Effect of pruning on ornamental characteristics of potted pepper (capsicum spp.)
2015
Ribeiro, W. S. | Costa, L. C. | Pinto, C. M. F. | Silva, F. C. | Finger, F. L.
This study determined the effect of different types of pruning on the commercial quality in two genotypes of ornamental peppers (‘Biquinho’ and BGH-7073). The pepper seedlings were grown in a greenhouse and transplanted to pots of 900 ml. The first pruning was done when the plants had 4 to 5 pairs of true leaves. The cuts were made above the first pair of fully expanded leaves, by removing the main apex of the plants. A second pruning was executed when the lateral stems were 5 cm long, by removing excess buds, keeping only the most vigorous in order to obtain plants with two or three lateral branches. Control plants were kept without pruning. When the plants had at least 30% of the fully ripe fruits, they were evaluated for quality and growth characteristics. Pruning delayed by 15 and 10 days the growth for the genotypes ‘Biquinho’ and BGH-7073, respectively. Pruning increased plant height for ‘Biquinho’ by 25%, reducing the ornamental value. Pruning of BGH-7073 gave an oval shape canopy, because of the longer stems. This effect reduced the acceptability as ornamental by the consumers and makes it more difficult to shelf the plants for shipping. Therefore, pruning is not recommended for these genotypes.
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