by Sweet (Bulgarian) peppers need additional feeding at all stages of vegetation, including during fruiting. Fertilizers applied during this period improve the taste of the fruit, accelerate its ripening and increase its shelf life.
At the stage of fruit ripening, peppers most of all need potassium, which is “responsible” for the accumulation of sugars in the fruits and their taste, as well as magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.
Mineral fertilizers for peppers during the fruiting period
To speed up the ripening of peppers, foliar feeding with potassium fertilizers, such as potassium sulfate (7-10 g per 10 l) or potassium monophosphate (5 g per 10 l) will help. These nutrient solutions are well absorbed by plants and give a quick effect. In addition, 10-14 days after foliar feeding, apply one of the named fertilizers under the root: dissolve 10-15 g of the preparation in 10 l of water. The consumption rate is 1 l per bush.
Potassium magnesium sulfate will help to replenish the deficiency of potassium and magnesium at the same time. For root feeding, dissolve 20 g of fertilizer in 10 l of water. The consumption rate is 1-2 l per bush. For foliar feeding, reduce the amount of fertilizer to 10-15 g.
At this time, you can also use potassium-phosphorus fertilizer from mineral mixtures: dissolve 2 teaspoons of potassium sulfate and superphosphate in 10 liters of water and water the pepper plantings. The consumption rate is 1 liter per bush.
Folk fertilizers for peppers
Not all gardeners are positive about using mineral fertilizers during the ripening period. Some prefer natural fertilizers and folk remedies.
During the fruiting period, peppers can be fed with wood ash, a source of potassium, calcium, and dozens of other useful elements. To prepare an ash solution, pour 1 cup of ash into a bucket of water, mix thoroughly, and spray the bushes with it.
Pepper also responds well to herbal infusion. To prepare it, chop fresh nettles and fill half a bucket with them. Then add water to the top and leave to infuse in a warm place for a week. Before use, dilute 1 liter of nettle infusion in 10 liters of water and pour the prepared fertilizer over the pepper.
Some gardeners recommend feeding peppers at the stage of fruit ripening with banana peels, which contain a lot of potassium. To prepare a nutritious infusion, pour 3-4 banana peels with 3 liters of hot water. After three days, strain the infusion and pour it over the peppers.
Eggshells, a source of calcium, are also used to feed peppers during the fruiting period. Grind dried eggshells and pour them into a 3-liter glass jar to about the middle. Then fill it to the top of the jar with hot water and leave it to infuse in a warm, dark place for several days. Use the prepared infusion for watering under the root.
Another method that can help speed up the ripening of peppers is to remove the leaves growing above the fruits of the lower tiers. In this case, the pepper bushes will be better illuminated by the sun and will ripen faster. In addition to the leaves, you should regularly remove the side shoots, which take away nutrients from the bush, thereby slowing down the ripening of the fruits. We must not forget about the temperature: the optimum for this southern crop is considered to be 20-25 ° C during the day and not lower than 15 ° C at night. At lower values, the ripening process of the fruits slows down.
