Your first line of defense when you are fixing plant stems is tape. I have a 2yr old plant that's put off over 100 peppers and is loaded with new growth still producing and flowering that has also split and I too woke up to find it on the ground and need advice on how to repair it-if possible at least till the fruits are ready. Rooting a Broken Stem. Remove all damaged branches at the nearest lateral branch, bud, or main stem and not in the middle of a branch. Tree wounds often appear ragged where the bark is torn during the injury. Common Pepper Growing Problems: Seedlings are cut off near the soil surface. I'm growing pepper plants on my window sills, and yesterday had a minor incident. Physical Repair. Cutworms are gray or brown grubs that hide in the soil by day and feed at night. The center stem of most pepper plants will likely look like a ‘Y’ when the plant is this tall. How to Repair Crushed or Bent Stems. Often, broken stems can be used to start new plants. My mom was moving my green bell pepper plant the other day and she broke the main stem, it wasn't entire broken off but it was about 2/3 sheared off. Begin pruning when your pepper plant is about a foot tall. Here in the desert it would probably just die. Wrapping the bent flower stem with tape is somewhat like applying a cast to a broken leg. 11 years ago. Always use clean pruning shears to prevent spread of disease or bacteria. mister_gin. While reaching over one of the plants in the bathroom, to close the window above it, my foot slipped and I caught myself by grabbing the window frame, while doing so I crushed a leaf between my arm and the frame, and tore it almost all the way down the middle, lengthways. So I got some Paper Tape and wrapped the stem until it was supporting the stem back in the position it needed to be in. At this point the plant should have a sizable root system, which it will use to quickly strengthen the remaining stem and grow new buds. For the moment, you’ll want your cutting to “concentrate on growing roots” rather than flowering. Assess the damage. I wrapped the break with painter's tape as tight as a could to keep it steady and close. You can use florist tape, electrician’s tape or just plant Scotch tape. The first picture here is of the Corno di Toro pepper shown at the top of this thread that was broken but still attached. Plants are often sold in garden centers before the weather is agreeable for them to go in the ground. Well about 4 weeks ago I bent and half-way broke the stem to one of my plants. When you do have a few minutes, fill a pot with potting mix, vermiculite or some other growing medium (but not garden soil) and moisten well. To repair this type of damage, cut off any ragged bark edges with a sharp knife. This is common during branch breakage and when the trunk of the tree has been scraped. Here is a troubleshooting list of possible pepper problems with control and cure suggestions. (Pepper growing success tips are at the bottom of this post.) It laid over in the row and caused an uneven spacing between plants, but it's doing fine. Put the broken piece in a jar of water, and when it develops roots, plant it in a container of potting soil, or plant the stem directly in potting soil. One of the most common mistakes in growing ornamental peppers is planting them outdoors too early. Remove the top half of the plant, ensuring that a few leaves remain on the plant. How to Plant Ornamental Peppers . ... You have probably noticed that peppers and tomatoes (Especially indeterminate) grow side branches. I stuck a stick down in the ground and secured it around the stick just two times. I decided I wasn't out nothing by trying to repair it. Plan which branches must be removed and where the removal cut should be made. If there are flowers or flower buds on the broken stem, remove them. Take care not to remove any healthy bark and expose more live tissue than necessary. How can I make sure it will survive? ... Will pepper plants regrow if broken down low or was cut way back? Some branches may be broken and hanging in the tree, others may be partially attached, and in some cases, entire forks may be split. Basically would the plant regrow from a stem or would it just die. An update - yes, broken-off pepper plants will regenerate in time, even if the main stem is broken off all the way. Best tips on How to Grow Peppers. If you can grow tomatoes, you can grow ornamental peppers.Both are members of the Solanaceae family, and both enjoy full sun and hot weather.