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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Paulines7 on September 28, 2020, 11:06:55
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Just a quick question as I am off out shortly, but I want advice on my Sweet Pointed and Bell peppers please. They seem to be suffering in the cold weather despite being in the greenhouse. I have been picking the ones that have changed colour but should I harvest those that feel ripe but are still green? I don't want to lose them.
Your help is much appreciated.
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Crystal ball job this! e.g depends upon the upcoming weather! :sunny:
I had a look at my lot (which are very late this year) and they sound as if they are similar to yours.
I have decided to leave mine as they are for the time being!
What I will do is ease off on the watering as cold and damp is not good for them, this combination can cause botrytis to develop!
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I dont mind them green but with a fair wind you could be picking them for another month or so..
Unless they start to rot I'd leave them and see what happens.
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Thanks for your replies.
Some of my peppers have started to rot despite cutting down on the watering. I am also getting a lot of holes in them but whatever is feeding on them, they are keeping out of sight. I must admit that the plants have a lot of foliage on them so if I thinned the leaves out, the peppers may change colour sooner as it would allow the sun to get to them if and when it decides to come out of hiding.
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I don’t overwinter any peppers or chillies, so I cut my plants right back, taking off all the growing tips and flowers to leave just the fruits a few weeks ago this year. I pick the fruit when really ripe and that encourages the rest to ripen. Chillies have a bit of bottom heat from my open Vitapod propagator which keeps them going long enough to ripen and the greenhouse doors are kept closed now. I also reduce the watering right down and stop completely for the tomatoes and peppers at the end of September and only occasionally for the chillies. Works for me!
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Some years I've had holes in my peppers from something that has no interest in slug pellets of any kind.
I was very confused until I found a big bright green caterpillar on one - it was near the exact diameter of the holes. I used to see a very similar one on my nectarines many years ago - it always seemed to be a solitary kind that are very good at hiding
I always leave the peppers in my polytunnel to ripen towards red until the first frosts outside - then I clear the lot - there's no way you are going to end the season without some green ones, but some recipes specify them.
Cheers.
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Thanks for your replies. I will take the growing tips and flowers off as you suggest Deb P and get some of the large leaves off too. I might be able to see what is eating the fruit then and the peppers will have a chance to ripen. I found a huge slug on the leaves a couple of months ago but haven't seen any since. Maybe, like you Vinlander, I will find some caterpillars. There are a lot of moths and butterflies still around at the moment.
I was surprised at how warm it was outside tonight. so hopefully no frost.