This prevents the plant from tipping over with wind and rain. All varieties are not equally suitable for staking. Insect and Disease Control Peppers have the same problems as tomatoes do in the garden and should be treated as such. Back To Top Harvesting Fruits may be harvested at any size. When the fruits are mature, they will break easily from the plant.
Some gardeners prefer to cut off the fruits to prevent damage to the plant.
The fruit may be left on the plant to ripen fully to a red, yellow or purple color. Hot peppers, except jalapeno, are usually harvested at the red ripe stage. Entire plants may be pulled in the fall before frost and hung in an outbuilding or basement to dry. Common Problems People who use tobacco should wash their hands with soap and water before handling pepper plants to prevent the spread of tobacco mosaic virus disease. Grow resistant varieties, if possible.