Pepper plant question

obsessed

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
1,441
Reaction score
3
Points
123
Location
Slidell, LA
So I sent my daughter out to get some basil for the pesto sauce and she was like" I don't know what it is". But I was like "just go do it and smell it. If it smells like basil then cut it". My bad. My bad. I know my bad.

So she loped the top of of five of my pepper plants. And I didn't kill her. Granted these were the seeds that I planted in Early January that I nursed from my horrid neglectful tendencies. I didn't kill her and I didn't even yell at her. I did ask her to leave me alone for a while. My bad. My bad. Never never never send a unhappy person into your garden weilding a knife. Never. My bad.

So will they fill out like basil or are they done for?
 

the lemon tree

Leafing Out
Joined
May 2, 2010
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
22
Unfortunately I have no wisdom to offer, but I do have sympathy. My husband once pulled a bed of strawberry plants because he thought they were weeds. Needless to say, I didn't divorce him. It was an honest mistake but he's not allowed near my plants anymore.
 

hoodat

Garden Addicted
Joined
Apr 28, 2010
Messages
3,758
Reaction score
509
Points
260
Location
Palm Desert CA
obsessed said:
So I sent my daughter out to get some basil for the pesto sauce and she was like" I don't know what it is". But I was like "just go do it and smell it. If it smells like basil then cut it". My bad. My bad. I know my bad.

So she loped the top of of five of my pepper plants. And I didn't kill her. Granted these were the seeds that I planted in Early January that I nursed from my horrid neglectful tendencies. I didn't kill her and I didn't even yell at her. I did ask her to leave me alone for a while. My bad. My bad. Never never never send a unhappy person into your garden weilding a knife. Never. My bad.

So will they fill out like basil or are they done for?
It depends on how much she cut off. If she only cut the top third or less, they'll just fill out and get bushier. It will probably mean a longer wait for your peppers though.
 

patandchickens

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Nov 23, 2007
Messages
2,537
Reaction score
3
Points
153
Location
Ontario, Canada
I've had small pepper plants recover from losing the top 6" or so, sparing only the bottom pair of leaves. It does set them WAY back and your peppers will be late and smaller. Do garden centers around you still have any pepper transplants for sale?

Condolences (and congrats on refraining from killing her LOL),

Pat
 

seedcorn

Garden Master
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
9,651
Reaction score
9,976
Points
397
Location
NE IN
When I was younger, my folks let me have my own space for peppers. They showed me what to weed (didn't pay near enuf attention), I pulled the peppers, left the weeds. Now I garden for fun and relaxation. Mistakes of today are the laughs of tomorrow.
 

journey11

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
8,470
Reaction score
4,228
Points
397
Location
WV, Zone 6B
Just the top....they'll bush out from the sides. You'll still get your peppers! ;)

Funny story and thanks for the word of warning--I will bear that in mind with my kiddo! :gig
 

obsessed

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
1,441
Reaction score
3
Points
123
Location
Slidell, LA
I bought a few peppers from lowes to replace the ones lost. HOpefully they will take transplanting in this heat. I left the peppers in and since I get a long season I guess I should be ok. But I no longer need any help in the garden.
 

Beekissed

Garden Master
Joined
May 15, 2008
Messages
5,054
Reaction score
6,801
Points
377
Location
Eastern Panhandle, WV
Had a rogue sheep get into the garden and nip the tops off of several peppers...they are now growing new leaves and are filling out quite nicely.

I would give them a chance...last year I had some pepper plants that were seriously traumatized by a dog and they grew bigger and produced more than all my other plants!
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,730
Reaction score
15,401
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
HERE's a Murphy's Law--Just bought 5 store-bought sweet peppers because the 3 packages of seeds didn't show anything. I weeded this morning and found 5 growing, about 2 inches tall. :rolleyes:
Oh, well... I bought red, and yellow and purple, so I'll get SOME colored sweet peppers from those AT LEAST. :lol:
 
Top