Growing pepper is quite time-consuming and difficult, because these representatives of garden crops show great demand for care and attention to themselves. One of the phases of growing peppers is pinching, about the nuances and rules of which are later in the article.

Do I need to break off the stepsons of peppers

Pasynka is the procedure for thinning out the bush density of a garden crop in order to strengthen the remaining shoots and increase their productivity. Many today are wondering whether it is necessary to pinch bitter or sweet pepper, whether this action is useful and effective, or, on the contrary, only harms the culture and does not lead to the expected results.

Important! Pasynkovka can be done for any kind of peppers. But only the right stepsoning can favorably influence the development of culture, which is why it is very important to know the main nuances of this procedure.

Some experts argue that stepsoning is a necessary thing, while others insist on its harm. The experience of our ancestors suggests that conducting proper stepsoning means strengthening the culture and increasing its productivity. Our grandparents told us about this, and we continue to follow their recommendations. But it is worthwhile to understand that there is no consensus on the benefits and dangers of pinching.If you do not do this procedure, then it is believed that the yield will be lower and less quality, because the forces of the bush will be directed to the development of all shoots and shoots, which will select the necessary elements from the fruits and reduce yield. All the most common pepper varieties known in the Slavic countries are subject to thinning: Bulgarian pepper, Indian summer, Salute, Fireworks, Tenderness, Corvette, Golden Taurus, Arsenal, Sweet Chocolate and many others.

When to start the procedure

The exact time when you can start the stepsoning procedure will tell you the age and height of the seedlings of peppers. So, if bushes above 20–25 centimeters appear on your bed, you can safely mark them on the list requiring increased attention and carrying out manipulations to remove excess processes.

Did you know? The ancient Aztecs and Mayans were the first to domesticate pepper. They used spicy fruits instead of salt, which was not well known to them, and sweet fruits as a vegetable. The pepper also had its own deity - Chantico, the wife of the fire god. According to legend, she ate fasting fish with paprika, and as a punishment her husband turned her into a dog.

As a rule, peppers reach this height on the 40-50th day from the moment of sowing seeds in the ground, so that already from the end of June - beginning of July you will begin active care for your green seedlings. It should be remembered that you can not start conducting pinching, when the seedlings have not yet reached the specified age and height. Otherwise, you will not only not help her develop, but you may also become the culprit of the death of the bush, as it will be too weak to deal with such injuries.

How to properly peppers: a diagram

If we figured out the question of whether it is possible to pinch peppers, then another subject of the article remains unresolved and unlit - how to properly perform this manipulation. We bring to your attention the three most popular methods of pinching - in one, two and three stems.

In one stalk

The procedure for pinching in one stalk includes the removal of all newly formed stepsons in the axils of the leaves. Thus, only one main stem and leaves growing from it remain. Such manipulation should be carried out with a sharp knife, previously rubbed with alcohol, to exclude the possibility of infection of the cut site.

Important! If you do not have enough experience in growing peppers, then it is better not to do this type of thinning so as not to cause irreparable harm to the plant with your inept actions.

In two stems

Two-stalking is a slightly more gentle procedure for a bush of peppers than the previous one. Here, the development of two stems at once is allowed. Thus, you remove all the lower stepsons, leaving only the one that grows from the sinus of one of the upper leaves. So you help the pepper strengthen its development.

In three stems

A similar procedure can be carried out in three stems. A distinctive feature of the method will be the abandonment of the two upper stepsons and the main stem. All lower weak shoots should be removed to allow the pepper to develop up and to the sides, increasing the formation of new flowers and fruits. 4 stalking is also possible. But it is not carried out so often. This method is suitable for those who are only trying their hand at peppers care. It is allowed to leave no more than 5 stepsons on one bush.

Did you know? From hot peppers, a tincture is prepared to stimulate appetite and digestion. In addition, pepper plasters and ointments are used to treat certain diseases. Scientists have proven the effectiveness of red pepper to fight cancer.

Outdoor and greenhouse stepsoning: the main differences

Peppers can be grown both in open ground, in the garden, and under the protection of a polycarbonate greenhouse. Carrying stepsoning in these two conditions is somewhat different.

It should be understood how to do this correctly and what differences exist:

1. In greenhouses, pepper bushes are not exposed to external influences of natural conditions, which contributes to their faster and more active growth. Due to this, peppers especially need thinning under polycarbonate, because excessive density only harms yields. The process of pinching reduces itself to the removal of the crown, the first bud, after which a part of the lateral processes is trimmed and the apex is truncated to promote the development of breadth. Among the side shoots, it is allowed to leave 3-4 branches, which will be selected on the basis of strength and strength. Weak and damaged processes are subject to ruthless destruction. The tops are truncated closer to the end of the season, when it is necessary to contribute to the pouring and ripening of fruits. So that the pepper bushes do not give all their strength to the continued growth of the terminal shoots, they are removed. Thus, all the nutritional components remain at the disposal of the fruits, which contributes to their enlargement and growth.
2. In open ground, the thinning procedure is quite similar, the only difference is that in the garden peppers are not protected like in a greenhouse, and therefore, the cutting intensity should be slightly reduced. The first, the crown bud, should also be removed, and then thin out lateral weak and damaged processes, and also form a crown by pinching the ends of the shoots. All manipulations should be carried out carefully, trying not to severely injure the pepper bushes. Remote trim should be removed from the site.

Did you know? Pepper is so popular because the brain responds to a strong burning sensation in the mouth with the release of endorphins, a natural painkiller. A side effect of this reaction is a feeling of euphoria, so some people become truly addicted to spicy foods.

Useful tips and common mistakes

Some of the most interesting and applicable recommendations for thinning procedure on a pepper bed include the following:

• You can start work only when the pepper has reached a height of 20–25 centimeters;
• the first step is to remove the crown bud and cut off the upper shoot of the main stem, which will contribute to the development of lateral processes;
• the formation of the crown of the bush should be carried out by cutting the lower side shoots, they will still be in the shadow of the upper ones and will not be able to give a rich harvest;
• using methods in one, two or three stalks, they conduct pinching;
• monitor the adequacy of irrigation and the timeliness of fertilizer application (from May to July it is recommended to apply nitrogen-based fertilizing, and from August to September use phosphorus and potash);
• loosening the soil around peppers will become a mandatory procedure;
• in greenhouses, the vegetation period for peppers is somewhat longer, and therefore, when pruning, some leaves from the stems can also be removed to prevent the density of the green cover and the development of fungal and mold lesions caused by greening;
• the last stepsoning can be carried out 40–45 days before the expected end of the season, that is, approximately in early September. Then, before the onset of the first cold weather, the final batch of peppers will have time to ripen;
• removed shoots are recommended to be removed from the site so as not to cause an epidemic of any disease.

If we talk about the mistakes of beginning gardeners, then it will be appropriate to mention the following common miscalculations:

1. If the summer season turned out to be hot and dry, then the pruning procedure is not recommended, given that a dense crown gives a kind of protection against drying out of the soil and evaporation of moisture.
2. If any damage or invasion of pests is detected, pinching is also prohibited, given that the plant is already injured. Additional thinning can finally finish off the diseased bush.
3. If the peppers were planted at a fairly wide distance from each other (the norm is 40-60 centimeters), then pinching is not required, because the plant will have to withstand the heat, wind, fog, dew and unexpectedly cold nights alone.
4. There are also bushes of peppers that do not exceed 20 centimeters in height. If your green pets are among them, then pruning is not recommended.

Guided by the recommendations and tips given in this article on how to properly carry out the procedure of diving pepper bushes, at what time and under what circumstances it is worth or not worth carrying out, you can complete the task of growing healthy and fruitful peppers.