I have about 80 different pepper plants from Japs, to Habs, to Bell, Thai, Cayenne, etc.
Right now, there are about 5 total peppers spread out between all 80 plants that have ripened to the point of being red. However, there are still many more on each plant that are still green or just beginning to grow.
I want to use these peppers exclusively to make hot sauce so, for each batch of sauce, I need at least 20 fully ripe peppers.
My question is, should I wait until I have enough ripe (red) peppers before I begin to harvest any of them? Or should I clip the ripe ones now? If I don't clip them now, they will eventually die, but I don't have any use for them anyway so they would die regardless (either in my fridge or on the plant) but if I don't clip them now, am I hindering the plant from producing another pepper in it's place? Is clipping a necessary part of the plants reproductive health?
I want to continue growing peppers all season so I don't want to do (or not do) anything that might hinder it's development, but I don't know if clipping the 5 peppers now will promote new growth in it's place, or if the branch the pepper was on will just die and other peppers will grow on new branches thus making it irrelevant to clip them.
Thanks!
Nick
Right now, there are about 5 total peppers spread out between all 80 plants that have ripened to the point of being red. However, there are still many more on each plant that are still green or just beginning to grow.
I want to use these peppers exclusively to make hot sauce so, for each batch of sauce, I need at least 20 fully ripe peppers.
My question is, should I wait until I have enough ripe (red) peppers before I begin to harvest any of them? Or should I clip the ripe ones now? If I don't clip them now, they will eventually die, but I don't have any use for them anyway so they would die regardless (either in my fridge or on the plant) but if I don't clip them now, am I hindering the plant from producing another pepper in it's place? Is clipping a necessary part of the plants reproductive health?
I want to continue growing peppers all season so I don't want to do (or not do) anything that might hinder it's development, but I don't know if clipping the 5 peppers now will promote new growth in it's place, or if the branch the pepper was on will just die and other peppers will grow on new branches thus making it irrelevant to clip them.
Thanks!
Nick