To receive good harvest bell pepper, it is important to create for him necessary conditions. High humidity And elevated temperature- these are the 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, and what should be the distance 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 successfully preserving and improving 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 at 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 grandma'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's important to do everything necessary procedures before you start seeding. 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 until 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 sweet 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 that 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 as convenient as possible, 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 the 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.
Whatever line of work you are involved in, it is important for everyone to achieve maximum success in it. In recent years, we have often encountered various fields, including in gardening, with such a concept as favorable or unfavorable lunar days. It was introduced into our everyday life by astrologers, who claim that an enterprise started on a favorable day will be successful, and vice versa, if you start some process on an unfavorable day, the result will most likely be negative.
IN lately All more people turns to astrological predictions, and the point here is not in superstition, but in a scientific approach, because the influence of the phases of the Moon on all life on Earth has long been known. This also explains the reasons for such popularity of lunar sowing calendars among gardeners.
When to plant pepper seedlings in 2019
Thanks to the sowing calendar, you will become aware of the changes in the lunar phases, which determine the size and quality of your harvest. An experienced vegetable grower or summer resident will never plant plants on a full or new moon, since during these periods all the juices collect either at the top or, respectively, in the roots or tubers, and this interferes with the normal development of plants. But if the pepper, the cultivation of seedlings of which will be discussed in our article, is planted during the waxing Moon, its growth activity will be much higher than when planting pepper during the waning Moon. So, when to sow pepper seedlings?
Favorable dates for sowing pepper seedlings in 2019 are:
- January: 9-15, 20, 24, 28, 29;
- February: 6, 7, 20-22, 25, 26;
- March: 5, 6, 10, 11, 20, 21, 24, 25;
- April: 20, 21, 27-29;
- May: 4-6, 18, 19, 27, 28.
When to plant pepper seedlings in open ground?
In June favorable days for this: 15, 21-24; in July: 20-22, 25, 26th.
Peppers ripen 100-150 days after germination, but you can accurately calculate the timing of sowing pepper seedlings only if you know the characteristics of the variety. For example, early ripening pepper is sown 65 days before planting seedlings on permanent place, mid-season - 70 days, late - 75 days.
Planting pepper seedlings at home
Soil for pepper seedlings
The soil for seedlings of peppers must be loose, nutritious, neutral or slightly acidic (pH 6-6.5) and sterile. Can be purchased ready soil in gardening stores or prepare the necessary soil mixture yourself.
Here are some recipes for suitable soil for pepper seedlings:
- leaf soil, sand and high peat in equal parts. The acidity level of such soil is adjusted by applying lime fertilizers;
- turf soil, compost and river sand in a ratio of 2:1:1;
- two parts of humus are mixed with two parts of peat and one part of well-washed sand, after which the soil is sifted through a sieve;
- humus, sandy loam meadow soil and turf soil in a ratio of 1:2:2 with the addition matchbox potassium sulfate and two matchboxes of superphosphate per 10 liters of ready-made soil mixture.
Any soil mixture must be disinfected before adding fertilizers.
Preparing pepper seeds for sowing
Dried seeds enclosed in a capsule containing a growth stimulant and various fertilizers, preparation for sowing is unnecessary and even harmful, because soaking the seeds damages their capsule.
Ordinary seeds are first kept in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection: dilute one gram of the drug in 100 ml of water and dip the seeds in the solution for 20 minutes.
After disinfecting the seeds, to increase productivity, they are placed in a solution of a growth stimulant, for example, Epin, prepared in accordance with the instructions, or they are placed in the solution for 4-5 hours mineral fertilizers. After such treatment, the seed is washed in clean water and sow wet.
Some gardeners prefer to bubble the seeds by placing them in a gauze bag and lowering them into water through which air is blown with a compressor. The duration of this procedure is 4-5 hours.
But most often they resort to germinating seeds. They are wrapped in wet gauze or cloth, placed in a warm place and made sure that the cloth does not dry out. To do this, it is better to place the wrapped seeds on a saucer and place it under plastic. Do not soak the seeds with water– for germination, in addition to water, they also need oxygen. Germination occurs best at a temperature of 20-23 ºC. However, sprouted seeds have a significant drawback - the tender sprouts easily break off when sowing, so we recommend that you disinfect the seeds in potassium permanganate with their further treatment in a growth stimulator.
Sowing pepper seedlings at home
Since pepper takes a very long time to recover after picking, sowing pepper seedlings is carried out in separate pots or cups with a diameter of 10 cm and a depth of 10-12 cm. But if you do not have this opportunity, take a spacious container for sowing, so that in the future it will be easier for you to replant the seedlings in pots with big lump land. The depth of such a box should be at least 5-6 cm, and the soil level should not reach the edge of the container by 2 cm. Do not forget to rinse the dishes in a solution of potassium permanganate before sowing.
Pepper seeds are laid out with tweezers on the surface of the soil at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other, pressed to the substrate, moistened through a sieve or by bottom watering, after which they are sprinkled with a 1 cm thick layer of soil on top, which is then slightly compacted. Cover the crops with plastic film or glass.
How to grow pepper seedlings in tablets
Good pepper seedlings are obtained when grown in peat tablets, since this crop does not tolerate picking very well - after transplantation, the seedlings do not begin to grow for a long time.
Sow the seeds into tablets with a diameter of 3 cm: the required number of tablets are placed in a transparent tray and filled with warm boiled water to swell. As soon as the tablets stop absorbing water, pour out the excess water from the tray, make holes 1-1.5 cm deep in the upper part of the tablets, carefully place the seeds prepared in the described way into the holes and cover them with nutritious soil on top. Cover the tray with a transparent lid, glass or plastic wrap. Germinate seeds at a temperature of 25 ºC.
The first shoots appear within a week, and then the covering is removed from the crops, the tray is transferred to a bright place and kept at a temperature of 25-27 ºC during the day and 11-13 ºC at night. When the seedlings develop 2-4 leaves and the roots begin to grow through the mesh, the seedlings are planted directly in tablets in separate pots filled with one of the soil mixtures described above.
Growing pepper seedlings in cassettes
Now on sale large selection plastic cassettes in which it is very convenient to grow pepper seedlings - there are cassettes measuring 18x13.5x6 cm for four seedlings with cells 8x6 cm and a volume of 240 ml each. There are cassettes of the same size, but with six, nine and twelve cells. And there are cassettes in a box with a lid that allows light to pass through well, but does not allow moisture to evaporate - they can be used as mini-greenhouses.
A soil mixture suitable for peppers is placed in the cells or peat tablets, sow the seeds, then cover the crops with transparent material, place the cassette on a plastic tray and keep it at a temperature of about 25 ºC. Humidification is carried out using the bottom watering method - water is poured into a tray.
Is it worth it to buy pepper seedlings?
If you do not want or cannot grow seedlings, you will have to purchase them, and it is better to buy planting material in nurseries, specialized stores or garden pavilions - there you have a better chance than in the market to buy exactly what you want and get answers to questions about seedlings. But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to purchase seedlings from well-established sellers and you have to go to the market to buy them.
What do you need to know when buying seedlings? The leaves of the seedlings should be developed, green and evenly colored - without white spots or plaque. Seedlings should be strong and strong, and not elongated and drooping.
Unfortunately, unscrupulous sellers use various tricks to sell their goods, and as a result, you may end up with seedlings overfed with nitrogen fertilizers or, conversely, inhibitors that slow down growth. Such seedlings then bloom poorly, develop poorly and bear fruit poorly, but you are unlikely to be able to recognize this catch in the market. That's why it's better to buy good seeds from a trusted manufacturer and grow seedlings yourself.
Caring for pepper seedlings at home
Conditions for growing pepper seedlings
Maintaining the temperature regime necessary for the development of pepper seedlings in an apartment is not so easy, but you should know that the air temperature under the ceiling is a couple of degrees higher than at average height, and at the baseboard - two to three degrees lower. The brightest place in the apartment is the window sill, but it is also the coldest, and seedlings need warmth.
If you can organize seedlings artificial lighting, you can grow them where they will be warmer.
At a temperature of 26-28 ºC, pepper seeds germinate on the eighth to twelfth day, at a temperature of 20-26 ºC, shoots can appear after 13-17 days, at 18-20 ºC - after 18-20 days, and at 14-15 ºC you can wait for the emergence of seedlings no earlier than in a month.
As soon as the seedlings appear, the crops are moved as close to the light as possible, the temperature is lowered for a week to 15-17 ºC, and subsequently the seedlings are kept at 22-25 ºC during the day and at 20 ºC at night.
Do not forget to regularly ventilate the room, but keep in mind that seedlings are afraid of drafts and cold air.
Watering pepper seedlings
For the first two or three days, the emerging seedlings are not watered, but if the soil requires moisture, it is carefully sprayed with a sprayer. As soon as the cotyledon leaves open, the seedlings are watered with thirty-degree water. Subsequently, the seedlings are moistened with rain or tap water at room temperature that has been left standing for 24 hours.
The soil of the seedlings should not dry out - pepper does not tolerate drought, but excess moisture in the roots should not be allowed.
Please note that soil in a shallow container loses moisture faster than in a large container. Air humidity in the room is maintained at 60-70%.
Feeding pepper seedlings
To develop the root system of seedlings, they are fed with potassium humate, diluting 5 ml of the drug in two liters of water. Before the formation of flower buds, pepper seedlings develop very slowly, then their growth becomes more intense, and during the flowering period, pepper seedlings are fertilized with the following composition containing microelements: 1 g of manganese sulfate and iron sulfate or citrate are dissolved in 10 liters of water, 0. 2 g of zinc sulfate and copper sulfate and 1.7 g of boric acid.
Pinching pepper seedlings
Homemade pepper seedlings require pinching, that is, removal of the growing point of the seedlings. This is done in order to stimulate the development of the root system in peppers and the growth of stepsons from dormant buds in the internodes in which flowers are formed.
Pinching is done when the bell pepper seedlings begin to develop intensively - the part of the plant located above 4-6 internodes is removed with scissors. When, over time, the seedlings begin to grow stepchildren, the load on the bush is regulated, leaving 4-6 of the most developed stepchildren, and the rest are removed. There is no need to remove stepsons in the lower internodes.
Illumination of pepper seedlings
Since peppers have a longer growing season compared to other vegetable crops, seedlings of this crop begin to be grown earlier than other plants, when daylight hours are still short. But due to the fact that pepper seedlings require lighting for 12-14 hours every day, it is necessary to organize artificial lighting for it, otherwise the seedlings will be thin and elongated, with sparse leaves due to too long internodes.
Natural light from February to March is only about 5000 lux, and normal development seedlings require a light level of 20,000 lux. The process of photosynthesis requires not just light, but a certain spectrum of rays: red rays stimulate the process of seed germination and flowering of seedlings, violet and blue rays participate in the formation of cells, while yellow and green rays do not affect the development of plants. Namely, yellow light is emitted by ordinary incandescent lamps, and therefore it makes no sense to use them to illuminate seedlings. In addition, such lamps emit infrared rays, from which the seedlings stretch out and overheat.
It is best to use phyto- or fluorescent lamps for artificial illumination of pepper seedlings, as well as LED lamps, which are created precisely for such purposes. The seedlings are illuminated with 200 W lamps per 1 m² of crop area. The lighting is placed at a distance of 20 cm from the tops of the plants, and when the seedlings grow, the light source is raised.
In the development phase of cotyledon leaves, to stimulate rapid growth of seedlings, lamps should be operated for three days in a row. As soon as the seedlings have true leaves, the daylight hours should be 14-16 hours. In February, artificial lighting should work from morning until 19-20 hours without interruption. In April, the lights are turned on only in the mornings from 6 to 12 o'clock and in the evenings from 16 to 19 o'clock.
Picking pepper seedlings
If the pepper grows in a common container, at the stage of development of the seedlings with two true leaves, the seedlings are picked, although some reference books recommend picking already in the cotyledon phase. The soil with seedlings is well moistened and then allowed to drain excess water. Seedlings are planted in separate pots with a capacity of 100-150 ml - the seedlings, together with a lump of earth, are transferred into holes made in the soil, which should accommodate root system seedling with soil. The roots are placed freely in the soil, without bends. The hole is sprinkled with soil and lightly compacted.
When picking, the root collar of the seedlings is buried no more than 5 mm. After transplantation, the seedlings are watered and, if necessary, soil is added to the pots. At first, the seedlings are protected from direct sunlight, and the temperature should not be lower than 15 ºC - at 13 ºC, seedling growth stops.
Pepper seedling diseases and treatment
Sometimes, in the phase of cotyledon leaves, seedlings of sweet peppers begin to turn yellow, the subcotyledonous stem at the soil level darkens, then turns black, a constriction forms in this place, and the seedlings lie down. The cause of seedling death in this case is fungal disease black leg. Usually the causative agent of the disease is in the soil that you have not disinfected before sowing, but it happens that infection occurs through seeds or unsterile containers - this is why pre-sowing preparation and disinfection are so important. Blackleg progresses against the background of excessive or insufficient watering, dense sowing, too high or, conversely, too low temperature. Treatment of seedlings with copper-containing preparations and good lighting will help you fight the disease. Affected plants must be removed.
If your seedlings with two pairs of leaves suddenly begin to wither, without changing the color of the leaf blades, and lag behind in growth, most likely the seedlings are sick with the fungal disease fusarium. With fusarium wilt, the leaves begin to turn yellow from bottom to top, and in the section of the stem you can see a browned vascular ring.
The means to combat fusarium are the same as for blackleg, but it is better to prevent the disease from manifesting itself - sterilizing the soil and utensils for sowing seedlings, as well as disinfecting the seeds, will help you with this.
When gray fluff appears on the soil, the inner walls of the box and the base of the seedling stems, oppressing the seedlings, we can say that the crops have been affected by gray rot. For preventive purposes, once every 10 days, seedlings are sprayed with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate, and treatment is carried out with bacterial fungicides or copper-containing preparations, having previously removed the affected specimens.
Already adult seedlings can be affected by late blight: dark stripes appear on the stems, and lower leaves– light spots that gradually darken. The source of infection is usually soil. On early stage development of late blight, seedlings are sprayed with a solution of 5 ml of iodine in a liter of water; at a later stage, you will have to resort to fungicides, first culling the diseased plants.
White spots and plaque on the leaves and stems, from which the growth of seedlings slows down and the leaves turn yellow, are signs of powdery mildew, which affects not only adult plants, but also seedlings. The disease will have to be combated with bacterial fungicides or an iodine solution, as when seedlings are affected by late blight.
And sometimes there is a hurricane withering of seedlings: in the evening the seedlings were healthy, but in the morning they all lie as if they were scalded with boiling water. This disease is more common in southern regions and affects sunflower and nightshade crops. This disease cannot be treated, so you will have to replant the peppers.
When to plant pepper seedlings in the ground
With the development of 7-8 leaves in the seedlings and the formation of large buds, if at this moment the seedlings reach a height of 20-25 cm, you can begin to harden them. First, the seedlings are placed at a temperature of 16-18 ºC for 7-10 days, and then the temperature is lowered to 12-14 ºC. To do this, open the vents and windows in the room or take the plants out onto the balcony, loggia or veranda, exposing them to direct sunlight. The duration of such sessions is increased every day, and two or three days before planting in open ground, the seedlings are left to outdoors at night, protecting from too cold air. Hardening lasts approximately two weeks.
At the time of planting seedlings in the ground, the seedlings should already have 8-9 leaves and several formed buds, and the average daily temperature in the garden should not fall below 15-17 ºC. Before planting the seedlings, the area should be prepared: dug up with a shovel and leveled. Humus and peat are added to clay soil. The holes are placed at a distance of 50 cm from one another, keeping row spacing 60 cm wide. Place a tablespoon of complete mineral fertilizer in each hole and mix it well with the soil. The depth of the hole should accommodate the roots of the seedling without bends, and root collar after embedding it should be flush with the surface of the area. The seedlings are transferred into the holes along with a lump of earth, the hole is filled halfway so that the bulk of the roots are covered with soil, then about a third of a bucket of water is poured into the hole, and when it is absorbed, the hole is filled to the top with soil.
4.4942528735632 Rating 4.49 (87 votes)
- Back
- Forward
After this article they usually read
Fragrant, sweet and delicious pepper, which can be used for preparing many salads, stuffing, canning, etc. Can Very easy to grow in open ground at my dacha. Gardeners have long proven that those crops that love heat very much, such as peppers, are able to grow safely in more difficult conditions, of course, if you follow certain instructions and implement proper care ha them.
This article will talk about how to plant peppers in open ground and what conditions are necessary for planting pepper in the ground.
Growing conditions
Before you start directly growing seeds and planting peppers in open ground, you need to prepare the ground for planting. In those regions where the climate is considered milder, sweet peppers will grow well in open ground conditions.
The main thing is that the area is well protected from the wind, and was well lit by direct sun rays , since pepper is a very heat-loving crop.
These requirements will best be met by an area located near the southern wall of your house. If wind protection has not been provided, you can try to build a curtain wall, which consists of plants, or create a fence in the form of a fence for wind protection.
It is also worth noting that peppers can be grown only 3 years after harvesting nightshade crops (potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, etc.) from the site. A very large number of different diseases from these plants can be transmitted through the soil. You can grow cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage and other pumpkin or legume crops and table root vegetables in the area before planting peppers.
The soil in the area for planting peppers should be fertile, drained, and retain moisture well. You need to start preparing the area in which you will plant the crop in the fall. After the previous harvest has been successfully harvested, it is necessary to completely remove plant remains from the planting site and carefully dig up all the soil.
It should be noted that for one square meter It is recommended to add 30-50 grams of superphosphates, 5-10 kg of manure or humus and 80 grams of high-quality wood ash. At the same time, I would like to focus on the fact that you should plant peppers on the same soil where you have just placed them. fresh manure absolutely not recommended. The thing is that an excess of soluble nitrogen negatively affects the ripening of the fruit and even the preservation of the ovaries.
IN autumn period You need to carefully dig up the area for planting seedlings. In the spring we loosen the soil and add to it fertilizers in quantity:
- 30-40 grams of phosphate;
- 20-30 grams of nitrogen;
- 30-40 grams of potash.
Landing rules
To get a really good harvest, seedlings must be planted according to a certain pattern.
Pepper seedlings can be planted in the last days of May. The risk of frost at this time of year is minimized, so May is considered the best month for planting.
Planting of seedlings is carried out according to the scheme 20-30 cm x 60-70 cm. Before you start planting the plants, it is necessary to water all the seedlings abundantly, so that when we start planting our pepper, it does not look wilted, can grow faster and better adapt to difficult conditions .
When planting peppers in the hot season, it is best to choose the second half so that the plant can get stronger overnight. When clouds appear in the sky, landing can be done at any time of the day.
It is recommended to water the prepared holes generously with water at the rate of 1-2 liters of water for each hole. It is best to use heated water in the sun or other heat sources. Carefully pull the seedlings out of the pots and place them in the prepared holes in a vertical position; you need to plant the peppers a little deeper than they grew in the pots. This is important to do in order to provide the plant’s root system with additional nutrition, which is greatly helped by the adventitious roots that appear on the stems covered with soil on top.
What does care include?
To grow best harvest pepper in open ground, the plant should be properly cared for. Such care consists of tying up the plant, timely fertilizing, regular weeding, abundant watering and other actions.
Growing crops in open ground conditions, optimal temperature will be considered 20-25°C.
If the temperature drops below 13°C at night, it is necessary to cover the seedlings during the cold season with thick agrofibre or transparent film. If you notice lilac shades on the fruits, this will indicate that the optimal temperature regime has been violated.
It is best to use rain water for irrigation, which has settled well. The most suitable water temperature for watering pepper is considered to be 24-26°C. Before the flowering period begins, it is recommended to water the plants once a week, and on especially hot days increase the number of waterings to twice a week. The water norm for irrigation is twelve liters per square meter of area with peppers. During the flowering or fruiting period, peppers must be watered 2-3 times over 1 week. The watering rate rises to 14 liters.
The first feeding of pepper should be carried out as soon as 1-2 young leaves appear on the seedlings. It is necessary to mix 3 grams of superphosphates, 0.5 grams of ammonium nitrate and 1 gram of any potassium fertilizer in 1 liter of water. In a couple of weeks, your pepper will need to be fed again. The dose of mineral fertilizers should be doubled.
It is recommended to constantly loosen the soil under the plant. Loosening is carried out at a not very deep depth (up to 5 cm), since the roots of the pepper are located in upper layers substrate. In addition, it is necessary to constantly weed and hill up young plants.
Pepper shoots are quite fragile and break very easily, so they need to be tied with pegs. It is best to plant tall crops around the beds, which will create natural protection for your plants from strong winds.
Cold protection
After you have planted the plants, you will need to take care to protect the peppers from frost. Tents made from:
- burlap;
- cardboard;
- wooden blocks;
- other available materials.
Pepper with such tents must be covered in evening time days, and with the first rays of the sun, in the morning, open again. If the cold lasts for a long time, then the best solution will use a temporary portable film shelter, which is easy to use and made of inexpensive materials.
Another way to protect peppers from frost is smoking and sprinkling. This method has been used since time immemorial. It is best to select a combustion material that can provide very thick smoke. The sprinkler, in turn, provides a fine spray of water so that the smoke temperature does not exceed the recommended one. This method is considered extremely effective.
Disease and pest control
Peppers may be subject to the same diseases as other vegetable crops, members of the nightshade family. The causative agents of diseases can be fungi, bacteria and various viruses. The most well-known disease of peppers is “blackleg,” which causes the stem to wilt at the base. “Black leg” occurs due to damage to pepper seedlings. To treat this disease, it is necessary to adjust the air humidity and temperature.
It is adult crops that most often suffer from wilting. A change in the color of the leaf blades is the first sign of a plant being affected by blackleg. The pepper begins to shed its leaves, and a brown tint appears on the stems. Ultimately, such symptoms lead to the death of the plant.
Prevention measures And fight the disease First of all, they are:
- purchasing quality seeds or seedlings;
- timely elimination of weeds and pests;
- removal of plants that have been affected by the disease;
- compliance with crop rotation.
The most common pests that affect negative impact on peppers are mites, aphids and slugs. To combat insects you can use folk remedies, which have repeatedly proven their effectiveness. A solution can overcome aphids: 200-250 grams of high-quality wood ash dissolves in a bucket warm water, the temperature of which should not be lower than 50°C. To protect culture from spider mite use a solution of chopped garlic or onion (200 grams), dandelion leaves (200 grams) and one bucket of warm water.
The above solutions should be infused for at least a day in a room at room temperature. Before use, they must be mixed and strained well. To increase the effectiveness of any of the solutions, you can add a small amount of liquid soap: from 30 to 40 grams. Constantly loosening the soil and thoroughly treating it with crushed red pepper (1 teaspoon per square meter) or dry mustard (1-2 teaspoons per square meter) are a good way to prevent slugs. Straw mulch can also provide additional insect resistance.
Feeding and fertilizers
After young pepper seedlings have been planted in open ground, it is recommended to provide the plant with drip irrigation with the addition of fertilizers to the water, since in this form they will be absorbed much more efficiently.
For feeding, you can use water-soluble fertilizers, and to prevent the appearance different types rot, calcium nitrate is used at the rate of 1 kg of fertilizer per 10 acres. Throughout the growing season, it is recommended to carry out 5 to 7 such procedures.
The first feeding of peppers that were planted in open ground should be carried out no earlier than 10 days after planting the seedlings.
The dose of nitrogen fertilizers must be gradually increased until the first buds appear. Then, during the period of fruit formation, you should begin to apply potassium and phosphorus fertilizers more often. Nitrogen fertilizers must be used again during the formation and development of fruits, since they ensure their rapid growth and better development.
Throughout the growing season, the crop needs different microelements. When growing peppers, you can use complex fertilizers, for example "Zdraven", which will help provide the plants with the necessary nutrients.
Here list of nutrients what pepper needs:
- Magnesium– a lack of substance can lead to yellowing of the leaves.
- Potassium– enhances leaf growth and has a beneficial effect on their color. Also improves the strength of fabrics and their cellular structure. Increases the content of carotene and almost all vitamins.
- Phosphorus– promotes the development of the root system, increases the precocity of the fruit.
- Nitrogen– Increases the number of ovaries and promotes faster fruit growth. Excess nitrogen can lead to a decrease in the plant’s immune system, increases the risk of plant damage by diseases, and delays fruit ripening.
Organic fertilizers are not applied during planting. It is best to use them under the culture of the predecessor.
Mineral fertilizers can be applied to different periods. Phosphorus or potassium, for example, are partially or completely applied during autumn plowing, and nitrogen is best applied during the growing season along with fertilizing or the entire amount at once.
As you can see, growing a high-quality pepper crop on your plot will not be difficult. The only thing that is necessary is to follow the recommended requirements for caring for the plant and carefully monitor the appearance of pests.
Pepper is one of the most common vegetable crops, which needs to be grown in our conditions only with the help of seedlings. In our material we will tell you how to plant peppers in open ground, how to further care for the plantings in order to reap a large harvest.
Several important nuances for growing peppers
Pepper came to our territory from Mexico, which determines the needs of this vegetable:
- Short one-hour day (no more than 8 hours).
- Moderate watering.
- The need for increased use of potash fertilizers.
- High soil requirements - peppers need fertile and light soil.
This is a rather whimsical and capricious culture. For example, some varieties can only be grown in a greenhouse; when growing plants in the northern regions, you should choose early ripening varieties that differ small in size fruits
Let's take a closer look at all the nuances of planting this plant.
How to plant peppers in open ground?
It is best to plant peppers as seedlings in beds, because in this case they will take root on the site faster.
Choosing a place
First of all, you should not plant peppers where nightshade crops, for example, tomatoes and potatoes, previously grew, since they suffer from almost the same diseases and are harmed by the same insects that overwinter in the ground. As a result, they can all crawl onto your seedlings and destroy them.
When choosing a location, also remember that this crop needs a short daylight hours - if you plant peppers where the sun shines constantly, this can cause crop loss.
It is also worth protecting the plantings from wind and drafts. That is why many try to plant crops near shrubs and trees, which at the same time protect the seedlings from the wind and shelter them from the sun.
An important point: do not plant peppers in lowlands where water can accumulate.
Pepper is a fairly drought-resistant crop, and therefore it is better to skip watering a couple of times than to over-wet the soil, which can lead to rotting of the roots.
Preparing the soil
It is preferable to plant peppers on light fertile loams with a neutral reaction. If you plan to plant on black soil, it will be enough to apply fertilizer only when planting the crop. However, if the soil is “old”, long time I didn’t take a break from planting; 10 kg of humus was added to each square meter of the bed.
When planting on clay soils, when digging the beds, 10 kg of peat, sand, humus and 5 kg of sawdust are added to each square meter of land. Peat areas are enriched by adding 10 kg of humus and the same amount turf soil. If the soil on the site is sandy, you need to dilute it by adding 10 kg of clay soil, peat and rotted sawdust, 20 kg of humus per square meter of bed.
It is best to carry out all site preparation work in the fall, but some gardeners do not have time to do this - in this case, the preparation can be postponed to the spring. The main thing is that the activities are carried out no later than 1.5 months before planting the seedlings.
Boarding time
Seedlings cannot be planted in cold soil - the ground must warm up (temperature at least +15 degrees), and frost must also be avoided. Therefore, before disembarking, it is worth checking the weather forecast. It is best to plant peppers 2-4 days later than necessary, which will slightly delay the appearance of the crop, but you will avoid freezing of the roots.
Despite the fact that this crop can easily withstand temperatures dropping to zero degrees, it is worth remembering that at temperatures below +15 degrees, seedlings stop developing. Therefore, we advise you to build something like arcs with film over the bed with peppers in advance to cover the plantings when the temperature drops
Pepper planting scheme
It is very important to maintain a certain distance between seedlings, which will have a positive effect on the yield and quality of the fruit. It is important to remember that excessive lighting will negatively affect the seedlings, therefore, with slightly thickened plantings, the leaves of the seedlings will protect each other from getting burned.
However, very dense planting can complicate the process of weeding the bed, loosening the area, and the fruits may grow smaller. In addition, it is worth remembering that each variety of this crop has a certain nutritional area, so this should also be taken into account when planting
- Between bushes you need to maintain a distance of 40 cm, between rows there should be at least 65 cm.
- If you are landing tall plants that require installation of support, increase the distance between the bushes and rows.
Planting seedlings - step-by-step instructions
IN solar time It is unacceptable to plant peppers - it is best to choose evening or cloudy weather. On the eve of planting in the soil, it is worth thoroughly watering the seedlings to make it easier to remove them from the pot. Dig holes so deep that the seedlings fit freely in the hole.
Pour a tablespoon of potassium fertilizer into each hole (the main thing is that there is no chlorine) or a special fertilizer for peppers. And in order to protect plantings from pests and diseases, potassium additives are replaced with crushed shells or ash. If you did not add humus when digging the area, throw in a handful of the product when planting.
Pour water into the hole and, after waiting for the liquid to be absorbed, begin planting the seedlings. Carefully remove the bush from the container along with the soil, being careful not to damage the root. Try not to ruin the seedlings, since this plant does not form adventitious roots, which means that if planted too deeply, there is a high probability of the seedlings rotting.
After planting, compact the soil around each bush and immediately tie tall varieties of peppers to stakes. If possible, be sure to mulch the soil with peat, which will protect the soil from drying out and prevent weeds grow. When growing peppers in northern regions, be sure to use covering materials to protect them from the cold.
How to care for peppers after planting?
It is important to remember that pepper seedlings are quite demanding in terms of care, especially in terms of nutrition and watering. If, when planting, you fed the area with seedlings, then for the next 2-3 weeks, while the bushes take root, no work can be done. But if you make mistakes when watering peppers, this can lead to the death of the plants.
Planting
Most likely, some of the seedlings will not take root, and therefore the seedlings that have not strengthened and grown should be replaced with those that were left specifically for such cases. If mistakes were made when growing seedlings, the number of dead plants can reach up to 20%. If they are not replaced, the yield will be seriously reduced.
In addition, when the seedlings die, the density of the plantings disappears, which we achieved when planting, which means that partial shade will disappear, which can cause burns and other problems.
Watering is a very important event, which is very difficult to overestimate. Doesn't exist universal council by the number of waterings, since a lot depends on the growing region. For example, in Kuban, peppers are watered quite often, but in regions where it is cool and often rains, this crop does not need to be watered at all.
The recovery capacity of peppers is very low; rooting of seedlings requires a long period. Even with minimal disruption of the watering regime, sharp temperature fluctuations can cause growth retardation and even death of seedlings.
The first time the plants are watered when planting, the second time depends on whether the seedlings have taken root. Just keep an eye on the seedlings - if the pepper leaves are directed upwards, it is too early to water the plants. To understand whether the beds need to be watered, you need to determine the degree of soil moisture. To do this, take a lump of earth in your hand and squeeze it into a fist:
- If the soil crumbles after unclenching your fist, then the soil is dry.
- If the soil remains in the same shape, it means it is wet.
Do not water the seedlings until they take root in the new location. To understand that this has happened, take a closer look at the plants - the top and bottom ones should darken. And when the seedlings begin to grow, you can consider that you have successfully planted.
Tip: if you planted peppers on quickly drying soil, and the soil indicates a lack of moisture, it’s time to water.
At the beginning of the growing season, seedlings are rarely watered - the amount of watering depends on the amount of precipitation and soil. It is important to remember that when planting peppers in light sandy soils, the plants need to be irrigated more often.
An important point - do not allow the soil to get wet or waterlogged, as this will lead to yellowing of the leaves, shedding of the ovaries, and diseases.
Loosening the soil
Loosening the beds is carried out both to destroy weeds and to retain moisture in the ground. Therefore, try to carry out activities every time after watering, trying not to touch the root system.
An important point is that between the first and second watering you should not loosen the rows, as this can cause damage to the roots, which will negatively affect the survival rate of the seedlings.
Feeding peppers
You can't do without subcortex! For peppers it is worth using mineral supplements and organic fertilizers, and it is better to choose those preparations and additives that are intended specifically for peppers.
The first time the work is carried out after the first loosening, because during this period the seedlings have already taken root in a new place. The second time, feeding is carried out after the ovaries appear.
Who is better to “neighbor” with?
If you do not have the opportunity to allocate a separate large area for each plant, you will have to combine plantings. So, peppers go well with onions, tomatoes, and spinach.
But it is undesirable to plant this crop with beans and beets. Also, you should not plant bitter and sweet varieties on the same bed - as a result of such planting, the sweet fruits will acquire a bitter taste.
Results
Planting pepper seedlings is not so difficult; your further work is much more important, since the quantity and quality of the harvest will depend on this.
