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Peppers - do you thin and how to ripen?
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Message 1.Â
Posted by BigG up North (U1914634) on Friday, 13th August 2010
This is only my second year growing and therefore seeking advice of those far more wise than myself.
Last year my peppers failed so I have no experience to go from, but this year my Peppers (Bell Boy)seem to be doing well. I have peppers of varying sizes and the occasional one seems to be attacked and a small hole is made and I have removed these.
However, in certain sections of the plant there is an abundance of peppers and therefore little space. The first question is do I thin these or will they all develop? If thinning is required how many do you leave in an area?
Secondly, a few of the peppers are large, but remain green and show no signs of changing colour. My better half much prefers red peppers and I wondered do you remove and if so will they ripen or is just a question of waiting and being patient, not my best virtue. Being in the North West of England we have been starved of warmth after the early summer and therefore is it just a consequence of our climate.
Any advice would as usal be greatly appreciated. -
Message 2
Posted by elderman4 (U10843761) on Friday, 13th August 2010
When there is an abundance of peppers it is best to remove all the newly formed ones until you have, say, about 5 -6 on the plant in total. This way you will get decent sized fruit. As the fruit matures, pick them and let another fruit form, and so on.
Don't forget to feed them.
Eventually they will go red as they 'ripen' - but you do need a bit of warmth to do this.
The problem is we do not have enough light and warmth over the complete season to get them very big. I only ever managed to get mine as big as my fist - about 3+ inches in diameter, and that was feeding them and keeping them in the greenhouse for their last couple of months.
I'm glad you kept on this year with growing peppers - we all have failures, and all learn from our experiences. This is the fascination of gardening!!! -
Message 3
Posted by BigG up North (U1914634) on Friday, 13th August 2010
Thank you elderman - I've got a good bit of thinning to do!!
I've been feeding them once a week, likewise my sweet peppers and chillies (by the way is it the same guidance for those regarding thinning).
They are on some decking south facing so should get plenty of sun should it ever emerge - I also have a greenhouse so should I move them into there no or in September?
Thank you again for the advice; as for continuing growing and gardening I would say in simple terms I am totally hooked and am looking to almost double the size of my veg patch for next year. It is very therapeutic (particularly as work is high pressure) and so rewarding when we can sit down for meal and most if not all of the veg has come from our efforts
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Message 4
Posted by realfood (U13916672) on Friday, 13th August 2010
At the end of the growing season, if you still have some unripe peppers, they will ripen in a sunny window.
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Message 5
Posted by elderman4 (U10843761) on Saturday, 14th August 2010
I'm sorry, BGP I've not grown chillies so I have no experience with them, but it has always been my belief that if you thin the fruit out you will get better sized fruit - the plant puts all its energy into producing just what is left.
I used to grow my peppers and aubergines out in the cold frames after starting the seed in the g/house. Thin the fruit regularly and just let the fruit grow that I wanted. At the end of the season - when it starts to get a bit cold - take them back into the g/house and keep them going. This way you got an extended season, and generally the last few would ripen and turn red on the plant.
Give it a go!!!!!
Nice to know that the gardening 'bug' has grabbed you and you're hooked - it did me, some 50 years ago and I'm still really hooked. I'm also glad to know my children are as well, and with the scares about what is in/on the produce you eat, I'm pleased they are 'growing their own.' -
Message 6
Posted by BigDave (U3975543) on Saturday, 14th August 2010
Hi there, I grow peepers and chillis hot and sweet, I to was unsure about this and in all the books I have looked in it says to thin...but...I do it so there are say two big, two medium, 4 small and some more flowers to come this way it cuts down on the gluts and you will have fresh peppers most times you need one...we eat a lot so i grow 15 sweet pepper plant and 5 hot all in my greenhouse....I found that if you thin them it does make for better fruit (ie) thicker wallsa and better keeping times....as for ripe fruit you will have to wait it out as they can take a long time...they do finsh well on the window but we use the green ones in currys, stew and things like that and keep the red,yellow and brown for eatting in salads....hope that helps you out a bit sorry to go on but its hard to just say yeah when there is a little more to it.....anything you don't get just say and I will try and make more sence for you.
whatsthemarrow...
Ps) When I thin them any that are mini fruits I clean and chop then freeze no matter what the size they go well in a curry or pasta just put them in at the end so they don't over cook and go mushy. -
Message 7
Posted by oldfogey (U8196337) on Saturday, 14th August 2010
I have never had a great deal of success with growing sweet/ globe peppers, there is never enough fruit to require thinning! However, I have grown chillie peppers and usually successfully, I have never needed to thin them and the plant seems to support an abundance of fruit. towards the end of the season we clear the bushes and freeze the surplus. there is usually enough to last to the following year.
This year, for my sweet peppers, I saved the seed from one that was bought from a supermarket, we had dozens of them germinate. I planted three in the greenhouse border, these have yet to show any fruit and I consider them a failure. I planted two in large flower pots and two in a raised vegetable patch (outside obviously). These are showing fruit just a little larger than a ping pong ball. I am more hopeful of these. It surprises me that the outdoor grown specimens are better than those in the greenhouse? -
Message 8
Posted by Sue58 (U14442036) on Sunday, 15th August 2010
I also live in the NW and am growing sweet peppers. I have some that are starting to go black so are now ripening. I did not know about thinning but have a mixture of large and small green peppers at the moment. It`s a small one that is very black and the large are starting.
This is my second yar growing them and have been more successful than last year. I will grow them again next year and hope they ripen quicker.
This weekend with quite a bit of sun I am hoping that they ripen more and also my tomatoes so lets hopefor better weather next year. -
Message 9
Posted by nickl52 (U7017713) on Sunday, 15th August 2010
I am growing Cheyenne peppers this year. I have started to pick them at the glossy green stage and leave them on a sunny windowsill to ripen and turn orange
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Message 10
Posted by BigG up North (U1914634) on Sunday, 15th August 2010
elderman, BigDave, Old Fogey; thank you all for the advice, it is much appreciated.
It's plenty of food for thought - elderman - I agree that at least I know what we're eating and what's gone into it and as importantly the pleasure of eating what you have nurtured yourself.
Had never thought of using all the mini chillies etc for pastas, stews etc, just presumed they would not have developed any real flavour, but as it's a big, steep, learning curve, but I'm learning something new everyday!! -
Message 11
Posted by 4smilingcat6 (U14338727) on Sunday, 15th August 2010
I like green peppers so I take some green(Bell Boy and Poseidon) and leave others to go red.
So by that token I do `thin` I guess -
Message 12
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Sunday, 15th August 2010
but it has always been my belief that if you thin the fruit out you will get better sized fruitÂ
But if you thin the fruit, thin the biggest ones and not the smallest. The biggest are as big as they get; the smallest need to get much bigger!
You can increase your crop hugely by so doing. -
Message 13
Posted by Sue58 (U14442036) on Monday, 16th August 2010
I have managed to get about 16 peppers off my 2 plants so I presume I perhaps could have got more.
I found a branch led on the floor with 2 peppers on it yesterday but the small one tasted ok mixed in a salad and the bigger one I`ve put on the windowsill to ripen up (I hope).
I`ve grown more than I did last year which was my first year so I`m pleased with them. -
Message 14
Posted by paul (U14620841) on Tuesday, 21st September 2010
Mine are grown in the GH and when they get to conker size they too have holes in them. I have rsmoved them but only a few are untouched, what do I need to do to avoid this next year?
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Message 15
Posted by pinxit (U14558922) on Tuesday, 21st September 2010
I've had that problem, Paul, with long sweet peppers. Lots of them had a small hole near the stalk end, and some of these began to rot, others seemed to heal up but grew a bit distorted because of the "scar tissue" areas. One fairly large one I cut to use while still green had a medium-sized leopard slug inside!
So I have put out slug defences in the GH where they grow, and the ones that are forming now do not have these holes. -
Message 16
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Tuesday, 21st September 2010
"some of these began to rot,"
Perhaps they needed to be picked. -
Message 17
Posted by pinxit (U14558922) on Tuesday, 21st September 2010
Yes gardda, maybe, but they were still green and I was hoping some might turn red, so I left the ones that seemed to have survived the hole-borer in case they might ripen.
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Message 18
Posted by paul (U14620841) on Tuesday, 21st September 2010
Just ordinary slug pellets around the base of the plant?
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Message 19
Posted by pinxit (U14558922) on Tuesday, 21st September 2010
I use the ferrous phosphate type of slug pellet which are deemed acceptable if you are trying to grow organically - they don't harm other wildlife, whereas the standard metaldehyde ones are very bad for hedgehogs in particular. The ferrous phosphate ones work well for me. Yes, I put them around the base of the plant.
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Message 20
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Wednesday, 22nd September 2010
I used egg shells around the base of my plants in the GH which worked well this year, they break down though but only needed replemishing once.
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Message 21
Posted by Lisa (U14598429) on Wednesday, 22nd September 2010
I've grown peppers in the greenhouse but they haven't been particularly successful. There are only one or two per plant and are still all pretty small. They are all still green and I can't see them ripening now - still, green peppers are nice in a curry! I don't think peppers are well suited to the climate in Glasgow, even with the shelter of a greenhouse.
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Message 22
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Wednesday, 22nd September 2010
Lisa-J. Peppers and chillies need a long growing season and should be sown early indoors and then planted out. You maybe right for Glasgow it being so far North. I'm in Lancashire my peppers were not as big as those in the shops nor as juicy, they've tastied surprisingly hot though.
The plants produced lots of flowers then small peppers. I pruned them leaving only the biggest peppers which on some plants was 10 plus!
I won't be planting outdoors again it was a waste of soil and effort. -
Message 23
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Thursday, 23rd September 2010
They may be small, green peppers! Do you know the species in particular? Lisa-J?
Were they advertised as big and red???
I bought a couple from the market stall and they were small and....red.
They are flowering well, and should produce some more fruit when I have 'harvested' the ones there already, on the window sill.
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