Pruning techniques for pepper during business period

Pruning branches during the business period helps keep the pepper orchard airy, reduces pests, keeps the canopy balanced and prepares the tree for the next crop. Instructions on when to prune, branches to remove, how to keep eel vines for seeding and mistakes that cause the tree to lose strength.

Summary: Pepper during the business period needs to be spread thick enough to bear fruit, but not so dense that it becomes damp. After harvest, if you do not prune branches, eel vines, branches close to the root and diseased branches, the orchard will easily increase mealybugs, anthracnose, red algae and root diseases during the rainy season. This article shows how to prune branches to maintain tree strength without losing too much of the canopy.

Applies to: Pepper orchards operating from the 3rd year onwards in the Central Highlands and Southeast.
Duration: Main pruning after harvest; Additional pruning during the rainy season when the canopy is too dense.
Difficulty level: Basic to moderate. Need to know which branches to keep and which branches to discard.
Estimated additional costs: 2-5 million VND per hectare per year for orchard pruning and cleaning.

Why do we have to prune branches during the business period

Many pepper orchards have the following situation after a few years of business:

Eel vines grow from the base.
Horizontal branches close to the ground cover the root collar.
The branches grow outside the main stem.
The canopy is too dense, it takes a long time to dry after rain.
Old and sick branches are still left behind out of regret.

When pumpkins are spread, pests and diseases have a good environment to grow. Proper pruning helps:

Increases ventilation in the canopy.
Reduce moisture around the roots.
Reduces shelter for mealybugs, leafhoppers, and stem borers.
Concentrates nutrients for effective fruit branches.
Easier to harvest and spray.

Pruning is not to make the tree "look neat" but to make it healthy and stable in yield.

Time to prune branches

After harvest

This is the main pruning time:

The tree has finished its fruit season.
Easy to see old branches and diseased branches.
There is time to recover before the next flowering season.
Can be combined with recovery fertilizer.

After harvest, you should prune moderately and then fertilize with organic, balanced NPK and Trichoderma to help the plant produce new, healthy buds.

During the rainy season

Additional pruning when:

The canopy is too dense, the orchard stays damp for a long time.
There are diseased branches that need to be removed.
Eel vines grow strongly from the base.
The branches touching the ground create paths for ants and aphids.

Do not prune too hard during the rainy season because the cuts are susceptible to fungal infection.

Avoid pruning when the tree is in decline

Do not prune strongly when:

The tree has just died quickly/slowly in the plot.
The tree is seriously lacking water.
The tree is flowering and growing young fruit.
The orchard has just been sprayed or has just experienced a long period of rain.

Pruning is a form of wounding. Weak trees recover slowly from cuts.

Branches need to be cut

Eel vine grows from the root

Eel vines growing at the base often absorb nutrients but do not contribute much to productivity if not used as seed.

After harvest, cut off unnecessary eel strings.
Keep the canopy about 10-15 centimeters off the ground.
Do not let eel vines crawl close to the ground because they easily carry mealybugs and fungal diseases.

If you need to propagate, you can keep 5-7 strong eel lines per post, tie them to temporary posts and take care of them separately.

The branches are outside the main body frame

The branches grow strongly, stretching outward, causing the canopy to become lopsided:

Cut branches growing in the wrong direction.
Cut diagonal branches.
Cut branches to cover the inside of the canopy.
Keep fruit branches healthy and evenly distributed.

The goal is a balanced spread around the pillar, not a bald cut.

Pest and dry branches

Remove immediately:

The branch has heavy mealybugs.
The branches have anthracnose, red algae, dry tips.
The branch shows signs of stem borers.
The branch broke after the wind and rain.

After cutting, remove diseased branches from the orchard to destroy. Do not leave it under the root.

How to prune properly

Use sharp scissors, cut neatly once.
Do not tear off the body shell.
Cut small branches close to the branch location, but not off the main stem.
For large branches, cut each section to avoid tearing the bark.
Disinfect scissors when transferring from sick plants to healthy plants.
Prune when the weather is dry.

If the orchard has a viral disease that dies quickly or slowly, disinfecting tools is even more important.

Keep the eel wire as seed

If there is a need for breeding:

Choose healthy, pest-free eel lines.
Each post holds 5-7 wires which is enough.
Tie the rope to the temporary post, don't let the cows land.
Do not take the vines from plants with curly, mosaic, or retracted leaves.
Mark the mother plant clearly.

After getting the seeds, prune them to avoid making the pepper roots too dense.

Combine post-pruning care

After pruning:

Collect branches and leaves from the orchard.
Apply 8-12 kilograms of organic fertilizer per pillar depending on the plant's strength.
Supplement Trichoderma around the root zone.
Irrigate moderately if it is the dry season.
Monitor the cut in 7-10 days.

You should not finish pruning and then apply too much nitrogen. The tree can push the buds too much, easily attracting pests.

Monitor periodically

[ ] Is the canopy clear after rain?
[ ] Do eel vines grow back a lot at the base?
[ ] Have the branches close to the ground been cut yet?
[ ] Are there any diseased branches left in the canopy?
[ ] Is the cut bruised, moldy, or has abnormal sap flow?

Business pepper orchards should have their own pruning schedule, do not wait until the canopy is too dense to process.

Common mistakes

Pruning too hard after harvest: the tree loses photosynthetic leaves and recovers slowly.

Let eel vines crawl underground: increase mealybugs, ants and fungal diseases around the base.

Do not sterilize scissors: viral and fungal diseases can be transmitted between posts.

After cutting, leave the diseased branch at the base: the source of the disease is still in the orchard.

High nitrogen fertilizer immediately after pruning: the tree shoots too strongly, susceptible to aphids and leaf diseases.

Take notes

Main pruning day after harvest.
Pruned plot and pruning level.
Number of pillars holding eel lines for breeding.
Pest and disease status detected during pruning.
Pruning costs.
Plant reaction after 15-30 days.

Taking notes helps you know how much pruning is appropriate for each lot, each variety and each type of post.

References

*Pruning techniques for Pepper during business period* — Hainong technical document.
*Training materials on good pepper production techniques* — National Agricultural Extension Center.
*Pepper pests and prevention measures* — Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, National Agricultural Extension Center.