Pepper are a crop that confuses many gardeners and I will confess I have had my

struggles with peppers in the past. Seems to be highly variety dependent if I grow a pepper that I just

want to grow for its ornamental appeal like the Chinese five-color pepper. I

seem to have no problems. I do well with shishitos. I do well jalapenos some of the scorching hot peppers I have had some problems growing

But let's talk today about something you hear a lot specifically in relation to peppers and that is what's known as

topping or just pruning off the top of a young pepper plant. A lot of people will

do this and a lot of people will also not do this and both of those people seem to have a strong opinion on which one is correct.

spoiler alert, it's the one that they do that they think is correct.

Well, why would you do this?

What's the whole point?

One reason would be you want the plant to develop

a stronger busier appearance, right?

And if there's more bushiness, there's more vegetative growth

and if there's more vegetative growth, that means there's more bushiness, there's more vegetative growth, and if there's more

vegetative growth, that means there's more energy to create more flowers and

more peppers. But again, you don't have to do it and you can in fact run an

experiment this year where you top one and you don't top the other.

Give that a try.

That's kind of what it's about, right?

It's not just taking wisdom from on high and saying, well, I heard this guy said to do it, so I should do it that way and never think about it again.

Now, just question it. See what happens.

Maybe it's going to work better for you one way based on the variety or your climate or

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