How to prune pepper plants

This week we take a close look at our vegetable garden friends: peppers. Most gardeners have their own special preferences on how to prune tomatoes; however, peppers are often overlooked when it comes to pruning. This is a missed opportunity because pruning peppers at the right time can improve the health of your plants and increase your harvest. Use these guidelines from the good folks at Better Homes and Gardens (and me) to learn how to prune peppers. 

Besides keeping your garden looking neat and tidy, some of the main reasons why you may want to prune pepper plants include:

• Healthier plants. By snipping away diseased plant leaves and pruning the lower branches off your pepper plants, you can reduce the spread of diseases and prevent soil-borne pathogens from splashing up on your peppers. This procedure is recommended in tomatoes to prevent the nemesis early blight to which peppers are also susceptible. Removing excess stems helps increase airflow around your plant, which reduces the chances that powdery mildew and other fungal issues will crop up in your peppers.
• Sturdier stems. Pruning away side shoots on your peppers encourages your plants to produce sturdier main stems. This creates a plant that’s less likely to topple over under the weight of its fruit and it reduces the need for staking.
• Earlier ripening. A well-timed pruning at the end of the season can speed up fruit ripening. This is particularly useful if a frost is in the forecast and you want to get the last of your peppers in before the cold.
• More peppers. It may seem counterintuitive, but pruning peppers can increase your harvest. Removing extra stems and leaves channels the plant’s energy towards fruit production.

Pepper plants that yield smaller fruit, such as jalapenos, Thais, and habaneros tend to respond best to heavier pruning, which makes them grow bushier and produce more branches.  To do this, pinch or snip away the top section of the plant, making your cut just above the second or third set of plant leaves above the base of the plant. 

Peppers with larger fruit, like cubanelles and poblanos, should only be lightly pruned because these plants naturally produce sturdy, Y-shaped branches and heavy pruning can actually decrease fruit production. However, you can encourage these plants to yield a larger harvest by pruning away the smaller branches or suckers that grow off the plant’s main Y-shaped stem.

There are two main times when you’ll want to prune plants: early in the season and at harvest time.

Early season pruning is usually done when pepper seedlings are first transplanted into your garden. A light pruning helps set your plants up for a successful growing season by encouraging them to produce more roots. It also helps shape your pepper plants for the season to come.

Late season pruning occurs in late summer to early fall and should be done about 3 to 4 weeks before frost is expected (mid-October for central Georgia). Pruning at this time can force any peppers that are remaining on your plants to ripen before frost arrives. Cut away any branches that aren’t bearing fruit. Then clip back all stems and branches by 6 inches or make your cuts right above the uppermost fruit on your plant. This final pruning of the season can help your peppers ripen faster, allowing you to harvest the very last of your peppers.

If temperatures are above 90ºF, it’s best not to prune your pepper plants. High  heat stresses the plants, and pruning can add stress. Wait to prune peppers until high temperatures are below the 90s.

To summarize, pepper plants don’t necessarily need to be pruned at all; however, all pepper varieties will benefit from light trimming. Heavier pruning should be done carefully at the right time in the season.

Best of luck with your prized pepper plants! 

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, former Perry High School horticulture instructor, and former horticulturalist at Henderson Village and Houston Springs. He and his wife, Susan, own and operate Lewis Farms Nursery located on Hwy 26 two miles east of Elko, where he was born and raised. He can be reached at (478) 954-1507 and timlewis1@windstream.net.