The undisputed leader of our summer cottages, after cucumbers and tomatoes, is pepper.
For an experienced gardener, growing this vegetable in a greenhouse or open ground is not difficult. This especially applies to the southern regions of our country.
Varieties
Selecting a variety for growing in open ground is not difficult.
If for summer use in salads, then you should choose a plant with large-fruited fruits, with fleshy thick walls, such as Winnie the Pooh, Litsedey or others. There are plenty of early ripening varieties of this type on sale.
If the grown fruits are intended for preservation, then it is better to choose a variety with small, thin-walled peppers. It could be Victoria, Arrogant or Merchant.
Soil preparation
First of all, it should be a fertile piece of land, preferably divided into narrow beds.
This makes it easier to care for the pepper, water it and feed it. The place should be well warmed by the sun and protected from prevailing winds.
In the fall, the beds for peppers are well fertilized with humus and a scattered application of mineral fertilizers. These can be potash and phosphate fertilizers (50 grams of each).
It is possible to replace phosphate fertilizers with ash. There is another replacement for phosphate fertilizers.
Take note: When planting peppers, you can put 2-3 small fish in each hole. It could be sprat, capelin or whiting, in general, the cheapest.
In the spring, the entire intended area for planting seedlings is well dug up using a shovel, removing all the roots and weeds. Pepper seedlings should not be planted after nightshade crops such as tomatoes or potatoes. Peppers grow best after onions, carrots or green crops.
After the bed has been dug, it must be watered to disinfect the soil with the solution. copper sulfate(take a tablespoon of the drug in a bucket of water) or a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Planting in open ground
Transplanting pepper seedlings in the southern regions is not associated with precise calculation time. There is no need to study the weather forecast and think about return frosts.
In areas of the middle zone, with possible frosts in May, it is better to plant seedlings in the middle or end of the month. An experienced gardener can always determine when to plant peppers. permanent place.
It is necessary to monitor the temperature of the prepared area. As soon as the soil warms up to 15-18 degrees, the seedlings can be replanted.
Before transplanting the plants to a permanent place, 2-3 days before, it is necessary to feed the peppers, and on the day of planting, pour it well with warm, settled water, 2-3 hours before transferring the seedlings to the garden bed.
It is important to know: It is better to plant pepper seedlings on a cloudy day or in the afternoon, so that the sun's rays do not burn the tender leaves that are not accustomed to bright light.
To plant seedlings, dig holes 40-50 centimeters apart. You can make two rows in the garden bed. The planting pattern can be slightly changed: for ease of processing, feeding and removing weeds, the plants can be arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
Humus, ash or superphosphate are laid out at the bottom of the hole, everything is mixed and poured thoroughly with water. A peg must be driven into each hole to future garter plants.
Carefully and as carefully as possible, the plant is removed from the pot and placed in the hole at the level of seedling growth. It is not recommended to deepen the plants to avoid blackleg disease.
When covering the plant with soil, you must be careful not to damage the roots and stem. Lightly compact and water again.
Outdoor care
After transplanting the pepper to a permanent location, it is better not to water the plants for 7-10 days. This way they will “get over the disease” faster and take root.
Further care for pepper consists of watering, fertilizing and weeding. Agricultural technology is simple and understandable even for an inexperienced gardener.
Water the peppers with plenty of warm, settled water. You should not overdry the soil, but it is also not recommended to overwater the plants. The soil should always be slightly damp.
Good to know: When replanting peppers, it is necessary to remove all half-opened flower buds. It is better to leave the ovaries and flowers in the budding phase; they will produce quite high-quality fruits.
Watering cold water will cause flower stalks and ovaries to fall off, which will lead to a significant reduction in yield. Feed the plants once every 10-14 days. As the plant grows and the number of fruits on the bush increases, the frequency of fertilizing and watering must be increased.
During fruit ripening, in the stage technical ripeness, peppers require a lot of micro and macroelements. You can buy ready-made fertilizers at a specialty store.
When growing and caring for peppers - both sweet and hot varieties - it is necessary to ensure optimal temperature and humidity. Of course, most plants prefer milder, greenhouse conditions, but in warm climates it is possible to plant crops in open ground. Productivity in this case will depend on decent care and favorable weather conditions.
Caring for peppers in a greenhouse: watering, fertilizing, shaping
Caring for peppers in a greenhouse is to maintain optimal temperature regime, regular watering, fertilizing, weeding and loosening.
Temperature regime. The air temperature in the greenhouse during the period from planting to full fruiting should be maintained at 21-28°C during the day and 15°C at night. Then the daytime temperature is reduced by 1-2°C.
When caring for peppers, the greenhouse is periodically ventilated by opening doors, vents, and transoms. In summer, when the outside temperature rises above 30°C, the glass covering of the greenhouse is sprayed with a chalk suspension or shaded using light wooden gratings.
Watering peppers is done 2-3 times a week at the root. Pepper is moisture-loving; 1-2 liters of water are consumed per plant. Plants are covered with moist soil. After the soil dries, the rows are loosened.
and fertilizing. Peppers are fertilized twice a month. For 10 liters of water, dilute 10-20 g of potassium chloride, 20-30 g of ammonium nitrate and 30-40 g of superphosphate. After fertilizing the peppers in the greenhouse, water the soil clean water, otherwise you can burn the leaves. Instead of mineral fertilizers, plants are sometimes fed with organic matter: a solution of slurry or bird droppings with the addition of 150-200 g of wood ash per 10 liters of solution.
Experienced gardeners recommend watering peppers from 9 to 11 am. Frequent and prolonged drying out of the soil, as well as excessive waterlogging, should not be allowed, since the plant reacts to both dry soil and waterlogging.
Pollination. During the flowering period, peppers are shaken daily to ensure better pollination.
Bush formation. In order to grow pepper as a vertical crop, the bush begins to form at the first fork. When molding, two shoots are left in the first branch, which will be central. Subsequently, two shoots are left at each node: vertical (central) and external additional. In this way, the bush is formed to a height of 1-1.2 m.
Caring for peppers in open ground: watering, fertilizing, protection
Caring for peppers in open ground consists of watering, loosening the soil, fertilizing and protecting from frost.
Watering. The pepper is watered for the first time immediately after planting. The second time - after 5-6 days. In the future, it is watered every 7-10 days. First, 1-1.5 liters of water are consumed per plant, then the rate is increased to 1.5-2 liters. 2-3 weeks before the last harvest, watering is stopped.
Loosening. The soil is loosened after each rain and watering until the soil begins to dry out and crust over.
Fertilizer and fertilizing. Peppers are fed 3-4 times during the growing season, starting from the 10-15th day after planting the seedlings. When feeding peppers in open ground, use a solution of slurry (4-5 parts of water per 1 part fertilizer) or bird droppings(1 part fertilizer to 12-15 parts water). In addition, 150-200 g of wood ash, 40-60 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium chloride are added to 10 liters of solution. When carrying out mineral fertilizing, in addition to phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, ammonium nitrate is added under the pepper (15-20 g per 10 liters of fertilizer solution).
Frost protection. Heat-loving peppers are protected from frost with the help of temporary tent shelters made of boards, cardboard, burlap, matting, roofing felt or other available materials. Portable film shelters are also popular. In case of severe frosts, the film is additionally covered with burlap or rags. Smoke and sprinkling are used.
Bush formation. During the growing season, pepper shoots that are too long are shortened. All unnecessary branches shading the crown of the bush are cut out. It is imperative to remove all shoots located below the main fork of the stem, as well as branches growing inside the crown. Pruning is carried out once a week, after harvesting the fruits.
Harvesting, storing and processing peppers
Pepper is harvested in a state of technical ripeness (the fruit has already formed, but has not reached the color and size characteristic of a given variety), as well as in a state of biological ripeness (the fruit fully corresponds to its varietal characteristics). Usually 20-30 days pass between technical and biological ripeness. Ripe fruits crackle when touched. Peppers are harvested for the first time in mid-August and harvested every 6-8 days until frost. Before frost, all fruits are removed from the bush. They are sorted by degree of ripeness and, if necessary, stored for ripening. Hot peppers Harvest when the fruits become dry and red. You cannot pick peppers with your hands, as you can damage the fruit or stalk, which will lead to rotting of the pod. Therefore, the stalks are cut with a knife.
Like most vegetables, peppers have poor shelf life, and if stored poorly, the fruits will rot after two days. Subject to the right conditions peppers can be stored even longer than tomatoes and eggplants. Thin-walled peppers are best stored in the refrigerator. Part of the fruit stalk is cut off, leaving a small tip. The fruits should not show signs of disease, damage, cracks or dents.
Peppers are stored in plastic bags, or the fruits are placed in boxes and sprinkled with sawdust. The fruits are stored for up to 2 months. Ripe peppers are kept at a temperature of 1-2°C, unripe ones - at 10-12°C.
Fruits are harvested for seeds in the phase of full biological ripeness. They are left for 3-4 weeks, after which they are cut around the calyx and the stalk with seeds is removed. It is kept at a temperature of 25-30°C for 3-4 days, and then the seeds are separated. They are placed in a paper bag and stored in a cool, dry place. Pepper seeds are stored for 5-6 years.
The fruits are consumed fresh, pickled, canned, dried, fried, boiled, stewed. It is also possible to process pepper into caviar, puree, and vegetable snacks.
When preparing for drying, remove the core from the peppers and wash them thoroughly. Then cut the pulp into pieces measuring 1.5 x 1.5 or 2 x 2 cm, blanch them in a boiling 1% salt solution for 1-2 minutes, allow the water to drain and place on a sieve. Dry at a temperature of 60-70°C for 3-5 hours. To obtain 1 kg of dried pepper, you need to take 10-12 kg of fresh pepper.
Pepper is a everyone’s favorite crop and mostly grown in greenhouses. In our climatic conditions, growing peppers by sowing them immediately in open ground means dooming yourself to wasted labor. Planting and caring for pepper seedlings - this will be discussed further.
This is not to say that growing peppers is very difficult. However, without knowing some of the features on good harvest can hardly be counted on.
What you need to know:
- Sweet peppers are picky about soil composition and temperature.
- The ripening period is determined by the characteristics of the variety.
- Young peppers have weak roots that easily tear and break, so it is advisable to grow peppers without picking.
- Regular watering is very important. It makes no sense to rely only on precipitation.
- Pepper is a self-pollinating crop. If the sweet pepper’s “neighbor” turns out to be a spicy “relative,” then the sweetness of the fruit will not be preserved. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant bitter and sweet pepper varieties in the same greenhouse.
This information will help you understand the slight “capriciousness” of this plant. But for all its demandingness, pepper remains one of the most relevant crops due to its usefulness and taste qualities. It is successfully grown by gardeners, no matter what. Let's understand together how to grow peppers correctly.
How to grow pepper seedlings?
The entire process of growing peppers is not so labor-intensive as it is meticulous in terms of following recommendations. The preparatory steps are very important here and should not be omitted. Next, everything is in order.
Preparing seeds for planting
Seeds of any variety of pepper are considered difficult to germinate by gardeners. If they are not properly prepared, the germination process will be shorter and they will not be as friendly; in addition, the pecking process itself will be delayed by 5-7 days.
Given the Russian short summer and fairly cool autumn, this missed week can have a negative impact on the entire harvest. That is why special attention will have to be paid to the preparation of seeds.
Important! Unprepared seeds germinate unevenly. The first shoots will begin to appear only after 2-3 weeks. But the treated seeds will sprout vigorously on the 7th day.
The steps for preparing seeds at home are as follows:
- Calibration This stage is especially important for those who plan to sow with their own hands. collected seeds. Seed selection is carried out by eye. All small, deformed, empty seeds should be removed. Select only large, undamaged specimens for sowing.
- Packaging by grade. This stage only matters for those who grow several different varieties pepper To avoid mixing them up, after calibration, pack the seeds of each variety separately in personal gauze bags. Attach a label with the name of the variety to the bags.
- Disinfection. There is no need to use any newfangled methods (dusting with complex chemical compositions, etc.). Use a long-tested method - potassium permanganate. Soak the seeds in its rich purple warm solution for 20 minutes.
- Flushing. After removing potassium permanganate from the solution, rinse the seeds warm water until the water becomes clear. After 20 minutes in the disinfectant solution, the seeds will acquire a dark brown color, but the potassium permanganate will not have time to penetrate inside and kill the embryo, but will only create a protective shell that prevents the penetration of microbes to the embryo.
- Warming up. This stage will promote good seed germination. Warm the seeds at a temperature of +40-45° C (no more and no less than extreme values!). It is best to do this in a thermos or in a slow cooker on low. The second way is to place the seeds in a container with a lid and then place it on a heating device, but in this case it will be difficult to control the temperature. Seeds must be heated for at least 2 hours.
- Stimulation. This final preparatory stage designed to enhance germination energy. In order to stimulate germination, pepper seeds are soaked again, but in a nutrient solution. Any growth stimulant (for example, epin, which is sold in specialized stores), aloe juice, ash in combination with boric acid, and trace elements can act as a stimulant. IN as a last resort leave the seeds for a day in a warm place on a saucer in a wet cloth. Note! It is important here to ensure that all the moisture does not leave; If the seeds dry out, they will not sprout at all.
Preparing the substrate for the greenhouse
Good, strong, healthy seedlings pepper will only grow on fertile soil, so be especially careful when preparing the substrate.
Garden soil is not very suitable for this purpose, especially if it is heavy, clayey and acidic. There are a lot of recipes for preparing soil mixtures.
For example, it is good to use a mixture that consists of the following components:
- humus - 3 parts;
- turf soil or peat – 3 parts;
- medium-grained sand - 1 part.
Add another glass of wood ash to the bucket of this substrate.
Some gardeners, especially beginners, purchase special soil in stores to avoid possible risks. In this case, the risk of developing diseases in pepper seedlings is minimized.
Sowing pepper seeds for seedlings under film
To grow peppers in glass stationary greenhouses, seeds must be sown in early March. In mobile film greenhouses, sowing begins only after March 15.
Before sowing, prepare the seedling soil. You need to prepare the soil for seedlings at least 2 weeks before sowing the seeds. And you should definitely disinfect every element of the soil mixture.
The soil for seedlings should have the following composition:
- garden soil;
- black peat;
- pressed peat;
- mineral fertilizer;
- wood ash;
- humus or compost.
There are several nuances that a gardener needs to know:
- The soil cannot be taken from the bed where potatoes or tomatoes grew in the previous season.
- The humus should be sufficiently ripe (black, loose, smells like earth, not rot).
- The presence of wood ash and fertilizers is required.
Important! Do not sow pepper seeds in ready-made peat from the store.
Containers for seedlings
The container requirements for growing pepper seedlings are not very high.
Allowed for use:
- plastic or wooden boxes;
- packages of dairy or juice products;
- plastic or clay pots;
- cups of yogurt or sour cream;
- shoe boxes, etc.
Important! All containers must have holes made in the bottom. Agloporite or medium-fraction moss is placed on the holes, then a layer of soil is poured.
Sowing
Fill the containers almost to the top with nutrient soil. For final disinfection, water the soil with a weak solution (pinkish tint) of potassium permanganate. At a distance of 3 cm in a pot or box, make mini-holes the size of the phalanx of your index finger.
Don't water the soil anymore. Place the sprouted seeds in a hole to a depth of 1.5 cm, sprinkle with dry soil and place in trays with water in a bright and warm place. Place a label with the name of the variety next to each variety.
There is a week left before friendly shoots appear. The air temperature should be between +24 °C - +26 °C. It is in this temperature range with moderate humidity that the first seedlings of pepper will hatch most quickly.
How to care for seedlings?
After a week, when friendly shoots appear, you can transfer the seedlings to another, cooler room. Subsequent maintenance of seedlings for 2 weeks should occur at a temperature of +16 °C - 18 °C.
Note! The maximum time for pepper sprouts to appear is 12 days. If during this time the shoots have not appeared, nothing further will come of it. Feel free to sow something else in the boxes.
Lighting
March seedlings must be illuminated. LED bulbs, phytolamps, daylight sources - use any lighting that does not harm plants.
Only the emerging shoots are illuminated around the clock. Weekly sprouts - three times a day. After another week, leave the backlight on only for 6 hours every day, 4 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening.
Watering
The first week the sprouts do not need watering. If the soil dries out, just sprinkle water upper layer. Then watering is carried out every 3 days with warm, settled water.
Picking
Peppers are afraid of picking, so this is not recommended. Let them grow quietly in a glass or box, forming a strong root ball until planting in a greenhouse.
Top dressing
Every second watering is carried out with water with ash dissolved in it. It is advisable to feed the seedlings with liquid mineral fertilizer, bird droppings or mullein. Raise bird droppings in hot water in a ratio of 1:20, mullein - in a ratio of 1:10. Mineral complex fertilizer(1 teaspoon of dry granules or powder) is diluted in 5 liters of water.
Hardening
2 weeks before planting in greenhouse soil, the seedlings are hardened off. For this purpose, first open the window in the room for 2-3 hours during the day, then gradually increase the intervals of receiving air baths right up to taking the boxes out into the air.
Transplantation into the ground
Plant in a permanent place plants 25-30 cm in height, with 12-14 leaves, a thick stem, at the stage of forming the first ovary.
The daily temperature should be at +15-18°C.
It is better to plant seedlings in the evening, after the heat has subsided, for better acclimatization. At night temperatures it is easier for a young plant to take root. Add peat and humus to the soil in advance, dig with a shovel and level the ground. Place 1 tablespoon into each well mineral fertilizer. Handle the seedlings without disturbing the integrity of the earthen clod.
When transplanting plants into the greenhouse soil, bury the plants down to the cotyledon leaves and pinch the central root. Water thoroughly and mulch with peat or loose soil.
Note! To avoid the growth of green mass, do not overuse nitrogen fertilizers. If you notice this trend, lower the air temperature and reduce watering.
Further care
Main principles of aftercare:
- timely watering;
- garter;
- weeding;
- feeding
After planting, water the peppers every 2-3 days at the root, spending up to 2 liters of water per bush. In hot weather, water the plants daily. During harvest, water in the morning and evening every 5-6 days.
During the season, apply 3-4 fertilizing with chicken manure (1:10) and mineral fertilizers.
In hot and at the same time humid weather, cut off the lower side shoots. But during drought it is better to refrain from this procedure: the leaf mass will retain moisture in the soil.
Plants are pruned every 10 days: remove excess branches inside the crown and shorten the longest shoots.
To attract pollinating insects, you can spray the flowers with a sugar solution or hang jars of honey around the plants.
An important part of care is careful loosening of the soil and mulching with rotted hay. This will reduce the frequency of watering to once every 10 days. The soil should be loosened shallowly, up to 10 cm, after rain or watering. During the flowering period, hilling is carried out, and then the plants are tied up.
Harvest fruits immediately after ripening to encourage new crops to emerge.
Protect from pests by treating the bush wood ash(a glass of ash per bucket of water). With aphids and spider mite A tincture of garlic, tansy, wormwood and yarrow works well.
Pepper, as you can see, is a capricious, but grateful culture. If the care is correct, then the harvest will be rich.
To get a good harvest bell pepper, it is important to create for him the necessary conditions. High humidity and elevated temperature are indicators that have a positive effect on this vegetable. But such a plant can be grown not only in warm regions. It is often found in vegetable gardens. In order for peppers to bear fruit, it is important to know how to plant peppers in open ground, what to put in the holes, as well as what the distance should be when planting peppers in open ground, and how to properly care for sweet peppers in open ground.
Seed processing technology
Growing bell peppers in open ground begins with proper preparation seeds The technology for preparing bushes for planting involves calculating the timing, because sowing must be carried out so that by the required date the pepper is ready for planting in the ground.
There are several seed treatment techniques for successful conservation and improvement. planting material. With their help, you can increase guarantees for a successful harvest.
Interesting! If the seed is not processed, the seeds will sprout fourteen days after planting. When processed, the result will be visible on the third day.
First of all, it is necessary to determine which seeds are healthy. To do this, they need to be filled with a 3% solution of baking soda and water room temperature. After five minutes, healthy seeds will remain at the bottom of the vessel, and empty and unsuitable for planting will float on the surface. After checking, the seed is washed from salt and prepared for processing.
The seed is disinfected using various solutions. This could be Albit, Fitosporin, Alirin-B or Trichodermin. You can also use your grandmother’s recipe and treat the swollen pepper seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate. 30 minutes will be enough for the treatment to produce results.
Drugs such as Ecogel, Novosil or Epin increase the plant’s immunity and accelerate its growth. They are used according to the instructions attached to them. To improve the effect, such drugs can be used after the sprouts have emerged.
In order to make the seeds strong and strong, special fertilizers are used that strengthen the seeds. To do this, just soak the seeds in diluted fertilizer for 12 hours.
Growing pepper seedlings
Seedlings are grown in the ground three months after sowing the seeds. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare from February. It is important to complete all the necessary procedures before starting to seed. First of all, it is necessary to process and disinfect the seeds. They are then hardened and soaked. After this they are ready to disembark.
Sowing seeds
In order for the pepper to grow faster, you must first wrap the seeds in a damp cloth and hide them in a warm place for two days. After this, you can plant them in previously prepared soil (in boxes, pots or other containers). The distance between the peppers when planting in the ground should be 1.5 cm, after which the container is covered with glass or plastic film before the seedlings emerge.
Important! To plant bell peppers, you need light soil, which consists of sand, black soil and humus. Water the seedlings with water, which is infused for one day.
It is important to regularly add organic and mineral fertilizers to the soil. The first feeding occurs after the first leaves bloom on the seedlings.
Growing pepper seedlings
You can prepare soil at home using the following ingredients:
- turf land;
- peat;
- humus;
- sawdust.
All components are mixed in a ratio of 2:4:1:1. Then ash and sand are added to the resulting soil, adhering to the following dosages: three tablespoons of ash and 0.5 liters of river sand per bucket. The resulting consistency is poured with potassium permanganate.
There are two methods to grow bell peppers:
With the help of picking
It is important to pick on time so that the plant takes root better. As soon as the seeds germinate, the vegetable grower counts 20 days and makes a pick. Since the root of the pepper does not recover well, it is not touched, but other parts of the plant are used.
Without using picks
This technique is more common. You just need to move the seedlings from a smaller container to a larger one. Then the root system is not affected and the plant takes root faster.
Growing peppers on a windowsill
When growing bell peppers on a windowsill, you need to know several subtleties and nuances. First of all, you need to choose the right time for planting seeds. Since bell peppers at home often do not have enough heat and sufficient humidity, they will take longer to germinate. Therefore, it is recommended to plant seeds in late February - early March.
For normal plant growth, it needs to be provided with 12 hours of lighting. To do this, it is enough to keep the windows constantly clean, since dirty windows take away some of the light.
Don't forget about the humidity in the room. For bell pepper it should be 70%. To do this, install an air humidifier in the room. Of course, you can spray plants with a spray bottle, but a humidifier will be more rational and safe.
For planting seeds, two-hundred-gram cups are used, which are replaced by liter cups after one month has passed after planting.
Bell pepper, cultivation and care in open ground
The technology for growing peppers in open ground is similar to growing tomatoes. It is important to water the plant on time, feed it, shape it, and, if necessary, remove the stepsons. Don’t forget about protection from various pests and diseases.
Water Bell pepper necessary as soon as it is planted in open ground, then after five days. After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil so that there is no hardened soil. The plant is fed three times per season. For this purpose, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are used.
Don't forget about protection from heat. To prevent pollen from losing its abilities, it is necessary to make screens that will darken the plant.
Bell pepper, grown in a barrel
You can also grow the crop in a barrel. To do this, you need to take a barrel and remove the bottom. In order for oxygen to enter the barrel, holes must be made in its walls, 1 cm in diameter at a distance of 20 cm from each other.
Then the following components are laid out in layers: fading (layer thickness 10 cm), soil mixture (turf and ordinary soil, compost).
At the beginning of May, one pepper bush is planted and covered with film. After three hours, tear off all the lower leaves and fill the plant with 10 cm of soil mixture. After the plant grows, repeat the procedure. Do this until the barrel is completely filled with earth (this will be the beginning of June). Then the barrel can no longer be covered with film.
Features of agricultural technology
Agricultural technology for growing sweet peppers in open ground consists of the following processes:
- Irrigation. Seedlings must be watered with settled water every day. You need to be careful not to overdo it with water.
- Prevention. Periodically spray the plants with a spray bottle to maintain moisture.
- Temperature. It should not exceed 22°C during the day and 15°C at night.
- Feeding. To increase the immunity of pepper, it is necessary to feed it with minerals.
Principles of growing on site
Sweet pepper is a plant that requires care and attention. That's why experienced gardener prepares everything in advance necessary tools to care for him. Outdoor care for sweet peppers consists of the following steps:
- seedling preparation;
- planting a plant in the ground;
- watering;
- feeding
Preparation of bushes
Before planting seedlings in open ground, they must be hardened off. To do this, the plant must be periodically exposed to the sun to adapt. Due to this, the pepper will be resistant to weather conditions and will be strong. Hardening begins two weeks before planting.
The process of planting plants in open soil
To get a good pepper harvest, you need to choose the right place for the beds. This area should not be exposed to direct wind currents, be sunny and protected from drafts. In the fall, it is important to prepare the necessary area for planting by first digging it up and fertilizing it. It is necessary to plant bell peppers in open ground by impregnating the soil with potassium and phosphorus substances.
When planting, it is important to remember that sweet peppers do not like direct sunlight and too hot air. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the seedlings are in the shade.
Depending on which variety is planted, a scheme for planting bell peppers in open ground is developed. The holes should be 35 cm apart from each other, and 45 cm between the rows. If two peppers are planted in the ground, then the distance increases to 60 cm.
There is also a square-cluster method of planting peppers. Its essence is that each hole has identical sides that do not exceed 60 cm.
Peppers are transplanted into the ground at the end of spring or early June, depending on weather conditions. It is recommended to do this on a cloudy day or in the late afternoon, so that there is no direct rays of the sun on the ground.
Planting pepper in open ground begins with the seedlings first being watered and carefully, without damaging the root of the plant, removed from the container along with a lump of soil. At the same time, it is important to know at what depth it is necessary to plant pepper seedlings in the hole. The stem of the plant is placed underground up to its first lower leaves. After planting sweet peppers in open ground has been completed, it is recommended to insert pegs nearby to which they will be tied in the future.
Features of watering
Bell peppers do not require regular watering and moistening of the open ground. Initially, it must be watered during planting, then after 5 days and then once a week. Approximately one liter of water is needed for one pepper bush.
During flowering, water for irrigation should be about 20°C. Don’t forget to loosen the soil around the bush after each watering to prevent a crust from forming. To keep moisture longer, it is recommended to mulch bell peppers. Mulching peppers in open ground is done using rotted straw or grass.
Pepper feeding
It is necessary to fertilize the soil three times throughout the entire season. In order for plants to develop and grow normally, they need nitrogen. Therefore, the first feeding is preparations containing nitrogen. It is done 2 weeks after planting the bushes in the ground.
The next feeding is carried out during the flowering period of pepper. The plant needs potassium to form fruits. It is found in wood ash. And the last feeding occurs when the first fruit has formed. For this, potassium salt and superphosphate are used. Two teaspoons of each component are added to a bucket of water and the plants are watered with the resulting solution.
Possible diseases and pests and their control
The following pests can often be observed on pepper:
- slugs;
- Colorado beetle;
- whitefly;
- bear
These pests are collected by hand, and a solution of wood ash is used for aphids.
Popular diseases are:
- Yellowing of leaves. This means the pepper is lacking nitrogen. For treatment, you need to add 1 teaspoon of urea to 10 liters of water and spray the bushes with the resulting solution.
- Falling of the ovaries. Solution from boric acid will solve the problem (1 spoon per bucket of water).
- Fruits develop poorly. Treated with superphosphate or wood ash.
- Blackleg. Occurs from excess moisture.
Growing greenhouse peppers
Planting a crop in open ground under a film is considered the most convenient, as it brings the crop closer to normal conditions. Seedlings can be planted in the greenhouse in April. To do this, holes are made in the greenhouse, maintaining the correct distance.
Before planting seedlings, it is important to fertilize the hole. A solution based on chicken droppings or manure is perfect for this (half a glass of fertilizer per 10 liters of water). After planting, the bushes are watered at a rate of 1 liter per bush. And to support the plant, you can make a support from pegs, so that you can then tie the pepper to it.
Collection and storage
Bell peppers are harvested as the fruits ripen. Some vegetable growers may collect unripe fruits to remove the weight from the bush. This vegetable is used in many recipes, fried, stewed or baked. The fruits can be peeled and frozen or canned.
In order to receive fresh peppers until December, you can transplant the flowering bush along with the soil into any container and leave it on the windowsill in the house.
How to properly grow peppers in open ground and provide care? Sweet peppers are a southern crop and require warmth and humidity. IN middle lane, pepper in open ground grown through seedlings and using greenhouses. To grow the desired crop, you need special care.
Pepper grows well in open ground in the middle zone
Soil preparation
Growing peppers in open ground requires proper preparation of the land.
Sweet peppers grow better in open ground in places with a mild climate and in areas where there is more sun and less wind. To protect from the wind, make a shield from plants or build a fence.
When growing peppers in open areas, it is important to understand after which crops it is more effective to grow peppers.
It is better to plant peppers in the place where cabbage, pumpkin, cucumbers, legumes, and table root vegetables grew. In places with a previous harvest of tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes, it is not recommended to plant peppers for three years, since diseases of these vegetables spread through the ground.
The soil allocated for pepper should be characterized by fertility that retains moisture. They begin to prepare the soil in the fall. When harvesting in the fall, you need to carefully collect the remains of the previous crop and dig up the ground. They also fertilize the soil, enriching it with the following substances (per 1 square meter):
- superphosphate in a volume of 30-50 g;
- wood ash - 50-80 g;
- humus - from 5 to 10 kg.
In places where they have been fertilized with fresh manure, sweet peppers cannot be planted, since there is no need for organic fresh fertilizer. Too much nitrogen in the soil causes active growth vegetative parts of pepper, and the ovary is poorly preserved, which affects the yield.
In the fall, the place where they plan to place the pepper is dug deep. In spring, the soil is loosened and fed with fertilizers containing phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. The ground is slightly dug up and leveled before planting the seedlings.
Pumpkin is an excellent precursor for peppers
How to plant seedlings correctly?
Before planting, it is important to water the seedlings well so that the pepper does not wilt. Wilted pepper does not take root well, its growth is delayed, which leads to the fall of the first buds. So the early harvest is lost.
If the weather is hot, it is better to plant in the evening. In gloomy weather, morning disembarkation is recommended.
Prepare holes for planting and water. It is recommended to pour up to two liters of water into each hole (minimum liter), which should be heated in the sun. The seedlings are planted deeper than they were planted in pots, like seedlings. On the stem covered with soil, adventitious roots are formed that can nourish the plant.
Plant pepper seedlings in holes, ensuring sufficient watering
How to water bell peppers correctly?
Sweet pepper seedlings require special care.
In order for the seedling to take root faster, it is necessary to water the root every 2-3 days. One seedling consumes 1-2 liters of water. If the weather is hot, water every day. After seven days, the seedlings are checked and where the pepper died, a new sprout is planted from the reserve. Reduce the amount of watering. This is called "fine" watering. It is important not to harm the plants by excessive watering. How to determine the water requirement of a vegetable? If the plant darkens, this is a sign that water is needed. The plant should not be allowed to wither for a long time. If leaves wilt in the heat, this is not a reason to water.
When the fruits ripen, watering is done once every 5-6 days. In hot weather, water in the morning or evening.
Watering young peppers should be regular.
When to loosen the soil?
Sweet peppers grow comfortably in loosened soil. It should not be allowed to develop until an earthen crust appears.
What is the benefit of loosening the soil?
- Improves air flow into the root.
- The plant grows faster.
- The functioning of microorganisms is stimulated.
By weeding the ground, there is a fight against weeds.
You should be aware of the slow growth of pepper in the first 10-14 days, because the rhizome is strengthened and there is no need to loosen the soil.
The first loosening of the soil is done after the first “fine” watering. The root system is located in the upper ball of the earth, so loosening will be shallow, at a level of 5-10 cm.
If the soil is heavy, the first time you can loosen the soil deeper, destroying the soil crust. This way the soil is better warmed up and ventilated.
Hilling is carried out during flowering.
Loosening the soil around peppers should be done regularly
Feeding
Caring for pepper will not bring the desired harvest if you do not feed it.
It is good to fertilize the seedlings with nettle fertilizer. To do this, combine nettle with water in a ratio of 1:10 and leave for two days. The last time the seedlings are fed is 2 days before planting, increasing the dosage of fertilizers with potassium (7 g per 1 liter of liquid).
At least three feedings are done per season. The first time during the first fluffing (after planting two weeks later). Fertilize with slurry made from manure, bird droppings, mixed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers or wood ash.
Manure is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:4, bird droppings are diluted 1:10. It is good to alternate chicken afterbirth with nitrophoska (1 tablespoon per bucket of liquid).
In solution organic fertilizer(manure, litter) it is effective to add 40-60 g of superphosphate and potassium chloride up to 20 g or wood ash in a volume of 150-200 g.
Mineral fertilizers are also used. To do this, you need to add the following substances to 10 liters of water:
- ammonium nitrate - 15-20 g;
- superphosphate - 40-60 g;
- potassium chloride - 15-20 g.
This fertilizer is used for 8-10 seedlings.
During fruit formation, the need for pepper nutrition increases. At this stage, the third feeding is carried out. And the second time they feed at the beginning of fruiting with an increase in the dose of ammonium nitrate.
If the fruits of the crop ripen small, feed it a fourth time.
It is important to know that when caring for peppers, use fertilizers without chlorine or with very a small percentage. Pepper does not tolerate chlorine. But there is good replacement Potassium chloride is wood ash.
Superphosphate is one of the main fertilizers for peppers.
How to protect peppers from frost?
Having planted peppers, you need to know how to protect the crop from frost and damage. Caring for crops during frost requires creativity.
Tents are built from scrap materials (pieces of wood, cardboard, fabric, etc.). They are made in the evening and removed in the morning. But when the cold snap lasts for a long time, it is advisable to use film.
Flowers and ovaries often fall off. All due to unfavorable temperatures for vegetables (low or very heat). Growth stops at +8-10 degrees. But if the heat is 30-35 degrees for several days, the buds also fall off.
The consequence of untimely watering is a lack of moisture. Dry soil also reduces crop growth.
Pepper should not be shaded. With insufficient lighting, especially during cold weather, flowers and ovaries also fall off.
Bell pepper flowers may fall off due to lack of sunny color
Features of caring for bell peppers
There are some subtleties of caring for peppers for better yield:
- It is imperative to stepchild the pepper - remove the side and bottom stepsons. But in hot and dry weather, stepsoning is not recommended. Leaves protect the soil from evaporation. To increase the yield, professionals suggest cutting off the central flower that grew from the first branch.
- During the growing season, long shoots are cut off several times so that there is no shading of other branches.
- Remove plant shoots below the main branch and internal branches. Pruning is carried out once every 10 days.
- Pollinating insects are beneficial for sweet peppers. They are attracted by spraying the plant during the flowering period with a solution of sugar (100 g of sugar and 2 g of boric acid are diluted in 1 liter of hot water).
- By mulching peppers with rotted straw (up to a 10 cm layer), the frequency of watering will decrease.
- When caring, it is important to tie up the crop immediately after hilling and mulching.
Mulching peppers helps reduce the frequency of watering
Pest Control
Pepper is sensitive to diseases, so it requires special care.
But pepper suffers the most from pests (cutworm, whitefly, aphids, Colorado potato beetle, mole cricket, slugs).
To prevent the plant from being damaged, pollination is carried out with wood ash (three times per season). You can fight aphids with a solution of serum and water (0.5 liters of serum per bucket of liquid). And sprinkle wood ash on top of the leaves.
By adopting all the tips, you can grow excellent harvest sweet pepper.
