Q:

How do I promote ripening and harvest peppers correctly?

I'm trying to get some growth and color to my orange peppers.
Will they color quicker with more sun or less? What about more water or less water?
Finally, I understand that I should not cut them off the plant, but instead carefully pull off the whole pepper with the stem from the plant. Is this correct?

A:

Sun is essential for full ripening and flavour; though they can be picked and ripened separately, they will be sweeter if left to ripen on the plant. Watering should be sufficient and frequent enough to keep the plant well supplied, but without leaving it waterlogged. You've not said whether your plant is in the ground or in a pot, but if it's in a pot, water when the surface of the potting compost is just slightly dry to the touch, water well and allow water to drain freely from the bottom of the pot.
And no, you don't pull off the pepper, the branches of the plant are too fragile for that, you need to use scissors or clean pruners - instructions in the link below, along with more general growing and ripening information
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/harvesting-peppers.htm

