The subject of thinning fruit in a pepper crop has many facets. To start with, peppers come in various growth types and have different bearing habits, all of which influence pruning and fruit thinning.
Some varieties grow far taller than others. These are invariably planted in tunnels, where they are led up by twine to increase their yield and extend the harvest season.
If you opt for taller growers in an open land, you’ll need to place short stakes with twine strung between them on either side of each double row to prevent the plants from flopping over onto the soil and damaging the fruit.
If you don’t wish to go through this effort and expense, select a more compact cultivar that does not require this support. Such types tend to have a concentrated bearing habit.
Some outdoor varieties set a number of fruit and then cease flowering, or abort the flowers when they cannot nurture any more fruit.
This story is from the June 14, 2019 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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This story is from the June 14, 2019 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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