I'd be interested in this as well, I have a good sized plant that I haven't pruned yet and a bunch of seedlings too.

I don't know of any actual how-to guides, but the general idea of early pruning is to head the plant (chop off the growing tip) after it gets about a foot tall. It should be large enough to have multiple branches below the place where you cut it.

The idea with this is that it forces the plant to become bushier as opposed to taller. It grows more branches out to the sides, which also thickens up the main stem. This makes it stronger, and gives it a lower profile so its much harder for the wind to damage it. Also gives it a wider canopy to absorb light with.

It can be useful for if you don't want to cage your peppers for support.

I know the two Bruce's or Bill I've chatted with lately would know the answer. Please guide us. I have some really nice plants I don't want to mess up. I was learning only by trial and error last year, moreso error.

Also do 7pots grow really slow? The leaves also look a bit weird but they look healthy. Mine are sooo little compared to all the others I planted at the same time.

I wouldn't prune a seedling. The only time I prune is to bring them in for the Winter and maybe a trim during the Winter if needed.

Last season I gave it a go on a habanero I think I had the first three sets of true leaves and pinched the top off.

Here is a pic of it later in the growth stage

Mark

Top view

I wouldn't prune a seedling. The only time I prune is to bring them in for the Winter and maybe a trim during the Winter if needed.
Ditto. Why would you prune a seedling?

Again another newbie dumb question. I wasn't sure how tall or big I should let them get before starting to prune. I've only been exposed to the odd one at the greenhouse and when I bought them some had been pruned, others not. The pictures you showed me helped a lot. My plants are nowhere near that size. I am happy to hear I don't need to think about pruning until after I plant them outside! Appreciate the advice!

Nope, pruning is not advised for new plants. Just for overwintering. Pruning seedlings could spur new growth as I have had damaged seedlings recover very fast but I don't think you will get a net gain in growth. I think possibly the store bought starters that you saw that were pruned were pruned to slow their growth and stop them from producing fruit while they are in the store.
Bruce

If my Thai chiles outpace every other seedling under my lights, then I'll pinch the top inches off so that I can lower the lights for the other seedlings. A very practical reason to prune seedlings that still have months to go indoors.

Pruning redirects Auxins to the lateral nodes and causes back-budding and branching.

Josh

i like the idea of pruning, but i like low stress training even more! and i'm going to try it this year on some plants for sure, since most will be going in containers anyhow.
basically you expose internodes to light by bending the main stem, so the plant grows more branches and you get a better production and bushier plants. pruning comes later if you even want to prune.
a guy on another forum tried it and said most peppers responded very well to training.
lst can be done to an extreme even, by guiding the main stem around the edge of the container a full circle. don't know yet how that would work with peppers.
i've seen a similar technique used on figs in japan, it was insane, fig trees about 20 cm from the ground growing horizontally and branches then coming out of the horizontal tree.

see linked short film about it on chillies

Here is a link that might be useful: chilli lst

Josh: I am a little concerned about you lately. It seems lately that you have been ending most of your posts with a sentence or two of some foreign language.

"Auxins", "back budding", "lateral nodes"?????

Tabasco prunes their seedlings to make them bush out, though they let them get about a foot tall ant top them off 6 inches. For for all general purposes its not really necessary unless you benefit in one way or another.

Mark