1
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Bell pepper maintenance

Pepper, bell    bunbury wa 6230

Do you cut back the plant in the cold months for better propagation in the oncoming hot months?


Posted by: roger bott (2 points) roger bott
Posted: September 26, 2014


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less than a minute ago. Edit Delete

over 9 years ago.



Answers

1
point
Bell Peppers are perennial and will last several years. They are tropical plants and won't survive a harsh winter. But you can carefully dig them up and bring them into a South Facing spot (Northern Hemisphere) or a Northern Facing spot (Southern Hemisphere). You can provide some artificial light too. Here is a really good blow by blow account of what to do http://www.whyy.org/91FM/ybyg/winteri...

In commercial productions (in Florida, USA) it was shown that growth decreased in December. Artificial light helped but it was not cost effective (1). They recommended pulling up and re-planting

Are you growing many?

As for cutting back. I found nothing to suggest you cut back before the cold. The important message is that you dont let them get cold (how cold does it get for you?).
Again, detailed here http://www.whyy.org/91FM/ybyg/winteri... The guy writing that, Mike McGrath has a very popular radio show in the US and it a big expert. I suspect if cutting was needed he would have mentioned that. (I just emailed him to ask)

In general there are very mixed messages in the scientific literature on cutting back peppers. It has been reported to both increase as well as decrease yield. These were studies done in Greenhouses

For example
"Results indicated that 4 plant/square meter pruned to four stems increased marketable and extra large fruit yield in a short harvest period of a summer greenhouse sweet pepper crop in Northcentral Florida" http://www.hos.ufl.edu/protectedag/pd...

" production of extra-large fruit was higher (38%) in non-pruned than in pruned plants. "
http://horttech.ashspublications.org/...

Both studies from Florida and commercial settings.

Let us know more about the temperature you will experience, how many plants etc. That will help


1) http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Departme...



Posted by: David Hughes (66 points) David Hughes
Posted: September 26, 2014


roger bott commented,
Thank you Dave, most insightful. Av. Temp. range 4-19c winter, 11-33c summer. Not commercial will try re planting. Cheers
over 9 years ago.

David Hughes commented,
great. good luck
over 9 years ago.



0
points
I have several different types of pepper growing in pots that I move indoors during the winter. Sometimes I cut them back if they are getting too big just to save some space in the house. The pruning also allows me to keep the plants an attractive shape. Although this is anecdotal evidence, I have never noticed any difference in yield the following summer when they go back outside. My sweet pepper was a prolific producer both before cutting and after. Some light pruning will definitely encourage new growth but not necessarly fruit.


Posted by: Lindsay McMenemy (4 points) Lindsay McMenemy
Posted: September 26, 2014




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