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Post by akivalocal on May 24, 2020 19:38:07 GMT -5
These friends were started at the same time as my fairy tale eggplant, which live right next door to them in a different Bounty. They haven't grown quite as much as the eggplant. but they seem happy:  My friend on the left still has 2 plants, because I haven't been able to figure out which one should go! Gah! Any ideas? mike, I hear you're very good with peppers. Any tips? |
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661 
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Post by mike on May 24, 2020 20:13:01 GMT -5
I usually choose the healthiest looking plant. Since both seem to look pretty healthy, I usually leave the one that is growing out of the center of the pod. If there are any leaves with defects on them, then that is the plant I remove.
Good luck.
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Post by akivalocal on May 24, 2020 20:41:17 GMT -5
Thanks, Mike! I'll get to snipping!
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Post by ERR0R1755 on May 24, 2020 20:43:45 GMT -5
Thanks, Mike! I'll get to snipping! If you don't want the other seedling to go to waste, you might as well try rooting the cutting  Just place the cut stem (not the leaves!) in some water and weak light (on the outskirts of your Aerogarden is good) and if all goes well, it should start forming new roots in a week or two. |
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Post by akivalocal on May 24, 2020 20:45:44 GMT -5
Really?  I had no idea! I'm feeling so bad now; I felt so sad when I cut my eggplant. If only I'd known this earlier, maybe I could have given them new life! Thanks for the tip, ERR0R1755! I'll be trying it when I trim tomorrow morning. |
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Post by ERR0R1755 on May 24, 2020 20:53:39 GMT -5
If it's any consolation, it fails more often than not unless you want to invest in things like humidity domes and rooting hormones. I just do it since if I was going to toss the plant anyway, then my only "additional loss" if it doesn't work out is just water! You can give it a try with any cutting that you take from a plant with a decent amount of stem and a pair of leaves. The more stem the better, since you'll have more leeway for maintaining the water level, but even an inch is enough. You can look up "how to clone plants" for more info, even if most of the info is on certain plants that aren't legal everywhere... basil is probably the second most popular plant for cloning. Here's an example of what it will look like if it works (although this is obviously with a much longer stem):  |
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Post by akivalocal on May 27, 2020 17:40:59 GMT -5
ERR0R1755, my little pepper buddy is sitting in some water next to the Aerogarden unit, so hopefully he'll sprout some roots soon!  Here are what the peppers look like now:  I would imagine it's not quite time for a trim yet, but I've never grown these before! Anyone have tips about their growth stages.
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661
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Post by mike on May 27, 2020 17:58:54 GMT -5
I never top them until they are 5-6 weeks old. That will give you adequate time to determine whether they need topping at all.
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Post by ERR0R1755 on May 27, 2020 18:03:52 GMT -5
my little pepper buddy is sitting in some water next to the Aerogarden unit, so hopefully he'll sprout some roots soon! Looks good to me! Just be warned that the leaves will probably wilt a little, which might lead to the leaves falling into the water - I'd recommend making two Scotch tape "bridges" on either side of the stem, to prop up the leaves. Something like this should work, and you could even make a "square" out of the tape if you want to be certain:  |
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Post by akivalocal on May 27, 2020 18:07:47 GMT -5
Brilliant, ERR0R1755! I'm going to do that right now. |
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Post by akivalocal on May 27, 2020 19:27:29 GMT -5
Thanks, mike! I’ll follow that advice. |
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,267 
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Post by Shawn on May 28, 2020 6:45:14 GMT -5
Whenever I am unsure about topping I always go to mike! He has never steered me wrong direction |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on May 28, 2020 9:59:22 GMT -5
Whenever I am unsure about topping I always go to mike ! He has never steered me wrong direction
I am learning not to automatically top peppers and tomatoes.
I have ended up with plants so tightly packed with an overabundance of leaves growing in all directions that I have had to drastically trim the leaves just so the plants can breathe and I can see the flowers.
I really appreciate mike's observation that all peppers do not need topping. From watching Khang Starr's and Peter Stanley's videos, I thought it was mandatory for a big harvest. |
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,267
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Post by Shawn on May 28, 2020 11:22:39 GMT -5
Definitely not mandatory. There are a many I have never topped and they did wonderful
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Post by akivalocal on Jun 5, 2020 14:51:28 GMT -5
 Check it out, ERR0R1755! Thanks to you, my lone pepper has grown roots! Into a pot he'll go first thing tomorrow! |
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gsaxon
AGA Sprout
Outdoor gardener forever, recent Aerogarden addict!
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Post by gsaxon on Jun 5, 2020 15:02:30 GMT -5
Looks healthy!
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Jun 5, 2020 16:09:36 GMT -5
Check it out, ERR0R1755 ! Thanks to you, my lone pepper has grown roots! Into a pot he'll go first thing tomorrow!
Awesome!!!
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,267
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Post by Shawn on Jun 5, 2020 16:17:37 GMT -5
Excellent
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Post by ERR0R1755 on Jun 5, 2020 17:47:36 GMT -5
Check it out, ERR0R1755 ! Thanks to you, my lone pepper has grown roots! Into a pot he'll go first thing tomorrow! Glad to help! Once it grows significantly, you can start taking the branches you prune, try to root them, and multiply your plant into more Also, I could be wrong (since it's hard to tell), but if one of those lower leaves was sitting in the water and started to rot, you probably want to cut that one off. |
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Post by ERR0R1755 on Jun 5, 2020 18:12:09 GMT -5
Also - rooted cuttings tend to transplant nicely into soil. Peppers are known for being hardy with pruning, so while I haven't tried it, you might be able to remove the leaves, skip the hardening off process, and stick the rooted stem directly into the ground outside.
Some people grow a "mother plant" (one with all of the traits they like) that they take careful care of, and they remove the flowers and aggressively prune it to keep it in a vegetative state. That way they can continue to take cuttings and sell little pepper plants.
I haven't gotten to the point where I grow plants just for cuttings (since space is at a premium!) but once my bird pepper grows up, I'll definitely be sticking random prunings into the ground outside after they root.
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I had no idea! I'm feeling so bad now; I felt so sad when I cut my eggplant. If only I'd known this earlier, maybe I could have given them new life!
