Hot Pepper 'Manzano'

Hi there, my first time posting on this website! It always pops up on my search list, so happy to be here! I've been growing manzanos f...Read Moreor years, with mixed success, because I've grown them in two different locations, one in Berkeley, the other in Richmond. Key to this is that in Berkeley, I started growing them when there was several hours of sun in height of summer, but that has dwindled as surrounding Redwoods grew taller. In Richmond, my two plants grow in a location where there is barely any full sun in summer at all, in the hilly area by Wildcat Canyon/Creek. The plant in Berkeley does spectacularly every year, bushy, productive plants with dark green leaves and multiple dozens of chillies per year (summer only). The plants in Richmond, not so much. In fact, they are spindly by comparison and we're lucky to get 24 peppers per year per plant. All plants are pruned annually, and the Richmond plants are fed compost 1-2x times per year. We have to cage them to keep deer, squirrels and birds out. (no caging needed in Berkeley)

That being said, I am here to ask a question: Do any of you have experience with pruning these plants, to answer when is best to prune them? They aren't deciduous, so I'll be pruning off green branches, with fruit (little immature green) still in place. My tendency is to do it now before new growth starts.

Thanks for comments!
Marcy

I live in LA Mirada, CA. It's pretty hot here. It can reach over 100 sometimes but normally it's around 80 or 90. I have my plant in a Si...Read Moremi shaded area in a 10 gal pot and it's huge but all the flowers fall off or if fruit even starts it falls off. It's just way too hot. I'm pretty sure I'll get good yield during the winter months because it's constantly flowering and just growing huge.

This is the most cold tolerate pepper that I've ever grown. It flowers all yr round and the first harvest that I got was in winter.
...Read More> It can take a little frost. The first yr I dug it up and winter inside the house the second yr the plant was too big to be indoors. This is coming on in its 3rd summer and boy this thing is a big bush almost a tree.4.5 ft. It grows very fast and its a water hog. I think because of my mild weather in the winter the mature pepper is yellow. Its doesn't taste hot in the winter. Very generous production, all I need is 1 plant. This is the only pepper that I can grow in my area because my weather temp is not high enough for other varieties. Now I leave it outdoors even with frost it dies back a little. I didn't cover it. The seeds and membrane is very hot. I have so much I pickle them in a jar. Note: the photo of plant have hair on stem and leaves.

This plant takes longer than 90 days to get ripe fruit. At least in Indiana it does and all the other pepper people I have talked to fro...Read Morem around the country agrees. For the most part you will have to OW these plants to get a good yield. If you can garden year round, then these wouldn't be a problem.

I grew some two years ago and they just started setting good when frost came. This was a lot longer than 90 days. Pretty plant and the fruit can be red, orange, or yellow.