Some of the peppers are developed to the point where I can pinch out the tops, leaving four good leaves / leaf axils. I do this so that the plants will be well branched from the outset. Instead of one growing point, there will be at least four.
Before photo of Banana Pepper seedling. It's doing nicely, has four good leaves with reasonably separated leaf axils.
Same plant after pinching. I actually don't "pinch" although that's what it's called. I use a scissors with a fine tip, to cut at the right point and not crush stem or cause other damage.
Here is an Early Jalapeno that I pinched about a week or two ago. The branches are starting to grow nicely. It's interesting that branches may be starting at the cotyledons too, so it's possible there will be six branches instead of four.
In the background someone can be seen watching for cats, considered by someone to be the spawn of Satan :-).
Some internet writers state this "forces" the plant to produce branches, or "directs energy" to the branches and roots. In reality, the growing tip produces a plant hormone, auxin, that flows downward in the plant. The auxin inhibits growth of lower buds. Without the auxin produced by the growing tip, which is now removed, the buds at those leaf axils are released from dormancy and grow. That's different from "forcing".
This year I'm trying the same for at least some of the Japanese eggplants. They are from the same plant family, and seem to have similar growth habits, as peppers.
