Black pepper: how it grows in nature and at home. How black peppercorns grow in natural conditions

Where does black pepper grow?

REFERENCE! Black pepper, called Píper nígrum in Latin, is a tree-like vine from the Pepper family. Her homeland is the town of Kochi, located on the Malabar coast of India.

In the old days, this area was called Malikhabar, which translates as “land of pepper.” Based on its place of origin, the plant acquired another name - "Malabar berry".

IN wildlife black pepper grows in forests, twining tall trees 15-meter shoots. In areas with a hot and humid tropical climate, such as Sri Lanka, Brazil, Indonesia, China, Cambodia and other countries, the plant is grown as an agricultural crop. The main supplier of black pepper is the island of Sumatra.

As a rule, on plantations the growth of the “Malabar berry” is limited, allowing its shoots to stretch only up to 5 meters in length.

Special poles serve as support for the plant. The succulent gray-green leaves of black pepper are ovoid in shape with a ribbed surface and a pointed tip.

The leaves are quite large in size - from 6 to 10 cm in length. The liana blooms with small white or gray-yellow flowers, collected in thin hanging ears.

After the plant flowers, it produces small fruits in the form of spherical drupes with a pungent taste. The berries are green at first, then they turn yellow and then, when fully ripe, acquire an orange-red color.

To obtain black pepper as a seasoning, the berries are picked unripe, when they are green or just beginning to turn yellow. Harvest scalded with boiling water and laid out to dry in the sun. When dry, the fruits wrinkle and then turn black, turning into a world-famous seasoning.

ATTENTION! The pepper vine begins to bear fruit at second year life. It blooms in mid-spring. The fruits do not ripen at the same time, so harvesting takes several months.

One plant produces about 3 kg of seasoning. The lifespan of this representative of the flora is from 25 to 50 years.

You can also grow black pepper at home. With proper care, a wonderful plant can provide the gardener with a bountiful harvest burning peas. Moreover, every housewife has seeds for its cultivation.

Growing from seeds

Let's look at how to grow black pepper from seeds at home.

The best time to sow “Malabar berry” is early or mid June. Seed material in the form of black peppercorns in a bag can be found in the kitchen cabinet or any grocery store.

For sowing, the largest peas are selected and soaked in warm water for one day. Seeds should be sown to a depth of no more than 1 cm. The recommended soil for sowing is a mixture for which 1 part of river sand and turf land and 2 shares of leaf soil.

It is advisable to cover the container with planted seeds plastic film or glass, remembering to periodically ventilate it and moisten the soil. At temperatures from 25 to 30 °C Shoots can be expected in a month.

REFERENCE! With the appearance of the first true leaf, the seedlings dive into another container at a distance 2-3 cm from each other. After the appearance of the second true leaves, you need to feed the seedlings with the settled infusion of bird droppings.

When the plants get stronger and grow, you can transplant them into separate pots with a diameter of no more than 7 cm. As the root system grows, each young vine will need a container with a diameter of about 9 cm and reliable support.

You can visually see how pepper grows in the photo below:

Features of keeping at home

Further care for the pepper vine is not difficult. With sufficient humidity, it grows very quickly and can stretch out within a year. up to 2 meters. You just need to pay attention to the plant and follow some recommendations for growing it.

Lighting and temperature

Pepper needs absent-mindedness sunlight. Ideal place to place it - a window facing west or east. In the south, shading from the sun will be required. Due to the noticeable lack of light, the north side is completely unsuitable.

The optimal temperature in the warm season is from 20 to 25 °C, and in winter - from 16 to 18 °C. It is very desirable that the temperature in the room does not fall below 10 °C, otherwise the pet may die.

Watering and humidity

During the warm period, the plant needs to be watered quite abundantly, waiting until it dries out. upper layer land. In autumn, it is recommended to reduce watering, and in winter, moisture should be very moderate.

And it is important to remember that both overdrying and waterlogging of the soil are equally dangerous for black pepper. For a resident of the tropics, high humidity is the main condition for existence.

If the air in the room is dry, the plant will begin to wither and become sick. Morning and evening water procedures in the form of spraying foliage will help increase humidity.

Top dressing

In spring and until the end of August, the pet should be fertilized twice a month with a mineral complex for decorative foliage. In winter, pepper does not need fertilizer.

Transfer

Young vines are replanted annually, adults - every two years. Replanting is carried out in the spring; a slightly larger pot is required, provided with holes for water drainage and a sufficient layer of drainage. It is better to prepare the substrate for the plant yourself, using equal shares of river sand, peat, humus, leaf and turf soil.

Trimming

ATTENTION! Like all plants, peppers require annual pruning and removal of old or diseased parts. In autumn, when the fruiting period ends, it is necessary to cut the shoots by a third.

In addition, due to very rapid growth, the vine may acquire too long and tangled vines - it is advisable to shorten them so that the plant looks better and is healthy. Black pepper will take on a particularly attractive shape if there is a support in the form of a wooden lattice or arc next to it - the young shoots will effectively entwine it.

Reproduction

Seeds that can be collected from the plant itself. Sow seeds and care for seedlings according to the method described above.
Cuttings. Cuttings with 1 or 2 buds are taken from an adult vine and planted in soil consisting of one part leaf soil and 2 parts sand. Cover the container with cuttings plastic bag, regularly ventilate the “greenhouse” and water the seedlings. At temperatures from 24 to 26 ° C, rooting occurs within 3 weeks. After this, young black peppers can be planted in separate pots.
Dividing the bush. This method is best used during spring transplant. The overgrown climbing bush of the plant is divided, and the resulting “divisions” are planted in separate containers, providing them with proper care.
By layering. A long creeping shoot of a vine is attached to the surface of the soil and moistened regularly. Rooting in this case occurs very quickly. The shoot along with the roots is cut off and given a separate container.

Possible problems

The leaves wither and turn yellow - the soil is waterlogged, there is a lack of nutrients.
The tips of the leaves turn brown and turn brown - low air humidity, “drought” in the pot.
The stems are stretched and exposed - poor lighting, the need for feeding.

Benefits and harms

Let's look at useful and harmful properties seasonings, as well as diseases that can be treated with black pepper in folk medicine.

Black pepper is so versatile that it is included in most recipes for first and second courses. The popularity of the seasoning is not accidental, because it has a lot of beneficial properties. “Malabar berry” has a rich composition.

This unique substance stimulates appetite, thins the blood, prevents blood clots, and stimulates metabolism. Pepper vine also helps normalize intestinal function and is indicated for stress, fatigue and depression.

IMPORTANT! Black pepper has long been used for medicinal purposes. It has antioxidant, bactericidal, strengthening and even anthelmintic effects. Malabar berry helps in the treatment of fever, cough and cold and in diseases of the endocrine system.

However, black pepper also has a number of contraindications. It is not recommended for people with individual intolerance to the product, suffering from anemia, peptic ulcers, as well as for diseases of the urinary tract in the acute phase.

It is necessary to give up your favorite seasoning if you have had surgery on the stomach or intestines. And you should not overuse hot peas - it is not beneficial even for a healthy person.

You can, of course, buy black pepper in the store - it’s affordable and inexpensive product. But how much more interesting it is to grow it yourself!

This is not only a fascinating process, but also an opportunity to always have fresh and therefore healthier seasoning on the table. You just need to surround the plant with care and attention - and it will thank you with a rich harvest of black peppercorns.

The wars have ceased - trade and very real, bloody ones. All the greatest have been accomplished geographical discoveries. Humanity has entered the age of globalization and has erased the boundaries between countries and continents. Humanity has calmed down and is no longer fighting for the right to own caravan and by sea routes delivery of the greatest value - black peppercorns.

If humanity knew that beginning of XXI century, the question will become relevant: not where and for how much to buy precious black peas, but how, out of pure sporting interest, to grow peppercorns on a windowsill or balcony.

The Story of the King of Spice

Black pepper was, and to this day remains, the most sought after and most popular spice in the whole world. Already five thousand years BC there was a brisk trade in black pepper. Some pundits believe that the introduction into culinary use of salt as a spice and black pepper as a spice occurred at approximately the same time.

It is not known for certain when the use of black pepper began in its homeland, India, but the fact that black pepper was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans is well known.

The Sanskrit name “pippali” goes back to the words that name pepper in Latin, English, Russian and many other languages.

Black pepper began its victorious march around the world from the coast of southwestern India - the Malabar Peninsula, where it grew wild. His path ran to the West through the Arabian Peninsula, the Red Sea to Egypt, and from there to the countries of Europe.

IN Ancient Rus' black pepper penetrated quite early; it is not known for certain whether it was present on the tables of the Slavic princes who raided Byzantium, but already the first Russian Rurik princes were familiar with this spice through trade with Byzantium.

Biology of the precious vine

Píper nígrum (lat.) - black pepper - a perennial vine of the Pepper genus, the Pepper family, native to the southwestern coast of India, the Malabar coast peninsula, for many centuries was called the “Malabar berry”.

This is a typical tropical liana, in natural conditions growing in a humid, hot climate in the lower layer of the tropical forest, it uses tree trunks as a support plant. In the wild it reaches a length of 15 meters.

Introduced into cultivation and domestication, black pepper grows exclusively in countries with a hot, humid tropical climate (Java, Sumatra, Brazil), which are the main exporters of this spice to world markets.

For cultivation as cultivated plant on plantations they use 4-6 meter poles around which the plant is wrapped, which makes harvesting berries more convenient.

All varieties of trade names of peppercorns - red, pink, white, green - are products obtained from the same plant. The only difference is in the technology of processing the fruits and the degree of their ripeness during harvesting.

Potted option

Growing black pepper at home is a relatively new hobby. It is carried out exclusively by amateur enthusiasts who have dedicated free time gardening and floriculture. Practical significance Growing an exotic plant on a windowsill or balcony is not harmful, since high-quality black pepper, both peas and powder, is available to everyone today, and its prices are not high.

Since growing an exotic plant at home is the choice of a very limited number of amateur gardeners, there is no abundance of seeds or varieties in specialized stores selling seeds. To grow peppers on the balcony at home, amateurs use ordinary store-bought peppercorns, sold in stores as a spice.

It all depends on the drying conditions and the integrity of the spice manufacturer. If the technology was not violated during the production (drying) of the berries, ripe berries were used to prepare the spice, and no chemical preservatives were used to protect the product from spoilage during storage, then the probability of seed germination is quite high.

Difficulties of growing at home

Unlike tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables, which have long been cultivated in countries with temperate climate, no serious attempt has been made to acclimatize black pepper. A lot of surprises await an enthusiast who decides to grow peppers on a windowsill or balcony. Each of them is a pioneer. The experience shared on the Internet by those who have already tried to grow black pepper at home is purely empirical in nature and depends more on luck or coincidence than on the developed and established practice of cultivating this crop.

The main difficulty is the lack of sunny days in mid-latitudes, low summer temperatures and dry climate.

Create ideal conditions growing black pepper at home is a task that only a very passionate and purposeful person can do. It requires quite significant material costs for the equipment of an insulated greenhouse, in which a certain illumination, temperature, humidity and chemical composition soil. Existing grow boxes (automated cabinets for growing exotic plants) are usually small, as black pepper grows up to two meters or more.

There is only one way out - making them yourself. And this requires certain skills, free space in the apartment or on the balcony, special equipment and large waste of electricity.

If this does not stop the enthusiast, then go ahead! Let's get down to business.

Traditionally, we will consider two ways of growing black peppercorns in an apartment - the “folk” way, completely free from any technical problems, and relying only on chance and Marya Ivanovna’s advice, and the scientific and technological one, which creates an optimal environment for the plant. Mechanisms for maintaining this environment are involved, and modern progressive agricultural methods are used.

Let's start Sum Ova

Cum ova (lat.) - with eggs, this is how dinner began for the Roman patricians. And in Russian - from the very beginning.

Since you can’t find seeds in specialized stores during the day, we’ll use the Internet’s advice and stock up on a bag of black peppercorns after checking the packaging date. It is advisable that at least the year of production coincide with the year in which you were struck by the idea of growing pepper at home. Select the largest and darkest seeds from the bag. It is more likely that these were ripe berries. Having selected them, soak them in warm (22-25 °C) water for a day. They should swell and sink. Peas floating on the surface will certainly not germinate. After this, we treat with growth stimulants (“Epin-Extra”, “Bud”, “Ovary”, “Tsveten” in strict accordance with the instructions and after treatment we place the seeds on filter paper or in a damp gauze cloth in a bowl with wet, clean, calcined river sand and cover with plastic wrap. We place the vessel near a heating radiator or in another warm place so that the temperature of the sand is constantly maintained in the range of +25-30 °C. Until the sprouts hatch, we monitor the moisture content of the sand, periodically removing the film for ventilation and spraying with water.

After the sprouts appear, we plant the seeds in pots. Tips to sow in one ditch or box, and then pick and plant in pots - extra waste time. The plants will grow in the pot anyway and there is no need to further traumatize them with transplants. This ends the general path of the “folk” method and the scientific method. Then they walk apart.

"Folk" growing method

Amateur enthusiasts, accustomed to doing everything in the old-fashioned way, immediately recommend the composition of the earthen mixture:

The soil pH should be between 5.5 and 6.5.

If the soil is acidic, add lime.

It’s easy to believe that there is a lot of fallen rotten leaves in the tropical forest, but it’s hard to believe that cows or horses are actively grazing there (this is about humus).

After making the mixture, be sure to disinfect it. What if the tropical guest doesn’t like the bacteria living in our manure? And after disinfection (steaming for 30 minutes over steam), leave for 2-3 weeks in a cool place to restore the microflora.

The seeds are planted to a depth of 2 cm. The soil is moistened and covered with a transparent cap or film. After emergence of shoots, the film is removed. The air temperature should always be +22-25 °C.

Further care comes down to tying the growing vine to a support, regularly spraying it with water and replanting it in larger pots 2 times a year.

It is recommended to maintain the temperature at: summer period+22-25 °C, in winter reduce to +18 °C. According to the “folk” academicians, this is so that the plant can rest. It is believed that with this growing regime, the plant should bloom and produce berries in the second year.

Closer to the truth

The Portuguese who discovered the Malabar coast called it the coast of eternal rains.

A narrow strip, no more than 2 kilometers wide, is completely covered with swamps. The dominant landscape is tropical evergreen forests, which never know what winter is or a seasonal drop in air temperature!

The soil is lateritic - formed by fallen leaves. It is characterized by a high content of iron and aluminum, a residual content of alkalis, an acidic reaction (pH 4-5.5), and a small amount of silica.

Such soils are poor in nutrients, coarse, and red in color. Tropical vegetation of the lower tier - vines and orchids.

Here it is, the golden grain for growing black pepper at home. It grows next to orchids, on the same trees, on the same soil. And the same butterflies come to pollinate them.

Therefore, there is no need to reinvent the wheel and come up with “compositions” of soil rich in organic matter. Just take a guide on growing orchids at home (fortunately there are a lot of them) and you will get detailed guide to growing black pepper.

So, to plant seeds, we buy ready-made soil mixture (for orchids). We place the pot with the plant in a tray of water on a wire rack, so that the bottom of the pot does not fall into the water, and cover the top with a wire frame with stretched plastic film. The pan with water should be wide and not deep so that there is a large evaporation surface. We place the structure in a warm place +25-30 °C. We prepare the growbox for further use - this is the topic of a separate article.

The grow box maintains exactly the same humidity, light and temperature throughout the year. No wintering! No transfers! No organic feeding! We place orchid plants nearby as “beacons” and monitor their well-being. If they grow and bloom well, then black pepper feels great too!

Conclusion

Sometimes it is useful, after reading “tips” on the Internet, to look into a reference book or encyclopedia and find out how much the author bothered himself, undertaking to rewrite in his own way the nonsense that was once written down by someone.

In almost every kitchen there is such a spice as black pepper, but few people know that these pea-shaped fruits ripen on a climbing plant whose homeland is considered to be India (Malabar Islands). Black pepper is part of the Pepper family and the Pepper genus.

A little about appearance

This perennial vine can reach a length of about 15 meters in natural conditions. Oval leaves with a pointed end can have a length of 8 to 10 cm and are located on the trunk one after another (alternately).

Whitish and yellowish-gray small flowers collected on elongated racemes - inflorescences. Their length can vary from 8 to 14 cm.

Fruits - drupes - do not ripen at the same time, so harvesting can last for a long time. One bunch usually ripens from 20 to 30 peas.

To obtain the spice of black pepper, the fruits are collected in a slightly unripe state. They are then dried, causing them to shrivel and turn black.

Good to know: Green pepper is also made from the fruits of black pepper. These are simply very unripe and unprocessed fruits. White pepper is also the fruit of black pepper, from which the skin (pericarp) is removed and dried.

An interesting representative of the pepper is the Brazilian pepper, which produces pink peppercorns. The taste and smell of these beautiful fruits is somewhat reminiscent of ginger.

To start growing black pepper, you need to find good seeds, rooted cuttings or layering. It will not work to sow black peas, which are sold as spices, since they are harvested immature and undergo heat treatment.

Let's talk about properties

The properties of pepper have been valued at all times, because it has been used since the times of Ancient India. This spice has the following properties:

anthelmintic;
general strengthening;
diuretic;
anti-inflammatory;
painkillers;
bactericidal.

Pepper helps in the functioning of metabolism, stomach, improves appetite, reduces blood pressure and prevents the formation of blood clots. It is advisable to use this spice for colds, fevers, obesity, depression, fatigue, vitiligo and fever.

But it’s worth mentioning some side effects. Since black pepper has a hot taste, it should not be used for diseases Bladder and kidneys, acute gastritis and stomach ulcers.

Healthy people should also not consume it in large quantities, as it causes severe irritation to the surface of the stomach, which can lead to illness.

Growing conditions

This plant is not considered very picky in care, provided that suitable conditions are created for it.

Pepper prefers not very bright, diffused light, since in its homeland it grows on tree trunks under the cover of leaves. The best place for it would be a window sill on a western or eastern window.

For lack of another place, you can put it on the north window, but then you will definitely need additional lighting. On southern windowsills, peppers must be protected from hot and strong sun. It is worth remembering that in the sun the leaves lose color and begin to fade.

During intensive growth, which occurs from March to late summer, it is advisable to maintain a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees. With the beginning of September it is lowered to 19-20 degrees. IN winter time The optimal temperature is considered to be about 18 degrees, but lowering it below 16 is highly not recommended.

Take note: For normal development of black pepper, air humidity must be maintained at 70-80 percent.

When the humidity decreases, the plant begins to hurt and stops developing. Therefore, it requires regular spraying with softened or settled water. You can also place a shallow container filled with wet stones and moistened peat from time to time.

Care

For constant cultivation and replanting, choose loose, permeable soil, which contains a large amount of nutrients. It will require:

leaf soil(one part);
turf (one part);
humus (one part);
peat (one part);
sand (one part).

Adult specimens are replanted at the beginning of spring once every two years, young plants - every year. Be sure to pour drainage at the bottom of the container, with a height of 1 to 2 cm. The diameter of the pot or container should be less than the height.

Black pepper needs feeding only when it is growing and developing rapidly (from March to the end of summer). They are carried out using fertilizers with microelements intended for decorative foliage flowers. The plant reacts to a lack of nutrients by dropping leaves.

Regular watering of this crop is carried out abundantly, but carefully, since excess water leads to wilting and yellowing of the leaves, as well as to the death of the plant.

How to grow black peppercorns at home, see next video:

Black pepper is widely grown in Latin American countries in the tropical zone. But if you wish, you can grow it here too.

Since pepper became an agricultural crop, poles are installed on plantations for it, like for hops, and this limits its growth to a height of 4-5 m.

The plant resembles a liana, as it entwines trees with its twigs, on which fruits grow. First the plant blooms, its flowers resemble hanging icicles, and then bears fruit with yellow and red fruits.

These black pepper fruits are useful to grow and eat for people who suffer from diseases of cardio-vascular system. Meat and fish dishes are also seasoned with black pepper. This is a hot plant for lovers of spicy dishes.

In the countries of Latin America and the islands close to it, they cultivate black pepper on plantations.

Black pepper is good for normal digestion. However, it should not be abused. It should especially not be eaten by people with stomach diseases.

Pepper is widely used in the kitchen different countries. In our country it is used for soups, marinades, all types of meat and sausages.

Sold in two versions: ground and beans. It is used as a spice to add piquancy and aroma to the dish.

The harvest is harvested when the fruits begin to turn red.

Beneficial features:

Black pepper has antibacterial properties. Therefore, adding it to food keeps it fresh.
Pepper enhances secretion of hydrochloric acid and the digestion process improves. Protects against colic, diarrhea and constipation.
Helps people with overweight overcome kilograms. Due to its hot properties, pepper added to the right quantity, helps to lose weight with the right diet. It destroys fat cells in the body.
Useful for skin diseases.
Colds and coughs should be treated with black pepper. It provides relief from sinusitis and some nasal diseases.
Is an antioxidant.
Helps transport nutrients throughout the body.
Helps with diseases such as hoarseness, joint pain, hernia, gangrene, ear pain, asthma, whooping cough and many others.
Used in medicinal purposes since ancient times.

Contraindications for the use of black pepper:

Stomach ulcer.
Operations on the stomach and intestines.
Use in large doses.

Growing black pepper at home is not difficult.

Growing black pepper at home

There are two main qualities of pepper - its pungency (due to piperine) and aroma (depending on the content of essential oils).

To do this, you need to buy black peppercorns in the store. It is sold in bags and is quite inexpensive. And from this bag you can grow good harvest. Growing, care, temperature regime, characteristics of growth, watering and harvesting - all this you need to know when growing black pepper.

The plant needs to be provided with conditions in which it will be comfortable to grow. The first step is to ensure the correct temperature conditions. Black pepper grows at a temperature of +25°C and does not like sudden cold snaps. At temperatures below +10°C the plant will die.
The plant in a pot can reach 2 meters in height when proper care.
Black pepper bears fruit in its second year.
Soil for the plant: heavy leaf and turf soil, sand and humus.
Pepper needs light, but not direct rays.
Watering should be abundant summer and moderate in winter. Water the black pepper with water at room temperature.
Reproduction occurs in several ways: layering, cuttings, division and seeds.
Peppers bloom in April or May.

Tools you will need to grow black pepper at home:

Peppercorns from a store-bought bag.
A pot or cup made of cardboard.
Thermometer.
Water.
Land with fertilizers.
Chopper and shovel for transplanting peppers into the ground.
Polyethylene film for covering.

For pepper, choose a bright place, protected from direct sunlight.

Technology for planting black pepper at home

After purchasing black peppercorns, you need to select the largest ones and plant them in a pot.
Before planting, they need to be soaked in water for a day.
The air temperature for growing should be +25-30°C.
It is better to plant a plant in a pot at the beginning of summer
After the second leaf appears, it needs to be fertilized. It is best to use bird droppings for this. It needs to be defended in advance.
After fertilizing, the black pepper needs to be planted in a large pot to give it more space. The pot should be kept on the windowsill in cloudy weather, and taken outside in sunny weather.

Features of black pepper:

If on back side white eggs appear on the leaves, this is normal. Then they will turn black.
There is so-called white pepper, which is also sold in peas. It is practically no different from black, except for the color of the shell. And this white shell is obtained by soaking peppercorns in water. The soaked pepper lies in water for 2 weeks, and then the shell is easily peeled and becomes white. Next, it is dried, after which it is ready for use. White pepper cannot be planted.
Green peppers are also grown. It is obtained from unripe black fruits. By drying, its color remains green. Red is also obtained in the same way. But pink is a separate variety of Brazilian pepper.
Only black peppers are suitable for planting; green, white and red peppers cannot be planted.

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Proper care of black pepper

The plant grows on a window, and therefore it needs to be placed so that there is enough light. It is best on the east or west side, because on the north side there is little light, and on the south it can get burned.
During the growing season, the temperature should be about 20-22 degrees, and in winter the temperature should be reduced to +18°C. It is not advisable to reduce it below 16°C.
The plant loves moisture, so if the heating is constantly on, it can dry out the air, and the plant will get sick. It needs to be sprayed with water 2 times a day. This should be done less often in winter than in summer. In summer you need to water abundantly. You can pour water or peat onto the tray with the pot.
In summer and spring the plant is fed mineral fertilizers.
In winter, the plant is dormant. It is better not to disturb it, water it so as not to overdo it. Leave it in a bright place.
Peppers are replanted every two years. It is better to take plastic pots, they retain moisture better.

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Grow black pepper at home

Turns out Black pepper (lat. Piper nigrum) you can grow it at home, and getting the seeds is simply elementary, just buy black pepper in the form of peas at any grocery store, select the largest peas, soak the peppercorns in water for a day and plant them in a pot, preferably plant them in early summer, in about a month the first ones will appear sprouts from sprouted peas (temperature range 25-30 degrees Celsius) and do not believe those who say that it is black peppercorns undergoes heat treatment, peppercorns are dried in the sun under natural conditions.
After the second leaf, you need to fertilize the pepper - this will be a solution of bird droppings, left for a couple of days. After these steps, the peppers can be carefully transplanted into large pots. Keep the plant on a windowsill in winter and on outdoors in a warm sunny place.

Don’t be alarmed if you notice egg-like formations on the back of the sheet. white which then turn black is normal.

By the way white pepper this is the same black pepper, only mechanically peeled from the pericarp; usually, to obtain white pepper, freshly picked ripe pepper fruits are soaked in water (sometimes hot to speed up the process) for about one week. As a result of soaking, the fruit shell decomposes and softens, after which the fruit shell is separated and the remaining seeds are dried. You are unlikely to be able to grow anything from white peppercorns.

Get from not ripe fruits black pepper. Dried green peas are processed in such a way as to preserve green color, for example, using sulfur dioxide or by lyophilization (dry drying). In a similar way, pink (red) peppers are also obtained from ripe fruits (pink pepper from Piper nigrum must be distinguished from the more common pink pepper made from the fruits of Peruvian peppers or Brazilian peppers). Green peppercorns are not suitable for planting.

What kind of plant is black pepper?

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) it is also called Malabar berry, is a tree-like vine "Piper nigrum" belonging to the pepper family. It grows in the forest, entwining trees that serve as its support. The length of the vine can reach 6 m. On plantations where it is specially bred, special supports in the form of poles are used as supports.
On plantations, the plant is a climbing shrub reaching a height of 15 m. The leaves are 80-100 mm long. After flowering ends, round fruits grow, first green, then they become yellow or red.

The liana has ovate, leathery, grayish-green leaves. Black pepper blooms with small white flowers collected in hanging spikes. The fruits of black pepper are spherical drupes with a hard shell and a pungent taste. Black pepper is beneficial for people with cardiovascular diseases because... it effectively cleanses blood vessels and thins the blood. It is used to season meat, fish and vegetable dishes.

Black pepper is grown in Sri Lanka, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and Brazil. The main exporter of black pepper to the world market is the island of Sumatra.

The height of plants is limited, it is no more than 5 m. Black pepper grows on high rods, similar to hops. Three years after planting, it begins to bear fruit. Three types of pepper are obtained from the same tree - black, white and green. Peppers begin to be harvested when the fruits turn red. During the process of drying in the sun, the pepper fruits turn black. Black pepper High Quality should be hard, dark and heavy. 1000 grains of high-quality black pepper should weigh exactly 460 g. Therefore, in ancient times, black pepper served as weights for weighing pharmaceutical products that required great accuracy. In tropical countries, the fruits of unripe green peppers are preserved in salt and vinegar. At the same time, it acquires a very delicate and subtle aroma. The highest quality varieties of black pepper in the world are considered to be Malabar and Tellicherry.

How to grow black pepper correctly

Black pepper tropical plants, and how is everyone heat-loving plants really doesn’t like cold weather (at temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, the plant dies) and frost kills the plant instantly.

The black pepper plant grows very well in a pot and can grow up to 2 meters in the first year of its life.

With proper care, it begins to bear fruit in the second year.

The plant is very moisture-loving and overdrying the earthen coma is not recommended.

Adult black pepper plants are grown in a mixture of heavy turf and leaf soil, humus, and sand (4:2:1:1).
For pepper, choose a bright place, protected from direct sunlight.
Water abundantly in summer and moderately in winter, with water at room temperature.
Pepper is propagated by seeds, cuttings, layering, and also by dividing the bush.
The flowering time for black pepper occurs in April - May.

Plant care:

Pepper prefers bright, diffused light and is suitable for growing near windows facing western and eastern directions. At south-facing windows it is necessary to shade the plant from direct sun rays. The plant may not have enough light near northern windows in winter.

During the active growing season, pepper prefers an air temperature of around 20-25°C; in the fall, you can slightly reduce the temperature, and in winter it is recommended to keep the plant at a temperature of about 18°C, not lower than 16°C.

From spring to autumn, peppers are watered generously with soft, settled water as the top layer of the substrate dries. In autumn, watering is reduced; in winter, watering is moderate. Overdrying, as well as overwatering, are very harmful to the plant.

Pepper needs high humidity air. This factor must be taken into account when purchasing a plant. If the air humidity is low, the plant gets sick. Spray the pepper twice a day with soft, settled water. In addition, additional measures to increase humidity are recommended, for example, placing a pot with a plant on a tray filled with wet expanded clay or peat.

Peppers are fed from spring to autumn with complex mineral fertilizers for decorative deciduous plants once every two weeks. In autumn and winter they do not feed.

Peppers have a dormant period in winter. It is recommended to keep the plant at a temperature of about 17-18C, in a bright place.

Transplanted mature plant once every two years, young - once a year, in the spring. The substrate for pepper is loose and nutritious. For example, consisting of turf soil (1 part), leaf soil (1 part), peat (1 part), humus soil (1 part) and sand (1 part). It is better to take plastic pots, since in clay pots the substrate will dry out more quickly. The bottom of the pot provides good drainage.

Peppers are propagated by seeds, cuttings, division, and layering.

Propagation by seeds.

Substrate composition: leaf soil - 1 tsp, turf soil - 0.5 tsp, sand - 0.5 tsp. Caring for crops consists mainly of maintaining a temperature of 24-28 ° C and watering. When the seedlings get stronger and the first true leaf has fully developed, they are planted in containers at a distance of 2x3 cm. Later, 1 copy is planted in 7-centimeter pots. Composition of the earth mixture: leaf - 1 part, turf - 1 part, humus - 1 part, sand - 1 part. Plants are installed in a lighted place, but shaded from the bright rays of the sun. Water generously. After the development of the root system, transfer to 9-centimeter pots is given. The shoots are recumbent, the plants may require support.

Propagation by cuttings

When propagated by cuttings, the latter are cut with 1-2 buds and placed in a propagation box, a mini greenhouse for rooting, where they are kept at a temperature of 24-26°C. Substrate composition: leaf soil - 0.5 tsp and sand - 1 tsp. Cuttings take root within 3 weeks; after that they are planted 1 copy at a time. in 9 cm pots. In industrial gardening, cuttings of 3 copies. planted in 9-centimeter pots and placed in a distribution box for rooting. After rooting, they are transplanted into 12-centimeter pots and released for sale after about six months. Composition of the earthen mixture for transplanting rooted cuttings: leaf - 1 tsp, humus - 1 tsp, turf - 1 tsp, peat - 1 tsp, sand - 1 tsp. Plant care is the same as for peperomia.

Cousteau division produced annually in the spring, during plant transplantation. The composition of the earth is similar to the above.

When propagated by layering, long lying shoots of the plant are tightly bent to the surface of the sand. With high air humidity in a warm, bright place, they take root easily. After this, the shoots are cut. Each rooted shoot segment is planted in a pot, 1 copy. or 2-3 copies, depending on the purpose of reproduction.

Possible difficulties:

Due to lack of light and nutrition, the plant is prone to stretching and bare stems.

If the leaves turn brown at the tip, this may indicate insufficient air and substrate humidity.

Yellowing of leaves and their wilting most often occurs from waterlogging of the soil. Overmoistening is especially dangerous in winter period. Also, yellowing of leaves may be due to a lack of nutrients in the soil (chlorosis).

When the plant is placed in a sunny place, the leaves fade and become faded.

Application:

Black pepper promotes digestion and the Romans consumed it in large quantities. But this cannot be recommended. However, in the quantities in which it is used in our cuisine, it does not pose any harm to health.

Pepper is used for soups, gravies, sauces, vegetable salads, marinades, in the preparation of all types of meat, including game, savoy cabbage, beans, peas, lentils, sauerkraut, goulash, eggs, cheeses, tomatoes, fish, canned vegetables and for large quantity other dishes that are prepared in our kitchen. Homemade pig slaughter, sausage production and a whole range of meat products cannot be done without black pepper.

Black pepper is the most versatile spice for many dishes. It goes on sale in the form of peas or ground. Ground peppercorns have the greatest aroma. Ground black pepper is used to season various dishes, minced meats, and fillings. Pepper is added to dishes shortly before cooking, otherwise, with prolonged cooking, the dish becomes excessively bitter. It is recommended to store ground pepper in hermetically sealed packaging, otherwise it will quickly fizzle out and lose its properties.