Topping chili pepper plants for higher yield

Chili plant topping is a technique used to promote plant branching and preventing top heavy plants, that could break because of heavy fruit yield or wind, ultimately leading to a higher yield. The main stem is cut bellow the firt "Y" forming on it. When the tip of the plant is removed, plant will reroute it's growth hormone auxin lower down the stem, making the plant branch out. Most of the hormone is stored at the tip, so it will take couple of days after topping until the plants recovers and you will see new leaves and branches forming. As I found out, not all varieties respond to topping in the same way. Here I'm gonna discuss my results and mistakes.

This year, I've planted 13 different chili pepper varietes. I've kept 2 plants from each, as one plant will stay in a pot on my balcony so I want them as compact as possible. Other one will be transplanted to a greenhouse, so it can get as big as it wants. This was a perfect opportunity to test chili plant topping and compare overall yeild from the plants. I've topped the plants on March 18th 2015. Comparison pictures were taken on April 3rd 2015.

Check out my 2016 Season Summary

Topping Cheiro Roxa (C. Chinense)

Comparing these two plants is little bit difficult, as the topped one was much weaker. There are many new leaves and branches forming.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Topping Caramel Bhut Jolokia (C. Chinense)

Caramel Bhut Jolokia responed to topping really well.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Topping Aji Rico (C. Baccatum)

Aji Rico get spindly easily. I've cut it quite high but the results are good. New leaves and branch formed at almost every node.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Topping Chocolate Scotch Bonnet (C. Chinense)

Chocolate Scotch Bonnet, same as other chinenses, responded well again. It took a while, but the plants is branching out nicely.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Topping Fatalii (C. Chinense)

There is plenty of small leaves forming all over the stem.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Topping Super Chili (C. Annuum)

This is a plant that I'm not sure about the results. Annuum plants branch out heavily on their own, and I've also made a mistake of cutting 2 smaller branches above the Y, but below their first node. The plant is nice and bushy, but compare it to the one on the left and draw your own conclusions.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Topping Aji Habanero (C. Baccatum)

Aji Habanero is the spindliest of the spindly. It took it the longest to form new leaves after topping and you can see how big the other plant got meanwhile.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Black Scorpion Tongue (C. Baccatum)

I grew this plant the last year and really liked the flavor, but I knew this wasn't a balcony plant (it got 2,5 meter high in the hydroponics). That's why I kept only one plant that's gonna end up in a greenhouse, so I haven't topped it.

Topping Pimenta de Neyde (C. Chinense)

Hard to compare these 2 plants again, as the smaller one had less light on the windowsil and it showed. Nevertheless, it branches out nicely. I clipped the top of it's bigger brother too, as it was already really high and not forming the Y. I also wanted to see the difference between topping half of the plants vs. removing the tip only. You can see the small leaves forming along the stem already.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Topping Bolivian Rainbow (C. Annuum)

Another annuum that branches out beautifuly. Unfortunately, only one seed sprouted so no comparison here. Cutting the main stem helped a lot and so far, this is the nicest looking plant.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Topping Fire Flame (C. Annuum)

Very nice results here too. Fire Flame is quite prone to nutes overdosing (you can see the leaves curling downwards), that might have affected the growth speed.

Topping Fatalii Gourmet Aji Fantasy (C. Baccatum)

Another Baccatom that likes to go high, but branches really nicely after topping.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

Topping Quintisho (C. Baccatum)

Another Baccatum that likes to go high, but branches really nicely after topping.

Topped plant, 2 weeks later (April 18th 2015):

I'll be updating my progress in the Chili growing post.