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drew51_gw

What peppers do best with support?

I never really grew chili peppers before. I have no idea why not? I love them! Anyway do they need support? Any other peppers besides bells that need or could benefit from support?

Comments (11)

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    10 years ago

    Manzano....probably some of the other C. pubescens varieties. Anything that grows tall....or any pepper grown tall in partly shaded conditions.

    As a matter of course, I always put a "tomato" cage around my Thai chiles because they get loaded with fruit or rainwater, and then the plants tip over. Sometimes, cats, raccoons, possums, skunks, et cetera, also come through and bump plants.

    Josh

  • pepperdave
    10 years ago

    I think most peppers benefit from support. Branches break from the weight of peppers. I dont like tomato cages though . Stakes and strips of sheet wolk great.

  • gardenper
    10 years ago

    That was my realization, too. My family eats peppers like they are regular veggies. Raw, cooked, baked, boiled, preserved, etc.

    When I realized that, with my limited amount of yard space, I decided to focus on peppers and the occasional other kind of veggie (just to get experience of learning about them).

    Propping up pepper plants just depends on how big they can get for you, including their pepper quantity and size. To say that a small pepper variety doesn't need to be staked might be bad when you wake up one day and the branch is broken from water weight of an overnight storm or strong winds, or maybe just your awesome gardening methods that produces a plethora of peppers.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the info. i want to secure them while young,
    I'm short on cages I have some young blackberry and a black raspberry plants I have cages over so my dog doesn't mess with them, they are so small! He could step on them. I lost cages doing this as after awhile the only way to remove is to cut them out!
    Some peppers will have to settle for stakes. i have a lot of them. Thanks all again!

  • gardenper
    10 years ago

    If another goal of your question was about how to support the plants, then I think a lot of same ideas for tomatoes would work for peppers. In particular, when growing pepper plants in a row, I like the idea of supporting many plants by using 2 poles at the ends of the rows, and threading twine or some other support line through the pepper row. Intertwine the branches with these lines, which may be set at each 1 foot height, and that should support many plants as it grows up taller and taller.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Good idea, this year they are all over, but next year the peppers will be in a row. I have green beans going there this year.I'm putting up netting for the green beans, but twine can be strung next year. The netting could work too.

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    I just use stakes ( 2 - 3'). Last year my Chilaca grew real tall. This year I will top it to keep it short and bushy. But small cheap 3-ring tomato cages ( @ $1.99) should be fine for most peppers and eggplants.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yeah I should just buy some cheap cages. I do have a few extra stakes, I'll try both, see what I like better.
    Again awesome info, and thanks for the help.

  • DMForcier
    10 years ago

    Generally I haven't needed and don't use support for my peppers. But there are exceptions. YMMV.

    Dennis

  • pepperdave
    10 years ago

    6 ft stakes and tie tie up intertwining torn strips of sheets. Works great , just run more strips as they grow. These plants got 6ft last year with no broken branches

  • pepperdave
    10 years ago

    Same plants 2 months later. You can see my car in the background . I use the same method with tomatoes only with longer stakes. I get 12ft+ Grapes every year. I make my stakes using a table saw. Old scaffold planks ripped to 3/4 by 3/4 in.
    Ive never had a tomato or pepper plant not outgrow cages leading to broken branches and loss of fruit

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