by Many gardeners grow sweet peppers, but not everyone can boast of a rich harvest of this vegetable. In order to reduce all losses to a minimum and get a decent result, you will only need to follow certain rules.
Among gardeners, pepper has acquired the reputation of being a rather demanding crop. In many ways, of course, the capriciousness of this vegetable is explained by its love of heat, but it would be wrong to discount the role of agricultural technology. So, what rules for growing pepper should be followed in order to get a bountiful harvest at the end of the season?
1. Care for peppers based on the characteristics of their variety and growing location
Even at the planting planning stage, study information about which pepper varieties and hybrids are best suited for growing in your region and keep in mind that plant care measures in open and protected ground may differ.
The requirements that different varieties have for the formation process may also differ. Low-growing ones, for example, can easily do without it, while when growing their tall relatives, you will have to do the formation.
Try to give preference to varieties that have been specially bred for growing in your region and purchase seed material only from trusted manufacturers! Carefully study the selected varieties and take into account that for planting in greenhouses and open ground, you need to select the appropriate seed material.
Varieties and hybrids of pepper for open ground: Arsenal, Barguzin, Big Mama, Eroshka, Sorvanets, Cabin Boy, Buratino F1 and others. Varieties and hybrids for growing in a greenhouse: Apricot Favorite, Atlant F1, Belladonna F1, Californian Miracle, Swallow, etc.
2. Keep the beds clean
Since there is much less space in a closed space, plants have to be placed close to each other. Close proximity of plants and high humidity are the main risk factors for the development and rapid spread of various diseases. That is why it is important to weed the plantings in a timely manner and get rid of uninvited green “guests”.
Sometimes it happens that another crop “breaks through” into the area you have set aside for growing one crop. If it so happens that another “decent” plant has settled next to your peppers, do not rush to get rid of it.
For example, onions and garlic will help repel pests and suppress the growth and development of pathogenic bacteria, and basil, marigolds, coriander, catnip, marjoram, tansy and thyme will attract pollinating insects to the plant.
It is interesting that weeds can also be of good service to your harvest. For example, nettle, chamomile and dandelion promote the rapid ripening of the vegetable. If there are 1-2 specimens of any of these plants in the greenhouse with peppers, it makes sense to postpone the fight against them until the end of the season, when you have already managed to collect the entire harvest.
3. Take the time to shape the bushes
Forming a bush allows you to direct all the plant’s energy in the “right direction”. If you don’t do this, the pepper will start spending nutrients on growing green mass, rather than on forming ovaries when such a need actually arises. The main stages of forming pepper bushes:
When the first flowers appear on the seedlings, they are removed so that the young plant spends nutrients on strengthening the bush.
As soon as the plant planted in the ground adapts to the new conditions, start forming the bushes. To do this, remove all the lower shoots up to the first fork, and along with them, carefully separate the crown flower from the stem.
Reduce the number of ovaries to 20 per bush so that the plant does not waste its energy on “extra” fruits.
To ensure that the last pepper crop has time to fully ripen, remove all new flowers at the end of August.
The crown flower is the flower that forms in the first fork of the bush.
4. Conduct regular disease and pest prevention
Regularly inspect the plants planted in the ground for the first signs of disease or pests. Please note that the use of certain preparations is largely determined not only by the degree of infection of the plant, but also by the development phase of the pepper.
For example, during the budding period, proceed according to the following scheme:
10 days after transplanting the plants to a permanent place, treat the bushes with Aktara according to the instructions. To prevent diseases (alternaria, late blight, etc.), use a solution of Fitosporin-M.
If you notice something wrong at the early stages, then a decoction of wormwood (3 kg of fresh grass per 10 liters of water, boiled for 20 minutes) or biological preparations (Bitoxibacillin, Lepidocide, etc.) will help you.
If things have gone too far and you still can’t deal with the pests using traditional tobacco dust, the “heavy artillery” will come to the rescue: Alatar, Gerold, etc.
Sharpei, Bushido, Zhukoed, Inta-Ts-M, Tsi-Alfa and others will help in the fight against Colorado beetles. Antikleshch, BioKill, Fitoverm and other preparations are used for treatment against spider mites.
You can learn how to protect the plant during the growing season, flowering and fruiting period from the following article.
5. Feed your plants on time
Systematic fertilizing is the key to a decent harvest. A deficiency of nutrients leads to “stretching”, slow growth and a decrease in yield, not to mention the fact that weak plants have a harder time resisting various diseases.
Regardless of whether you use industrial fertilizers or try to get by with organic matter, remember that exceeding the dosage can harm or even be fatal to plants.
At each stage of its development, pepper needs different fertilizers. You can learn about what products are acceptable to use before planting in the ground, during growth, flowering and fruiting of this fruit crop in the material dedicated exclusively to this topic.
6. Do not allow the soil to dry out
Peppers are watered in the morning between 9 and 11 a.m. with rain or settled warm tap water under the roots, making sure that the liquid does not get on the leaves. Do this every 4-6 days depending on the condition of the soil. Make sure that it does not dry out and does not become crusty.
However, do not forget that pepper loves light and loose soil, so in no case should you allow moisture to stagnate. To do this, the next day after watering, loosen the soil in which the pepper grows, while getting rid of weeds.
When growing peppers in a greenhouse or hotbed, do not forget about ventilation, but at the same time make sure that there are no drafts. If the weather is very hot outside, you can make life easier for the plants by removing the film from one side of the greenhouse.
7. Mulch the soil
Using mulch has a number of advantages. Firstly, it helps the soil to always remain loose, secondly, it prevents weeds from growing, and thirdly, it helps to retain moisture, and therefore saves time that you would have to spend on watering the plants.
At the same time, do not forget to regularly renew the mulch layer every 3-4 weeks as it settles.
Despite the fact that pepper is considered a somewhat capricious crop, many gardeners harvest this vegetable in abundance. Follow our recommendations and you will join their ranks!
