There are a lot of hacks to maximize your garden yields, from companion planting to vertical gardening. One homesteader discussed the benefits and the potential drawbacks of topping your pepper plants.
The scoop
The method known as topping is when you remove the top few inches of your plants to encourage growth. For certain vegetables, this can lead to more branches and, therefore, more opportunity for fruit. The Homesteading RD (@thehomesteadingrd) posted a clip on TikTok discussing three reasons you may want to hold off on trimming the tops of your pepper plants.
@thehomesteadingrd ⚠️Wait! Don't top your pepper plants just yet! While topping your pepper plants can help improve yield and bushier, more stable growth…. This only applies if you can answer YES to the following three questions: 1) Are you growing a small pepper variety? Large peppers like bell peppers don't respond well to this. 2) Is your bell pepper 6 to 8 inches tall? If it's already large and late into the season, it's likely too late and you might miss your harvest window before the frost settles in. 3) Do you live in a warm climate? If you're in zone 4 like me, topping pepper plants can be kind of a gamble. Topping the pepper plant results in a bigger harvest, however, that said harvest is delayed. That's because when you snip off the growing tip, the plant puts its energy into creating and redirecting new growth rather than setting fruit. What do you think? Are you going to give it a try? Want to learn more? Head over to my website and type "topping pepper plants" in the search bar! #pepperplant #pepperplants #growingpeppers #gardeningtips #gardeninghacks #gardeningtipsforbeginners ♬ original sound - The Homesteading RD
The creator explains that if you are growing larger peppers, like bell peppers, you should never top your plant. Another important thing to keep in mind is timing.
"You want to do it at the right time, when your peppers are about six to eight inches tall," says the TikToker.
Finally, you want to be careful about your climate. If you live in a cooler area, topping your pepper plant could delay growth, and with a shorter growing season, you may be racing against the clock to harvest your vegetables.
How it's working
Growing your own food is a great way to get out into nature regularly and save money during the growing season. With a $70 investment, many gardeners stand to produce around $600 worth of produce. In addition to being a money-saving endeavor, gardening is a healthy pastime.
Research has shown that people who work in their yard or community plot have increased fiber in their diets and improved mental health.
CNN wrote on the physical benefits of gardening, saying, "Working in your garden or yard is a source of moderate to vigorous physical activity in younger adults … and one of the physical activities with the lowest injury rates."
Gardening can also reduce your pollution output. One aspect of our food system that creates a lot of pollution is something called food miles. This is the distance that food has to travel to reach your plate. There isn't a much shorter distance your food has to travel than from your yard to your plate.
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Several hours a week 🧑🌾 What people are saying
The comments section of this post was filled with differing opinions.
One person hoped for the best, saying, "I see this after I topped my pepper plants literally 2 hours ago."
"I'm a newbie, but I believe nature knows what it's doing. I let my plants grow," wrote another.
Someone else added their experience, saying, "I topped one pepper plant when it just stopped producing, and it died. The other plant just sprung up like crazy."
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