[lazza]

One of my pepper plants seems to be producing a lot more foliage than the others, and so far, has no flowers on it. In fact, it is very different to the others in that there are "side shoots" growing in between each leaf and the main stem, very much like you see for tomatoes. Should I be pinching these shoots out to encourage flowering and pepper development? It's only one plant that seems to be growing like this...

[gobs]

Are you sure, it's a pepper? Do you know the variety?

[DD.]

Photo time!

[monkeywobbler]

I have various peppers and chillies, and some of them are doing the same thing. Some are tall (I forgot to pinch them out), and some are shorter with many side shoots, even though I haven't pinched them out. I would just let it do its thing.

[oldcow]

Don't pinch it, but if you're not already doing that give it a bit of tomato food and cut back on watering. That should encourage it to start flowering.

[peapod]

I would pinch out the top, it will encourage it to bush out below.  I don't usually pinch out but its worked a treat this year (though I did it early)

I agree with oldcow on feeding and cutting back on the watering.

We do need a pic though 

[lazza]

OK, will try to get a picture posted later today if I have some time....

I have been feeding a couple of times a week, but maybe my watering is a bit random (I travel away a lot for work, so it only get watered by the family if they remember while I'm gone, and yesterday I got back to some very sorry looking peppers.... and then, when I am home, I probably water too much!)

[lazza]

Not sure of the variety - it's an orange pepper variety, but seem to have misplaced the packet!!

And here are a couple of pictures.

The first one is of a normal pepper (right) and the strange one with extra shoots (left).



Then, a close-up of the extra shoots

[oldcow]

I see what you mean... Good thing about all that foliage is that if you ever get it to fruit, the peppers will be more protected from sun scald!
I went out to check my pepper plants, and they too have plenty of side shoots (even though none is as luxuriant as yours). Some of the side shoots also have peppers that have set. They're almost all Orange Bell peppers.

[gobs]

As someone earlier said, leave it well alone. It's fine, nothing excessive as it sounded. It's fine. Do some weeding.

[Springlands]

My peppers are also putting out a lot of side shoots - I just leave them be. The plants look healthy and are starting to produce fruit.

[lazza]

As someone earlier said, leave it well alone. It's fine, nothing excessive as it sounded. It's fine. Do some weeding.

Thanks.... have you been peeping over my fence...??!