Red Peppers

Btw, I'm trying these...

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vege...chilli-seeds/sweet-pepper-big-banana-f1/680TM

 

They look like giant chilli's Freddy. I'm growing Capsicum F1 'Denver'. It's a shame I can't grow a second greenhouse this year too, I really don't know how I'm going to cope with the lack of space, I have a whole load of flower seeds to grow as well.

 

Freddy, this is a common practice in commercial grow houses. A class 2 or early fruit pull will result in a greater and healthier yield, as the plant wont have to focus early season on trying to develop lower quality fruit. Also your chosen fruit are good for growing well and quickly, but may take a short while to ripen. Hope this helps

 

I wonder if this is like Cucumbers? Conventional advice is not to let them carry the first couple of fruits, as it causes the plant to "stall" thinking that it has succeeded in reproducing, I suppose. Whereas after that first flush (if they are removed) the plant seems to happily go on producing, without interruption, until the end of the season.

Some chemical feedback route perhaps that causes the plant to stop trying to produce fruit whilst setting the first lot, because the plant is still quite small and the "effort" in bringing on more fruit, whilst ripening the first lot, would be too much for it?

(Dunno if any of this relates to Peppers / Chillies though)

 

Hit the nail on the head :D its the same with big bell peppers, should there be more than kind of 4 fruit per node lower down the plant, you will see herendous problems with blossom end/nutr. deficiency further up the plant in the higher fruit as the lower fruit will get priority. Pretty intelligent thing these plants :D

 

So by that James do you mean it would be better to thin the fruit lower down the plant?

 

Only if your exceeding kind of 4 fruit per node lower down which on a home planted pepper isn't ever so common. But if you have a variety such as F6 ferrari/Golden sunburst (most likely branded as "F1" even though they aren't) etc etc. or something similar it could happen but most common in commercial grow houses :D So yes it could be the case, but predominantly the main thing is to do a "class 2" pull when the fruit has set and flowers have died (or fruit has grown through them) chop the fruit off, this can be a bit scary, but it should lead to the plant developing more fruit and also a better quality of fruit more resilient to pests etc as the iffy start of season weather/slower growing plant can be developed and stronger when it puts out proper decent nice sized fruit!

 

James, I wonder if this could be applied to tomatoes as well. I find the first fruits produced are not as sweet and flavourful as later in the season when the plants have developed more.

 

I suppose it could well be, of course there is the questionable Vitamin D intake which some people could claim could help out?! But im not 100% on tommy plants as never grown any successfully

 

Obviously you have the usual Pinkching out with the plants, Fim'ing as well is recomended by some but im still skeptical!

 

I don't think they are particularly difficult to grow other than I find they grow better under glass / plastic (tunnel)



This is how I grow them;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Sweet peppers/Sweet Peppers.htm

 

Well, mine came up around 2 weeks ago, but they aren't really moving as yet...

 

I've only just put mine down Freddy. Where did you start yours off and how long did they take to germinate please. Mine are in an electric propagator.

 

Hiya Sheal.

I started mine in the propagator same as you. I suppose they took around 10 days to emerge? I'll pot them up this weekend and keep them in the propagator for the time being.

Edit : They are under lighting

 

Thanks Freddy, mine will have to come out as soon as they appear, I've got so much to get started this year. I've already got half my spare room full with seedlings and really need to get them into the greenhouse but it's still not warm enough. Temperatures are set to rise here next week by about five degrees, fingers crossed.