How to plant bell peppers correctly. bell pepper

Sweet pepper is a heat-loving crop. Growing a full-fledged pepper by sowing seeds directly into open ground is problematic even in southern regions. The plant has a long growing season, so to harvest a good harvest it is necessary to grow seedlings.

We cannot control the weather outside the window, but we can create it. optimal conditions Anyone can grow seedlings. After transplantation, the peppers successfully take root in open ground, fruiting begins a month earlier - you are guaranteed to have time to harvest.

How to choose a sweet pepper variety

When choosing a variety, consider a number of parameters:

• Length of summer in your region. Choose early and mid-season varieties if the summer is short. If warm weather is guaranteed for 2-2.5 months, varieties with an average ripening period are suitable. In the southern regions it is possible to grow late-ripening varieties.
• The shape of the fruit is also important. Cylindrical and cone-shaped peppers with thick walls are good for salads, cubic ones are best for stuffing, small peppers are best for pickling.
• Fruit color: the darker the color, the sweeter the taste.
• Bush height. Low and medium-sized ones are planted in beds under film cover, tall ones are usually grown in greenhouses.

Timing for planting sweet pepper seedlings

To get good planting material timely is necessary . If you sow too early, the young peppers will overgrow in the pots, then the lower fruits will begin to set. This takes away the strength of the plant, they may not take root in open ground, and normal fruiting will be delayed.

How to calculate the time of planting sweet pepper seedlings:

• Varieties early date ripening should be sown 60 days before the intended transplantation into open ground,
• later ones - 70-75 days.
• The best time to sow sweet peppers for seedlings is late February-early March, if you plan to plant them directly in open ground.

Take into account the subsequent place of growth. In a heated greenhouse, young seedlings are planted by the end of April, in greenhouses and film greenhouses - throughout May, and planting in open ground should be carried out in the first ten days of June.

Also keep in mind that without picking, the peppers will be ready for planting two weeks earlier.

Can be done in early February, but sweet pepper seedlings will require additional lighting. Use LED or phytolights. Daylight hours should be 12 hours.

Preparing sweet pepper seeds for seedlings

To soak or not to soak, to process or not to process sweet pepper seeds before planting, everyone decides for themselves. But experienced vegetable growers recommend showing a little patience to speed up germination and choose the best quality seed. Unfortunately, to increase shelf life, sweet pepper seeds are often overdried - but this must be indicated on the packaging.

To get healthy shoots, it is necessary to select and process the seeds.

How to select the best seeds

Prepare a saline solution (30 g of table salt per 1 liter of water), immerse the seeds in it and stir well. See what happens in 5-10 minutes. Weak seeds will float to the surface, while high-quality, healthy seeds will sink to the bottom. The latter should be rinsed well with water, laid out on paper and allowed to dry.

Disinfection from pathogens

The next stage is disinfection. You will need a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of powder per 1 liter of water), in which the seeds should be kept for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse and dry slightly.

Increased germination

Can be used folk remedies: take 2 g per 1 liter of water wood ash. Infuse the solution for 24 hours, then keep the bag of seeds in it for about 3 hours.

Soaking can be replaced by bubbling - treating seeds in water saturated with oxygen. For this you will need an aquarium compressor. You need to take a large glass container and fill it 2/3 with water (temperature about 20 °C). Lower the compressor so that its tip is at the bottom and turn on the device. When bubbles appear, place a bag of seeds there and leave for a day.

Hardening of seeds

The seedlings must have good immunity. Resistance to changeable weather conditions and diseases will help increase seed hardening. Keep the seeds in warm water until they swell, then move them to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and leave for a day, then start sowing.

Preparing the soil for sowing sweet peppers

The soil needs to be nutritious.

The following options are suitable:

• The most reliable option is a special mixture for growing pepper seedlings. Such soil has already been treated against diseases and pests.
• You can prepare the soil mixture yourself. Take 4 parts of peat, 2 parts of turf soil, 1 part of humus and rotted sawdust, 0.5 parts of river sand and add 2-3 tbsp. spoons of wood ash.
• Coconut substrate - can be easily found in flower shops.
• Soil with hydrogel. Hydrogel balls are perfect for retaining moisture in the soil. Place them in a swollen state.
• Peat tablets are very convenient option. For subsequent transplants, simply transfer the seedling along with it to a container of larger diameter.

It is recommended to add a little soil from the area where the pepper will grow in the future. This contributes to the successful adaptation of seedlings after transplantation into open ground. Before adding this soil to the soil mixture, it is necessary to shed it with a solution of potassium permanganate or calcine it in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Which container is best to plant in?

It is best to use individual cups with a volume of about 100 ml as a container. It is advisable that they are not transparent - exposure to sunlight negatively affects the development of the root system. You can make homemade cups, as shown in the video above.

Growing sweet pepper seedlings at home

How to sow sweet pepper seedlings correctly?

• The main condition is to plant immediately in separate cups so as not to disturb the fragile root system picking. After picking, peppers become very sick and are stunted in growth, and fruiting is delayed.
• Planting depth 0.5-1 cm.

Preparing containers and soil for seedlings

Place a drainage layer (pieces of polystyrene foam, broken brick, expanded clay) at the bottom of the container.

Fill the cups ¾ full with soil, compact them a little, and water. Make a groove about 1 cm deep and place 1 seed in each cup. Cover lightly with soil.

Lighting and heat

For healthy growth, it is necessary to ensure an optimal microclimate: cover the crops with glass or film. To protect the seedlings as much as possible from drafts, place the containers in a box, install thick wire along its edges, and stretch plastic film on top so that it completely covers the soil with the crops.

The cold will destroy the plants; they vitally need direct Sun rays. Southern window sills, flooded with sunlight, are an ideal place for growing bell pepper seedlings. When the days are warm, you can take the seedlings out onto an insulated balcony or loggia. Be sure to place insulation under the cups with seedlings.

How many days does it take for sweet pepper seedlings to germinate? Maintaining the correct temperature

Compliance with the correct temperature regime – important condition growing seedlings:

• Before the first shoots appear, it is necessary to maintain the air temperature within 25-27 °C.
• Sprouts will appear in 7-14 days (depending on the variety). During this time, ventilate the greenhouse every 2 days and spray the soil with a fine spray.
• The cover can then be removed. Maintain the daytime air temperature at 23-25 ​​°C, and the night temperature at 16-18 °C.
• The air temperature should not fall below 12 °C, otherwise the plants will lose leaves and may die.

Due to lack of lighting, seedlings begin to reach out to look for a light source. Older specimens slow down their growth rate, and the root system may begin to rot. The optimal length of daylight for pepper is 9-10 hours. Provide additional lighting during the daytime (from 8.00 to 20.00).

How to water

Abundantly, but not often. The soil should be slightly moist, do not allow water to stagnate. Watering is best done in the morning. Use softened water (melt, rain, or tap water that has been standing for 24 hours), heat it to room temperature.

The roots need to receive oxygen - after each watering, loosen the soil with a clove or match, only slightly disturbing the crust on the surface. Do this very carefully, since damage to the root system leads to growth inhibition and fruiting may not occur.

How to prepare sweet pepper seedlings for planting in the ground

Strong seedlings need to be hardened off. 10-12 days before transplanting into open ground, take it out into the fresh air for a while or set it aside. open window in room.

It is useful to spray the seedlings with herbal infusion (use onions, garlic, pine needles, marigolds, calendula flowers for infusion).

Thus, the seedlings will become more resistant to diseases and pests.

Immediately after spraying, the seedlings should not be taken out into the sun; let the leaves dry. Droplets of water on the leaves can cause sunburn.

Feeding

Sweet peppers need to be fed. Do this twice: apply the first fertilizing at the stage of appearance of 3-4 true leaves, the second - when 5-6 leaves appear.

You can add organic matter under the root: a mullein solution (1 part humus to 10 parts water) or an infusion of chicken manure (1 part dry manure to 20 parts water). For foliar feeding, use complex mineral fertilizers.

How to sow sweet peppers for seedlings video

Protection from diseases

A slowdown in growth rates is a phenomenon possible for 2 reasons:

1. The roots are damaged after picking. If you are a beginner gardener, it is better to avoid this procedure.
2. Lack of fertilizers. In addition to stunting of growth, in this case, paleness of the leaves is observed. It is important to feed the seedlings so as not to destroy them.

The plant loves moisture, but do not overdo it with watering. Excessive watering leads to infection with blackleg: the root collar becomes soft, darkens, the sprout withers and falls. The causative agent of the disease may be initially infected soil.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to provide proper care:

• When watering, water should not get on the stems. While they are very tiny, add water through a pipette or syringe into the rows.
• Do not keep under cover for long. Before germination, regularly ventilate the greenhouse. Make sure there is no dampness around the stems.
• Provide warmth: harmful fungal spores become active in cold, damp soil.
• There should be no sudden temperature changes, so as not to weaken the immunity of the seedlings.

External characteristics of good sweet pepper seedlings

Young peppers are ready for transplanting to a permanent place of growth in 60-80 days. Their height should be 17-20 cm. The thickness of the strong stem at the root should be 3-4 mm. A healthy plant should have 7-10 well-developed leaves, and buds may be present.

Replant in open ground once warm temperatures have established (late May-early June).

Follow the planting pattern of 40x50 cm; you can plant seedlings of two plants in one hole if you want to use the land more economically.

When and how to plant sweet pepper seedlings in the ground, look at the video for planting diagrams:

How to grow bell peppers? Science is not complicated. It just takes a lot of time, patience and a little effort. You can't just take seeds and plant them in the ground. Bell peppers have a very long growing season. Therefore, he simply will not have time to mature.

In general, those who have been planting peppers on their plot for several years know all the subtleties and nuances. We will list the most basic ones. So that beginners in farming can enjoy their harvest without mistakes or losses.

What is important for bell peppers? Yes, a lot of things. The main questions always concern:

• seed selection
• preparing the soil for seedlings and planting in the ground
• growing seedlings
• planting dates
• care and feeding

Every item on the list matters. Just let it look impressive. In fact, it doesn't take much effort at any stage. It is much more important to strictly follow the recommendations and you will be happy and have whole baskets of sweet peppers.

Which bell pepper seeds to choose?

The most important thing in this matter is the shelf life of the seeds. Do not believe manufacturers who write about double or triple terms on the bags. No matter what the super packaging is, the shelf life of bell pepper seeds is only 12 months. With further storage, germination rate drops sharply. Therefore, buy only fresh ones.

Another important factor is the timing of ripening. There are varieties with a vegetative period of up to 150 days. So and to New Year's holidays you won't wait for the harvest. Choose ultra-early ripening varieties. They will appear in all their glory in 70-80 days.

Advice. Don't be afraid to try different varieties and experiment. Perhaps you will collect a whole collection of your favorite bell peppers.

How to Prepare the Ground for Sweet Peppers

For seedlings. Yes, yes, bell peppers are grown through seedlings. To do this, you need to first prepare the soil. You can make your own mixture from loose soil, sand and humus. The proportions are 2 to 1 to 1. Or purchase special soil at the store.

In any case, it needs to be processed. First, the soil is exposed to frost. After 3 days, put it in a warm place and let it thaw. Then they lay out wide metal containers that will fit freely into the oven. The earth is thoroughly spilled with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, then calcined in the oven at 110-120°C until completely dry.

In this way you can get rid of almost all pest larvae and pathogenic microorganisms. Which, by the way, can easily sit in store soil.

For planting in the ground. The land is prepared in the fall. Organic or mineral fertilizers are applied during digging. This can be rotted manure, mature compost, or fatty humus. Among minerals, potassium sulfate and superphosphate are recommended.

In the spring, 5 days before the intended planting of plants, the soil is treated to prevent late blight. Copper preparations (vitriol, Bordeaux mixture) or phytosporin are suitable for this.

So, the ground has been prepared. What will be the next steps? The correct routine is:

1. Bell pepper seeds are soaked for 20 minutes in a warm, strong solution of potassium permanganate. Then washed clean water. This will disinfect them.
2. Then the seeds are soaked for 12 hours in a biostimulant solution. If you don’t have it at hand, then just in warm water. Just add a small piece of aloe leaf, cut lengthwise.
3. After this procedure, the seeds are not washed. They are laid out on a damp cloth or toilet paper, cover with glass, bag. And put it in a warm place dark place. Within about a day, seeds with normal germination should hatch. Now they are ready for sowing.

Sowing is not difficult at all. The prepared containers are filled with soil to a height of 3-4 cm. The surface is leveled and lightly pressed down. The seeds that have hatched are carefully laid out, then sprinkled on top with a layer of earth 1-1.5 cm thick. They are slightly moistened, and again placed in the dark and warm.

After 6-7 days, at most, the bell pepper sprouts. From now on, he needs good lighting from 7 am to 9 pm, temperature not lower than +22°C. As you may have noticed, pepper loves heat very much. You only need to water it warm water.

Sweet peppers do not like picking. He doesn't like being disturbed at all. They touch, replant, tear off. But some measures are necessary. For example, picking must be carried out. Otherwise, the roots will become tangled during growth, and the plants themselves will be long, thin and weak. It is done when two true leaves are clearly visible. Cotyledons don't count.

Place bell peppers in cups, two at a time. And they try not to turn over until they are transplanted into open ground.

Watch the soil carefully. It should always be moderately moist, but not soggy. If necessary, periodically spray the seedlings with a spray bottle. This water is quite enough for irrigation. Nutrient mixtures are also consumed on the leaves. The root system of sweet pepper is still too weak, but the leaves are quite capable of absorbing required quantity feeding.

Sweet pepper seedlings must be gradually hardened off. Otherwise she will be painful and weak. To do this, gradually reduce the air temperature to 15-16°C. This can be achieved by temporarily placing the sprouts on a balcony or unheated terrace.

Advice. If you have a greenhouse or greenhouse, you can put cups there for a day. The nights in April are still cold, so bring the seedlings indoors.

When to plant bell peppers

The exact timing of planting is always of interest to both beginners and experienced gardeners. Calculating the time of the first sowing is not at all difficult. The age of sweet pepper bushes when planted in open ground should be 76-79 days. In most regions, peppers are planted after the threat of return frosts. This time falls on the third ten days of May. Count back and get the day to sow the seeds.

If you plan to plant in a greenhouse, this usually happens in mid-April. Accordingly, the deadlines are pushed back. Some owners do not have the opportunity to sow sweet pepper seeds so early. Therefore, they do this at the usual time, but dive the plants directly into the greenhouse or greenhouse.

By the way, the classic planting pattern for bell peppers is 40 by 40 cm.

Advice. There is a sign among the people. If any seedlings are planted on a certain day, then supposedly no subsequent frosts will harm it. This day is May 13th. The weather may still be chilly, but don't let that stop you. Try it on several bushes. According to reviews, the secret works 100%.

Standard care for sweet pepper plantings includes:

1. Weeding. Weeds strive to shade the peppers and take away the lion's share of their nutrients. Therefore, they are mercilessly pulled out. You can put them directly between the rows as mulch. Let them bring benefit instead of harm.
2. Loosening. The earthen crust must be broken after each watering or rain. This contributes better conservation moisture in the soil. You just need to do this very carefully so as not to damage the root system. It is very capricious in pepper and is located close to the surface.
3. Watering. bell pepper very responsive to timely watering. Without water it can grow, but it will be calloused, painful and will not produce a harvest. At the same time, if the soil is too wet, the roots may begin to rot. Therefore, water it only when there is a threat of drought. In normal climates, water when the top layer of soil is dry to a depth of at least 10 cm.
4. Formation. More often Bell pepper allowed to grow into two stems. That is, they pinch the top of the central stem. After this, the pepper produces several stepsons. Of these, the two most powerful ones are left, the rest are cut off. And some do not form bushes at all. And they also get good harvests.
5. Feeding. Sweet peppers begin to be fed with organic matter only at the beginning of flowering. Until this point, it is advisable to use mineral fertilizers. If you swap them, you get powerful lush bushes, and there will be few flowers. It is very good to use green liquid fertilizer or bird droppings, diluted with water in proportions of 1 to 20. One application every 15 days is sufficient. It is advisable to fertilize at the root.
6. Mulching. A very important aspect of pepper care. Allows you to retain moisture in the soil, which means there is no need for frequent watering. And it does not allow weeds to grow, which makes all the maintenance easier. For achievement best results the mulch layer should be at least 10 cm. Otherwise, the whole point of the idea comes to zero.
7. Getting rid of pests. As a rule, many pests love pepper bushes. And garlic infusion doesn’t help much with them. Insecticides are much more effective. But, if the owner of the plantings is categorically against the use of chemicals, then the Internet is full folk recipes. Perhaps the most suitable one will be found there. Among them the most good feedback received tobacco infusions (medium handful per liter of boiling water, strain, dilute in 5 liters clean water) and a mixture based on birch tar (dilute a tablespoon in 10 liters of water).
8. Disease prevention. Sweet pepper ailments are often caused by a lack of certain elements or an excess of them. Therefore, you need to periodically carefully inspect the bushes for various suspicious spots or spots. In any case, it is easier to prevent diseases than to try to get rid of them later. There are recommendations to alternate spraying with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and a solution ammonia. Both liquids take 2 tbsp. l. per 10 liters of clean water.

As you can see from the list, caring for bell peppers is not at all difficult. However, it is regular.

A few tricks

1. Now pharmacies do not sell potassium permanganate. And it is required during several periods of work with bell peppers. Feel free to follow her to any store that sells fertilizers and fertilizers. You don't even need a prescription.
2. Try to plant different varieties of sweet peppers away from each other because they are prone to cross-pollination. And even more so, you can’t place them next to hot peppers.
3. Always when picking or transplanting peppers, they try to minimize damage to the earthen ball with the root system. This way the plants get sick less and take root better.
4. It is generally accepted that young sweet pepper plants should not be buried. This is wrong. Numerous experiments by gardeners have proven that additional roots develop on buried peppers. Therefore, you can safely plant peppers by digging them up to the cotyledon leaves.
5. For better pollination of flowers, use sweet water. For 300 ml of clean water take 1 tbsp. l. sugar, stir thoroughly and spray the future ovaries. Bees are happy to fly to such flowers.

How to grow bell peppers? After reading this article, you will be able to confidently answer this question - very simply!

Video: 10 mistakes when growing sweet peppers

If you have never dealt with peppers and are learning this topic for the first time, this article will be very useful, as it will give not only the basic information about all the steps required to obtain a harvest, methods, tricks and secrets. But those experienced gardeners who have their own skills or preferences when growing peppers will also be able to learn something new for themselves, and perhaps fundamentally change their approach to business.

A heat-loving vegetable that came to us from Central America - sweet pepper, which our gardeners often call Bulgarian, has more than 2 thousand varieties. And each of them is remarkable not only for its taste, the amount of vitamins and other useful substances, but also for the beauty of its bright, juicy fruits.

How to choose from a variety of enticing bags of varieties that you will not be disappointed in? Read the description on the packages and select based on the specific conditions in which you will grow peppers. So, in small greenhouses it is better to take low-growing plants; in open ground, early varieties are more likely to ripen, and if you want not to spend money on the annual purchase of planting material, but to collect your own seeds from the harvest obtained in the garden, then heterozygous hybrids are not suitable for this. Although they are guaranteed to produce healthy plants that are maximally protected from diseases.

F1 Pinocchio:

The variety is very early, the fruit weight is about 100 g, the fruits are red, the walls are 5-6 mm thick and have an interesting shape - reminiscent of the elongated nose of a famous wooden doll. Bush up to 70 cm high. Resistant to traditional pepper diseases: blossom end rot and tobacco mosaic.

Atlantic F1: Very good too early variety, but these peppers are taller (up to 110 cm) and the fruits are much more massive (up to 450 g) and have a barrel-shaped appearance.

Gemini F1 is remarkable for its fleshy, bright yellow cube-shaped fruits and high fertility.

You will be pleased with the juiciness and thickness of the Siberian format.

Wonderful reviews about the varieties Bagration, Country, Big Red, Winnie the Pooh, Chardash, Yunga, Health, Maecenas, Barguzin. Popular varieties are Eroshka, Funtik, Californian Miracle, and Lastochka.

Video - sowing pepper seeds for seedlings

Determining the development period

Pepper is a plant with a fairly long development period, so seeds are planted for seedlings earlier than all other crops: in February-March. In more northern regions, where fruiting in open ground ends with the onset of cold weather (sometimes as early as September), it is good to have grown plants ready for planting by May. In a warmer climate (or relying on greenhouses and greenhouses), you can wait until the second half of March. The information on the seed bags will allow you to calculate the timing depending on the ripening time of a given variety.

It should be remembered: the daylight hours of February are not yet long enough for seedlings and additional lighting will definitely be needed up to 12-14 hours a day. Ideal for this with a balanced spectrum of light.

In addition, more and more lovers of growing fruits and vegetables recognize that it is useful to check the planting day according to lunar calendar. The second phase of our satellite is suitable for peppers.

Pre-planting seed preparation

Planting with dry and unprepared seeds means greatly complicating and lengthening the entire planting process. There are several well-proven methods pre-sowing treatment seeds for their speedy germination and obtaining strong and disease-resistant seedlings. Of course, you should not expose the seeds to all possible methods, but choosing one of them is highly recommended:

• the seeds are kept in water at a temperature of 45-50 degrees for at least 4 hours, then placed on a damp hygroscopic cloth (gauze, cotton) and germinated at 25-27 degrees for another 2-3 days;
• for disinfection, the seeds are dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate (1%) and left there for 20 minutes;
• Keep for 10-15 minutes in a forty-degree solution of hydrogen peroxide (take 3 ml per 100 g of water), then dry without rinsing;
• to activate vitality their seeds are treated for 24 hours with a solution (1:1) of juice from aloe leaves, previously kept in the refrigerator for about a week;
• Special purchased means for soaking seeds (Energen, Baikal, Fitosporin, Ideal, Agricola-Start) will fill you with health and give quick shoots. Ash can also serve as a growth stimulant. Mix 20 g of ash in 1 liter of water and leave for 24 hours. Keep the seeds in this solution for 6 hours;
• alternate between heat and cold. With this method, the seeds are placed on damp gauze or a napkin, covered with two layers of film and kept for a day at a temperature of 24-28 degrees, then taken out into the cold (5-10 degrees) for 4 hours. Can be on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Then again for 20 hours in heat and 4 hours in cold. Repeat three times. This method allows the seedlings to harden and rapidly begin to grow.

IMPORTANT: when soaking seeds, do not allow total immersion in water. The seeds should be moist, but not drowning!

Usually the most suitable seeds for seedlings are selected according to appearance, that is, the largest and most intact, with a uniform color, but the method of weighing them in a saline solution can help in determining viable seeds. Use a three percent solution. Those seeds that float to the surface when immersed are considered empty and it is useless to plant them.

Selection of soil, fertilizers

The prepared seeds are planted in the ground. Since peppers are afraid of picking, it is recommended to plant one or two seeds separately in their own container. The cups should be at least 200 g, since crowding will also hinder the development of plants in the future.

The soil for peppers should be light, loose, and non-acidified. You can buy ready-made soil, but it’s safer and sometimes cheaper to make it yourself:

Take one part of peat, garden soil and sand.
You can use humus, soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. He really likes finely crushed pepper additives. eggshells or wood ash. They are added one tablespoon per kilogram of the mixture. If you have the opportunity to dig up soil in a pine or spruce forest, then this is also an excellent option for pepper seedlings. But do not forget that earth excavated closer than 500 meters from highways may be filled with harmful and toxic substances.

The acidity of the soil for sweet peppers should not exceed pH 6–6.5. Seedlings are especially sensitive to this indicator, so it is useful to lime the soil.

NEVER add unrotted manure to the seedling substrate. The nitrogen released during the decomposition of this seems to be useful fertilizer, will destroy your tender seedlings.

And like this modern materials chemical industry It will be useful to dilute the soil like vermiculite or perlite.

We apply fertilizer only after the seedlings produce 3-4 true leaves. Before this, there is a danger of overfeeding the plants.

Potassium humate is useful; in order to improve root formation, it is recommended to feed it with a solution (25 ml per 10 liters of water).

After the plant grows confidently, it is useful to water it with solutions containing microelements: boric acid(per 10 liters of water - 2 g), iron oxides and manganese sulfate - 1 g each. It’s a good idea to add biofertilizers.

Temperature, humidity, watering

Bell peppers love heat. After the sprouts have hatched, under no circumstances should the temperature drop below 13 degrees for a long time. The pepper will simply die. Optimal temperature –

25-27 degrees. Only in the phase of 7-8 true leaves can you begin to harden pepper seedlings. To do this, the temperature is gradually reduced over 7 days to 14-16 degrees, then brought back to conditions that are comfortable for him.

Humidity is not particularly important for peppers, but if they are too dry, they will not grow healthy. Therefore, from batteries central heating it is necessary to either move the seedlings away or shield them with heat-proof material.

It is recommended to water young bell pepper plants only with warm, settled water.

IMPORTANT: while the seeds are still sitting in the ground, you should only spray the substrate to avoid their displacement and damage to the resulting roots.

Step-by-step instructions for sowing

So, the seeds have been processed, the substrate is ready, we begin planting:

Never place seeds on top of each other when soaking. The biofield of the seed may be damaged. Place them so that the seeds do not touch each other.

If the variety of bell pepper you have chosen is early ripening, then you can increase its yield in this way: pinch the tops above the 6-7th leaf. The seedlings will lag a little behind in development, but subsequently several times more fruits will be formed from each side shoot formed.

It’s not difficult to get your own seeds from your peppers: select the largest and most beautiful fruits, leave them for a week or two in indoor conditions, then cut out the middle and separate the seeds. After 5-7 days of drying, they should be placed in glass jar. In this way, it will be possible to plant seeds for up to 5 years.

Video - instructions on how to sow bell peppers for seedlings

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 - keep 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, from cold water frail seedlings will grow, the 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 in 10 liters of water ammonium nitrate, 10 g potash fertilizers, 30 g superphosphate.

Second feeding carried out 14 days after the first mineral fertilizers 2 times greater proportion 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 tbsp in 10 liters of water copper sulfate.

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.

Pepper does not like cold soil, arrange for pepper raised beds, 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

Perform 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 (500 g onion peel infuse 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!

The homeland of sweet bell pepper is central part America. Once it came to us, the vegetable took root without any problems and began to be popular. Rich bright colors and the special taste of pepper will make any dish unique and festive.

Peppers can be planted and grown in summer cottages, greenhouses, and vegetable gardens. Planting this vegetable is not a difficult process, but it has its own characteristics and nuances. So if you have country cottage area, you can try growing this vitamin-rich vegetable yourself.

Pepper bush in the garden

Preparing seeds for sowing

Purchased sweet pepper seeds require special preparation before sowing. This will make it possible in the future to obtain strong seedlings that will be less susceptible to disease and death.

1. They begin to sow bell pepper seeds at the end of winter - in February, when the daylight hours are not yet long. It is recommended to plant seedlings in open ground after 95-100 days. During this time, they will get stronger and be prepared for planting and further growth and development in the fresh air.
2. Transplanting (picking) this vegetable is undesirable; it does not tolerate it well. Therefore, it is recommended to initially sow the seeds in individual containers and then plant them in the ground. Their diameter should be no more than 10 cm. It is not advisable to use deep and wide containers.
3. Pepper loves light and loose soil. To plant in such soil, mix one part of sand and peat soil with two parts of humus soil. For 1 kg of the resulting substrate, add 1 tbsp. wood ash.

Soaking Pepper Seeds

Before planting, the seeds are properly processed:

• To begin with, the seeds are disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes. After this time they are washed with water.
• Then the seeds are treated with special stimulants for active growth and proper development root system. Such preparations can be purchased at specialized stores for gardeners.
• Final seed treatment with antifungal agents. They will protect future seedlings from diseases, primarily fungal ones.

When the seeds are properly processed, experienced gardeners stratify them. This process involves wrapping the prepared seeds in a damp cloth and keeping them in this state for 2 days. The fabric should be constantly wet, and the location of the seeds should be warm, 25-30 degrees. This way the seeds of the plant will “wake up” and they can be planted in pots.

When the seeds have hatched, you can start planting them. Each seed is sown in a separate container to a depth of 6 to 12 mm.

The sown peppers are watered with warm water from a spray bottle and the containers are covered with plastic film or glass. The seedlings are placed in a dark place.

The germination temperature of seedlings should be about 25 degrees. If the seeds were germinated, the first shoots can be noticed already on the 3-4th day after sowing. After the first shoots appear, it is recommended to lower the temperature for 5-7 days. This will not allow the plants to stretch upward and lose the strength necessary for further development. After a week, the temperature can be increased again, but only slightly.

When the first shoots appear, the plants are moved closer to the light source. During this period they need special care: special attention should be paid to watering seedlings. Do not allow the soil to become waterlogged or dry out. Watering is done with warm water. If you produce cold watering, this will have a bad effect on young shoots - they will become lethargic and unviable and planting them in open areas will be pointless.

High-quality pepper seedlings

The air humidity in the room where seedlings are grown should be moderate. The drier it is, the more often the plants will have to be sprayed. This can also be done with warm water. Ventilate the room itself daily, but try to protect the seedlings from drafts - they don’t like them.

If possible, provide additional lighting to young seedlings. The end of February is not characterized by sufficient daylight, so artificial lighting is required.

Before transplanting plants into open ground, it is recommended to harden them. This will make it hardy and resistant to weather conditions and diseases. To do this, the plants begin to be taken out into the air. On the first day, the seedlings should stay there for 5-10 minutes. Every day the time will increase. However, young seedlings should not be allowed to freeze or be at temperatures below 13 degrees.

Planting bell pepper seedlings in the ground

1. Planting pepper seedlings requires the right location for this. It is recommended to plant peppers in areas where there were previously onions, carrots, pumpkins or cucumbers. It is highly undesirable to plant it after potatoes, tomatoes or peppers.
2. The soil for bell peppers should be light and fertilized. Organic matter under peppers are applied a year or two before planting, and all the rest - in the fall. 4-5 days before planting pepper seedlings in open ground, gardeners recommend disinfecting it. For this, a special solution is made at the rate of 1/2 tbsp. copper sulfate per 5 liters of water. The area is treated with this solution.
3. Prepared plants are planted in open ground after three months from the date of sowing the seeds. This happens in April or May. In April, this is done only if the seeds were sown at the beginning of winter.
4. The planting pattern is 40x50. It depends on the type of pepper. The larger the plants are supposed to be, the greater the distance between them should be.
5. The seedlings, which are in separate containers, are carefully removed from them. The depth of the holes in the soil should be the same as the depth of the seedling container. It is not recommended to plant plants with bare roots or sprinkle the root collar of seedlings. Peppers should be planted in the morning or evening.

Bitter and sweet peppers must be grown separately

Planting several varieties of bell pepper should take into account the fact that this vegetable undergoes a cross-pollination process. Therefore, it is advisable to place different varieties at some distance. It is advisable to divide them among themselves with other plantings: corn, tomatoes, sunflowers, etc.

The nuances of proper care for bell peppers

Caring for the plant includes proper watering, weeding and timely feeding. Apply the first fertilizing when the plants have two true leaves. The fertilizer mixture consists of the following preparations: ammonium nitrate (0.5 g), potassium (1 g), superphosphate (3 g). These products are diluted in 1 liter of warm water, and the seedlings are watered with this solution.

The second feeding is done exactly two weeks later. All fertilizer components are doubled.

Fertilizing seedlings with nettle infusion is popular. To do this, place 1 part of dry nettle in 10 liters of water and leave for two days. The resulting solution is watered over the seedlings.

The last fertilizing is done 2-3 days before planting seedlings in open ground.

Care also involves monitoring the plants:

• If you notice that the leaves of the peppers have begun to curl and dry out at the edges, this means that there is not enough potassium in the soil. But you should also be careful with its excess - the pepper may die.
• If there is a lack of nitrogen in the soil, plant leaves become dull with a grayish tint and become crushed over time.
• If there is a lack of phosphorus, the leaves on the underside acquire a purple tint and are pressed against the trunk, stretching upward.
• With a lack of magnesium, pepper leaves become marbled.
• If there is an excess of nitrogen in the soil, plants will shed leaves, flowers and ovaries.

During periods of high humidity, care involves removing side shoots from plants (pinching). Dry and hot weather It is not recommended to plant plants. This is due to the fact that lower leaves serve as a barrier to the rapid removal of moisture from the soil and protect it from drying out.

Experienced gardeners advise removing the central flower on the pepper. This will help increase productivity.

During the growing season, care means that plants must be pruned. Its essence lies in the fact that the longest shoots are shortened; there should be no shaded branches on the plant. It is recommended to perform pruning every 10 days, the last one after harvesting.

It is recommended to remove the first pepper flower

In order for pepper pollination to occur more actively, experienced gardeners spray it with a sugar solution.

Among useful tips concerning pepper care are:

• It is recommended to plant peppers, taking into account the advice of experienced gardeners;
• pepper does not tolerate overheating and requires abundant watering;
• regular loosening of the soil is a prerequisite for growing bell peppers;
• to protect peppers from diseases, it is recommended to provide plants with calcium and potassium;
• mulching pepper is when the soil is protected from excessive loss of moisture and nutrients(it is produced using rotted straw, which is laid out between the rows of plants);
• pepper plants need timely staking and hilling;
• Carry out natural seed replacements annually (this will increase the amount of harvest).

Watering peppers is especially important.

When the soil is too dry it can lead to diseases and death of plants. Insufficient watering can cause flowers and ovaries to drop. Before the flowering period, pepper is watered once every 7 days. After flowering and fruit formation, peppers require watering 2 times a week. It is recommended to water the pepper with warm, settled water using a rain watering can. After watering, the soil between the plants should be loosened. Proper care for pepper will give you a good result.

California pepper variety

Diseases and pests of bell pepper

Caring for pepper involves preventing and treating this plant from diseases and getting rid of pests.

Process pepper chemicals Not recommended. This is due to the fact that pepper is able to accumulate all the substances that fall on it in the fruit. This can negatively affect human health when consuming plant fruits. When properly cared for and following basic agrotechnical rules, it is not necessary to treat peppers with additional preparations.

If it happens that the plants are sick, then this can be solved with the help of safe means and ways

Growing bell peppers is a fascinating and rewarding activity. When creating for this plant all necessary conditions, it will thank you with a rich harvest of large, juicy and vitamin-rich fruits.