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mctiggs

6 weeks to frost - snip flowers?

mctiggs
10 years ago

I've been lurking in the tomato forum, there's a thread there about short-season growers de-flowering their plants right now (that sounds wrong), as there will not be time enough for fruits to adequately set.

Does this apply to peppers? I have 2 plants I will overwinter but what of the 25 others? I have about 6 weeks to frost. Depressing as hell, but true. Any thoughts?

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato forum thread

This post was edited by mctiggs on Tue, Aug 20, 13 at 14:58

Comments (20)

  • DMForcier
    10 years ago

    Let the frost do the snipping.

    Besides, if this weather pattern holds you won't see frost until Christmas.

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    Well, Tomatoes and peppers are two different animals.
    Green tomatoes have no use(except mabe for pickling or for the goats - grin [^^]). But peppers do not HAVE TO be ripe to be used, be it sweet or hot.

    (BTW: I am topping all new growths and blossoms on my maters)

  • Armageddon
    10 years ago

    you could try pruning them but i was reading and we are supposed to have a warmer Sept & Oct then we have ever had before .

    seysonn as for green tomatoes there are many uses like relish or fried green tomatoes you slice then batter up & deep fry then dip em in Ranch there yummy some people even grow them just for the green harvest (smile)

  • scgreenthumb1987
    10 years ago

    I had a mild heart attack when I saw 6 weeks to frost....then remembered I probably dont have to worry about that till closer to Christmas :-D. And even that's a maybe....have seen the rare 80ð Christmas day

  • judo_and_peppers
    10 years ago

    we get frost here, usually for a day or two in february. am I a jerk for mentioning this? :)

  • mctiggs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I can't necessarily count on a long summer, I've given up trying to predict weather, it was 15C/59F all last week, the leaves started to fall from the trees, and this week it's a scorcher, yesterday my digital thermometer read 37C/99F. I am just going to play it safe and assume the end of Sept will bring frost.

    @seysonn: I was hoping to hear from you! I'll be following your results over in the tom. forum. I guess I should have been clearer, I was thinking specifically of c. Chinese, that I want to have ripen, as I usually have little use for them when green (except for maybe green hab. sauce). The c. annums I will probably leave alone, they can be used when unripe.

    @scgreen: I have that same feeling when I walk into a store in September and see Xmas decorations.

    @judo: jerk! (just kidding). My ancestors are the jerks for settling down in this wind blown ice-hole.

    Well I think I'll do some science-ing and take a few plants with a similar number of pods and remove the existing and new flowers and from half the plants, just to see if there is a noticeable effect.

    That there is simply not enough time to get a ripe pod from a new flower before frost is unfortunately my reality. What I don't know is how that will affect the existing pods. Hypothesis: it will make no difference. Let the science-ing begin.

  • mctiggs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well, it's done.

    Test group 1
    Scotch bonnet with 22 pods (flowers left on)
    Habanero with 22 pods (all flowers/buds removed)

    Test group 2
    Mustard Hab with 7 pods (flowers left on)
    Mustard Hab with 8 pods (all flowers/buds removed)

    It took FOREVER, the plants were loaded with flowers.

    Level of sunlight is consistent for all groups.

    Level of maturity of the plants is constant - all started on the same date.

    The size and condition of the plants in each group appear equal.

    Variables include type (Scotch Bonnet vs. Habanero) and quantity of pods (22 vs. 7-8).

    I number my plants and keep meticulous track of the number of pods (check once per week), watering/fertilizing dates, and general observations in a notebook. I think I may be mentally ill.

    I will observe this over the next 4 weeks and report back.

  • CanadianLori
    10 years ago

    I made some green tomato pie a few weeks ago - didn't tell anyone what was in it - it tasted just like apple pie.

    no one guessed...

  • nc_crn
    10 years ago

    Myself, I remove very small fruits and occasionally flowers when I'm really sure frost/cold is coming 2-3 weeks before it hits so the plant can put it's work into bigger fruits.

    I'm not a fan of highly "green" peppers that are underdeveloped...some people have no issue with them.

    You can still get some quality green peppers with 6 weeks left...especially smaller peppers.

  • don555
    10 years ago

    McTiggs, I would be surprised if clipping flowers had any effect on the peppers currently devloping, but hey, you can prove or disprove that for us. I've always left peppers and flowers on until frost dealt with them... some hot peppers have good heat and okay flavour while still green, some kinds taste like crap unless they are ripe-red, and some don't develop heat until they turn ripe. Since you seem to have mostly habs, they will certainly have good heat while still green, not sure about the taste.

    PS, good job with growing habs in MB, I'd only consider them as an indoor, under-lights, plant here in AB.

  • CanadianLori
    10 years ago

    I'll be curious about this too - thanks for volunteering your blossoms to research.

  • mctiggs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The first observation is that the "deflowered" plants seem to have gone berserk on bud/flower production. I was thorough with my initial removal, it took me nearly 45 minutes to do both. I picked them clean! I went out last night, and spent another half hour removing new buds/flowers from the plants.

    One contributing factor may be that, after I posted this I appear to have created a heat wave, it's been hotter this past week than all summer (with humidity, 38-39C (~100F)ever day). There's no end in sight.

    This is just an observation, if there are any noticeable positive effects to doing this, it leads me to wonder how practical the application of such a practice would be.

  • CanadianLori
    10 years ago

    It's like the little devils decide to boost production after abuse just to show you- and give you the plant version of the finger.

    "Take that" they say!

  • judo_and_peppers
    10 years ago

    plants are little A-holes sometimes. my bhut didn't start setting pods until a moving truck mishap broke off 30% of the branches, and I considered just throwing them away in frustration over their constant bud drop while others were doing just fine. I think they enjoy taking us to the limits of our patience.

    I think it is reasonable that if new buds are snipped, the plants' energy will be given to the already set pods. the way I see it, a plant only has so much energy. is it enough of a difference to make a difference? well, apparently we have an experiment in progress to determine this.

  • mctiggs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    An observation (without comment):
    The first of my 18 c. Chinese plants (all in buckets) to show any signs of ripening was the flower-less Habanero from test group 1. This was after a thorough inspection of all plants last night.

    This morning two pods on two other plants (not the subject of this experiment) are showing some blushing.

  • mctiggs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    FWIW, it was also the first fully ripe pod of the season. And delicious. I had half raw and put the other half in a jar of pickled onions I was making.

    Things are starting to ripen now so there should be some further observations shortly.

  • mctiggs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Double post - looks like there's issues with GW

    {{!gwi}}

    This post was edited by mctiggs on Tue, Sep 3, 13 at 14:28

  • scorpion_john
    10 years ago

    Tiggs, are they potted or in the ground? I leave them set as many pods as they can. Ones in the ground, i pull and hang upside down in the garage and many will ripen. I've had very good luck taking potted ones in, even in the basement with poor lighting and the pods keep growing and ripening. But its alot harder to get them to set pods inside, so i like them to be loaded when they go in. I had fresh superhots till the middle of febuary last year. John

  • CanadianLori
    10 years ago

    This business of bringing the pots indoors - I would love to do that with some of mine but years ago I brought in some plants and bugs started coming out of the soil. Is there some way to treat the soil to avoid this?
    many thanks
    Lori
    oh, forgot to mention-yesterday I got my first two ripened super hots - Butch T's!

  • mctiggs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    John, all the c. Chinese are in pots (5 & 6 gallon buckets). The annums are in the ground, they have paid off and I'm happy to pull them, their duty is fulfilled.

    My concern in bringing them inside is (as Lori mentioned) the bugs. My wife is a bit bug-phobic, if I let bugs loose in the house, I would be the one hanging upside down in the garage.

    I could see my breath as I was inspecting the plants this morning, and I was just reminded of the terribly short window I have. It was 4C/39F this a.m. The point of this "experiment" is to see if removing the flowers results in some tangible benefit (i.e. bringing all pods to maturity before the frost hits).

    On the upside, the c. Chinese have mostly begun ripening. I even ate a whole raw fatali pod yesterday to celebrate (and I NEVER eat whole pods like some youtube clown). Eating it did, however, ruin my night, and most of this morning.

    BTW, congrats Lori!!

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