Features of growing sweet pepper in a greenhouse and open ground

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

In nature, there are more than two thousand varieties of pepper. This plant is native to Central America. From there, in the fifteenth century, it was brought to other countries: to Turkey, Iran, Russia. Here he took root and became indispensable, despite his capricious disposition. Wide distribution is associated not only with a bright color, but also with a rich set of vitamins. To get a good harvest, you have to learn how to grow sweet peppers. This heat lover in most of the country grows only in greenhouses.

Sounds strange, but pepper is a short day plant. If daylight hours last less than twelve hours, then it turns into fruiting earlier, giving more stable and higher yields.

Growing seedlings

The process of growing sweet pepper begins with the acquisition of seeds and growing seedlings. Sowing is carried out in February, so that by May the seedlings have reached the age of one hundred days.

Pepper is such a culturewhich does not tolerate picks, so seedlings should be planted immediately in separate cups. Do not use large pots, as their root system develops slowly.

For sowing seedlings use a light and loose substrate. It may consist of humus, sand and garden soil (in a ratio of 2: 1: 1). A tablespoon of wood ash is added per kilogram of this mixture.

Before sowing, pepper seeds must be processed: they are kept in warm water for five hours. After swelling, the seeds are placed in a cloth for a couple of days at a temperature of 20 degrees. Having carried out such preparation when growing sweet pepper, the gardener will see that seedlings appear literally in a day or two from the moment of sowing.

Growing sweet peppers from seed is a long process. Seedlings appear after three weeks. At this time, it is necessary to monitor the soil: it should not dry out. Some summer residents recommend covering crops with glass or plastic wrap. A box with crops is placed in a bright and warm place. The optimal temperature for growing seedlings of sweet pepper is from 25 to 28 degrees during the day, and at night - not lower than 10.

Seedling care

When growing seedlings, do not water them too much, otherwise it will lead to a disease called blackleg. However, it is also impossible to allow the substrate to dry out. When watering, use only warm water.

During the cultivation of seedlings, it is necessary to monitor the temperature in the room and the level of humidity in the air: it should not be dry. Plants must be periodically sprayed with a spray bottle.

Usually, pepper seedlings are planted in February. At this time, there is still not enough light for normal growth and development, so it needs to be illuminated. This procedure is performed only in February and early March, until daylight hours increase.

Before planting seedlings in a greenhouse or open ground, it must be hardened off. This procedure involves the gradual accustoming of plants to sunlight, wind, low temperatures. To do this, the boxes are taken out into the fresh air, increasing the length of stay there. During hardening, you need to make sure that the seedlings do not fall under frost.

Planting seedlings

For planting peppers, choose a place where crops such as onions, pumpkins, cabbages, carrots or zucchini grew last year. It should not be planted in areas where eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes are grown.

The technology of growing sweet pepper involves planting plants on light soils. Usually, the ridges are prepared in the fall, adding five kilograms of organic matter per square meter, 50 grams of phosphorus and potash fertilizers. The soil is dug deep. In the spring, forty grams of s altpeter are added to the upper layers. A week before planting, seedlings, soil and greenhouse must be disinfected. To do this, make a solution of copper sulfate (1 tablespoon per bucket of water).

When growing sweet peppers in a greenhouse, seedlings are planted in late April and early May, and in open ground - in late May or early June. Planting pattern: 40x40 cm. Plantsplaced in the holes to such a depth that the basal neck remains open.

Pepper is a heat-loving crop that does not tolerate cold soil and a sharp drop in temperature.

Caring for peppers in a greenhouse

When growing sweet peppers in a greenhouse, it is important to provide them with warmth, enough light, and moisture. Watering is carried out in a timely manner: before the formation of fruits - once a week, but as soon as peppercorns appear - at least once every three days. The soil under the plants should always be moist. To reduce the frequency of irrigation, mulching is carried out. This helps keep the substrate loose while allowing the root system to breathe. Loosen the soil the next day after watering.

Formation

Growing and caring for sweet pepper comes down to the need to form bushes. To do this, at the main stem, you need to pinch the top of the head immediately after planting the seedlings. This action stimulates the development of side shoots.

To get a big harvest of large fruits, pinching is a must. No more than five shoots are left on the bush, on which fruits are formed. The remaining stepsons are removed.

Some summer residents say that you can not pinch the central stem: the plant itself begins to branch. But it is necessary to carry out pinching, otherwise the bush will be thick: a lot of greenery and few fruits will form on it. It is necessary to form a plant both in open ground and in a greenhouse.

Growing temperature

The main feature of growing sweet pepper ishis love of warmth. In order for fruits to form on the bushes, it is necessary to provide him with a temperature of at least twenty degrees. When night temperatures drop below thirteen degrees, the plants are covered with a film. The fact that the plant freezes is indicated by the coloring of the leaves in a dark purple color.

Irrigation

The plant belongs to moisture-loving species. The fruits themselves are about 95% water, therefore, for their normal development, it is necessary to ensure good watering. There is even an opinion that this crop should be watered almost like rice: it should always be in water. Of course, it shouldn't be taken literally.

To get a big harvest, you need to constantly monitor the level of soil moisture: it should not dry out.

For irrigation use warm water with a temperature of about 24 degrees. The irrigation scheme depends on the soil on which the plants are planted and the growing conditions. Plants should be watered at least once a week before flowering. During the fruiting period - at least twice a week. Usually you have to water more often during some periods of the growing season. Due to the hot weather, watering is carried out daily. In the greenhouse, soil moisture remains longer, so the peppers are watered less often.

Feeding

During the flowering period, only high-quality top dressing is used. It is best to prepare nutrient solutions yourself. To do this, take a barrel with a volume of one hundred liters. About five kilograms of nettle, wood lice, dandelion, plantain are added to it. Pour ten liters of cow manure(rotted), two glasses of wood ash. Water is poured into the barrel, everything is mixed and insisted for a week. For irrigation use this cocktail at the rate of one liter per plant. If suddenly the mixture remains, then it can be used to feed other plants.

During the fruiting period, the plant is watered with another solution. To prepare it, you need to take a barrel, add five liters of bird droppings and ten liters of rotted cow manure to it. Everything is filled with water and infused for a week. The resulting cocktail is used to feed crops at the rate of five liters per square meter.

During the growing season, the plant is fed about five times. Leave at least ten days between fertilizing.

During the flowering period, it is useful to shower the plant with ash, and also to bring it under the root: a glass of wood ash per plant.

When growing sweet peppers in open ground and in a greenhouse, you can use s altpeter, phosphorus-potassium, complex fertilizers. They are used in accordance with the instructions provided.

Soil loosening

Culture loves loose soil so that the roots can breathe. However, during loosening, they are easily damaged. This is due to the peculiarity of the location of the root system in the ground: it is located near the surface. In order not to damage it, the earth is loosened to a depth of no more than five centimeters.

The easiest way to keep soil loose is mulching. It protects against drying out and also prevents the growth of weeds. Close the ground only after it warms up.

Extra Care

When growing sweet peppers from seeds, you may encounter the need for additional pollination. This procedure may also be required when growing in open ground and in a greenhouse. Additional pollination is carried out by lightly shaking the flowering plant.

Sweet pepper needs to be tied up. The plant has fragile stems that break easily even with gusts of wind. To prevent damage to the bushes, they must be tied to a support. If the crop is grown in open ground, then tall plants should be planted around the beds, protecting the brittle stems of peppers from gusts of wind.

Possible difficulties in growing

When growing sweet peppers at home, you may encounter various problems. Summer residents usually identify the following difficulties:

1. Falling leaves, ovaries, flowers. It can be observed in extreme heat, when the air temperature rises above 32 degrees. It also indicates a lack of moisture, light.
2. Inhibition of flowering, growth, lack of ovary. So the plant can react to watering with cold water, low temperature, lack of light.
3. The fruits are crooked. This is the result of incomplete pollination of flowers.

Diseases of peppers

Sweet pepper suffers from the same ailments as other plants from the nightshade family. It can be damaged by tobacco mosaic, late blight, powdery mildew, rot. The causative agents of infections are fungi, viruses, bacteria.

The most common disease in peppers is black legand withering. The first disease usually damages seedlings. To combat the disease, it is necessary to adjust the humidity level and temperature.

Wilting disease is observed in adult plants. It can be of several types: verticillium, bacterial and fusarium wilt. All cases are manifested by a change in the color of the leaf plates, then the bushes shed their leaves, the stems become brown in color. As a result, the plant dies.

Measures for the prevention and control of any diseases are the selection of high-quality seeds, good seedlings, timely removal of weeds, pests, crop rotation.

Of the pests, the most dangerous are slugs and aphids. To combat the latter, it is necessary to spray the plants with fungicides, for example, Aktara, diluting it according to the instructions, or any other aphid drug available in the garden store.

Slugs are harder to fight. From these pests, special granular types of preparations, crushed eggshells are laid around the beds. In the beds themselves, the soil should always be loose. If there are slugs on the site, then the plants are not mulched, otherwise pests will start under the mulch layer.