How to Properly Form Peppers: Tips for the Harvest

Pepper is one of the most popular and delicious vegetable crops grown in summer cottages and gardens.

However, to get a good harvest of large and juicy fruits, it is necessary to follow the rules of agricultural technology and form the bush.

What it is and how to do it correctly, we will tell you in this article, says Anastasia Kovrizhnykh .

Pepper formation is the process of removing excess shoots, leaves and flowers that take away strength from the plant and interfere with the development of fruits.

Formation promotes better lighting, ventilation and nutrition of the bush, and also prevents infection by diseases and pests.

How and when to start shaping correctly? The stages of working with a pepper bush are as follows:

Pinching out stepsons

Stepchildren are lateral shoots that grow from the leaf axils. They do not produce flowers or fruits, but only take nutrients from the main stem.

Stepchildren should be removed as early as possible, not allowing them to develop. To do this, you can carefully break them off or cut them off with scissors or pruning shears.

Stepsoning is carried out on a dry and windless day so that the cuts dry quickly and do not become infected.

Topping

Pinching is the removal of the top of the stem or side shoots with flowers or ovaries.

This is done in order to limit the growth of the plant in height and width, as well as to balance the number of fruits on the bush.

If there are too many fruits, they will be small, dry and hard. If there are too few fruits, they will be large but unripe.

The optimal number of fruits on one bush is 12-15 pieces. Pinching is carried out in the same way as side-sonning, leaving 2-3 leaves after the flower or ovary and carefully pinching the growth point.

Leaf pruning

Leaf pruning is the removal of the lower leaves on the stem down to the first tier of fruit.

This is done to provide better access of light and air to the bush, and also to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the soil. Leaf pruning is done on the same day as side-shooting and pinching, so as not to injure the plant too often.

Pepper formation is an important stage of plant care that will help you get a high-quality harvest. Following these tips, you can grow beautiful and tasty peppers on your plot.

If there really are holes, they should be covered with snow, after first putting poison for rodents in them.