I've had this Masquerade pepper plant since last August or September and after a while the peppers started shriveling up like this. I didn't except them to live through the winter, although I am keeping them in a pot indoors- which I haven't heard of anyone keeping these as a houseplant, so I'm hoping it will survive. My question is: Is there something I should do to help new peppers grow in the spring? Should I eventually cut the shriveled ones off? If so, when should I do this?
The seeds should be ripe at this point.
So what does that mean I should do?
Cut the pods off . let them completely dry, remove the seeds plant when you need new plants. You may need to repot and ferilize your plant this spring. It should keep going for a while.
Agreed, remove the shriveled pods. With peppers, you need to remove the old peppers so the plant can "gear up" for a new set of blooms....like deadheading flowers from other plants....you remove the old so the new can form.
Follow FarmerDill's advice for saving seeds for new plants
. We have had pepper plants last a few years by removing the peppers as they ripen....it is the nature of a plant to flower and then "go to seed". if the flowers/fruit are left on the plant, it's job is done, so to speak. Removing them will encourage the plant to keep producing.
Thanks alot! Where should I cut them off? On the stem right under the pepper or should I try to pull them off leaving the stem behind?
Cut the stem! anywhere between the plant and the fruit is ok.
