Peppers—all kinds—are short-lived perennials which most of us grow as annuals because they are extremely tender. People in tropical climates can keep them going for years.
In an effort to save some time and effort for the following spring, and maybe even have some fresh peppers during the winter, I dug up a few of my pepper plants last fall before the first frost and brought them inside.
It was an epic fail.
First off, the pepper plants didn’t really like having their roots chopped off like that and being stuck in a container inside. They expressed no gratitude for the fact that I had saved them from imminent death.
Then, as if to spite me, they brought all these tiny bugs, fungus gnats is my guess, with them. Little flying black bugs everywhere for months.
I’m not going to repeat that mistake this year.
But still, getting a jump on starting peppers for next spring seems like a good idea. And peppers take forever to start from seed. So this year I’m going to try propagating them from cuttings. And while I really only like to write about topics I have personal experience with, I’m making an exception here. I hope the internet is still up in September/October when I make these cuttings and start propagating, but I’m not counting on it. And even if the grid is still up in the fall, it may not be next spring when I would report the results.
So I checked out several sources for information on how to propagate peppers.
Pepper propagating is a whole lot like tomato propagating; it just takes a whole lot longer. And because the success rate is significantly lower, you need to start with a lot more cuttings.
The advantage of propagating peppers this way—basically cloning—is that you get an exact genetic copy of the parent. There is no genetic variation, unlike the risk you take when starting plants from seeds. There’s no chance that the seed you saved came from a jalapeno that was also pollinated by bees that recently visited a bell pepper. Another is that you avoid the risk of bringing in pests and the hassle of overwintering pepper plants inside during the winter. This method also works great for those with hydroponics.
To propagate your own peppers:
- Take a jar of clean room-temperature filtered water (if your tap water is chlorinated, let it air out for a day before making your cuttings) out to the garden.
- Select the branches for cuttings. Choose only young, green, actively growing branches with several nodes (places where new branches will develop once the cutting is established), about 3-5 inches long. Avoid woody, stiff, thick branches. (Note that some say woody branches are better.) The top of the plant is the best place to locate medium sized branches that are still soft and green.
- Using a razor blade or very sharp pruning shears, make a diagonal cut at the base of the branch. (Some sources say that making the cut directly beneath a node increases the chances for successful rooting.) Pinching or using dull scissors may damage the plant tissue and hinder water uptake. A diagonal cut maximizes the surface area for taking in water and growing new roots.
- Remove all of the fruit and flowers, and all the lower leaves that are above the first two nodes from the bottom. Keep 3-5 upper leaves on the branch. We want all the energy directed toward producing new roots.
- Use rooting hormone if you have it to increase your chances of success. Simply dip the cut end in the rooting hormone powder.
- Submerge the cut end in water.
- Place the cuttings in a bright room with indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight or grow lights.
- Watch for dried leaves. If leaves dry out, remove them, but be sure to leave some foliage.
- Change water at least weekly. Do not just top off the water as this may encourage the growth of mold and algae.
- Once there are roots 1-2 inches long, in about a month or so, transplant into soil.
Links to related posts:
How to Propagate Tomato Plants from Cuttings
References:
https://peppergeek.com/propagating-pepper-plant-cuttings/
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/growing-peppers-from-cuttings.htm
https://growingthehomegarden.com/propagating-peppers-through-cuttings/
https://spicytrio.com/how-to-grow-pepper-plants-from-cuttings-cloning-tips/
https://www.bountifulgardener.com/growing-chili-peppers-from-cuttings/
