What you do in May makes or breaks your summer pepper harvest. Most gardeners miss this window—but a few powerful strategies now can set your peppers up to thrive instead of stalling them for the season. Whether you’re growing peppers in containers, raised beds, or in-ground, this is the month that matters most.
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TIMESTAMPS: (click the timestamp to jump to a specific tip or re-watch your favorite part)
00:00 Introduction
00:15 Why this month is critical for peppers
00:56 Strategy 1
01:56 Strategy 2
02:52 Strategy 3
04:00 Strategy 4
05:18 Strategy 5
06:09 It’s pepper go time – don’t miss this window
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21 Comments
Isn’t ‘topping’ peppers climate specific, or does it matter?
May is THE month that makes or breaks your peppers – how are you helping them thrive? -CaliKim & CameraGuy
Great tips Kim. I was hesitant to top my pepper plants. Definitely going to be proactive.
HI Mac we love you ❤
So much great information! I’ve been thinking about planting peppers and now you’ve inspired me! Thank You 🌶️🌶️🌶️❤️
First, Hi Mac! You’re handsome and good boy! ❤
Also, thank you! Great info! A lot of my peppers have forked naturally so I decided not to top those.
You’re so right that peppers don’t really bounce back. I have a jalapeño that I think I planted too early and is still teeny and kind of yellow🥴. I’ll probably have to buy a seedling from the garden center.
We just started our peppers a couple of weeks ago. Got tiny shoots at the moment. Great information. I didn't know anything about peppers. So I am happy to see this video. Thank you for sharing.
Good kim I want to grow giant peppers
Good tips for peppers. Aww so sorry to hear about 🐕. We all ❤️ him. Wish him the best!
I feel like people with shorter growing seasons shouldn't top pepper plants.
Here in California we can grow mostly year round so topping is a good idea.
My artichokes are perennials but back east that probably wouldn't happen 😊
Everything is so beautiful and you're garden 😍 too😊
Did someone say peppers 🌶️👀😆 Hola you guys 👋 Two things I’ve stepped back from what I used to do… topping my plants and taking off the first flower buds. Last year was my most productive pepper season to date and it was the first time didn’t do either. I just made sure to give them enough nutrients to handle all their growth… this will especially work with the fertilizer you mention because it’s higher in nitrogen.
Just started transplanting my peppers into their permanent spots and I’m looking forward to the coming season 🙌
Hi Kim,
Wouldn’t you know it, I messed up with my peppers again. I probably shouldn’t start them while there is still snow on the ground. If that wasn’t bad enough, I planted them in GreenStalk towers two weeks before my last frost date. And of course, we had two light frosts after planting them.
Since then, I’ve let nature do its thing. I have a few peppers ready for harvest and many more developing. It is pretty much the same story with my tomatoes, already 3-4 ft tall, bushy, and loaded with tomatoes. Maybe I’ll get it right next year. Too much success isn’t good for the soul. I’m harvesting when my neighbors are just getting started with gardening. Something isn’t right with that.
Net Zero in Atlantis launched today. I finished writing Net Zero and the Salem Witch Hunt two days ago—two weeks early. I have the publishing links, except for Hoopla. That one takes a while. I just sent it out to my review team. Sneaky people are already buying copies, Amazon and Smashwords. I’m going to take a few days off from writing, and do nothing. Mainly because I threw out my hip, and strained the glutes. I have yet to be able to lie down on the bed and sleep. It is way too painful. And no, I am not going to see a doctor for it. It took me six days to see a doctor for a rattlesnake bite last September, and I never made it to the ER. Call it male stubbornness.
My next story is Net Zero aboard Flight 901. Flight TE901 was a real event, a DC10-30 tourist flight from New Zealand over Antarctica. It flew straight into Mount Erebus killing 237 passengers and 20 crew, no survivors, November 28, 1979.
Happy to see MAC in the video! 🙏 Absolutely cut those early flowers off! Topping works but on Bell peppers maybe leave alone. I need Monterey fish & guano! The Alaska brand is all nitrogen!
Hi Mac! We all love you so much 🥰. Kim, do you have any concerns about those sprinklers causing powdery mildew?
need help 😭 our bell peppers are planted in the bed already and theyre pretty well established, since they were bought at their current growth stage we waited 2 days for them to get used to our bed and they shot out flowers! but now im scared its too late to top them, should i still pick the early buds and top them? ive also heard bell peppers dont like topping so im nervous.
I just planted my garden today. I am growing beefsteak tomatoes, straight neck yellow squash, black beauty zucchini, sweet banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, and cucumbers.
Thank you for sharing this information. My peppers didn’t do much last year probably due to under watering them and all of the above 😊
Always so helpful advice Kim 💜. Thank you! We are in NY and are growing sweet banana peppers to make our specialty “sauce”. We have so much rain daily right now but cannot wait for sunnier days to see better growth 😊.
I'm harvesting peppers already.
I kept them in through the winter.
I put my pepper plant out way too early but somehow tit's doing well. I'm concerned about my watering system. I have it all on one line so the bed is drip and the grow bags are on the adjustable drip sprays. I have to keep going to the bags to turn them down or off because they don't go as long as the drip in the bed. I'll have to call Mr Landscaper to see what to do about the way I have it set up. They are so good at answering questions. I've called them several times before.
Even though my soil temps are mid 60's, holding off planting my peppers. Next week we have 4 successive nights below 45F, daytime temps struggling to 60F, this would not kill my peppers, but would probably set them back. Another week in their pots is OK, they are pretty used to them.
Stay Well !!!!