Veggie Garden Hack: Pinching Flowers

By Kelly Kellow, The Gardens on Spring Creek Horticulturist

Social media can be a place to discover new tips and tricks for your garden; I’m amazed at the incredible number of gardening videos I see every day. I test out some suggestions, like topping peppers, while others I scroll past with a quick “no thank you.”

One trick I have added to my playbook and have now done for many years is pinching the flowers and buds off my plants, not letting them fruit until they have reached their maximum plant height. 

This trick mostly applies to peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes. I know it’s exciting when you get your first little flower and pepper on your tiny veggie plant, but trust me, that plant is not big enough to hold the fruit.

Why am I encouraging you to pinch off your budding flowers? This tactic is all about science! When the plant is flowering and fruiting, chemicals in the cells tell it that it has reached its maximum potential and will halt the growing process. So, when the fruit is left on, the plant will not get any bigger, only producing that one fruit and nothing else. I know it’s a little heart-wrenching, but the best action for your peppers, eggplants, or tomatoes is to pluck all buds, flowers, and fruit off until the plant has reached its maximum height. 

Most peppers and eggplants grow to two to three feet tall, while tomatoes (depending on the variety) can get up to five feet or taller. By allowing the veggie to grow to its maximum height, you’re allowing the plant to grow strong enough to hold heavy fruit and large enough leaves to prevent sunscald (burning of the flesh from the intense UV rays of the sun). During this growing time, give your plants a good fertilizer high in nitrogen to help aid in growth. When you look at a fertilizer label, the three numbers represent the amount of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash. Nitrogen is always the first number of the series. Whether you use organic or non-organic fertilizers, it’s good practice to fertilize every other week. 

Depending on when you planted your veggies, July is a good time to stop pinching the flowers and let the plant do the rest of the work. It’s also a good time to switch your fertilizer to one higher in phosphate. Phosphate is a component in plants that initiates budding and flowers. When you use this type of fertilizer, the plant will produce more flowers and will do less growing. Check your label again—phosphate will be the second number and should have the highest value of the three numbers, for example, 10-52-08. Continue fertilizing for the rest of the season; more blooms mean more fruit!