[auntyfifi]

I am still going strong with my chilies and peppers, and some are doing well whilst others have fallen slightly by the wayside.

But I am now at a point when I am wondering whether or not you need to remove the side shoots on these plants the same as you do with tomatoes.

Also does anyone know how the hell weeds seem to grow 42 times faster than veggies LOL . Went back to the UK for about 9 days and when I returned, it was like the day of the triffids, and I had spent ages weeding before I went.  My French neighbour has said just to hoe them out and they will die off, but  I wondered whether or not they would start to grow back in again, and also if the hoe broke them up, would I then end up with 2 weeds, where before there had only been one

Any advice on either of these matters would be fantastic

Many thanks
Fis's xxxx

[mumofstig]

No you don't need to remove sideshoots on chillis and peppers, more side shoots more fruit

Yes, just keep on hoeing they won't split into 2 although occasionally one will regrow from a deep root. That's why you keep on hoeing.... not just do it the once

[auntyfifi]

Thankyou,

High Hoe, am off to kill the weeds you know

xxxxxxxxx

[Farmer Woosnip]

No you don't need to remove sideshoots on chillis and peppers, more side shoots more fruit

I'm confused now, I thought the plan was to treat peppers and chillis just like a tomato?

Why don't we leave the side shoots on the tomatoes if it means more fruit?

[mumofstig]

because tomatoes aren't peppers   

Peppers do not have the ever upwards growth that indeterminate (cordon) tomatoes have.
The smaller bushy (determinate) tomatoes are allowed to keep their sideshoots, and thus grow bushy, in the same way that peppers are

[auntyfifi]

Being a bit thick now, how do you know which type of tomato you are growing!!!!!!!!!!!

[LilacSandy]

On the seed packet it should tell you if they are cordon or not, if you do not have the packet then a quick search on google will show you.

I had one plant in the corner of my garden I forgot about last year and when I found it at nearly the end of the season it was a wonderful big bushy plant, with lush green leaves but not one tomato, as it had put all its efforts into the side shoots.

[Farmer Woosnip]

Ah ok, I get it now, thanks.

[Benandbill]

I've got Alicante tomatoes and F1 Incas Outdoor ‘plum’ type tomatoes.  I need to read up now to find out if they're indeterminate (upwards growth) or determinate?  I'll never remember which is which they're too similar - so cordon is growing upwards an they need the shoots pinching! 
Thank you.. 
Our chillis are just starting to come through in the seed tray and we planted them about 2 months ago..  I had no idea they were so slow?

[DD.]

Alicante need the side shoots taking out. Incas are bush & don't.

[auntyfifi]

Does it matter if you take the shoots out even if they dont need it, as unfortunately I have no idea now what is growing, as I have tried to grow 4 different types and stupidly forgot to mark wot was wot!!!!!! DOH

Am thinking next year I will need to be much more organised, its more complicated than I thought LOL

[mumofstig]

on bush tomatoes, at the top they will form a flower truss with no further upward growth.
So unless you allow a side shoot to grow you will only get 1 truss of fruit.

So keep an eye on what is happening when the first flower truss is forming......
if the flower shoot is coming out of the side of the stem with further leaves/stem growing about it then continue to remove the side shoots, as it a cordon (or indeterminate) variety.

If the flower is forming at the end of the shoot then it is a bush variety, so let it grow some side shoots to get more fruit

[auntyfifi]

Thanks again Mumofstig

Will let you know how I fair