[Bolthardy]

I have both sweet peppers and chilli peppers growing in my greenhouse. I have read various articles on their care and maintenance and there seems to be conflicting advice. Some say nip out the growing shoot of the pepper at six inches, others at twelve and yet others who say just leave the plants to do their own thing. Can anyone offer difinitive advice on this hot topic?

[JayG]

Definitive advice on a gardening forum; that'll be the day!! 

I grew 2 cayenne peppers side by side in a trough indoors last year; pinched one out, left the other to its own devices.

No difference! They both grew, branched and fruited like the clappers!

[mumofstig]

I agree with Jay.....makes no difference either way

[Kristen]

I work on the basis of pinching out if they don;t bush by themselves, and also that pinching out will put them back two weeks.

Very rare, over the years, that I have had to pinch anything out to get it to bush up ... but it probably depends a bit on variety.

[jazzbyrd]

I never pinch out chillies~ I just let them do their own thing!! They seem to produce loads of peppers ..sweet or hot ones.
As I am happy with the way they perform and I am happy not to do anything to them. I have enough pinching out to do with the tomatoes!!

Jazz

[Bolthardy]

Definitive advice on a gardening forum; that'll be the day!! 

I grew 2 cayenne peppers side by side in a trough indoors last year; pinched one out, left the other to its own devices.

No difference! They both grew, branched and fruited like the clappers!
What about side shoots, do you take these out as you would with tomatoes?

[Kristen]

What about side shoots, do you take these out as you would with tomatoes?

No, you want them to "branch" and not to grow as a single-stem. If they fail to branch and thus to make a bush THEN pinching out the single-tip will make them bush.

Don't pinch out the single / top growing tip of a Tomato though!

Hope that's clear and not muddy?