Growing peppers in open ground: choosing a variety, preparing the soil and caring for the seedlings. Pepper care

Sweet or bell pepper is a heat-loving plant and rather capricious, but it also has many advantages. In addition to the bright colors of the fruit, which can easily be used to decorate a holiday dish, pepper can also boast of the presence of vitamins, of which it contains a lot.

Selecting pepper seeds and sowing them

To grow peppers and get a good harvest, you need to properly care for them. But, first of all, when choosing seeds of a particular variety, you need to focus on growing conditions. It could be:

• Open ground;
• Stationary greenhouse;
• Temporary shelter;

Growing peppers in a greenhouse is a good option; it is comfortable in protected soil. Although it grows well in open soil.

Once the variety has been selected, you can begin to germinate the seeds. Due to thermophilicity Bell pepper grown only seedling method. Seeds for seedlings must be treated before sowing. Their soak for several hours in in warm water. When they swell, they are moved to a moistened cloth for 3 days. This treatment helps to get seedlings very quickly.

They are also disinfected by keeping them in a manganese solution for half an hour and washing them after that. running water. Treating them with growth stimulants is also useful. It would be useful to prevent seedlings from fungus. For this purpose they use special means. Pepper seeds are sown in February so that in May they can be transplanted into the ground. Suitable for growing seedlings:

1. Coconut substrate;
2. Peat tablets are convenient because when picking, the seedlings along with the tablet are simply moved to another container;
3. Soil with hydrogel that retains moisture well.

But it’s possible to prepare the substrate yourself from humus, earth and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. This mixture will be light and loose. Per kilogram of composition you can add tbsp. bed of ash. Before sowing the seeds, water the soil well with a solution of manganese.

You can use boxes for growing seedlings. But peppers do not tolerate transplantation very well. Therefore, many people prefer to grow seedlings in small pots or cups to avoid picking seedlings. Both methods are quite applicable. When the seeds are sown, they must be properly moistened and covered with glass or polyethylene.

Temperature plays an important role in caring for seedlings. Optimal temperature parameters for normal seedling growth:

• Daytime t - 25-27° C;
• Night t - 10-15° C;

It is important to provide the seedlings with a good drainage layer. Small pebbles or sand are suitable for this; they are added to the substrate. Moisturizing it should be moderate. Excess moisture can lead to various diseases, but the soil should not dry out either. Watering the seedlings warm water , because they can die from the cold. What else is needed for normal growing of seedlings:

1. Ensure indoor air humidity. This can be easily achieved by spraying or purchasing a special humidifier;
2. Ventilation is necessary, but careful, so that the seedlings are protected from drafts. Therefore, it is better to cover them for this time;
3. Additional lighting will also be needed for care. It is created using phytolamps, LED or fluorescent lamps.

At first lighting is used 24 hours a day, but as the seedlings grow, they are illuminated only in the morning and evening, providing about 12 hours of daylight.

To grow seedlings and their development, plants begin to be fertilized in seedling containers. When 3 leaves appear on the seedlings, you can start feeding. For this, ammonium nitrate diluted in water mixed with potassium compounds and superphosphate is suitable. 2 weeks after this, a second feeding is carried out. After applying fertilizer, the seedlings need to be watered. A good herbal fertilizer for seedlings is nettle infusion. A mixture is prepared at the rate of 10 parts water to 1 part nettle, infuse it for 2 days.

From seedling boxes 20 days after the emergence of their shoots dive into separate pots. It is not advisable to use containers that are too large for picking seedlings. In them, the seedlings may rot their roots or they will build up excess green mass.

Before transfer to open ground seedlings are hardened off. To do this, it must be taken out to Fresh air, each time increasing the exposure time. The main thing here is to monitor the air temperature. For pepper, its minimum value is 13° C. This is how it gradually adapts to sunlight, wind and rain. Such procedures make pepper more resistant to temperature changes.

After 60 days, the seedlings are ready to move to open ground or a greenhouse permanent place. But seedlings 80 days old usually have higher yields. It is important that the plants have 10-12 leaves, and height about 30 cm. A day before moving them to open ground or a greenhouse, you can spray them with a solution of a growth stimulator. This also increases resistance to diseases.

Setting the stage

The soil for growing sweet peppers, as well as for seedlings, is light, permeable, moist and fertile. The soil should be neutrally acidic; if it has a high pH, ​​it needs liming. It is useful to add rotted peat and sand to loams. Peat soil mixed with humus and turf soil. IN sandy soil contribute sawdust, humus.

The soil for peppers is prepared in advance. About a year in advance, it is good to add the following mixtures to the garden bed where you plan to plant peppers:

• Organic fertilizers are added directly under the pepper predecessor;
• In the fall, when digging, mineral potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are applied;
• In spring, add ammonium nitrate to upper layer soil.

After fertilizing the soil, it must be dug up, freed from weeds and leveled. Then pour it dissolved in hot water potassium humate or mullein.

A few days before planting pepper seedlings, it is good to disinfect the soil with the following composition: add tbsp to a bucket of water. lodge copper sulfate. So, the soil is ready and you can move sweet pepper seedlings into it.

Planting seedlings

You need to replant the pepper carefully, without damaging its roots. The seedlings are transferred from separate containers along with a lump of earth. This method reduces the risk of injury to the roots to a minimum. Peppers are planted in open ground when all frosts have passed in late May-early June. To a temporary greenhouse in mid-May, and to a permanent greenhouse in the beginning of May. When planting sweet peppers, you need to take into account what grew in the beds before it. It will develop well in soil where there were:

1. Pumpkin;
2. Cucumbers;
3. Carrot;
4. Zucchini.

But after potatoes, peppers, tomatoes or eggplants, it is better not to plant peppers, but find another place for them. Necessary take care of the soil temperature. Sweet peppers do not like cold soil, and good option for its cultivation there will be raised beds.

It is better to plant different varieties of pepper as far apart as possible. After all, culture is prone to cross-pollination. If possible, it is better to plant tall crops between them. When planting peppers, you need to maintain a distance of 25 cm between bushes, and 50 cm between rows. When the seedlings take root, they need to be watered more often. After planting, mulch made from humus or peat is a good choice, as it retains moisture in the soil.

Immediately after transplanting, young peppers can be cover with polyethylene or lutrasil on a frame, making them a greenhouse. This will create favorable conditions for them rapid development. If film is used, the plantings must be ventilated. It's better to choose non-woven material, allowing air to pass through. It’s good to spread out in a greenhouse plastic bottles with water. Heating up during the day, they will give off heat to the pepper at night. This will smooth out daily temperature fluctuations. When the weather becomes consistently warm, the shelter can be removed.

Subtleties of care

Caring for sweet peppers is not very difficult. All procedures are quite simple:

• Watering;
• Fertilizer;
• Weeding;
• Garter;

During the growing season carry out pruning activities. Long shoots are shortened, and shoots located below the main fork of the stem are removed. The procedure also includes the removal of diseased leaves and barren shoots. This is done to form a branchy bush and improve productivity.

Of the developing stepson shoots, 4-5 are left, on which the fruits will develop. Removing side branches is especially important from below if the weather outside is hot and humid. But during dry periods this procedure is not recommended because lower leaves retain moisture in the soil. After harvesting, prune again. The central flower, which grows from the first branch, is pinched by many gardeners to increase yield.

High varieties of pepper needs to be tied up. It is better to place pegs for this immediately when planting its seedlings. The pepper must be weeded and loosened, but very carefully without harming its roots. This makes the soil more breathable. During the season, 3-4 procedures are carried out and during the second loosening, the peppers can be hilled.

IN open ground sweet peppers need to choose a sunny place and protect it from drafts and wind. In hot weather it is shaded from direct sun. Mulch the soil well thin layer rotted straw. This will keep the soil moisture at the right level and help reduce watering. The length of daylight hours is also important for peppers. It refers to plants that, with less than 12 hours of daylight, begin to bear fruit earlier. This gives more stable and higher yields.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering should be regular, because pepper is moisture-loving. Too long a dry period can cause the ovaries to fall off. Irrigation scheme:

During the fruiting period, watering is needed 2 times a week. It is important that the water is not cold, room temperature is acceptable.

Needs pepper and in periodic feedings. The very first one is carried out 2 weeks after transplanting the seedlings, the next one occurs during the flowering period of the pepper and then when the fruits appear.

It is good to apply organic fertilizers, alternating them with mineral compounds that can be used to treat the plant in a foliar way. Potassium fertilizers are very useful, but they must be used with caution so as not to overfeed the plant.

Liquid organic formulations are also effective, but fresh manure is not suitable for feeding. It can cause flowers on peppers to fall off. Of the organic compounds, it is better to use humus and compost. They are brought in by the bucket per 1 square meter. m.

Foliar feeding with growth stimulants is done only in warm weather. The preparations are diluted in water and pepper is sprayed with it. These procedures can be done once every 2 weeks.

Plant fertilizers are also suitable for caring for peppers. You can prepare such a composition in a 100 liter barrel of water, place 5 kg of dandelion, nettle, chickweed, add half a glass of ash and a bucket of mullein. The composition is infused for a week. It must be strained before use.

What ails pepper

The most common pepper diseases are white rot and blossom end rot, late blight, macrosporiosis, and septoria. There are different ways to deal with them. Every 2 weeks it is useful to treat the plant for preventive purposes with antifungal drugs Trichodermin and Alirin.

Helps against late blight correct pre-sowing seed treatment. Infusion is also effective onion peel, which is sprayed on plants. It is necessary to monitor soil moisture. With insufficient watering, gray rot may develop.

Among the pests that plague sweet peppers, the most annoying are cutworms, slugs, whiteflies, Colorado beetle, aphids, mole crickets, spider mites. To combat pests, the plant is pollinated with a solution of wood ash. Treating pepper with whey will help against aphids, after which it is sprinkled with wood ash. Spraying plants with infusions of tansy, garlic, yarrow and wormwood will help combat spider mites. Keltan and karbofos are also suitable for fighting it.

Finally

Peppers are harvested by cutting them off as they ripen, so that ripened fruits do not interfere with the development of others. It's usually put in boxes where it ripens.

When choosing varieties for planting, you need to decide why the pepper is grown. If you plan to use it fresh, then a good option would be large-fruited varieties with thick pulp. Varieties with small fruits are also suitable for preservation.

As you can see, there is nothing difficult about growing sweet peppers. The main concerns come during the period of caring for seedlings. But the resulting harvest will pay off all the work a hundredfold.

Pepper is a real storehouse of nutrients and vitamins and one of the most beloved vegetables in the whole world. However, if at the height of the summer season it can be bought at any market for literally pennies, then by the beginning of autumn sellers are asking much more for it. more money. It is for this reason that all those summer residents and gardeners who have already managed to grow delicious cucumbers and juicy tomatoes, with great pleasure they begin. Moreover, there is nothing complicated in this lesson. Of course, planting and caring for peppers has its own characteristics, but after reading the recommendations below, you can easily grow tasty and healthy sweet peppers yourself.

Pepper contains great amount useful vitamins, which is why it is so often found in the gardens of summer residents.

Secrets of growing sweet peppers: choosing a variety

Growing peppers is not such a difficult task as it may seem to unprepared summer residents. However, before you start, it would be useful to familiarize yourself with the variety and characteristics of the varieties of this vegetable.

Different varieties of pepper differ quite significantly in color and shape of the fruit.

Thus, pepper fruits can be elongated or wide, cuboid, cone-shaped, prism-shaped, curved or spherical. The weight of the fruit can also vary (usually from 0.5 to 200 g), as well as the length (usually from 1 to 30 cm). The color of peppers can change depending on the ripeness of the fruit: from light green to purple shades, and already ripe fruits can be colored red, brown, yellow and other colors.

Most often, the following varieties of pepper are chosen for growing in a greenhouse:

Before planting peppers in the ground, it should be watered so as not to damage the roots during transplantation.

• "Orange Miracle" is an early ripening hybrid. Characterized by cube-shaped fruits, bright yellow;
• "Alyonushka" is a mid-early hybrid. It has truncated pyramidal red fruits;
• "Winnie the Pooh" is one of the early ripening varieties of pepper. The fruits are red in color and have a short, cone-shaped shape;
• "Pinocchio" is an early ripening hybrid. The fruits are smooth, slightly ribbed, distinguished by their elongated cone-shaped shape and red color;
• “Swallow” is a mid-early pepper variety. The fruits are red, cone-shaped;
• “California miracle” - refers to mid-early varieties with prismatic, large bright red fruits;
• “Tenderness” is an early ripening variety of pepper with very tender flesh. The fruits are red, truncated pyramidal in shape;
• "Negociant" is an early ripening hybrid. The fruits are red and prism-shaped;
• “Nochka” is a mid-season pepper hybrid. The fruits are bright red, truncated pyramidal;
• “Elephant trunk” is a mid-season variety of pepper. Trunk-shaped and elongated cone-shaped fruits;
• "Astrakhan" - refers to mid-season varieties. It has drooping, cone-shaped fruits with rough pulp.

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Growing and caring for pepper seedlings

Seeds for growing pepper seedlings must be sown at the end of February. Before sowing in prepared soil, pepper seeds must undergo the following treatment:

• disinfection in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for about 30 minutes, then rinsing with water;
• treatment with special growth stimulants, which can be bought in gardening stores;
• treatment with an appropriate antifungal agent to protect future pepper seedlings from fungus.

After the seeds have been processed, they are sown in small separate pots to a depth of 6-12 mm. It is necessary to germinate seeds at a temperature of about +25-30°C. The shoots themselves usually appear on the 4th day. After this, it will be possible to lower the temperature to +15-18°C for a whole week. This is done to prevent the plants from stretching out. A week later, the temperature rises again to +22-28°C.

As for feeding, peppers grown in a greenhouse need to be fed for the first time only when 3 true leaves appear on the seedlings. To do this, you need to take the following: 30 g of potassium salt, 125 g of superphosphate and 50 g of urea. Mix all ingredients and dissolve in 10 liters of water. After feeding, immediately water the seedlings with clean water.

Experienced gardeners recommend that after the seedlings have 2-5 true leaves, they begin to additionally highlight them so that the plants are exposed to radiation with a large share of the blue spectrum. The duration of such illumination is 12 hours a day.

The second feeding should be done after the pepper has 4 true leaves. And when the seedlings already have 7-8 leaves, their nutrition and care should be especially good - it is at this stage that the flower organs develop, invisible to the human eye, on which the quality of the entire future harvest directly depends. In total, during the growing of seedlings, soil will need to be added to the pots 2 times.

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Growing greenhouse peppers involves performing a procedure such as hardening. Pepper seedlings are hardened off 2 weeks before they are planted in the ground. To do this, if the weather is warm outside, you need to take the pots with seedlings to the terrace or balcony. At night, the seedlings are brought indoors again.

7-8 days before planting, for greater stability, seedlings can be fed with potassium salt. Experienced gardeners recommend spraying the seedlings with a solution of a natural plant growth stimulator a day before planting. This will allow the pepper to produce its own hormones that are necessary for one or another growth phase. Such care will make the plant more resistant to various diseases. Pepper treated with a special solution is much more resistant to various adverse factors and has better fruiting. As a result, the yield of peppers increases by approximately 40%, and the nitrate content is reduced by more than 2 times.

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Planting and growing peppers in a greenhouse

Pepper seedlings can be considered ready for planting in greenhouse soil if they already have 12-14 leaves and bud development is observed in the leaf axils. As a result healthy seedlings has a fairly thick stem about 25 cm high and a characteristic even green color. Moreover, it is necessary to plant pepper seedlings in an unheated film greenhouse when the soil in it warms up to +15°C - usually not earlier than mid-May. Moreover, the age of the pepper seedlings itself must be at least 55 days.

The soil itself in which pepper will be grown must be properly prepared. To do this, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added to it, 40 g/m², as well as nitrogen fertilizers 30 g/m². Do not fertilize the soil for peppers with fresh manure. Such treatment can lead to strong growth of bushes and falling off of flowers. It is better to use compost or humus - 1 bucket for every 1 m² is enough.

It is necessary to plant seedlings in a greenhouse on ridges 1 m wide with a row spacing of 50 cm. Planting density in the case of pepper depends on the characteristics of the selected variety. So, for vigorous varieties of peppers and hybrids, the distance between plants in 1 row is usually 35 cm, and for medium-growing varieties - 25 cm. For early-ripening low-growing varieties - every 15 cm, that is, there will be 10 plants on every 1 m². Seedlings must be grown in holes pre-watered with water - 2 liters of water per hole. After planting, the soil must be thoroughly compacted by hand and mulched with humus or peat.

Pepper is a heat-loving and moisture-loving crop. Growing peppers in open ground is not a difficult task; it is only important to adhere to certain features. Sweet bell pepper is very popular among professional gardeners; it is successfully grown by summer residents. Grow peppers on your own summer cottage everyone can do it. How to grow sweet peppers and get the most out of the plant will be given advice from experienced breeders. By following their recommendations, the yield can be increased several times.

Preparing a site for planting sweet peppers

Pepper thrives in open, sunny areas. But the plant is afraid of the wind. Young plants should be planted in a place that is not shaded by trees, but also not in a draft. Ideal place is the area adjacent to the southern wall of a building. Planting peppers in open ground requires attention to the composition of the soil, lighting and protection from drafts.
The sweet guest grows well after cabbage and pumpkin crops, legumes and table root vegetables. Plant it the next year after these crops, and the pepper will surprise you with the abundance of fruiting.
Bell peppers are not grown for 3 years in the place where nightshade crops grew: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants. Peppers and nightshades suffer from the same soil-borne infections.
The soil where peppers are planted should be fertile, well-drained, and retain moisture well. The pepper planting site is prepared in autumn period. After the previous cultivated plant harvested, you need to clear the bed of weeds and dig it up. In the autumn, it is necessary to fertilize the soil using 1 sq. m. area:

• 50 g superphosphate;
• 80 g wood ash;
• 10 kg of humus.

After the nutrient composition is evenly distributed, the soil is dug up.

Peppers are not planted in an area where organic matter has just been added.

The Bulgarian guest does not need copious amounts of fresh organic matter. It is better to “underfeed” pepper than to “overfeed”. The abundance of nitrogen combinations leads to the fact that the crop actively grows and develops rapidly. Such a plant bears fruit much worse: the pepper drops the set fruits, and the size of the vegetables decreases. That's why organic fertilizers It is introduced precisely in the autumn period.
In the spring before planting open area again it is necessary to loosen and fertilize. For 1 sq. m. at spring fertilizer used:

• 40 g phosphorus;
• 40 g potassium;
• 20 g nitrogen.

Drugs should be administered in early spring. Immediately before planting pepper seedlings, the area should be dug up and leveled again.

Planting seedlings

Bell pepper - heat-loving plant. Young specimens are planted in the soil after the threat of spring night frosts has passed. The time for planting seedlings depends on the regional location of the dacha. As a rule, peppers are planted starting in mid-May.
Seedling bell pepper for open ground must undergo a hardening process. To increase resistance to adverse factors, plants should be taken out into fresh air in warm weather. Hardening of young individuals is carried out gradually, starting from several minutes.

Planting pattern for peppers 70x30 cm or 50x50 cm:

• A few hours before planting, young plants are watered abundantly. The culture at the time of transplantation should be vigorous and healthy. Lack of moisture can have a detrimental effect on the establishment process. Withered plants shed their first buds and retard their development. A weak and wilted plant during transplantation means a significant reduction in yield.
• Young seedlings are planted in the afternoon. At night, the culture will not fight the sweltering heat and will devote all its energy to survival. In the case when it is cloudy outside, pepper seedlings can be planted at any time of the day.
• Prepare holes in the soil for planting plants. Each hole should be watered generously: 2 liters of water per plant. It is best to use water for irrigation at room temperature, heated in the sun.
• The seedlings are transplanted with a ball of earth. Each plant should be separated from the container and planted in the prepared holes, not too deep: plant the pepper 3 cm deeper than it grew in room conditions. Pepper does not form adventitious roots well. But still, their appearance contributes to better nutrition of the crop.

The plant is not picky about the composition of the soil. But it still grows better on loamy soil.

Watering plants in open ground

Pepper loves water very much. But you should still water it carefully. Overwatering is just as detrimental to the plant as dryness. Immediately after transplanting bell peppers from containers into the soil, watering is not carried out. The soil is first moistened after 7 days. Water the pepper at intervals of 3 days, 1 liter each. warm water for 1 plant. Water the crop at the roots. In extreme heat, peppers are watered daily.

10 days after planting the seedlings, the plantings should be checked for survival. Dead sprouts are replaced with reserve ones.
Established plants are watered very carefully. Bulgarian professional vegetable growers call this kind of watering thin - frequent watering in small doses.
You can easily determine when a plant needs water: if the bush has completely darkened, the pepper needs urgent watering. Wilting peppers may also indicate insufficient watering. Although the wilting of the plant in the afternoon does not indicate dry soil.
When the crop ripens, peppers are watered much more: once every 6 days, 2-3 liters per plant.
During hot periods, pepper is watered in the morning or evening.

Loosening the bed of peppers

Pepper is very susceptible to soil permeability. The formation of a crust should not be allowed in any way. With the help of loosening, the roots of the plant receive more oxygen, and the plant itself develops more quickly. Loosening helps fight weeds.
At first, the pepper grows slowly. Within 15 days after planting the crop, the root system develops, and the plant itself “sits” in place. It is not recommended to loosen the area until the pepper begins to grow.
The first loosening is carried out to a depth of no more than 10 cm. The root system of bell pepper is located superficially, so the soil should be loosened carefully, without injuring the delicate roots.

Subsequent loosening is carried out after precipitation and watering, before a crust has formed on the surface of the bed. As a rule, the bed under early varieties bell pepper is loosened 4 times during the growing season. The area under early varieties is loosened a couple of times during the growth period.
Peppers bloom very profusely. During the formation of flower stalks, the crop needs hilling.

Loosening, weeding, and hilling sweet peppers should be done very carefully. Its root system is located in the top layer of soil. In addition, the plant itself is very fragile.

Proper feeding is the key to successful cultivation

During the growing season, peppers are fed no more than 4 times. The plant reacts painfully to the abundant content of organic matter and minerals in the soil, although it still needs nutritious soil for successful fruiting.
The first application of fertilizers is carried out at the time of the first loosening of the soil - 2 weeks after transplanting the seedlings into open ground. When first fertilizing, it is necessary to add manure solution or chicken droppings: 1 part of manure is diluted in 5 liters of warm water, 1 part of chicken droppings is diluted in 15 liters of warm water. You can add 1 tbsp to the prepared organic matter. wood ash or phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
First feeding:

• 10 l of prepared organic solution;
• 60 g superphosphate;
• 20 g of potassium chloride;
• 1 cup wood ash.

Peppers can also be fertilized without using organic matter:

• 10 liters of settled warm water;
• 20 g ammonium nitrate;
• 60 g superphosphate;
• 30 g of potassium chloride.

Fertilizer is applied at the root at the rate of 1 liter per plant.
The second time the bell pepper is fertilized with the same compounds during the period of bud formation.
At the moment of ovary formation, the plant needs organic matter. That is why professional gardeners advise fertilizing the plant with organic fertilizers at the moment of fruit formation.
The plants are fed the fourth time when the fruits decrease in size. Very often this happens with early varieties closer to autumn.

Pepper does not tolerate chlorine. That is why it is recommended to replace potassium chloride with wood ash. Any varieties for open ground should be fertilized especially carefully.

Spring night frosts are destructive for peppers: protective measures

After planting bell pepper seedlings in an open bed, you need to be prepared for night frosts. They are found even at the beginning of summer. Many summer residents advise using so-called tents as protection - structures made of wooden planks, cardboard, plastic. Young seedlings are simply covered at night. In the morning the protection must be removed. Film portable shelters, which are advisable to use during prolonged cold spells, have also proven themselves to be excellent.

Since ancient times, a reliable protector from spring frosts there was fumigation of plants. For this process, special smoke heaps are prepared that can produce very thick smoke.
Too low temperatures lead to the fall of small fruits and flowers. A temperature of 8-10 degrees can cause this unpleasant phenomenon. In addition, in the cold, plant growth stops and yields decrease.
It is not recommended to plant pepper in open ground too early. He is susceptible to low temperatures.

Temperature indicators for successful cultivation

For successful development and high fruiting, sweet peppers need warmth. The plant feels best at a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees, and responds well to more high temperatures. At low rates, crop development slows down and yields are significantly reduced. You can protect the plant from low temperatures by covering it during the cold growing season.

Tall varieties need support

Sweet pepper varieties that are tall require staking. Low-growing varieties of pepper do not need to be tied up, but the presence of support contributes to uniform ripening of the fruits, more simple care and quality harvesting. Traditional wooden pegs are used to create support. The plants themselves are protected by other tall crops. The wind will not blow as strongly through such protection.
Forming a bush - increasing vegetable yield

Plant formation is very important to obtain high yields. Many breeders believe that without a properly created form it is impossible to get the maximum benefit from a plant.
Methods for forming a bush:

• They create the skeleton of the bush: only the two strongest shoots are left in the first fork. 2 branches are also left on the skeletal shoots, one of which will grow vertically, and the second - directed towards outer side. It is recommended to remove internal shoots. When properly formed, a pepper bush can grow up to 1.2 m in height.
• Create a bush skeleton: two shoots are tied in a vertical direction. At each node, 1 external shoot is left. With this formation, it is necessary to plant the plants at a distance of up to 50 cm, install supports and pull horizontal twines. The bush is capable of rising in height by more than 2 m.

Attracting insects for pollination

In order for the pepper to be pollinated by insects, and therefore give better fruiting results, insects can be attracted. For this process, during the flowering period it is necessary to spray the plant with a sweet composition:

• 100 g granulated sugar;
• 2 g boric acid;
• 1 liter of hot water.

In addition to artificial pollination, to attract honey insects, it is recommended to place containers with honey solution near the plantings: 1 tsp. honey dissolves in 1 tbsp. hot water.

Choosing a pepper variety to grow in the garden

Currently, summer residents have the opportunity to use modern varieties of pepper that are resistant to low temperatures and are not susceptible to infections. Breeders have developed a great variety of sweet pepper varieties, differing in the abundance of fruiting, color, and size of the fruit.

"Funtik"

• the height of an adult plant ranges from 50 to 70 cm;
• the fruits have a rich red hue;
• cone-shaped ovary without a relief pattern;
• fruit weight – 100-180 g;
• medium-yielding variety: one bush can produce 18 fruits;
• resistant to infectious and fungal diseases.

"Czardas"

• relatively tall plant: as a rule, the bush has a height of 60-70 cm, under certain climatic conditions its height can reach 1 m;
• during ripening, the fruit changes its color from rich green to orange-red;
• cone-shaped ovary with a sharp nose;
• the fruits are large, fleshy: weight can reach up to 250 g;
• medium-yielding variety: during the fruiting period, one bush is able to “grow” up to 18 fruits;
• The fruits can be used for food both in green and ripened form.

"Barguzin"

• sweet peppers can grow up to 70 cm;
• fruit color ranges from deep yellow to orange;
• fruits of a cone-shaped elongated shape;
• weight of ovaries - 150-200 g;
• during the growing season it is possible to collect up to 18 fruits from one plant;
• It is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and ability to adapt to any soil composition.

"Cornet"

• tall plant: bush height exceeds 1 m;
• fruit color from dark brown to purple;
• the fruits have a cone-shaped relief shape;
• large-fruited variety: one peppercorn can weigh up to 250 g;
• with proper care, you can collect up to 15 fruits from one plant;
• bears fruit throughout the growing season.

"Chord"

• differs in its demands on lighting: with abundant light, the height of the plant can reach 1 m, but as a rule, the plant grows only 50-60 cm;
• the fruits have a bright red hue;
• cone-shaped fruits;
• the weight of the ovary depends on the light: with plenty of light - 200 g, with a lack of light - 150 g;
• medium-yielding variety: from one plant you can collect from 10 to 20 fruits;
• For successful cultivation strong lighting required.

"Pinocchio F1"

• low-growing variety: height very rarely exceeds 50 cm;
• fruits in a gradient shade; spotted ovaries can also be found;
• cone-shaped vegetable with significant elongation;
• peppercorns have a small weight from 80 to 120 g;
• low-yielding variety: with proper care, you can collect 12-15 fruits from one bush;
• according to professional summer residents and cooks, this is best variety for winter preparations.

"Cabin boy"

• bush 50-60 cm high;
• color from dark green to deep red: green fruits are used for preservation, red fruits are eaten fresh;
• the fruits are cone-shaped with a pointed tip;
• weight of one vegetable – 130-180 g;
• high-yielding pepper: during the fruiting period it can produce up to 30 medium-sized fruits;
• resistant to diseases, easy to care for.

"Actor"

• one of the tallest varieties of pepper: the height of the bush is from 1 to 1.5 m;
• when ripe, the fruits have a scarlet tint;
• ovaries cone-shaped, highly elongated with a blunt tip;
• the meatiest pepper: the weight of the fruit is about 300 g;
• medium-yielding plant: you can harvest up to 14 vegetables from a bush.

"Bagration"

• bush height 80-100 cm;
• producing fruit of a beautiful orange hue, sometimes with green or red spots;
• the ovaries are club-shaped and have an interesting relief;
• medium-sized ovaries – 150-200 g;
• has an excellent taste and refined aroma;
• during the growth period, one bush produces up to 14 peppercorns;
• high resistance to infections and fungi.

"Smile"

• usually mature plant has a height of up to 80 cm, with good care its height can reach 1 m;
• unripe fruits have a rich green color; when ripe, the vegetable acquires an orange color;
• the fruits are cone-shaped with a blunt tip;
• the variety is demanding on watering;
• with sufficient moisture, the fruits can weigh up to 250 g;
• yield: up to 16 fruits from one bush;
• The variety can be used for food at different stages of ripening.

"Nafanya"

• an adult plant reaches a height of no more than 70 cm;
• the fruits are burgundy in color; purple ovaries are less common;
• cone-shaped fruits with a sharp tip;
• ovaries weighing 70-180 g;
• medium-yielding variety: up to 15 fruits can be collected from one bush;
• differs in the duration of flowering, capable of bearing fruit throughout the growing season.

"Tomboy"

• the variety is demanding on lighting, on which the height of an adult plant depends: with plenty of light, the bush can have a height of up to 1 m, with insufficient lighting - 50 cm;
• the fruits during ripening have a bright yellow or orange color;
• ovaries cone-shaped, rounded;
• medium-sized fruits weighing up to 150 g;
• high-yielding variety: more than 25 fruits can ripen during the fruiting period;
• As a rule, heavy fruiting leads to a decrease in the size of the ovaries.

"Bunny"

• not picky about growing conditions;
• the height of an adult bush can exceed 1 m;
• fruits are deep red, less often burgundy;
• characterized by upward directed growth of fruits;
• the weight of one vegetable can range from 160-250 g;
• during the growing season it can produce up to 15 ovaries per bush;
• The fruits are juicy and have a pleasant aroma.

The best varieties of sweet peppers for open ground will allow you to grow decent yields. Adhering to the recommendations of breeders, the growing process turns into an interesting activity, and the result will stun with abundant fruiting.

Hybrid or variety: which to choose?

There are a huge number of opinions regarding growing hybrids and varieties. If you are going to collect seeds from fruits, preference in cultivation should be given to the variety. Otherwise, a hybrid is used.
A variety is the result of breeders. Such peppers are adapted to certain growing conditions and are capable of producing seed material similar to mother plant. It is distinguished by its reliable taste. But, unfortunately, the variety is more susceptible to all kinds of infections and is not always suitable for cultivation in a certain region. Pepper seeds can be collected and used as seed.
Hybrid – plants obtained by crossing different varieties. Requires a lot of attention. It is resistant to infections and fungi and is capable of producing high yields. As a rule, it is distinguished by insignificant growth, taste qualities fruits and their presentation. In order to sow a hybrid, you need to buy seed every year from a specialized store.
Pepper is an amazing vegetable that is very popular. It has excellent taste and a rich, refined aroma. A variety of dishes are prepared from the fruits of the crop and used as fresh food. Pepper is a plant that should be in every summer cottage.

This collection of material presents step-by-step technology sowing, planting and caring for the plant. A description of the most popular and recommended pepper varieties by experts will help you make your choice.

Sweet pepper, description

Sweet pepper - annual herbaceous plant, belongs to the Capsicum species and the Solanaceae family.

The famous agricultural crop is grown in temperate, tropical and subtropical latitudes of all continents. America is considered the birthplace of the plant.

This warm and moisture-loving vegetable plant bears tasty and nutritious fruits.

The pepper fruit looks like a juicy, hollow berry with numerous seeds. Fruit colors range from red, yellow, orange, green and white to brown or purple. The size and shape of the berries also differ depending on the type of pepper.

The semi-lignified stem and powerful branched root system allow you to simultaneously hold on the plant a large number of ripe large fruits. A low bush, with simple and short-petioled leaves, green in color, it became popular precisely because of its healthy and aromatic fruits.

A huge number of varieties of sweet peppers have been bred and cultivated throughout the world. In our country, the most common variety is bell pepper.

Sweet pepper varieties

Successful cultivation of sweet peppers largely depends on the well-chosen variety. Taking into account the main varietal characteristics vegetable crop: ripening time, size and shape of fruits, crop preferences in certain climatic conditions, it is important to choose the most suitable varieties of pepper.

Let's look at the most popular and productive varieties.

• "Tusk"

An early-ripening, tall variety (up to 160 cm in height), it has sweet and aromatic red fruits. The fruits are elongated and cylindrical in shape. Pepper is suitable for growing in greenhouses and open ground.

• "Agapovsky"

Characterized by medium ripening periods and cultivation in greenhouse conditions. The bush is compact, with cube-shaped red fruits.

• "Bogatyr"

Mid-season variety, with large (as the name suggests) red and juicy fruits.

• "Apricot Favorite"

Cone-shaped, smooth, orange fruits ripen early. A compact, low (up to 50 cm) bush suitable for growing indoors and outdoors.

• "Big Daddy"

An early-ripening, low-growing variety with thick-walled, fleshy, purple-colored fruits. Universal for planting location (greenhouse or open ground), variety.

• "Yellow Bell"

It is distinguished by its yellow, cuboid-shaped fruits and early dates ripening (about 70 days).

• Hybrid F1 “Star of the East white”

A powerful bush, with large whitish-cream fruits and early ripening.

• Hybrid F1 “Star of the East chocolate”

Semi-spreading bush, with large, prism-shaped and Brown, juicy fruits. Characterized by medium ripening periods.

• "Gladiator"

Dutch variety, with large and fleshy (wall thickness 10-13 mm) yellow peppercorns. It has a mid-season ripening period.

• "Medal"

An early ripening variety with a long fruiting period. The fruit is large, thick-walled (10-12 mm), bright red.

• "Yova"

Early and unpretentious variety, is characterized by high productivity and large fruits.

• "Victoria"

The fruits are cone-shaped, slightly ribbed, medium in size. The variety is medium early.

• "Brochka"

The variety is characterized by early ripening and is resistant to diseases. The bush is not tall, with orange-red thin-walled (5 mm) fruits.

• "Bogdan"

A variety with a long fruiting period, with light orange thick-walled, large and fragrant fruits. The weight of one peppercorn is about 200-250 g.

• "Golden Pheasant"

High-yielding variety, with yellow fruits, pronounced sweet taste. The peppercorns are large (up to 300 g) and thick-walled.

• "Belozerka"

A low bush, densely covered with yellow and red cone-shaped peppercorns.

• "Kolobok"

It is distinguished by its rounded shape and thickened walls, fruits, and red color. Has excellent taste.

• "Alba"

A high-yielding variety with blunt-conical fruits of medium size. The peppercorns are thick-walled, juicy, and orange in color.

• "Sun"

A variety with yellow and large fruits, has high taste and technological qualities.

It is also possible to distinguish varieties according to individual characteristics. For example:

• Varieties of sweet peppers with a pronounced sweet taste (Swallow, Winnie the Pooh, Tenderness, Maikopsky 470).
• Varieties resistant to diseases, pests and hot climates (Ararat, Terek, Adler, Erivan, Kazbek).
• Varieties for growing in open ground (Etude, Karat, Curious).
• Varieties for growing on the windowsill (Watercolor, Candy, Tomboy, Yarik, Chanterelle, Treasure Island).
• Varieties for growing in a greenhouse (Orange Miracle, Alyonushka, Winnie the Pooh, Tenderness, Lastochka, Californian Miracle).
• Varieties distinguished by thick-walled and large fruits (California Miracle, Gladiator, Winnie the Pooh, Gift of Moldova).
• Varieties for conservation (Kupets, Victoria, Ermak).
• Early varieties of sweet pepper (Lumina, Aivenhoe, Triton, Alantik F1).

The best sweet pepper According to agronomists and gardeners, the following early and mid-season varieties are recognized: Eroshka, Funtik, Hercules, Fakir, Chardash, Younga, Accord, Viking, Claudio, Cornet, Atlant, Big Papa, Licedey, Ulybka. According to reviews, these varieties of sweet peppers have proven themselves to be hardy, high-yielding crops, with high taste and technological qualities.

In any case, when choosing a variety to plant on your site, it is first better to become familiar with its characteristics and suitability for a specific climatic zone.

Growing sweet peppers

A light- and heat-loving plant, pepper grows well in the open ground of the southern regions, with a warm and mild climate. In the zone middle zone In Russia, the crop is mainly grown in greenhouses and greenhouses.

Sweet peppers have a long growing season. Therefore, for successful formation and ripening of fruits, peppers are planted in open ground with ready-sprouted seedlings.

Technology for growing sweet pepper seedlings

The process of planting sweet pepper seedlings includes several main steps:

• preparing seeds for sowing;
• sowing seeds in a container;
• seedling care;
• planting seedlings in separate glasses;
• planting seedlings in open ground.

Let's take a closer look at all of the listed stages of growing sweet pepper seedlings.

Preparing sweet seeds before sowing

• To begin with, you need to select the strongest and most viable specimens from the total mass of seeds. Having poured all the seeds into a container with salted water, only the “drowned” seeds are left.

• Selected sweet pepper seeds are disinfected (20-30 minutes) in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, after which they are washed.
• To improve germination, soak the seeds for 12 hours in a growth stimulator.
• Even without additional growth stimulation, the seeds must be kept moist (on a damp cloth or cotton wool) for about 2 days. This procedure will allow the seed to germinate faster in the soil.

Sowing sweet pepper seeds

• The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings varies from the end of January to the beginning of March.
• The seeds are planted in a single container, making not deep (1-2 cm) grooves with a pencil or stick with a row spacing of 5-6 cm. The distance between the seeds is about 2 cm. “Continuous” sowing is also practiced over the entire surface, without rows.

• You can sow directly into individual cups, for example, peat pots, with a diameter of about 10 cm.

The opinions of practitioners on this matter are divided. Some believe that it is easier and simpler to care for a single large container, and that after the seeds germinate, it is more convenient to select the strongest and healthiest sprouts, which are then replanted separately. Others argue that pepper does not tolerate transplantation well, so it is better to sow it immediately disposable cups. And if you replant, do it very carefully and correctly, without injuring the roots of the seedlings.

• The soil in the container should be light and loose. The soil mixture consists of humus, sand and turf land. To create a more nutritious environment, add 1 tbsp per 1 kg of mixture. wood ash.
• After sowing, the seeds are sprinkled with earth, lightly compacted and covered with film to create greenhouse effect. The container with the seeds is placed in a warm place for subsequent germination.
• During this period, ensure regular ventilation and watering of the planted seeds.
• After 1-2 weeks, the first shoots of pepper appear. In this case, the film must be removed immediately.

Caring for sweet pepper seedlings

• The temperature of the room in which the seedlings germinate should be around +22-25° C.
• So that there are enough shoots sunlight, the container is placed on the windowsill. In cloudy weather, in the morning and evening, you need to add light to the seedlings fluorescent lamp. Normally, the plant should receive light from 8.00 to 20.00. With a lack of lighting, yellowing and falling leaves are observed.
• As the soil dries, provide watering at room or slightly warm temperature. It is important to provide the seedlings with moderate watering, avoiding either drying out of the soil or stagnation of moisture. Excessive watering of seedlings can lead to blackleg disease. Seedlings respond favorably to spraying (from a spray bottle) the leaves with water.
• When ventilating the room, it is better to remove the seedlings from the windowsill, because they don't like drafts.

Planting sweet pepper seedlings in separate glasses

• When appearing on young plant two true leaves (not counting cotyledons), the seedlings are transplanted into separate cups or pots.
• First, the soil of the container is moistened with water.
• When transplanting, carefully prying up the sprout, keeping a lump of earth near the root, the seedling is planted in a separate container. This event will ensure better survival of the seedling.
• When transplanting, it is better to pinch the main (long) root, about 1 cm, to stimulate the development of lateral roots.
• The seedling is placed in a cup with soil mixture, sprinkled with soil to the level of the cotyledon leaves and watered.
• During the period when 2-3 leaves appear, the first feeding of seedlings is carried out. To do this, take 0.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 1 g of potassium-containing fertilizers, 3 g of superphosphate and dissolve everything in 1 liter of water.
• The next feeding is carried out after about 2 weeks with a double dose of fertilizer.
• The last application of fertilizers occurs during the period before planting the seedlings (2-3 days before) outside. The dose is doubled again.
• Many gardeners recommend spraying them with a solution of a natural growth stimulant a day before planting seedlings. The plant will be more hardy, resistant to diseases and will show high fruiting results.

Planting sweet pepper seedlings in open ground

• For a permanent place, seedlings of heat-loving sweet pepper planted only in May month (at the age of 90-100 days). The plant by this time has about 10 leaves. Seedlings planted on the plot in the first half of the month are covered with film to prevent freezing. If the pepper was planted in the second half of May, no additional shelter is needed.
• Before planting seedlings (1.5-2 weeks before) in open ground, carry out hardening. To do this, in good weather, seedlings are periodically exposed to the street (balcony), gradually increasing the exposure time. At night, the seedlings must be brought indoors.

Sweet peppers for greenhouses

• Seedlings for planting peppers in a greenhouse are grown using the method described above.
• The soil in the greenhouse, before planting, is fertilized with organic and mineral fertilizers.
• Seedlings for greenhouses are planted at an earlier age (50-60 days), at a distance of about 40-50 cm between seedlings and with a row spacing of 60-70 cm.
• Peppers are planted in the soil of the greenhouse along with a lump of earth from the cup where the seedlings grew. The procedure is done carefully, avoiding transplant stress for the plant.
• After planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly and the soil is mulched.

Planting sweet peppers

Planting peppers is carried out in the process of planting germinated and hardened seedlings.

Sowing seeds in open ground is not advisable, even in warm, southern regions. The plant will develop more slowly, and the yields will not be large.

Choosing a place to plant sweet peppers

• The place for planting sweet peppers in open ground should be open, sunny and windless.
• The soil for sweet peppers should be light, nutritious and loose, with good aeration. You need to add straw, peat, sawdust, and humus to dense soil. Poor soils must be fertilized with organic matter, potassium and phosphorus mineral fertilizers. Acidic soils should be limed.
• The predecessors of pepper on the site can be any vegetable crops (onion, cucumber), except representatives of the nightshade family (tomato, potato).
• Peppers are susceptible to cross-pollination, so other varieties of peppers or hot peppers should not be planted nearby.

Agricultural technology for planting sweet peppers

• For planting, prepare holes measuring about 30x50 cm. In one hole, in different ends, you can plant two plants at once, then the dimensions of the hole and row spacing are slightly increased.
• Approximately 30-40 cm are left between holes, 40-50 cm between rows. Often, to save space, staggered planting is practiced.
• It is better to plant in the evening.
• Water is poured into the hole, after it has been absorbed, the seedlings are planted.
• The seedling is covered with soil up to the level of the stem neck.

Sweet pepper, care

Sweet pepper - demanding care and quality composition soils, vegetables. To achieve maximum yields, you need to do everything agricultural techniques plant care: watering, loosening, fertilizing and pest control.

In addition to the main activities, the central flower on the plant is pinched, which can significantly increase the yield of sweet peppers.

In addition, in hot wet weather carry out pinching, removing the side shoots and lower leaves.

• Watering is carried out regularly as the soil dries out.
• You need to water the pepper often, but little by little.
• Excessive moisture, as well as drying out of the soil, leads to the fall of pepper fruit ovaries.
• It is better to use warm water for watering.
• Drip irrigation of pepper beds shows excellent results.

Loosening and mulching

• To prevent the soil from drying out, the beds are mulched with peat or sawdust.
• After watering, if the area is not mulched, it is necessary to loosen the soil shallowly (taking into account the surface root system plants).

Fertilizer application

• It is recommended to apply fertilizing (2-3 times) during the growing season of the plant.
• The first fertilizing, as a rule, is nitrogen. You can use nitrogen-containing fertilizers or liquid manure (12:1). Do not exceed the norms for applying fertilizers. An excess of nitrogen will negatively affect the fruiting process of the crop.
• Before budding begins, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are applied.
• After flowering, during the period when fruiting begins, superphosphates and wood ash are added.
• Sweet peppers respond well to the application of liquid fertilizers and organic fertilizers.

Pest and disease control of sweet peppers

• The fungal disease “black leg” appears when improper care for pepper and contamination of the soil layer: with excessive moisture, use for irrigation cold water, planting in areas with constant drafts or dense clay soils. A sign of the disease is a blackened stem at the base. In case of infection, the top layer of soil is removed and the area is disinfected with a weak solution of bleach.
• Prevention of the disease “late blight” is disinfection of seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate. Signs of the disease - appearance brown spots on the stem and leaves. Infected plants are sprayed with an infusion of onion peels or Bordeaux mixture.
• To prevent sweet peppers from becoming infected with “bacterial black spot,” all plant debris is collected and burned in the fall. The seeds are first disinfected.
• When attacked by aphids or spider mite Spraying with tincture of garlic, wormwood or tansy helps.
• The fight against mole crickets and slugs comes down to the use of special chemicals or traps.

Sweet pepper garter

• Tall varieties of sweet peppers need staking and bush formation (2-3 main stems are left).
• Already when planting seedlings, you can install a support next to the bush and tie up the stem.

Harvesting sweet peppers

• Both ripe fruits and unripe (greenish) fruits are collected.
• Unripe fruits are placed in boxes for ripening when room temperature. This will ensure better ripening of the young fruits remaining on the bush.
• When harvesting, the fruits are cut and not broken out, so as not to damage the branches and stems of the bush.
• From the first, largest and ripe fruits, you can collect seeds for sowing next year.

Thus, by following the basic rules of planting and caring for the plant, every gardener, including beginners, can easily grow sweet peppers on their plot.

Well, the undeniable benefits and high nutritional value This vegetable crop will be an additional incentive to grow pepper yourself.

Sweet pepper, photo

Video: “Features of growing sweet peppers”

Video: “Typical mistakes when growing sweet peppers”

bell pepper also called sweet, he's rich useful substances and vitamins, various colors, juicy and tasty.

Process growing sweet peppers has its own characteristics, since pepper is a heat-loving vegetable. To obtain good harvest peppers, you must have knowledge and certain skills.

Let's consider growing bell peppers from seeds, from seedlings, care features when growing in open ground, pest and disease control, when to harvest.

Pepper is a plant of short daylight hours, and if the daylight hours are less than 12 hours, the pepper begins to bear fruit earlier.

It is not advisable to plant pepper seeds in open ground even in the southern regions, because you need to wait until the soil warms up; the pepper will begin to bear fruit later and not for long. Therefore, sweet peppers are mainly grown in seedlings.

When growing seedlings at home, pepper seeds are sown in February, so that the plants have 90-100 days before transplanting into the ground. Pepper does not tolerate picking, so try to immediately sow the seeds in separate peat pots with a diameter of 8-10 cm.

There is no need to use large pots due to the slow development of the root system of peppers.

Soil for seedlings

A light and loose substrate consisting of humus mixed with 1 part earth and 1 part sand is suitable. Add 1 tbsp per 1 kg of substrate. l. wood ash.

Before sowing, treat the pepper seeds - soak the seeds in hot water + 50 degrees for 5 hours. Then place the seeds in a damp cloth for germination for 2-3 days, the room temperature should be + 20 degrees. After such pre-sowing preparation, seedlings appear the very next day after sowing.

Seeds sown in cups, water and cover plastic film or glass. Until seedlings emerge, keep the pots in a warm place with a temperature of + 22 degrees. After the shoots emerge, remove the film and transfer the seedlings to a room with a temperature of 26-28 degrees during the day and 10-15 degrees at night.

When caring for pepper seedlings, do not allow the soil to dry out, but we also do not recommend excessive watering.

Water with warm water +30 degrees, cold water will cause growth frail seedlings, plants may get sick. The air in the room should not be too dry, protect the plants from drafts and spray the plants.

In winter in February, seedlings require additional lighting so that daylight hours are from 7 am to 9 pm.

First feeding carried out in the phase of appearance of 2 true leaves with the following solution: dilute 5 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of potassium fertilizers, 30 g of superphosphate in 10 liters of water.

Second feeding carried out 14 days after the first with mineral fertilizers in 2 times greater proportions than the first.

Third feeding carried out 2 days before planting seedlings in the ground. Increase the dose of potassium fertilizers in the solution to 70 g per 10 liters of water.

A few weeks before planting pepper seedlings, the plants are hardened off by placing them in fresh air for several hours. Make sure that the air temperature is not lower than +13 degrees, the seedlings may die.

Choosing a place to plant bell peppers

Select a plot in the garden where cucumbers, onions, pumpkins, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, and various green manures previously grew. Peppers do not grow well and bear fruit if planted in an area where potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers previously grew.

Pepper grows best in light soils. Prepare the area for planting in advance, in the fall add 50 g of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers per m2, dig deep. In the spring, add 40 g of ammonium nitrate per m2 of area to the top layer of soil.

Before planting seedlings in open ground, disinfect the soil with the following solution: dilute 1 tablespoon of copper sulfate in 10 liters of water.

At the end of May, pepper seedlings are planted in open ground with a distance of 40x40 cm between plants. Seedlings are planted in a film greenhouse at the end of April.

Seedlings should be planted at the same depth as the plants grew in cups or boxes. Do not expose the roots, but also try not to dig in the root collar.

Peppers do not like cold soil; arrange high beds for peppers, raised to 25 cm, to get a good harvest of peppers.

Attention: peppers are susceptible to cross-pollination, so plant different varieties of peppers as far apart as possible or separate them using tall plantings of tomatoes, corn, and sunflowers.

Video - Peppers, the secret of a rich harvest

Caring for peppers in open ground

It is necessary to water, fertilize, garter and weed pepper plantings in a timely manner.

Feeding peppers in open ground

During the season, it is necessary to carry out 3-4 fertilizing with chicken manure diluted with 1 x 10 water. Alternate such foliar fertilizing, using spraying with nitrophoska (1 tbsp per 10 liters of water).

Potassium deficiency will lead to curling of the leaves and the appearance of a drying border. But pepper does not tolerate an abundance of potassium chloride.

At nitrogen deficiency pepper leaves become smaller and acquire a matte grayish tint. If there is excess nitrogen, flowers and ovaries are dropped.

Phosphorus deficiency– the leaves on the underside become deep purple, press against the plant stem and rise upward.

At magnesium deficiency the leaves become marbled in color.

Video - HOW TO FORM A PEPPER CORRECTLY!!! CARE AND FEEDING!!!

Pepper care

Carry out pinching in hot and humid weather, removing side shoots, especially the lower ones. And vice versa, when the weather is hot and dry, the peppers are not the stepsons, the leaves during this period protect the plants from evaporation of soil moisture.

During the growing season, the longest shoots are pruned, especially all shoots below the fork of the main stem are removed, as well as all branches going inside the plant. Perform pruning every 10 days and after harvesting the fruits.

To attract pollinating insects, spray the pepper plantings with a sugar or honey solution: 100 g of sugar, add 2 g of boric acid, dilute everything in a liter of hot water.

Mulching peppers with rotted straw (10 cm layer) will reduce the frequency of watering to once every 10 days.

Carry out gartering of plants in a timely manner; it is better to do this after hilling.

Pests such as slugs, armyworms, aphids, whiteflies, mole crickets and Colorado potato beetles can harm plants. It is necessary to pollinate peppers with wood ash 3 times per season.

Common diseases of sweet peppers– late blight, Septoria, macrosporiosis, blossom end rot, white rot, black leg.

In the fight against mole crickets, before planting in the ground, fill the planting holes with onion water (infuse 500 g of onion peels in 10 liters of water for 3 days).

If aphids are infested, treat the plants with a solution: dilute 1.5 liters of whey in 10 liters of water. After processing, crush with ash.

When the peppers acquire the size and color appropriate for ripeness, begin harvesting by cutting off the vegetables with the stalk. Pepper ripening begins in early August and continues until the first frost.

Video - 10 MISTAKES when growing sweet peppers

Wishing you a great harvest of sweet peppers!