At what distance to plant peppers when planting in the ground. How to grow a good pepper crop Growing bell peppers in open ground

16.11.2019

Growing bell peppers in open ground is possible not only in regions with a warm climate. Therefore, in the garden of many vegetable growers you can find beds with this cultivated plant. In order for each bush to have a strong stem and strong roots, and the fruits begin to form in a timely manner, it is necessary to plant ready-made seedlings grown at home.

How to plant pepper open ground, seedlings or seeds everyone's choice. But more likely to get a good result in the first case. Seeds are independently germinated at home in compliance with several rules.

The cultivation of sweet pepper in the open field begins three months after sowing the seeds. Therefore, it is necessary to plant grains in early February. For the rapid emergence of healthy sprouts, the seeds must be subjected to various manipulations.

For sweet pepper care begins with the seeds. Preparatory stage in the technology of growing pepper in the open ground is based on the processing of seeds. To remove fungal and bacterial infection from the seed coat, a disinfection procedure is carried out. A weak solution of potassium permanganate is useful.

It is enough to add 1 g of the substance to the water, the solution should be of a faint pink hue. The exposure time of the grains in such a solution should be about 25 minutes.

After disinfection, it is recommended to carry out care by hardening the seeds. How to carry out the procedure correctly? For this purpose, the seeds are alternately placed in a cold and warm place for three days. Hardening will allow the bushes to withstand adverse weather conditions in the future.

In order for seedlings to grow faster, and in the future to enjoy a quality harvest, it is recommended not to skip the soaking procedure. For this purpose, you can buy special preparations or make your own from natural ingredients. You can use a recipe based on wood ash or aloe juice. Aloe juice will further increase resistance to various diseases. In the juice of two fleshy leaves place a cloth bag with pepper seeds.

Planting seeds

It turns out to grow pepper faster if the seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and removed in a warm place. After two days, the seeds can already be sown in a prepared container with soil. The distance between the holes should be at least 1.5 cm. One seed should be placed in each recess. The container is covered with polyethylene film or glass. As soon as most of the seedlings appear, the seedlings are opened.

Soil for peppers should be light. You can mix black soil, humus and sand on your own. It is useful to add charcoal. The soil with seedlings is watered with water, which has been settled for at least a day.

Seedlings should be protected from drafts and provide sufficient access to light. Be sure to add mineral or organic fertilizers. The first time the seedlings are fed as soon as the first leaves bloom. The last top dressing is carried out two weeks before transplanting into an open area.

Peppers are very difficult to transplant, so many experienced gardeners omit the picking step (pinching out long roots). But if the planting of pepper seedlings is accompanied by a correct and careful picking, then the root system will be branched and strong. In one of the experiments, the positive result of this procedure is described: “I have been growing peppers for more than a year. The picking procedure greatly increases the strength of each bush and allows seedlings to quickly adapt to a new place.

If it is decided to plant pepper seeds in open ground, then sowing begins three weeks earlier than seedlings. It is recommended to put 4-5 grains in holes about 4 cm deep. The method of heap arrangement of seeds allows to facilitate the process of seedling development. More attention should be paid to sowing seeds.

Features of landing under the open sky

There are many secrets on how to grow good harvest peppers outdoors.

How to plant sweet peppers in open ground with seedlings? Before planting pepper seedlings in open ground, you need to choose a place and prepare the beds. Planting bell pepper should be carried out in a place where there will be no piercing wind. In autumn, a suitable piece of land is dug up and fertilized. Planting pepper and care in the open field is not complete without feeding from potash and phosphorus substances.

Same way Bell pepper in the open ground does not tolerate too hot air and direct sunlight. You need to take care of the shading of the beds in hot weather.

In the spring, it is necessary to loosen the earth again, with the introduction of ammonium nitrate. The scheme of planting pepper can be varied, but the variety is always taken into account. At what distance from each other is it recommended to plant seedlings in the ground? The holes are dug at a distance of 35 cm. The distance between the rows should be approximately 45 cm. If two pieces are planted in the hole, then the distance should be increased to 60 cm.

A well-known and often used square-nested planting method. The hole should have equal sides, at least 60 cm. Pepper can be planted in each recess with two bushes. How to plant a plant if three pieces are placed in the nest? In this case, the dimensions of the sides should be equal to 70 cm. You can see more about this planting method in the video.

Planting pepper in the ground occurs at the end of spring. If the weather has not settled, then the landing of pepper is postponed to the beginning of June. It is better to plant pepper in the ground in the evening or on cloudy days.

The seedlings are carefully watered and carefully removed one bush from the container along with an earthen clod, which is wrapped around the roots. What fertilizer to apply when planting pepper? When planting, it is useful to add a composition with humus and nitrophoska to the hole when planting. The plant is placed as deep as the first pair of leaves.

Useful layer

A valuable step in care is the mulching of peppers. The features of cultivation are in covering the soil with an organic or inorganic layer, which is called mulch. Mulching the ground is necessary to reduce weeds, retain moisture, protect against heat and cold. In the soil, which is covered with mulch, useful flora spreads, and it becomes fertile.

You can mulch the area where the pepper will be planted with the following substances.

The organic layer of straw is able to quickly cool the ground, reduces the number of weeds, and allows you to get a good harvest. The depth of the mulch layer is at least 10 cm.
For growing sweet peppers, humus and compost are useful and nutritious mulches. They contain beneficial microorganisms that fight pathogens. Pepper grows better, the fruits ripen faster and become juicy.
Mulch the ground with chopped grass. Any herb can be used. Planting sweet pepper in such a place will only benefit. The layer retains moisture well, promotes the rapid development of the plant and the formation of fruits. The thickness of the mulch should be at least 30 cm.
Seedlings can be planted using inorganic mulch. It includes black film. The soil under the black film retains moisture well and protects against weeds. Many experienced vegetable growers plant peppers precisely under the film, as the need for constant watering and weeding of the beds is lost.

On the Internet pages you can find detailed information about each type of mulch, as well as watch a video.

In addition to benefits, mulching can lead to problems. Most often this occurs when establishing a thick layer of mulch. Stagnation of moisture in the soil can lead to root rot. Periodically, the old layer should be replaced with a new one.

To avoid mistakes, each type of mulch should be laid in such a thickness that is recommended by agronomists. The layer is laid on well-warmed, dry ground. Every spring, the old layer of mulch should be removed.

caring attitude

The first days after transplantation, the growth of pepper slows down, the leaves are sluggish and drooping. After a few days, when the bushes take root, a strong stem will begin to develop. Outdoor pepper care is accompanied by regular watering, soil fertilization and weed control.

Growing and caring for outdoor pepper should be accompanied by proper, regular watering. The first watering is carried out at the time of disembarkation, and then after 5 days. If the weather does not indulge in rain, then watering until the first fruits appear is recommended every week. During rapid fruiting, watering is reduced. As soon as the first crop is harvested, and new flowers appear on the plants, the previous watering regime is resumed.

As soon as the height of the plant reaches 35 cm, pinch the top. Thanks to this, new side branches will go. In order for the flowering to be plentiful and many ovaries to form, the flower that is in the center is removed.

Throughout the time when bell pepper grows, you need to pick off excess leaves and twigs. This provides better access of sunlight and air to the stem.

Pepper loves soft, well-loosened soil. Therefore, a hard crust should not be allowed. During loosening, the soil is enriched with oxygen, the plant grows faster, and the activity of beneficial bacteria improves. At the same time, weed control is underway. The first loosening should be carried out no deeper than 6 cm. In the future, it is useful to loosen the soil after each watering or rain.

Since peppers are heat-loving plants, they can hardly endure adverse weather surprises. You can protect peppers from frost as follows. Shelters are built from cardboard, warm fabric over the beds. If cold nights continue for a long time, it is better to cover with a film.

Additional nutritional ingredients

Bulgarian pepper cultivation is not complete without the introduction of nutrients. The frequency of fertilizer application should be once every 12-14 days. Fertilize the plant at least three times. Especially acutely pepper needs nourishment during flowering and fruit formation.

The first feeding with nutrients occurs 14 days after disembarkation. During this time, the peppers will take root and get used to the new place. Best Lineups on the this stage those that contain mullein. Water is added to the manure in a ratio of 1:5, insisted and stirred with water 1:2 before watering.

When flowers appear, you can use the following recipe based on herbal infusion and mullein. Nettle, plantain and dandelion leaves are poured with water, mullein is added and infused for a week. Apply the finished solution to the root of each bush. You can repeat watering every 2 weeks. The nutrients obtained during this top dressing contribute to the activation of growth and better fruit formation.

To attract pollinating insects during the flowering period, you can use a solution with sugar. Sugar and boric acid are dissolved in water. The resulting composition is sprayed with bushes. As a result, ovaries form faster.

During the formation of the fruit, you can take care of it with a fertilizer based on chicken manure and nitroammophoska. The components are mixed and left to infuse for the whole week. Fertilizer is transferred to the bed between rows.

Behind bell pepper can be looked after with the help of nettle infusion. An infusion of nettle alone stimulates the growth and development of pepper. Young nettles are best suited for infusion. It contains magnesium, iron, potassium and other essential micronutrients. The stems are crushed and infused in a barrel of water, covered with a lid for two days. Before feeding, the solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.

Before applying organic or mineral fertilizing, the beds should be watered with plain water. Such care will allow the nutrients to be evenly distributed and avoid burns to the root system.

Agrotechnics of growing pepper does not allow the use of fresh manure as a fertilizer. Manure contains a lot of nitrogen, so the risk of an overabundance of this element increases. The stem, leaves begin to gain mass and strength, and fruiting stops.

The occurrence of problems

If it was noticed that the leaves change shape, color, the stems look lethargic, or other signs appear, often the cause is a lack of mineral components:

with a lack of potassium, the leaves curl, and their tips dry and turn yellow;
it is time to apply nitrogen fertilizers when the leaves have lost their saturated green color and turned grey;
if the leaves are pressed against the stem and have acquired a bluish tint, then there is not enough phosphorus;
white spots indicate magnesium deficiency;
leaves and ovaries fall off with an excess of nitrogen.

For the cultivation of sweet pepper, you need to create conditions. With improper care, it is subject to the development of various diseases. The most common disease is the black leg, which develops in too wet soil. You can notice the problem by the dark part of the stem with a coating that runs near the ground. If you do not take action, then all the roots succumb to decay and the plant dies.

To reduce the risk of developing a black leg, seeds are planted only in cultivated soil; only strong, healthy seedlings are transplanted into open ground. The distance between the bushes must be large, this will reduce the spread of the disease. In addition, closely planted bushes will not pass air and light well.

Phytophthora is a fungal infection that affects the green part of the plant. You can recognize by the appearance of brown spots on the stem and leaves. To avoid this disease, care must begin with seeds. Before planting, they are soaked in potassium permanganate, foliar spraying of seedlings in open ground is carried out with protective solutions. You should also avoid the neighborhood of pepper with tomatoes and potatoes.

Delicious, sweet, fragrant pepper, which is suitable for many salads, preservation, stuffing, etc., can be grown simply in your country house in the open field. Gardeners have long proven that rather heat-loving crops, such as peppers, can grow in more severe conditions, if certain rules are followed and appropriate care is taken. In our article we will talk about how to grow peppers in open ground.

Before you start growing peppers, you need to prepare open ground. In regions where the climate is mild, sweet peppers grow well outdoors in areas protected from the effects of the wind, provided there is a sufficient amount of sunlight. These requirements are met by the site, which is located next to the southern wall of the house. If wind protection is not provided, you can build a rocker protection consisting of plants or create a windproof fence in the form of a wattle fence.

It is worth saying that the cultivation of peppers cannot be done earlier than 3 years after the growth of nightshade crops on the ground (for example, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes). A large number of diseases of such plants can be transmitted through the soil. Before planting, you can grow cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, other pumpkin and legume crops, table root crops.

The soil in the area where you are going to grow pepper should be well-drained, fertile, and retain moisture well. The preparation of the site must be done in the fall. After the previous crop is harvested, it is necessary to completely free the soil from the remains of plants and dig up the soil.

It should be noted that from 30 to 50 grams of superphosphates, from 50 to 80 grams of wood ash and from 5 to 10 kg of humus or manure are applied per 1 m2. At the same time, I would like to focus your attention on the fact that you should not plant peppers on the ground, where fresh manure has just been added. An excess of soluble nitrogen adversely affects the preservation of the ovaries, as well as the ripening of the fetus.

In the autumn, you need to carefully dig up the area where you are going to grow peppers. In the spring, it is necessary to loosen the soil, add 30 to 40 grams of fertilizers (potash and phosphate) and 20 to 30 grams of nitrogen fertilizer per 1 m2.

Landing Rules

To get a really great harvest, planting must be done according to certain rules.

Pepper cultivation in open ground is usually carried out in the last days of May. At this time, the risk of frost is minimized. Pepper is planted according to the scheme 60-70 x 20-30 cm. Before planting, you need to water the seedlings abundantly so that during the planting process your pepper does not look wilted, can take root better, grow faster.

When planting peppers in the heat, it is better to choose the second half of the day to allow the plant to get stronger overnight. When the weather is cloudy, the landing can be made in the morning.

Prepared wells should be poured abundantly with water: at the rate of 1-2 liters per well. In this case, it is better to use water heated in the sun. Gently pulling the seedlings out of the pots, they must be placed in the holes in an upright position and planted a little deeper than they grew in the pots. This is necessary to provide your pepper with additional nutrition, which will help the adventitious roots that appear on the stems covered with earth.

What should care include?

To grow a good crop of pepper, it is necessary to carry out certain care, which consists in ensuring proper watering, weeding, top dressing, garters and other actions.

When growing optimum temperature should be between +20 and +25 °C. If the temperature is below +13°C, you need to cover the peppers with a special material or film. If you see lilac shades on the fruits, this will indicate a violation of the temperature regime.

water your peppers water is better that has settled, or rainwater. The optimum water temperature for irrigation is from +24°C to +26°C. Before flowering, you need to water once a week, and in the heat - 2 times. The rate for irrigation is up to 12 liters per 1 m2. During flowering and fruiting, it is worth watering 2-3 times during the week. At the same time, the irrigation rate is up to 14 liters per 1 m2.

The first feeding should be done when 1-2 leaves appear on the pepper seedlings. You need to mix 3 grams of superphosphates, 1 gram of potash fertilizer and 0.5 grams of ammonium nitrate in one liter of water. After 14 days, you need to re-feed your pepper. In this case, the dose of mineral fertilizers should be doubled.

The soil under the pepper needs to be loosened. Loosening is carried out to a not very great depth (up to 5 cm), since the roots are located in the upper layer. In addition, it is necessary to hill and weed the plants.

Pepper shoots are very fragile, break easily, so they must be tied to pegs. And in a circle of beds it is better to plant tall crops that will protect your planting from the winds.

Cold protection

As soon as you plant pepper seedlings in open ground, care must be taken to protect the plants from frost. As an excellent protection from the cold, it is recommended to use tents that are made of wooden blocks, cardboard, burlap and other materials. Peppers should be covered with such tents in the evening, and opened in the morning. If the cold snap drags on, it is better to use a portable temporary film shelter.

Another long-known means for protecting plants from frost is sprinkling and smoking. The material for burning is better to choose one that can provide thick smoke. The sprinkler should provide a fine mist of water. This will give you the greatest effect.

Pest and disease control

Peppers can be susceptible to the same diseases as others vegetable crops from the nightshade family. The causative agents of diseases can serve as a variety of viruses, bacteria and fungi. The most famous diseases of peppers are wilting and blackleg. "Black leg" is associated with the defeat of pepper seedlings. To solve the problem of this disease, you need to adjust temperature regime and humidity. Adult crops are susceptible to wilting. The manifestation of this disease occurs in a change in the color of the leaf blades, dropping the leaves and browning of the vessels on the stems. In the end, all this leads to the death of plants.

Disease control and prevention measures are primarily the purchase of quality seeds and seedlings, the elimination of pests and weeds, crop rotation and the removal of diseased plants. The main pests for peppers are mites, slugs and aphids. To combat them, the good old proven folk methods. This solution will help to overcome aphids: 200-250 grams of wood ash is taken per bucket of water (+ 50 ° C). To protect peppers from spider mites you can apply chopped onion or garlic (200 grams), as well as dandelion leaves (200 grams) to a bucket of water. The above solutions must be infused for at least a day. Before use, they must be mixed and filtered. To increase the effect, you can add a little liquid soap to the solution (30-40 grams). Regular loosening and soil treatment with dry mustard or crushed red pepper (one teaspoon per 1 m2) will save you from slugs. Straw mulch can also help.

As you can see, growing a good quality pepper crop outdoors is quite simple. You just need to follow the recommendations in this article. We wish you a rich harvest.

Video “Growing peppers in the open field”

Secrets from an experienced gardener. She will tell you how to care for pepper, what top dressing to use and how to determine the missing trace elements by the appearance of pepper.

In nature, there are more than 2,000 species, and their homeland is Central America. In this article I will talk about sweet pepper, which is also called Bulgarian. The "Mexican" came to Europe in the 15th century and in a roundabout way, through Spain, Turkey, Iran, eventually penetrated into our region. Here he seriously took root, despite the thermophilicity and capricious disposition - after all, pepper has more than enough virtues! It is not only rich in bright colors that give the dish a festive look, is not only tasty and juicy, but is also an invaluable storehouse of vitamins. In this part, a rare vegetable or fruit can be compared with it.

Pepper seeds need pre-planting treatment - they need to be kept until swollen for five hours in water, the temperature of which is about + 50 ° C. After that, they must be placed for pecking in a damp cloth for 2-3 days, the temperature in the room is about +20°C. Having carried out such a simple preplant preparation of seeds, you will receive seedlings literally the next day after sowing.

Sown pepper seeds must be thoroughly watered, and immediately after that, cover with plastic wrap or glass. Before germination, they can be in any warm (about + 22 ° C) place, while lighting does not matter, it is possible in the dark. After germination, the optimum temperature for growing seedlings during the day is about +26...+28°С, at night about +10...+15°С.

Do not indulge in excess peppers, this can only damage them - cause a disease with a black leg. But try not to let the substrate dry out. Water for irrigation should be warm - about + 30 ° C, from excessively cold seedlings will be frail, get sick and may even die. Do not forget to monitor the air in the room in which the seedlings are grown, it should not be too dry. Spray the plants, and the room itself is well ventilated, not forgetting to protect it from drafts.

Pepper seedlings require additional lighting. During the month of February, it must be illuminated from 7 am to 9 pm. Before planting, seedlings need hardening, gradual accustoming to the rays of the sun, more low temperatures, wind and rain. For this, the plant is taken out to Fresh air, gradually increasing the time of his stay there. During hardening, keep an eye on the weather conditions, do not allow pepper seedlings to fall under frost or low temperatures - for pepper it is below + 13 ° C.

Pepper planting

The best predecessors for pepper:, after, and. Bad predecessors:, pepper, and.

Light soils are best for growing. It is better to prepare the soil for pepper in advance - a year in advance, adding 5 kg to the predecessor square meter, and in the fall, 50 g each and fertilizers for deep digging. In the spring, on the site - in the top layer of soil, we add 40 g of ammonium nitrate. Five days before transplanting pepper seedlings to a permanent place, decontaminate the soil, this must be done with a solution - add a tablespoon to a bucket of water.

Seedlings are planted in open ground at the end of May - mid-June, according to the scheme 40x40 cm. Pepper seedlings are planted in an unheated film greenhouse in early April, and in tunnel shelters - at the end of May.

Try to place the seedlings in the holes at the same depth at which the plants grew in the seedling box, without exposing the roots and without digging its basal neck. Pepper does not like cold soil, and if you want to get a serious harvest, arrange for it to be raised by 25-55 centimeters.

Remember, pepper is highly susceptible to pollination, so if you plant several of its varieties on your site, try to place them at the maximum distance from each other and, if possible, separate them from each other using plantings of tall tomatoes, and.

Growing pepper by planting seeds in open ground is impractical even in the southern regions. It will still be necessary to sow late, when the soil warms up, the plant will develop more slowly, the first fruits will ripen later, and the fruiting period of the pepper will be significantly shorter.

Pepper Care

Pepper care consists of timely watering, garters, weeding and top dressing. The first feeding of pepper seedlings must be carried out in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, for which 0.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 1 g of potassium fertilizers and 3 g of superphosphate are mixed in 1 liter of water. The second top dressing 2 weeks after the first, the dose of mineral fertilizers for it must be doubled.

Feeding pepper seedlings is effective with a special infusion, for the preparation of which it is necessary to take 1 part of nettle and 10 parts of water - we insist 2 days. The last top dressing should be carried out 2 days before you intend to plant seedlings in a permanent place, while increasing the dose of potash fertilizers to 7 g per 1 liter of water. During the season, you need to make about 3-4 top dressings of pepper - 1:10, alternating such top dressings with foliar ones, for which you need to use mineral fertilizers, such as nitrophoska (a tablespoon per bucket of water).

With a lack of potassium, pepper leaves curl and a drying border appears on them. But with potassium, you need to be careful - pepper does not tolerate an abundance of potassium chloride. If the plant lacks nitrogen, its leaves become dull and, acquiring a grayish tint, gradually become smaller. When there is a lack of phosphorus, the underside of the pepper leaves becomes deep purple, and the leaves themselves are pressed closer to the stem of the plant and rise up. If there is a lack of magnesium, the leaves become marbled, and an excess of nitrogen in the soil leads to the dropping of ovaries and pepper flowers.

In hot and humid weather, it is imperative to carry out pinching (removal of lateral shoots), especially for the lower stepchildren, and vice versa, if the weather is hot but dry, the plants do not pinch, since the leaf mass perfectly protects soil moisture from evaporation. Experienced vegetable growers advise removing the central flower on the plant growing from the first branch, this will help increase the yield.

During the growing season, peppers must be cut several times, trying to shorten the longest shoots and ensure the absence of shaded branches. Be sure to remove all shoots of pepper below the main fork of its stem, as well as branches inside the crown. Pruning must be done every ten days and after harvesting. Simultaneously with pruning, soil cultivation is also carried out.

Try to attract pollinators to the garden, for this, during flowering, spray the plants with a sugar solution: per liter hot water 100 g sugar and 2 g boric acid. An excellent result is given by feeding peppers with liquid organic fertilizers.

It is useful to mulch pepper with rotted straw - a layer of about 10 cm, so you can reduce the frequency of watering, reducing them to once every 9-10 days. Timely care of pepper plants also consists in gartering plants. It is necessary to make a garter after hilling and mulching.

Pests and diseases

The most common peppers are: , white rot, macrosporiosis, top rot, septoria, black leg. More than others, pepper is harmed, scoop, and. To protect the pepper from damage, one hour before planting its seedlings, pre-made holes must be filled with water. Having planted seedlings of pepper, again spray plantings with a sprayer. During the season, 3 times pepper plants must be pollinated with wood ash - better by dew. This will also help protect them from pests.

If you notice pepper seedlings, treat the pepper with whey - one and a half liters per bucket of water. After this procedure, powder the plants with sifted wood ash.

2017-01-16 Igor Novitsky

Sweet pepper is a rather whimsical plant, but this quality does not prevent hundreds of thousands of gardeners from collecting hundreds of kilograms of this amazing plant from the garden every year. In order for the sweet pepper to be juicy, ripe and not succumb to the effects of pests, you will have to study the features of planting, caring, growing seedlings and their subsequent planting!

Growing peppers is a tricky business. Nevertheless, this garden crop is considered one of the most popular. Still, because it opens up endless spaces for culinary fantasies! Juicy and fragrant sweet peppers can be added to salads, borscht, soups and sauces, stuffed, baked, marinated and used to make delicious vegetable stews!

Homeland of sweet pepper South America with its tropical climate. Today, it is grown all over the world in a variety of climates. We, in Russia, began to grow pepper for culinary purposes only in the 19th century. Prior to that, it was used exclusively in medicine. It should be noted that the content of vitamin C in this vegetable is higher than in oranges. In addition, its regular use improves the functioning of the liver and gallbladder.

Where to plant and how to care?

Pepper is extremely thermophilic and photophilous. A comfortable temperature for him is not lower than + 20-25 ° С.
Plant peppers on the south side of your garden so that other plants do not cover it from the sun's rays.
Caring for pepper when grown in a greenhouse or open field consists in proper watering, constant feeding, weeding and loosening. Pepper bushes should be watered as the topsoil dries. At the same time, it should not be allowed to dry out completely, the plants may die. After watering, it is desirable to loosen the earth.

How to grow seedlings?

Pepper is a late ripening crop, so it is grown in seedlings. We sow seeds for seedlings in late February and early March.

Prepare the soil before planting the seeds. If it was stored in a cold place, a few days before planting we bring it into the house so that it warms up well. Previously, the day before planting, we shed the soil with a pale pink solution of hot water with potassium permanganate. This is necessary for disinfection from harmful microflora, as well as final warming up.

For better growth of pepper seedlings, we mix ordinary soil from the garden with peat-based soil in a ratio of 1: 1.
This will have a positive effect on further development plants. Add wood ash to the resulting mixture in a ratio of 1:15. Ash is an excellent source of potassium, which is so necessary for the full development of plants. Then we fill the container for seedlings with prepared soil and water it. In principle, you can plant seeds in ready-made purchased soil, if you are not afraid of additional costs.

In a container where many plants will grow, we sow the seeds at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other. Then in the future there will be no need to dive seedlings. Sprinkle the seeds with earth and water again warm water. To speed up seedlings, we create a “greenhouse effect”: we cover our crops with a film (a regular plastic bag will do).

Immediately after the emergence of shoots, remove the film. Otherwise, the pepper sprouts will overgrow and be very weak. Containers with seedlings should be placed in a warm and bright place with an air temperature of at least + 18-20 ° C. Water the seedlings at intervals of 1-2 days so that the soil is always moist.

In the early days - necessarily warm water with a temperature not lower than + 25-30 ° C. Watering plants is best in the morning or evening hours. Before watering, periodically loosen the soil to a depth of 5-7 cm.

After our peppers get a little stronger, we raise the air temperature to + 22-27 ° С. This will help them grow better. Then, in the phase of formation of 3-4 main leaves, we maintain the following temperature: + 22-25 ° C in sunny weather, + 19-22 ° C in cloudy weather, + 16-18 ° C at night.

During the growing period, seedlings will need to be fed 3 times.

We carry out the first dressing after 2 weeks from the beginning of germination, when the plant already has 3-4 leaves. During this period, pepper must be provided with nitrogen so that it fully grows and develops. To do this, add 1 tablespoon of urea to 10 liters of water, stir and water our seedlings. Before watering, you can sprinkle the soil around the plants with ash.
We carry out the second top dressing 2-3 weeks after the first, according to the same scheme.

We do the third feeding of seedlings 4 days before planting in the ground. In 10 liters of water, add 1 tablespoon of urea and 1 tablespoon of superphosphate.

Where to grow: in a greenhouse or in the open field?

We know that pepper is a heat-loving crop. Therefore, when growing in a greenhouse, you will get a guaranteed higher yield than in open ground. Plant care is the same everywhere. But it is in the greenhouse that ideal conditions are created for the growth of pepper.

In spring or early summer, do not rush to plant pepper seedlings in a permanent place. This crop needs well-warmed soil and consistently warm weather. In addition, the threat of night frosts should be completely avoided. For warm climate areas the best time for planting pepper in open ground - the end of May - the beginning of June. For cold - the middle or end of June.

2 weeks before planting in open ground or a greenhouse, start hardening your peppers. What it is? In the early days, just open the window. Then we take out the seedlings to a balcony or veranda to a place where the plants will be protected from direct sunlight. If the temperature on the balcony or veranda does not drop below +14 ° C at night, the seedlings feel quite comfortable. Then we don't bring it into the house.

We plant seedlings according to the 30x30 scheme, carefully removing them from the glass so as not to damage the roots. We plant at the same depth as in the pot! Scheme 30x30: next to a single bush there should not be another close to it at a distance of less than 30 cm; seedlings can be planted in a "line", or in a checkerboard pattern.

Both sweet and pungent varieties are classified as plants that love heat very much. At good watering in the southern regions it is easy to cultivate them. Growing pepper outdoors in temperate climates requires knowledge of many subtleties. However, this is possible even if personal plot no greenhouse.

They consist of selecting a suitable variety of pepper and a place for it on the site, as well as laying seedlings.

The best varieties for open ground

The growing season of the culture is long. Even in early emerging varieties, the ripening of the first fruits occurs 100 days after germination. To obtain a crop in regions with a temperate climate, options with early and medium ripening are chosen.

For reference. In warm regions, varietal preference is not so important, gardeners are more focused on the purpose of the future crop - whether it will be used for seaming, stuffing or for sale.

Both in the first and in the second case, it is recommended to select varieties with fruiting bodies in the form of a medium-sized cone. For fresh consumption, large thick-walled fruits are more suitable.
If you plan to grow peppers for sale, it is better to choose Dutch hybrids. They tolerate cold well, ripen early and amicably, and are much less prone to disease.

In different regions of the middle zone, the climate is also different. This also affects the selection of varieties:

for areas north of the capital pay attention to early varieties cold-resistant - "Eroshka", "Funtika", "Victoria", "Tomboy", "Pinocchio", "Jung", "Smile";
early varieties are suitable for the central zone, giving large yields such as Marinka's tongue, Big Mom, Ivanhoe, Merchant, Annushka;
where it is warmer, there is a choice mid-season peppers- "Atlanta", "Bogatyr", "Swallows", "Orange King".

Of the hot peppers in the beds, "Hungarian Yellow", "Magic Bouquet", "Wit", "Tula" and "Spark" will take root most well.

Prices for pepper seeds

pepper seeds

Arrangement of beds

Sweet pepper grows well in sunny areas, where wind protection is provided. It is good if the beds are located in the southern or southwestern part of the backyard territory. If a windscreen is not installed, you can make a curtain of plants or put up a wattle fence.

Pepper planting should be carried out in areas where cabbage, cucumbers, peas and beans, pumpkin, and carrots were grown. In places where tomatoes, eggplants, and also in potato beds previously grew, it is not advised to plant peppers until three years have passed after harvesting the above crops. Their diseases can be transmitted through the soil. The soil should be well-drained and retain moisture well.

Attention! In no case do not plant hot and sweet peppers nearby. There is a risk of cross-pollination, and fruits of sweet varieties will acquire a strong bitter taste.

Back in the fall, planning spring planting peppers, the area under the ridge should be dug up. In the spring, loosening of the soil is carried out, and fertilizing based on potassium, nitrogen and phosphates is added at the rate of 30 grams per 1 m². Additionally, you can add 60 grams of wood ash and 7 kg of humus. Fresh manure is not recommended, only after composting, since an excess of soluble nitrogen will negatively affect the number of ovaries and the maturation of the fetal body.

Sprouting seedlings

Seedlings can be purchased before planting, but it is better to drive out the sprouts yourself. So you will be sure of the quality of the seedlings.

Seeds are sown in February so that the sprouts are more than three months old before transplanting into the ground. Better to choose for each seed separate container, since the culture does not tolerate picking. Peat models with a cross section of about 100 mm are ideal. No more needed - the roots of the plants develop slowly.

Suitable soil is light and airy. If you do not plan to purchase it in specialized stores, you can mix humus, garden soil and river sand in equal proportions. A large spoonful of wood ash is added per kilogram of such a substrate.

Having prepared the ground and pots, carry out the following procedures:

Seeds are kept for about six hours in water at a temperature of + 50 ° C and placed on a soft cotton flap, well moistened. Keep in a warm room (at about plus 20 degrees) so that the seeds hatch. This usually happens on the second day.

Small holes are made in pots and seeds are laid. They are covered with banks plastic bottles or polyethylene bags to create a mini-greenhouse.

Keep the pots in a warm room under fitolamps. When stems with leaves appear, the covering material is removed and transferred to an even hotter place with a temperature of about 27 degrees during the day and 14 degrees at night.

Seedlings need to be watered with water a little higher room temperature, not excessively, but not overdrying the soil. Watering is done after removing the polyethylene or cans. Then it is necessary to spray the seedlings so that the air around is moist.

In order for the bushes to be strong, they need to be fed. For the first time, fertilizers are applied at the phase of the appearance of two leaves with the following composition: 5 grams of ammonium nitrate, 10 grams of potassium-based top dressing, 30 grams of superphosphate fertilizers are diluted in 10 liters of water. The next feeding is in two weeks according to the same scheme, but with a doubling of the dosage. The third fertilization takes place a couple of days before planting seedlings. Increase the dosage of potassium in the solution to 70 grams per 10 liters of water.

Three weeks before transfer to open ground, plants are hardened, taking them out into fresh air for several hours. The thermometer should not fall below 13°C heat.

Video - How to expel pepper seedlings

You can learn more about how to properly process pepper seeds before sowing in a specialized one on our website.

Planting Rules

The transfer of seedlings to open ground is usually carried out at the end of May, when you can no longer be afraid of night frosts.

How to arrange peppers on the ridges correctly:

make holes every 25 cm of the bed. Their depth should be slightly greater than the distance to the tips of the roots in pots. The distance between the stripes is not less than 60 cm;

pour wells abundantly. Each requires at least a liter of water. It should not be cold - you need to let the liquid settle;

carefully fish the seedlings out of the pots and place them vertically in the holes.

If the spring is warm, the landing is carried out in the late afternoon, when the heat subsides. So the sprouts will have time to adapt to a new place of residence before the appearance of a bright sun.

Garden care

If peppers are properly fed, loosened and watered, protected from pests and cold weather, then even in the middle lane they will give a good harvest. But you need to accurately calculate the landing time. The growth of the bushes should come at a time when the thermometer hardly drops below 20 ° C during the day, and below 13 ° C at night. If there are still night cold snaps, the ridges should be wrapped with polyethylene or a special coating.

Watering the plants

Watering is done with settled or rain water. It should warm up to 25 degrees. Before the flowers appear, the plants are watered once every seven days. But if it's hot outside, then every three days. Approximately 12 liters will be required per square meter. When flowers, ovaries and fruits appear, the water rate is increased by two liters. Watering is carried out three times a week.

We feed the seedlings

Peppers planted on the beds for the first time are fed during the first fluffing. This is followed by two more fertilizations per season: during the appearance of the ovaries and in the process of fruit formation.

If the seedlings "starve" or, conversely, "overate" one or another type of fertilizer, this is noticeable externally.

Table 1. Influence of the amount of fertilizers on the formation and appearance peppers.

Feeding component	With a lack of minerals	With an excess of minerals
	Twisting of leaves, the appearance of a drying border	Elongated internodes, stunted growth, pale leaves
	Violet color of the leaves, their pressing to the stem	Reducing the size of foliage, ovaries and fruits
	Shredding foliage that turns greyish	Dropping flowers and ovaries
	Marbled foliage	Torn edges on the leaves, their twisting

Pepper crops do not require a large number fertilizers, especially fresh organics. In general, it is better to “underfeed” than to “overfeed”. An excess of even a balanced fertilizer will lead to the fact that shoots and branches will grow, and there will be few ovaries. Some of them will drop the bush altogether. And the few fruits will not be able to boast of heroic size. Organic top dressing is best applied in the fall, into the ground for subsequent spring planting.

We loosen the soil

So that there is no earthen crust, the beds must be periodically loosened. Why is it needed:

the flow of oxygen and heat to the rhizomes improves, which accelerates growth;
the functioning of microorganisms is stimulated;
weeds are destroyed.

Since the root system of this culture develops slowly, loosening is not performed in the first two weeks. The first procedure is carried out carefully, without going deeper than 10 cm. You can go to a greater depth only if the soil is heavy, prone to crusting. Subsequent loosening is carried out after precipitation or watering. But you should wait for the soil to dry slightly. Spud peppers during the appearance of flowers.

Protecting from the cold

Both sweet and hot peppers do not tolerate frost. Plants must be protected from possible cooling at night and in the morning, especially in early summer. Experienced gardeners build special tents over the ridges. They are made from bars, on which cardboard sheets, burlap, polyethylene are fitted. Set up "tents" over the ridges at night, remove in the morning.

On a note! If the weather has completely deteriorated, it is better to cover the seedlings with transparent polyethylene like a greenhouse, even in the daytime.

Pepper bushes also protect against frost by sprinkling and smoking. The first method allows you to protect the flowers and ovaries, but the spraying of water should be fine. Thick smoke interferes with the cooling of the surface of the ridges, and after sunrise softens the sharp warming of the air.

There are some subtleties of pepper care in order to improve yields:

plant shoots are fragile, they can break under the weight of heavy leaves and fruits. They must be tied to stakes or a low trellis;

around the pepper ridge it is worth planting partner plants taller so that they protect young peppers from the wind;
culture requires pinching. Remove excess inner and lower shoots. This should be done in cool weather. In the heat, twigs and leaves protect the earth from moisture evaporation. Pruning is done every one and a half weeks during the growing season;
to increase productivity, the central flower that grew from the first branch is removed from the bushes;
if you mulch the garden bed, for example, with a 10 cm layer of rotted straw, you can water the bushes less often.

When flowers appear, it is recommended to attract insects to the site for pollination. To do this, the bushes are sprayed with a special solution based on Sahara. A liter is required for 100 grams of sweet powder hot water and 2 grams boric acid.

Prices for stakes for plants

stakes for plants

Video - The secret of an excellent "pepper" harvest on the ridges

Peppers are affected by the same infections as all nightshades. The most common ailments are blackleg, tobacco mosaic, white and blossom end rot. Peppers are very capricious "sick", it is difficult to cure the plant. Usually they are removed so that the infected bush does not infect the entire garden.

So that the plants do not get sick, you need to purchase high-quality seeds, make seedlings on your own, observe the heat and moisture regime, and eliminate pests, weeds and affected bushes in time. Peppers have enemies among insects. How to deal with the main parasites you will learn from Table 2.