Honest to god, that's the exact same thing I'm doing at the exact same time. I had some straws in the shed and I spread some of that on top of the soil too.
Kitties always bring good energy to my plants! I do also put little colorful plastic forks/spoons/knives from Dollar Store, all over the top of the soil, to discourage any kitty using the plant pot as litter box. Is a great hack! It works great!!! Ahna Atlanta/Georgia
TBH I often remove the first 4-6 lateral nodes, keeping each plant to 4-8 stems diverging from the main stem, and I typically leave the leaves on the mainstem 2-3 weeks after pinching out the nodes before removing them. This gives the plant time to use those leaves to provide energy to the overhead stems until they can grow a little more and focuses energy on the intended stems. Ideally resulting in a 6 inch bare stem forking into 4-8 branches.
You can get free straw mulch from Farm Supply by asking them if you can sweep up near their stray bales... But I use that for containers only because it does have wheat seeds in them, could get gnarly if you let the weeds grow. Worth it to me, got enough for the year in one day!
I bottom pruned mine and took the leaves, cut them with scissors scattered them in my garden to help repel bunnies. My jalapenos are producing like crazy.
Hey Pepper Geek! Thanks for all the content and all that you do! Wouldn't it be neat if you had a playlist on RU-vid about peppers, wherein you make an in depth video on each type of pepper? That'd be too cool!
Thanks for the idea - we will definitely give a closer look at some types later in the season when we have fresh pods! Not sure if we'll do a series but may try it out on a few.
@@PepperGeek yeah, one way would be to read off an encyclopedia of information about each individual strain or perhaps maybe tips, tricks and recipes for each type? Idkmaybe fresh salsa with ancho, poblanos and tomatillo next to stuffed bishop's heads, bells and jalapenos?
@@annasweynor6344 yesssssss! I was Wayover thinking it and I just took the scissors and gave them a nice haircut and it is amazing! Perhaps you might not want to do it in the heat of the day but I’m not sure that would even make a difference🤷♀️
I've been removing any leaves that look like they might come in soil contact if there was a very hot day and wilting while I'm at work, same for my tomatoes, if they look like the lower leaves could touch soil then snip snip. I've a number of black plastic pots that lose moisture incredibly fast on hot days outdoors, I find a little layer of weed mat or non-laminated cardboard/old newspaper sheets topped with a couple of inches of grass clippings prevents drying out an awful lot, very cheap too.
Some broadleaf herbicides commonly used on wheat crops are fairly persistent and do get absorbed by plant tissue - have you ever had a problem with straw contaminated with herbicide? Learned about the issue years ago in a master gardener class but haven't actually seen it happen...
Thanks for the insight on this - We have not seen it ourselves, but definitely something to be aware of. Herbicides are no good for peppers (or tomatoes) - I’ve heard some people who live near inorganic farms can have gardening problems from herbicide drift on the wind
I agree both should be done I am surprised there is a video about somethings so obvious, then again I am an expert biocultivator, not an average youtuber. while you are at it teach people this species is a perennial lowland tropical tree that can be grown for years in a pot and will fruit at 50 F under low light once mature indoors in a window...
Sub’d 👍 I’m not a “pepper” expert by any means, but have grown chocolate ghosts and fell in love with the plants recently. However, I am kind of extremely eccentric and picky with where I get my information. And every time I watch another video of yours, you say or show something else that makes me say “ Yes, this cat gets into his science !!” You got a great head on your shoulders and present information in detail. Thank you 🍻 ✌️
I use a mix of essential oils in water to spray the leaves of my pepper plants to avoid bugs feasting on the leave. Generally, 4-5 drops each of peppermint, clove, thyme, and rosemary essential oils mixed with water in a small (maybe 6-8 oz??) spray bottle. Spray on affected and surrounding leaves. Spray about once or twice a day until you no longer see any bugs. Worked last year when I had a serious aphid problem on one bell pepper plant.
When I transplanted the bottom leaves were really bigger on bottom than the top....l mean most of the power had to go to those bottom 4-6 leaves....I guess I'll find out...thanks
Great video. Can you tell me where you get your straw mulch because where I live on Long Island New York the chances of getting straw that isn't contaminated with Roundup or even worse grazon is slim and none. Thanks
Hello one of my small bell pepper here in dubai did not grow that fast and the top leaves are curling up. Can you pls tell me what are the reasons of that and what can i do for it to recover.
I used wood chips for my plants which are still small. They definitely didn’t like it and also trapped a lot of moisture which lead to a fungus gnats infestation. Wish I had seen these video 2 weeks ago.
depending how you mixed your soil, woodchips helping to trap moisture is can be a feature instead of a bug. its very common to use woodchips as a mulch in the garden, and when using in pots just make sure your soil is very free draining.
I always wondered, does it matter that the top soil is dry? If you have enough water at the bottom? I bottom water my plants, and the top is almost always dry.
No, the first 1-2 inches of soil can dry out before watering - peppers have almost no roots in this zone anyway. For potted plants we usually go by the weight of the container
I remove the bottom leaves and shoots just so the peppers aren't dangling in the dirt... I don't think my peppers have ever get pathogens from the soil? just rot from too much rain...
We get ours from Tractor Supply - there seems to be an issue lately with seeds in the straw, leading to unwanted sprouts. Just something to keep in mind.
sometimes cold can stunt their growth if you plant them too early or they get transplant shock. if its too cold when you put them in the ground they can stop growing... what were your night time temperatures?
I don't think grass clippings would be ideal, if you lay them as thick as i like to mulch, they will turn into a mushy, gooey, stinky mess under the top layer and stick together, effectively rotting the stems of your plants.
Hey ive been gardening for about 5 years but had never really tried to plant peppers so this year i tried to plant Carolina reapers from seeds. It is growing well but it is growing extremely slowly im not sure if this is normal. If anyone has any advice id greatly appreciate it.
All of the habanero type of peppers grow much more slowly than other types, in my experience, and remain of smaller stature throughout the year. They definitely prefer good growing conditions; warm, moist, & sunny.
Wood chips can reduce the amount of available nitrogen and fresh grass clippings can be a source of nitrogen so instead of using wood chips and taking away nitrogen you can use grass clippings and add extra nitrogen
All that and he never even told us where to get the straw or where he gets his ?? Isn’t that what most people will be wondering who have never used straw ?
If you're worried about pathogen entry through damaged leaves you should also be aware of the living tissue wounds created by removing live leaves... Just saying the logic doesn't really line up here. Remove them or don't imo but overall plant health and a good growing environment is most important.
Actually, it makes sense. The “wounds” created by removing the leaves will close up pretty quick, and damaged leaves can happen at any time during the life of the plant. Peppers don’t need to be watered every day, so I water, remove the leaves of the ones that can be removed and then mulch. By the time they need to be watered again, or rain happens, if there are any leaves damaged or if there is any other point of entry for pathogens from the soil, there won’t be any splashing.
@@panterita1177 the rationale is what I'm talking about... The leaves MAY be damaged or susceptible to pathogens but the fresh cuts on living tissue literally ARE susceptible... So if you're worried about susceptibility, you're literally creating it. Like I said if you want them off take them off, or leave them if you want. A healthy plant is less likely to succumb to plant pathogens anyway.
@@marcusparrado6600 You're right, damage that occurs naturally is only a possibility not guaranteed. If you're growing outdoors where you can't control conditions, I would think that it's extremely likely. You are intentionally creating entry points by pruning the bottom leaves, but you're also reducing the overall surface area for entry in the long run. Those bottoms leaves can become quite large and, allowed to remain, would most likely become damaged at a time when pathogen entry is also likely (i.e. during a storm). A small amount of damage at a point when there is lower risk (as lore1177 describes) seems reasonable and rational. Healthy plants are going to be more resilient and the purpose of this video was to provide a couple of ways to maintain that plant health throughout the season.
Markus, I prune the leaves in the bottom for air flow and ease of watering, and fertilizing the plants. We are going to agree to disagree. I wound the plant for 2 days to prevent a disease that can start at the bottom and spread through the plant and other plants in the future. If I am not watering and it doesn’t rain and splash in the couple of days after pruning, then it’s worth it. I have had a disease kill all of my pepper plants in a raised bed before. The thing with gardening, there is no one thing that works for everyone. People have different methods and they might all work for them. This bottom leave pruning is something I agree with because it has worked for me. Happy gardening!
@@panterita1177 yes for sure lol. Sounds like we are both speaking from experience. I have found that overall plant health increases resistance and like I said I don't think we're really disagreeing on anything... Do it or don't is what I was trying to get across... I'm def not anti.
ive never head this about woodchips before. many gardening channels recommend woodchip or chipped bark for mulch. what is your source for this nitrogen leeching you mentioned?
It occurs if the mulch is worked into the soil - so if it is kept on the surface it shouldn't be an issue. Wood chips are best for perennials, not veggie gardens. Here is some reading: pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/woodchips.html www.rootsimple.com/2017/06/the-mulch-robs-nitrogen-myth
@@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14 Yeah...that's why I have a 2nd litter box outside. Caught him doing his business in my mulched row beds, gave him a nice, little lesson... and now he uses the litter box.
Those companies would charge us for poop. Oh wait, they do. 😒 Anywho, great video as always. You're my bible as I grow my first peppers (habanero and piñata).
Just what I needed! I'm growing peppers for the first time ever and in addition to my seed-grown jalapeno I bought a pepper plant from a garden centre, as insurance in case my jalapeno never grows anything. That plant is growing extremely bushy and I had wondered about pruning it, but I think it's branching like crazy so probably shouldn't. Question: as I bought this plant it had already started flowering but it is very small and low-lying. I planted it in a rather large pot as that was the only one available. Is there any hope for it to become larger even though it's very soon starting to push out fruit? Does it develop a root system to use this newly found space, or will it just focus on fruits and then that's it? Unfortunately I don't know the variety but I believe it's probably a mild generic red pepper and the growth looks a lot like the Hungarian pepper that was mentioned. I grow my plants outside on a balcony. And thank you very much for your excellent videos that make chili growing feel very accessible!
Yes, don't worry about pruning - it will still continue to grow while it fruits, but just a little more slowly. The energy the plant produces is finite, so it needs to choose where to put it. Thanks for the nice words :)
I was going to post this, they don't suck the nitrogen UP but they will capture it on the way down (wood rotting microbes capture it to be accurate), and added N will speed the rotting of the mulch. So like he suggested at the end of the video pull back the mulch before adding fertilizers. Also I have seen compost tie up N when it was made with a high carbon content and not enough time to mature then mixed in to the top [seeding] layer. (ie municipal compost sourced near the end of pruning season and before the local grass has started growing tends to be high in half rotted wood chips.) Eventually the N is released as rotting progresses and then N additions should be reduced to compensate.
Ive heard that wood chips can be toxic to SOME garden plants. Personally i use straw but if i cant find it ill use hay. Both straw and hay will have seeds though unless you have a very credible reliable source for straw hahaha. Like PepperGeek says though just pluck them out.
The thin layer of soil touching the bottom of mulch might be an area with leas Nitrogen...but nothing to worry about unless its small seeds or seedlings. Even so just add bloodmeal worms i believe they are called. Or anything else that adds more nitro.
Great info! My peppers dropped their bottom leaves before I moved them into the garden! I think they became to large for their pots? They are doing great and I am happy to hear they don't really need the bottom leaves anyway, lol!
That can be caused by a number of things. The most benign reason is that the lower leaves get shaded as the plants grow and the plant will drop the leaves that are consuming more energy than they can capture. Also stresses like being root bound, especially when combined with things like shade, minor water stress, cool or hot temps, or low nutrient levels. I suppose there are also some pathogens that could cause it too but those tend to have other symptoms, usually it is not a pathogen issue.
This was the perfect timing man. Thank you. Actually answered part of my question from my Dm on Instagram. I thought the lower sprouts were a sign that the plant was too root-bound. I'll just let them be and see how that goes.
It's nice seeing a bottom pruning video on peppers. I don't generally prune mine at all unless the leaves become damaged or too close to the soil...but I've found it stunts the plant less (if at all) compared to topping them, and you don't generally end up with compact growth that weighs the plant down from being bushed out artificially. I've seen both methods harbor success for certain peppers or growers, but the bottom pruning method always seemed to be more the more logical choice in general. The leaves are older, closer to pathogenic "splash" hazards, and there's less guesswork involved in determining the effects of losing a fully mature leaf/plant segment.
@@TimBeitz-vp2fw I've never topped mine but the local wind tends to bush my peppers out plenty by itself. Funnily, as it comes to my FR-1125 "Tailed Beast" project, the trunk of the plant forks so low and symmetrical that, after 5 years of selective breeding, I can't exactly say they have a main stem anymore LOL.
This is my first year attempting to grow ghost pepper plants. I'm using all your advice and taking it to heart. My plans are about 5 in tall. I live in southwestern Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh area. And I noticing at this young they are starting to sprout flowers already. Should I trim them off so that they don't start growing peppers so young? And when should I stop clipping the flowers and start letting them bloom into peppers?
Another great video Calvin. One thing I might add.. Make damn sure you get straw mulch that's WEED FREE. Mine was 99% weed free, and now I'm growing wheat with my peppers, lol.
I see you're using a grow bag. I'm new to these and currently growing some sweet potatoes in 5 gallon ones and they look great, but my bell peppers are in plastic pots and definitely not happy (leaf curl probably from overwatering). Do you have a video where you discuss the bags at all or do you have any quick comments about them? Finding your videos very helpful! Thank you for all you do! BTW your plants are _gorgeous._ :-)
I've always bottom pruned my peppers but I also prune the lower suckers. I figure it will help the top growth grow more quickly since it isn't spending energy on all the new shoots. This is my first year using straw mulch on my peppers and am happy with how that is working out. I've only used straw mulch on my garlic but this year I'm putting it everywhere. :)
Nice! Yeah pruning the suckers is probably optional - might be better to remove some if you have a shorter season. A few people have mentioned that the brand of straw we showed may contain wheat seeds...so we'll be looking forward to weeding wheat all season 😂
@@PepperGeek yeah there is that. I think most do. We give ours to the chickens for a few weeks. They eat ALL the seeds for us. Didn’t do that one year and had tons of wheat sprouts.
Great Videos . Keep it up I just started growing pepper plants . And I am in dilemma. My pepper plants started to produce flowers already and the size of the plant isn’t to large about 24 cm . Is it best to pinch the flowers off and allow the plant to establish stronger roots and focus more on shoots and etc. any suggest or help would be great . Thanks . Keep up the great videos
Now I know to go mulch my pepper plants when I’m back from vacation. I worry about my little plants but hope family who is watering them don’t forget any of them.
I've long been removing low leaves and sometimes branches, starting with seed leaves, when they (a) no longer look healthy; (b) are dragging on the ground or close to it; and/or (c) are completely shaded out by higher leaves and branches. I experimented a lot with topping 2 years ago and did not find it very helpful except on leggy plants, and my pepper plants are rarely leggy even indoors under my grow lights. However, I do remove tops (and move plants out to pots to quarantine) if I suspect a virus like whatever causes the curly, smaller, dark, shiny leaves. In that case I remove the parts of the plants that don't look 100% healthy and hope for it to regrow. This works about half the time.
It may seen counterintuitive to clip off parts of your plants, but there is a logic there. Nice and informative video, thanks! Nice to see some footage of the garden too, looks good. Ow, and be wary of the cat, he/she seems to have plans for that mulch.
The Irony? Our couple PG get 148 ghost peppers from one plant...👍 Go online to purchase ghost pepper seeds....$4 for 5 seeds. 🤣😁 It's true.... Awesomeness, regardless!
Why doesn't anyone use tools? A pruner, or even a good pair of scissors, would make a cleaner cut, giving less chance to damage the tender shoots nearby, and less chance for disease to enter. Use clean tools to prune your plants! All your plants!
Yes, definitely. I've heard horror stories of people having straw with pesticides remaining that ruined their gardens for years. We will likely be switching to using leaf mulch from fallen leaves in autumn.
I wouldn't top prune a large pepper plant variety like a bell. You actually get less fruit, thinner walls, and fruit that doesn't properly mature. When you top a plant, you are replacing one top, with 2, so you get less light to the bottom and inside of the plant, and it sets you back a couple weeks to get your plant to the size it was prior to topping, let alone the size it would have been if you hadn't topped it. Smaller pepper varieties seem to do well with topping, like jalapenos, since they dont need as much time to fruit and mature, and have smaller leaves, so sun light still gets through decently. Top half your bells, and not the other, and compare. You will see a major difference in plant size, fruit size, and flavor of fruit.
It was just from Lowe's, but it ended up having some seeds in it so I would recommend getting something else - maybe try a Tractor Supply store or similar
If you wanted bigger peppers though, wouldn't taking the shoots at the bottom 6 inches off be desirable? Just like cannabis buds aren't all produce this way as well? Also, i'd rather optimal airflow for the entire plant...than maybe say 5 or 6 more peppers per shoot. This would create less....small medium sized ones and more medium large ones no? You can just leave it like you said and it WILL produce yield. But thats just like saying... You can plant a seedling in a pile of dirt on a patio stone...and it will still grow and produce some peppers. It will but.... Lol. Just saying, elaborating a little bit more about airflow would be beneficial for amateurs as it may not really matter as far as getting peppers... But higher yield + Bigger produce is better. Just need more plants.
Not sure about cannabis, but peppers aren't too fussy with airflow. Tomatoes are definitely more problematic and require more frequent pruning of sucker shoots, etc.
@@PepperGeek bro thanks for responding. Ive been thinking all last night.. and i had a question for you and i can't seem to find the answer.... 2 of my plants 1st cayenne peppers to ripen red and are the same pepper based on location... Right where it was topped and splits at the node. Most bottom pepper closest to the stalk. My question is i know they can ripen if you pick them and place them near a window or whatever... But ...is it the peppers exposure to the sun that ripens the pepper? Or is it the nutrition from the plant forcing its way into the pepper ...by the plant itself being exposed to the sun? ...is ripening random? Or chronological according to placement of peppers on each node working upward? Or is it possibly a combination of the two? I ask because if you leave the stem on after you pick it. Will the nutrition left in the stem make its way into the pepper? Is that what happens?
@@PepperGeek hey peppergeek. I just observed my cayenne plants and they for sure...ripen on the Main stalk first.... Secondary branches haven't even started yet. I took pictures for documentation. Secondary branches being anything shooting out from the main stalk...i include the pepper being topped and splitting into two main stalks. The peppers on both splits have ripened first i have multiple plants. Im testing this with jalapeno too. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3HYNqqhMcTM.html
Bruh my pepper plants are absolutely tiny this year. Germinated in March and still only 8” tall. I assume it’s the soil so I’ve transplanted them into what I hope is a better area for them.
I use alfalfa as a mulch it doubles as a alfalfa meal providing nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil as it breaks down , great video thinks for the information keep up the good work !🙌🏽
There are studies out there for anyone who wants to look them up that prove using woodchips as a mulch does not leach nitrogen from the soil. That is a myth and should not be regurgitated. The amount of wood chips required to actually have an effect on nitrogen levels in the soil would be more than the avg home gardener could conceivably use and that is when mixing it directly in the soil over long periods of time. Using it as a mulch on the top layer of the soil there will be no effect on nitrogen levels for most home users. Especially when most home gardeners nowadays are growing in containers and refreshing their soils every season. Using wood chips such as cedar would actually see benefits. Cedar has natural oils and chemicals that actually deter pests. Ants in particular hate cedar and ants are one of the main causes of aphid infestations. You will almost never see ants around cedar mulch. I had my soil tested a few seasons ago from a garden bed after using cedar mulch on it and the test showed no difference in nitrogen to that of my other beds where cedar was not used. I like your channel and a lot of what you 2 are doing, but you regurgitate a lot of garden myths from forums that most seasoned gardeners already know to be false.
I have the same straw mulch from Lowe’s… hubs and I were arguing about it not being organic and hence messing up our organic garden 🤦🏻♀️ what are your thoughts?
