]

Why are my peppers under half the size of yours, I know I planted them the same week you did in fact the next day you sowed yours. They wear in my conservatory in zippy sandwich bags and yours had taken off at least two weeks before mine. I moved them from my south facing window sill during the night even though I shut down my pleated window blinds but 🤷🏻‍♀️ they are now only three inches high. They look healthy so I am not sure when to pot them up I think my pots are big enough to they reach at least 6 inches. I’m finding the peppers I sowed three weeks ago are just starting to appear hope they will grow quicker 🤔

[@eliandkate]

There could be lots of reasons but essentially it’s probably because your growing conditions are very different from mine. Mine have been germinated using heat to get them to germinate quickly, then kept somewhere warm with grow lights. I’ve also potted on 3 times giving the seedling a nutrition and space. All of that makes a huge difference. 😍

[@jenkitching43]

😱🤔

[@eliandkate]

Are you considering if you should have?

[@jenkitching43]

@@eliandkate I have managed to grow one decent looking pepper plant, and one that looks too small to me. I can't decide what I should do with my good plant Eli.I remembered you had done a video some time ago so thought I'd look it up.

[@BumblebeeAdventure]

🐝Thanks for the great video🌻 STEVEEE the teenager!! he is getting bigg

[@eliandkate]

He is so gangly

[@BumblebeeAdventure]

@@eliandkate