How to prepare soil for pepper seedlings. Soil for seedlings of pepper: a suitable composition. Soil preparation in the garden

All types of peppers have sensitive and tender roots, especially seedlings. For this reason, in order to grow a healthy and strong seedlings, few proper watering and timely feeding. If young plants die at a novice gardener, most are looking for a problem in organizing care, forgetting about the most important factor - the composition of the soil mixture. Incorrectly selected soil for peppers, with a low content of essential nutrients, can lead to seedling diseases.

Soil selection for seedlings

The last month of winter, gradually turning into the beginning of spring, is a busy period for gardeners. Everyone begins to buy the necessary seeds during this period and choose which soil is best for pepper seedlings. At the point of sale, taking one of the packages with a universal soil mixture, not everyone thinks whether it is suitable for young plants.

It is important to understand what the soil needs:

You need to know which soil is not at all suitable for pepper:

soil where eggs and larvae of pests, fungal spores can be;
it is undesirable to take components where there is a lot of clay;
the substrate is not suitable, where there is only one peat.

Nowadays, many manufacturers of purchased soil mixture indicate the acidity and composition of the mixture on the package. For this reason, choosing and purchasing a ready-made mixture in the store is more convenient than preparing all the components yourself. But if you need to get the most healthy and strong seedlings of pepper, then you will need to independently prepare the land for seedlings of peppers.

The composition of the soil mixture

The components of the mixture for pepper are not chosen by chance and not from what is at hand. Each of the components has certain qualities that improve the finished mixture. Mostly in mixtures for peppers, the following components are introduced:

soddy soil;
leaf ground;
riding peat;
soil loosening components;
quality sludge.

The soil does not have to be made up of all of the above components, you need to decide how to prepare the ground for seedlings of peppers based on your conditions.

Compost and manure. Some gardeners think that compost and humus are no different, but this different materials. Compost is prepared from rotted organic components, which are laid for a certain period in compost heaps or special boxes.

In addition to all kinds of herbal ingredients, you need to add to it:

good land, can be taken from a garden or vegetable garden (supplies the necessary microorganisms to decaying organic matter);
phosphorite flour;
high peat.

Outwardly, compost resembles humus, but it can only replace it if it lies for 2 years.

And humus is an almost perfect fertilizer, it is prepared from rotted manure. High quality humus does not smell like manure, it is more like the smell of spring land. High-quality humus is prepared in 2-5 years and can be used for any garden crops.

Important! In a self-prepared soil mixture, it is advisable to add humus, not compost, but if it is difficult to get it, then well-rotted compost will do.

Soil conditioners. These components are necessary to increase the porosity of the soil mixture and make the soil for seedlings better. Basically, coarse-grained river sand is used for this. But you can use components in which the ability to loosen is combined with other positive characteristics:

sphagnum - due to its bactericidal characteristics, protects the roots from the spread of rot;
sawdust - work as a moisture-retaining component and to lighten the soil;
perlite - reduces the risk of fungal diseases and helps maintain soil temperature;
vermiculite - accumulates moisture, slows down the drying of the soil.

To loosen the mixture, you can add any of these components.

Peat. He will help make better composition soil for growing seedlings and at the same time enrich its composition. As part of the mixture, the soil with peat absorbs air well and supplies nitrogen. But not any peat is suitable.

In total there are 3 types of this fertilizer:

lowland - the most acidic peat;
transition;
horse - the most nutritious and decomposed fertilizer.

Taking into account the characteristics of pepper seedlings, you need to choose a transitional or high-moor peat. If low-lying peat is used, then it must be limed or wood ash added.

leafy soil. You can understand by the name that this component is obtained from rotted leaves, it can be found under mature trees. Because of high content useful substances, it is also called leaf humus.

It is possible to prepare leafy soil in the same way as compost, according to the technology and the duration of the process, these methods are no different. The leaves collected under the trees are collected in large heaps, layers of ordinary soil are made between them. Periodically, they need to be moistened with water. To make the leaves rot faster, urea or fresh manure is added to them. You can use it only when the leaves are completely overripe, usually it takes 1-2 years, this land is better suited for pepper seedlings.

Attention! Fallen leaves can be collected not under any trees. You should not take aspen, maple or oak leaves, they contain a lot of tannins, which greatly inhibit the overheating of organic matter. And the leaves from under the birch or linden will prepare excellent soil for pepper seedlings.

Turf. The layer of soil with plant roots, called soddy soil, contains many nutrients that remain active for many years.

There are 3 types of soddy soil:

heavy - in which there is a lot of clay;
medium severity - it contains both sand and clay parts;
light - almost all consists of sand.

The soil for seedlings of peppers with their own hands should contain turfy soil of light and medium composition. It is harvested in summer or autumn. Cutting off a layer of soil along with the grass growing on it, they put it in heaps and wait for the organic matter to overheat, and then store it in a dry place.

How to prepare soil for seedlings

At self cooking soil for seedlings of pepper, it is required to prepare all the components in advance. They are stored in sacks or bags in autumn and left to freeze through the winter.

The components are mixed, guided by their intuition, or use standard formulations.

Types of soil mixtures

To select a specific composition, they are guided by the presence of certain components. There are 5 basic recipes for soil formulations that are used before transplanting pepper seedlings into the ground is required:

high-moor peat, deciduous soil, humus and coarse sand in the same amount;
the same amount of coarse sand, soddy land, humus and garden soil. To the finished composition, add a glass to each bucket wood ash;
good humus and lowland peat in equal amounts with the addition of superphosphate;
the same amount of coarse sand and peat, add 20% of sod land to the mixture;
the same amount of humus, leafy and soddy soil.

Any suitable loosening material can be used in place of sand in any of these recipes.

Advice! Poorly rotted compost, fresh manure or poorly processed turf should not be added to the mixture.

Soil preparation at home

Planting pepper for seedlings should be carried out around the end of February - beginning of March. For this reason, a week before sowing seeds, you need to start preparing the ground. To do this, first of all, it is necessary to defrost it and destroy harmful bacteria in it.

To disinfect the soil, several methods are used:

thawed soil is first pickled with insecticidal and fungicidal compounds. Such land preparation for planting pepper seedlings is needed only if there are doubts about the quality of the harvested soil components. They can appear if low-quality components or those harvested in the forest are introduced into the composition of the soil mixture. If you use this method of soil disinfection, then you should not forget about the permissible dosage of toxic drugs and your own means of protection;
you can steam the soil from 0.5 hours to several hours. After processing the soil with steam, it must be folded into hermetically sealed containers or in bags until it is used for its intended purpose;
disinfection is carried out in the oven at a temperature of 50 degrees. Gardeners sometimes cultivate the soil at more high temperatures, but at the same time you will destroy the beneficial microorganisms. In what soil to plant pepper seedlings is up to you.

In more detail, the entire process of disinfecting the earth is shown in the video:

Preparing the soil for planting pepper seedlings by steaming the prepared soil can reduce its nutritional properties, for this reason it is advisable to add additional fertilizers to the soil. But even here you can't get carried away. A seedling planted in the ground with too much mineral fertilizer can get sick or die completely. For this reason, before sowing seeds or planting seedlings, it is necessary to feed the soil with weakly concentrated fertilizers such as potassium humate.

Soil preparation in the garden

For pepper seedlings, the quality of the soil is important both when growing it indoors or in protective structures, and after planting it on the beds. For this reason, in the beds it is also necessary to properly prepare the land for transplanting seedlings.

The most important thing is to feed the future beds in advance, this should be done about a week before you transplant the seedlings. For this it is better to use organic fertilizers, but, in last resort, minerals are also suitable.

Attention! If the soil in your area is too acidic, then you will have to lime it or scatter wood ash on the surface of the bed.

It is necessary to lime the garden bed and make wood ash in advance, preferably even in autumn period. Needed before transplant simple preparation and soil fertilization.

After feeding the beds, you need to wait a few days, after which it is good to water the site. This will make it possible to evenly distribute fertilizers inside the soil. After that, you need to wait a few more days, and only after that plant the seedlings on permanent place.

We select components for the soil

A typical mistake of beginner gardeners is to sow seeds in ordinary soil taken from their garden. Therefore, many fail in growing seedlings of vegetables at home and prefer to buy plants ready for planting. The secret to getting good seedlings is to properly prepare the soil for seedlings. Therefore, we will prepare it ourselves, especially since there is nothing complicated in this process.

The soil for seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, eggplant and cucumbers should consist of the following components:

Humus. It is obtained from rotted manure or plants, which makes this soil the most nutritious and fertile of all. existing species soil.
Peat. An integral component of any soil mixture for seedlings. It provides income required amount plant moisture. It also contributes to the creation of good looseness of the soil.
baking powder. In addition to peat, the soil for seedlings acquires good porosity after the addition of coarse-grained river sand. This component creates Better conditions for growing garden plants in seedlings. River sand and peat can replace sawdust, but before using them, they must be treated with boiling water.
leaf ground. Distinctive feature of this type of soil is its high friability, but the low content of nutrients does not allow it to be used as the main soil for seedlings. Therefore, its use is possible only after combining with other types of soil. Leafy land is most often collected in a forest belt where deciduous trees grow. Vegetable growers do not recommend using land collected under willow, oak or chestnut, as they prepare the soil for seedlings good quality it will not work: it is too saturated with tannins.

We mix the components

Preparing the soil for seedlings is not a very complicated process, but it still requires some effort and free time from the vegetable grower. Therefore, many prefer not to bother and purchase a ready-made soil mixture. However, not all manufacturers of such products are conscientious, and it is possible to purchase with an acidic environment. Even if you add mineral fertilizers to it for good seed germination and strong seedlings may not be received.

For this reason, the soil for seedlings of tomatoes, cabbage, peppers and eggplant experienced summer residents prepared by hand. It is best to do this process in the fall, and by spring the soil for seedlings will settle and sit down. If you leave it for storage in the barn, then it will also freeze well, which will only benefit him.

Soil preparation for seedlings begins with the process of mixing the earth. To do this, spread the polyethylene on the ground and pour out each component in the required proportions.

Experienced vegetable growers are advised to make the composition of the soil for seedlings for different crops separately, since each vegetable has its own individual needs and preferences.

The soil for seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant should have the following compositions:

To one part of soddy land add 1 part of peat and river sand. The resulting composition is thoroughly mixed, after which it is well watered with a nutrient solution consisting of 25-30 grams of superphosphate, potassium sulfate and 10 grams of urea per 10 liters of water.
Soddy soil and humus are mixed in equal proportions. Steam can be added to a bucket of the resulting mixture matchboxes superphosphate and 0.5 liter cans of ash.

To prepare the soil for seedlings of cabbage you will need:

Mix humus (compost), leaf soil and river sand 1:2:1. On a bucket of the mixture, 1 cup (200 g) of ash, 0.5 cups of lime - fluff, 1 matchbox of potassium sulfate and 3 matchboxes of superphosphate will not be superfluous. If it is not possible to use mineral fertilizers, then they can be replaced with ash in the amount of 3 glasses.

The soil for seedlings of cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, watermelons is prepared in the following composition:

Mix one bucket of leafy soil with the same amount of humus. 1 cup (200 g) of ash is poured into the resulting mixture, up to 10 g of potassium sulfate, and about 20 g of superphosphate is also added. Everything is thoroughly mixed.

I would like to warn vegetable growers against excessive use of fertilizers when preparing the soil for vegetable seedlings, if the base soil used is nutritious in itself. This is due to the fact that on initial stage seed germination, the plant does not require many trace elements. The need for them arises only when the first true leaves appear. Therefore, additional nutrition is usually introduced through liquid fertilizer a few weeks after germination.

Soil disinfection

This process is necessary to remove pathogens from the soil. Disinfect the soil mixture for home seedlings Can different ways, one of which is its freezing. But, if this is not possible, then you can use watering disinfectants or steam treatment.

Method one. It is good to pour the prepared fertile mixture with a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g per 10 l of water), and then carry out additional treatment with antifungal drugs.
Method two. Land for seedlings is placed in a cloth bag or in a perforated container and set to steam for 45 minutes. You can, of course, ignite the earth in the oven, but along with pathogenic microbes, the necessary nutrients also disappear.

After the disinfection process has been carried out, seed material can be placed in the earthen nutrient mixture. Prepared soil for seedlings in accordance with all the rules will guarantee a high and stable harvest on your suburban area. Have a good season!

There is no summer resident who would not dream of growing in his garden excellent harvest and so that the peppercorns were all like a selection - plump, beautiful and, of course, large.

Some gardeners believe that there is nothing difficult in growing sweet peppers and that it is as easy as shelling pears.

But I do not agree with this statement. Growing sweet pepper requires knowledge, patience, and just love for this plant. As the saying goes, to make great peppers, put your heart into them.

A plump handsome man, the vitamin king of the beds, must be present in the ranks of our garden pets.

In most cases, Bulgarian pepper is grown. But what about those gardeners who do not have the opportunity to install an equipped greenhouse on the site?

Don't worry about it, because Bell pepper Will willingly grow in the open air, of course, with a competent approach and our regular attention.

So that the pepper in our garden has time to grow and we have collected good harvest, choose only early ripe varieties and hybrids.

The process of growing sweet pepper is laborious, but very entertaining.

Site preparation

First of all, we should create competent conditions for growing pepper. From proper preparation The crop depends on the landing site, so we will approach this task responsibly.

In order for the pepper to grow and please us, we choose a place for it that is completely protected from the winds (the pepper is very afraid of the cold wind).

The land should be free of weeds and well fertilized, have excellent moisture retention capacity.

For loamy soil, add one bucket of rotted sawdust, rotted manure and peat (2 buckets) per m².
If the soil is dense, clayey, dilute it with rotted sawdust and humus (one bucket each).

Under the open sky, pepper feels good in regions with a temperate climate. At the same time, in addition to protecting the site from the wind, provide for good illumination of the site by the sun.

The area on the south side of the house / cottage will be ideal.

Land for pepper should be prepared in autumn and spring:

♦ Autumn preparation. Carefully remove the area from all the remains of plants growing earlier (all plant residues are crushed and destroyed).

We flavor the soil with superphosphates (30-50 g), wood ash (50-80 g), humus (5-10 kg), plow the ground to a depth of 30-35 cm.

Please note that the pepper does not tolerate fresh manure! Manure should be added settled, sore. Excess nitrogen also harms a plump handsome man. The ovaries will be poorly stored and the fruits will ripen for a long time - do not overdo it!

♦ Spring. We loosen the earth well. Before planting pepper, the soil should be well cultivated (loose and mix upper layer soil).

It is necessary to cultivate the soil at a depth of 15-20 cm. At the same time, we add nitrogen additives (20-30 g) and phosphorus-potassium (30-40 g) to the ground for each m².

To grow pepper in open field was successful, the ground should be well disinfected before planting.

Helps disinfect the soil blue vitriol(a tablespoon of the substance in a bucket of water). We water the beds with a healing solution.

♦ Competent crop rotation. Cultivation of vitamin kings should not be done in beds where nightshade crops (potatoes, eggplants, physalis, tomatoes) previously grew.

For successful cultivation sweet pepper the best predecessors will be cucumbers, legumes, cabbage, onions, cereals, carrots, pumpkins, zucchini.

Let's plant!

Take your time! In the case of pepper, it is better to be late than to run to the beds for planting, dropping slippers and seedlings on the go.

We need a rich harvest! And for this, four main rules must be observed:

Boarding times.
Landing scheme.
Hole preparation.
Smart landing.

♦ Planting pepper seedlings, timing. In order for the peppers to take root and take root in the open air, you should wait until the time when the likelihood of sudden frosts is reduced to zero.

As a rule, these are the latest May dates (landing can be done until mid-June).

At this time, usually the soil is already warming up to 18ºС and the average daily air temperature is not lower than 13-15ºС.

In warm, sunny weather, plant young peppers in the afternoon; if it is cloudy, you can land in the morning.

Since our weather is in Lately very unpredictable, be prepared to cover the planting with a film or covering material in case of a sharp cold snap, and also if the summer does not please us with warm days.

♦ Landing pattern. Our handsome needs to feel comfortable in the beds. Therefore, stick to a planting pattern of 60-70 cm by 20-30 cm, depending on the vigor of our varieties or hybrids.

Leave a distance of about 50-60 cm between the beds. The beds themselves should be about 30-35 cm high, about a meter wide.

Cultivation of sweet pepper in the open air is carried out only by seedlings!

Remember that pepper is a self-pollinating plant and prone to cross-pollination. So if you want to grow pepper different varieties, remove them as far as possible!

♦ Well preparation. Before planting, each hole is abundantly watered with water (1-2 liters for each hole). It is better to use warm water (it can be heated in the sun).

♦ Planting! We very carefully take the young one out of the pot, turning the plant over in the palm of our hand, so that at the same time its stem is squeezed between the fingers.

Tapping the pot, slowly remove it and place the seedlings in the prepared holes.

For a better excavation of pepper seedlings from the pot, water it first.

Planting pepper in the ground should be strictly vertical. It is advisable not to deepen the seedlings when planting (even if it has outgrown), but try to plant it at the same depth as in the seedling pots.

This is done to provide the pepper with rich nutrition - this is helped by additional roots that appear on the stems covered with soil.

After planting, the soil around the plant is tightly compressed, watered and mulched with peat.

To ensure our peppers have a good survival rate, we shade them for several days (2-3), protecting them from too bright sun.

Experienced summer residents still practice this method of planting: the prepared bed is covered with some nonwoven fabric or plastic wrap, make holes in it and plant seedlings of peppers through them.

This method makes it much easier further care for plants, because there is no need to loosen the soil, moisture lasts longer, no need to fight weeds.

Such an effect has also been noticed, if we cover the bed with a black film, then the soil under it warms up by 1-3 degrees more, and when using a white film, the illumination of plants increases due to reflected light.

All this has a positive effect on the yield of our sweet pepper, which increases by 20%.

Taking care of pepper

Pepper care is an important part of the entire growing process.

When taking care of our vitamin fat man, we must not forget that pepper is a fragile plant, its stems and twigs easily break off even with a slight load. It needs to be tied up.

All further care when growing sweet peppers consists of simple rules that even novice gardeners can follow.

In the first 1.5-2 weeks of life after transplantation, the pepper may look weak and a little wilted. Don't be scared! This is a normal reaction of a sensitive plant during transplantation (at this time, the root system takes root). During adaptation, caring for a plump handsome man will consist in good weeding, loosening the soil around the plants. During the acclimatization period, pepper especially needs regular access to oxygen!

♦ Watering the peppers. Before the appearance of signs of flowering pepper, it is necessary to water it twice a week in the heat, at average air temperatures - once a week.

Consumption: for each square meter 10-12 liters of water.

As soon as the pepper began to bloom, after the appearance of the first ovaries and flowers, we water our pet more often (2-3 times weekly).

The irrigation rate will be up to 14 liters of water per m².

Use warm water (+24°-+26° С), rain or settled water. The best way watering - drip.

During the harvest of a juicy crop, the degree of need for watering can be tracked by the color of the plant - if it starts to darken - the pepper needs watering.

When growing sweet pepper at the time of harvesting, the fruits are watered infrequently: once every 5-6 days, in sunny weather it is better to water in the morning or in the evening.

♦ Top dressing of pepper. The vitamin prince should be fed three times (10-15 days after planting in the garden and 14 and 28 days after the first feeding).

When feeding for the first time, mix potash fertilizers (1 g), superphosphate (3 g) and ammonium nitrate (0.5 g) in a liter of water.

For re-fertilization, use a mixture of herbs, fresh mullein and wood ash. Take advantage of the following recipe:

In a barrel of water, dilute a bucket of mullein, 1-2 buckets of a mixture of decoctions of herbs (coltsfoot, nettle, dandelion, wood lice) and ash (12-13 tablespoons).

In a barrel, our components are mixed and left for 10-12 days.

You have a great natural and rich useful substances food for peppers!

Water each bush with a liter of healing mixture.

♦ External conditions. Make sure that the air temperature when growing sweet pepper does not drop below + 13 ° C (ideal conditions for good growth pepper: +20°-+25° С).

If it gets colder, cover your pets with a film or special covering material.

Pepper can react to a temperature drop by turning the leaves blue.

Experienced gardeners recommend adapting tents to protect against cold weather. They can be made from wooden blocks, burlap, cardboard and other handy materials. Pepper is covered with tents for the night, in the morning the protection is removed.

Another great way to warm peppers is by smoking and sprinkling.

Not far from the beds, they set fire to the material that creates thick smoke - it will warm the young seedlings.

Sprinklers are used for sprinkling - they create a fine water spray. Sprinklers are turned on in the late evening and turned off in the early morning.

♦ Loosening. Peppers should be loosened some time after each watering.

You should not do this right away, as this can greatly compact the soil.

Loosening is carried out to a shallow depth (up to 5 cm). This is done, given that the roots of the pepper lie precisely at this depth.

Remember to regularly weed your plantings. It is not worth spudding a pepper, even if its roots are slightly exposed. It is better to cover them with fresh soil mixture.

And it is even more effective to mulch the aisles with peat, sawdust or mowed lawn grass.

♦ Pepper garter. Young shoots of pepper are very tender and fragile. As they grow when growing sweet peppers, they should be tied to wooden pegs.

For better protection from possible winds (they can damage, break shoots), plant high, powerful crops around the circumference of the beds with peppers - they will create a barrier from the winds.

Undersized peppers can do without special supports, and so that they do not fall under the weight of the fruit, the bushes can be planted thicker and they will support each other.

♦ Formation. In order for our pepper to grow into a beautiful, lush, neat bush, it should be shaped.

To do this, the top is removed from the main stem of the plant.

Wait until the pepper grows by 20-25 cm. When it reaches this length, the pepper immediately begins to branch.

The next stage of formation will be pinching - the removal of lateral shoots.

We need to leave 4-5 upper stepchildren to the pepper. It is from them that we will harvest a delicious harvest.

But here, try without fanaticism, otherwise you can lose the harvest.

For example, if the weather is dry and hot, then pinching can be very harmful. In this case, you should leave the lower branches at the pepper - they will create a shadow and save the earth from drying out.

But if our summer is hot and humid, then it is necessary to remove the extra side shoots. Since in such conditions our pepper begins to intensively grow new shoots and, having grown such a green mass, it can simply shed the ovaries as an extra burden.

Learn from mistakes!

Pepper is a capricious and tender culture. When growing sweet pepper, inexperienced gardeners make gross mistakes that negate all efforts to care for the pepper and deprive the owner of a vitamin-rich crop.

Learn the mistakes of beginners and do not repeat them!

Many people think that harvesting peppers is not a tricky business at all. Not like growing it from seedlings to already ripe fruits.

But the collection of peppercorns is not so simple and has its own characteristics, on which their further storage depends, and even what the harvest will be like.

The main thing is not to miss the crucial moment! And do not let the fruits of the pepper overripe.

On average (it depends on the variety and growing conditions), pepper reaches its maturity in 30-45 days from the moment the ovary is formed.

It should be removed at the stage technical maturity(what it is - we will tell a little later). Harvesting is done once a week.

Pepper fruits are harvested with care, leaving the stalk on them. Try not to damage the stalk and not disturb the neighboring shoots where the crop is ripening! To avoid damage, it is better to cut the fruit with a knife or secateurs, and not pick it with your hands.

After harvesting, the fruits are placed in wooden boxes and wait for its biological maturity (this happens at temperatures from 0 ° C to + 5 ° C).

Under these conditions, the pepper should lie for about a month. Make sure the surface of the fruit is dry!

At this time, the pepper, ripening completely, reduces the content of harmful nitrates and increases the amount of carotenoids, vitamin C and sugars.

To speed up the ripening of peppers at the end of the season, you can do this: loosen the soil around the bushes to a greater than usual depth, slightly disturbing the roots of the plant; remove all flowers, ovaries, small fruitlets.

♦ What is the degree of maturity. When you remove the fruits from the beds while still slightly unripe, you collect the fruits in a state of technical maturity.

Such peppers have a greenish or yellowish color, they are stronger, tolerate transportation well and are stored much longer.

Fully mature peppers are at the level of biological maturity.

Their color depends on the variety and can be orange, yellow, red, purple and brown.

Pepper in biological maturity is not stored for a long time - a maximum of 10-14 days. Depending on the degree of ripeness of pepper, the conditions for its storage are also different.

If frosts are already beginning, and our peppers have not yet ripened, then you can do the following: we dig the plant out of the ground, shake off the ground from the roots and hang it in a warm place.

The peppers will ripen soon.

Properly store pepper

♦ Universal way. This method can store bell pepper at any stage of maturity. The refrigerator will help us.

The main thing is compliance with the temperature regime (from 0 ° С to + 1 ° С) and the period (up to 1.5-2 months).

♦ Technical maturity. After the cultivation of sweet pepper is finished (when your pepper is at the stage of technical maturity) it can be stored at a temperature of +9°-+11°C.

This is enough for full maturation. An increase in temperature leads to loss of moisture, wilting of fruits and the development of fungal diseases.

As soon as you notice that the pepper is fully ripe (this is indicated by a change in its color), its fruits should be placed in colder places and the storage temperature should be changed (from 0 ° C to -1 ° C).

♦ Biological maturity. Fully ripe peppers can be stored in plastic bags, shallow wooden boxes with layers of paper or sawdust laid there.

Under such conditions, the metabolic processes of plants slow down, which creates the conditions for preventing wilting.

This is facilitated by the "air" bags in the boxes, created by sawdust or paper.

♦ Freezing. Fully ripe peppers can be frozen for storage. The stalk and seeds are removed from each fruit.

Peppers are washed, discarded with a sieve and dried thoroughly. After that, the fruits are stacked one in one and frozen.

Then the frozen fruits are placed in bags or wrapped in foil and placed in the freezer.

There, the pepper is stored at a temperature of -18 ° C for 7-9 months.

In conclusion, I suggest you look interesting video, which shows a convenient shelter for sweet peppers growing in the open field.

See you soon, dear readers, and have a rich harvest!

Unlike many vegetables that gardeners successfully grow middle lane Russia on their household plots, pepper makes much higher demands on temperature regime and soil fertility. This culture is characterized by a slow growth rate, so it is possible to get a full harvest only when growing seedlings. And even in this case, heat-loving peppers will need shelter from the night coolness.

Nevertheless, despite the complexity of agricultural technology, many enthusiasts are very successful in growing this valuable and delicious vegetable in their beds, not only in the Non-Chernozem region, but even in more northern regions.

Proper soil for seedlings

One of the main components of growing strong seedlings of pepper is the preparation of suitable soil. It must meet several basic criteria.

The soil for the vegetable should be breathable and moisture-absorbing. Such characteristics can be achieved if you prepare a mixture of equal parts of humus, rotted sawdust (can be replaced with sand) and peat, as well as two parts of sod land after pumpkin, legumes or root crops. It is possible to increase the moisture capacity of the substrate with the help of a hydrogel, which, when applied to the soil, retains nutrients and accumulates moisture. However, the soil becomes much looser, and the amount of watering can be reduced.
The soil mixture for seedlings should be nutritious. The addition of wood ash or rotted manure, which can be replaced, has a positive effect on the vegetation of plants. mineral fertilizers(ammonium and potassium nitrate and superphosphate). Chlorine-containing fertilizers should not be used, as they harm the root system of peppers, but excess nitrogen in the soil is not dangerous for the crop, since peppers are not prone to stretching.
Vegetable crop is very sensitive to soil acidity and prefers its neutral values. At pH
Before filling containers for seedlings, it is recommended that the prepared soil mixture be disinfected by heat treatment (steaming or calcining). In addition, before planting, the soil can be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Soil at a permanent place of cultivation

Seedlings at the age of 2 months are planted in a permanent place, which is prepared in the fall. The soil should be nutritious, loose enough and at the same time retain moisture well.

The site is chosen in a warm and sunny place. If it is planned to land in open ground, and not in a greenhouse, then protection from the prevailing winds in your area should be provided. It can be either a wall of a neighboring building, a green fence or a fence, or a specially erected fence.
After harvesting, all plant debris is carefully removed and the soil is dug deep.
To increase fertility in the fall, it is necessary to introduce organic matter in the form of humus or rotted manure. It is categorically not recommended to add fresh manure to the soil for peppers, since an excess of nitrogen will lead to an increase in green mass and inhibition of flowering, and, consequently, fruiting.
Superphosphate and wood ash are added as mineral supplements.
If necessary, measures are taken to reduce the acidity of the soil to pH values \u003e 5.5. For this use dolomite flour or lime.
It is not recommended to plant peppers after any nightshade crops, as pathogens common to them can remain in the soil from previous seasons.
In the spring, the site is dug up again, but not deep, and fertilizers are added containing phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen compounds in a ratio of 2:2:1, respectively.

Pepper is one of vegetable crops, which contain a lot of useful vitamins.

The culture belongs to the genus Solanaceae. In our growing conditions, pepper is an annual plant.

Agrotechnical measures for pepper are a little easier than for tomatoes, since it does not need to be stepsoned.

The plant is grown for various culinary purposes and not only.

The process of growing this crop is a very creative process. And you need to do this business only at a time when you are in a great mood. And with this attitude, you will receive not only good seedlings but also a high yield.

This article will tell you about all the aspects of cultivating a crop.

What features of the culture should be considered when growing pepper?

There are biological and morphological characteristics of pepper that need to be known. We will talk about them below.

What applies to morphological characteristics:

The power and thickness of the plant bush. Depending on the variety, the height and thickness of the plant is different.
Leaf shape and length.
The dimension of the fruits and their location on the bush. As well as their color in different periods of maturation.
The thickness of the walls of the pepper.
The root system of culture.

What are biological features:

It is necessary to take into account the temperature in which the culture will grow.
The second thing to know is optimal humidity which the pepper needs.
Usually pepper is grown without the use of the following measures: pinching and pinching. But there are exceptions, also pinching can increase crop yields.
It is necessary to pay attention to the illumination of the place sunbeams for planting crops.
An important factor are the soils on which the pepper will be planted. The culture does not tolerate acidic soils.

What should be the soil for pepper?

The soil for planting pepper should be both fertile and moist.

All the nuances of different soils:

To improve the fertility of loamy soil, rotted sawdust (in the amount of one bucket per square meter), manure (in the amount of one bucket) or peat (in the amount of two buckets) is added to it.
To improve the fertility of clay soil, two ingredients are added to it - coarse sand and rotted sawdust (one bucket of each).
With the predominance of peat soils, soddy soil and humus are added (in the amount of one bucket per square meter).
With sandy soils, peat or clay soil, two buckets of humus and one bucket of sawdust are added to improve their fertility.

To prepare the soil for planting pepper, fertilizers are applied to it. For one square meter you need to add: one glass of wood ash; superphosphate; one tablespoon of potassium sulfate and one teaspoon of urea.

After adding all components soil needs to be dug up, while making beds thirty centimeters high. Next, the leveled surface of the earth is watered with a solution of water and mullein (in the amount of half a liter per one bucket of water) or a solution of sodium humate (at the rate of one tablespoon per one bucket of water).

About four liters of solution are consumed per square meter of land. After the measures taken, the soil is ready for planting pepper.

There are the following pepper varieties: sweet and spicy. Sweet varieties include: "Gladiator", "Lyceum", "Victoria", "Ermak", "Zaznayka" and many others. Spicy varieties include: "Chili", "Ukrainian bitter", "Vietnamese bouquet" and others.

Preparation of pepper seedlings and the necessary care for it

Pepper seedlings are very fond of organic fertilizers. You can fertilize with such fertilizers every ten days.

Picked seedlings love foliar feeding. Kemira Combi fertilizer is suitable for this, it contains a lot of trace elements. A diluted solution of fertilizer should be sprayed on the leaves of the plant both above and below. This event should be carried out in the early morning, before the sun shines.

Foliar feeding of the plant should be alternated with watering the crop.

When a yellowish color appears on the leaves, this indicates a lack of nitrogen.

Must not forget water the crop and make sure that there is no waterlogging or drainage of the soil. Rare watering leads to leaf fall and wilting of the plant. And excessive watering leads to poor functioning of the root system of the plant.

How to plant pepper, the main nuances

Before planting, you must first harden the culture, this is done fourteen days before planting the pepper in the ground. Hardening begins with a positive temperature of 15 degrees, and very slowly lower it, but not less than + 11 ° C.

Planting pepper is best done in the evening. It is necessary to observe the distance between rows of about 65 cm and between seedlings 40 cm. You can also use the square-nested method (60x60 cm or 70x70 cm) and plant two or three plants in one hole.

To maintain the plant from breakage, it is necessary when planting set the pegs(during the period of growth, it is better not to install pegs, since you can harm the root system of the plant) for which the bush will be tied up in the future.

Pepper after planting takes root very slowly, in order to contribute to better air circulation in the soil, you need to lightly loosen the soil around the pepper.

Peppers have an average growing season of just over three months, so pepper seeds begin to be prepared from January. The timing of planting a crop mainly depends on how the plant will take root in the open field. In warm areas, pepper seeds are planted until mid-March, and for the middle zone, planting is carried out in February. And planted in the ground at the end of May.

The scheme of planting pepper in the ground

In the third decade of May or early July, pepper seedlings are planted in prepared beds.

The distance between rows should be about 60 cm, and the distance between seedlings 40 cm.

And you can also use the square-nesting method (60x60 cm or 70x70 cm) and plant two or three plants in one hole.

If you are planting several varieties of pepper, then they need to be planted at the maximum distance between them, as the crops are pollinated.

What is cultural concern?

In the fight against different kind diseases and pests (for example: white rot, black leg, Colorado potato beetle, various slugs) folk remedies can help.

Many crops that grow nearby can also take care of their neighboring growing crops as well as protect them from various diseases and pests.

You can also water the plant every fourteen days with various solutions for preventive purposes.

Caring for the culture consists in proper soil moisture, tying the plant, weeding and feeding the plant.

Watering peppers in the open field is very important for the crop. The earth must be constantly moist. If the soil is dry, then the plant may develop poorly. If there are small atmospheric plantings, then watering the crop should be reduced, and if precipitation is constant, then watering should be stopped altogether.

The optimal time of day for watering is morning, if the night was cold, and if the night was warm, then you can water both day and evening. Water is used not cold, but warm.