Question about Pepper planting

SouthernFarmer1984

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I read on Almanac.com it says that when planting Peppers to plant 3 seeds then take out the weakest and let the other 2 grow as one plant the rest of their life.Well when I planted in my 72 cell tray I dropped in 1 seed each,So can I just plant 1 pepper plant on either side of the stake?

Cause I was trying to sell the plants but no one is buying them and I have over 1000 pepper plants and I don't want them to die.

Also same question goes for Tomatoes as well.

I have Early Girls,Red/Yellow/Green Bells and then Banana and Cayenne peppers.
 

Ridgerunner

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They say that is because the leaves of two plants together help protect against sunscald. I've never done that but yes on occasion I've had some sunscald. Not always but occasionally. I always plant them singly. I don't see a huge problem planting tow that close together as long as the ground is fertile. You generally space things out so they don't over-compete for sunlight, nutrients, and water. Why don't you try some peppers one way and some the other and see what results you get. What you are looking for are numbers and size of peppers.

The Early Girl is an indeterminate tomato. That means they are going to get big and spread out. If you plant two real close together you won't have room on your trellis, frame, or whatever you use to support them. They will just be too thick. You'll need to prune them just so they fit. I'd spread those out.
 

valley ranch

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In Agriculture they taught that, I hated to pull them out.
If you've room to let them grow to maturity the pepper will be easily sold at market....or caned, dried or pickled or any combination there of.

Soon as you stop trying to sell them, people will be showing up saying: " She was here last week where is she now when I need them.
 

lesa

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One seed per tray definitely stops the thinning problem. Goes against my grain to kill a little seedling, that I worked so hard to grow! Had a billion broccoli seeds this year and planted a bunch per cell- so I am going to have put my big girl panties on- and cut off the weakest ones...Plant what you have-one on either side of your stake, should be perfect!
 

digitS'

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They say that is because the leaves of two plants together help protect against sunscald. . .
Interesting!

My peppers often have sunscald. That might be some kind of answer to the problem!

Since the plants are always stunted by cool spring weather, any fruit loss is tragic. I'll say it again: tragic! It's the sweet peppers with the vulnerable fruit. The little baby bells have no problem but DW prefers the big guys - too big for the thin plants.

Steve
 

Mel

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A thousand plants yikes! I have my hands full with 100 pepper plants. Ive found that two plants together grow out about the same as one plant by it self. In the garden I put single plants in north/south rows a little closer than recommended, about 8 inches apart causing them to growing into each other as they mature. Most of the time only the southmost plant suffers sunscald on the peppers.
 

Gardening with Rabbits

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One seed per tray definitely stops the thinning problem. Goes against my grain to kill a little seedling, that I worked so hard to grow! Had a billion broccoli seeds this year and planted a bunch per cell- so I am going to have put my big girl panties on- and cut off the weakest ones...Plant what you have-one on either side of your stake, should be perfect!

I have got to get over this. I am the same way.
 
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