Should I Pinch out Chillies?

Chillies naturally branch into two or more stems with a flower bud at the joint. To encourage side-shoots on slow-growing plants, pinch out shoot tips once plants reach 30cm (1ft) tall. Staking may be needed for large plants and those in growing bags. Several canes should be used per plant, as the stems are brittle.

Do chilli plants need pinching out?

Pinch out the shoot tips when plants are about 30cm (12in) tall to encourage lots of branches, which should give you more fruit. ... Feeding should start when the flowers first appear, usually while plants are still indoors, and should continue until the fruits have all been harvested.

How long can you leave chillies on the plant?

If the chilli has changed color, we usually wait 5 days before picking. We give it the time to produce more fructose and capsaicin for the pungency. Longer than 10 days we do not let them hang, so that still further blooms and fruits are formed.