Growing sweet peppers outdoors. Bulgarian pepper cultivation and care: from sowing seeds to harvesting How to grow peppers in open ground

Though Bell pepper is a southern crop, our gardeners grow it very successfully in conditions middle lane and more northern regions. More recently, I was convinced of this personally, having come to the plot of land to my friend.

There was no limit to my surprise when I saw a bed with peppers, completely strewn with large, almost half a liter jar, fruits. Peppers grew in open ground and only covered themselves with lutrasil. According to a friend, she gets the same result every year and always the results exceed expectations.

We used to think that in order to get a super crop, vegetables need super conditions: soil fertility and, of course, greenhouse conditions. The example of my friend proves the opposite: it is enough to observe the agrotechnical conditions and the effect will be the same.

Let's take a closer look at the rules for planting pepper and preparing seed material, which allow us to achieve unprecedented yields.

Everyone knows that sweet pepper enjoys unprecedented popularity and is grown almost a line in every garden. The reason for such popular love is the merits of this healthy vegetable:

Pepper is versatile, it is good both fresh and at home. winter preparations, it is added to a variety of dishes and eaten as a separate element.
Growing this crop does not require any extra effort, and if you follow some rules, you can get a very good result.

This southern culture came to us from distant South America, therefore, for the growth and fruiting of pepper, heat and moisture are necessary. The main thing is not to overdo it with soil moisture, and the airing of plantings should be constant. Peppers really don't like cool temperatures, so they will still need shelter, especially at the beginning of the season.

If you live in the southern regions of the country, then additional shelter is not necessary, the vegetable needs natural heat and moisture.

What you need to do for a good harvest in the open field

It's no secret that half the success depends on the right variety, so this item should be given the maximum value. Varietal characteristics include ripening time, seed planting time, fruiting period, and many factors on which the success of an enterprise depends.

You can conditionally divide the whole process into several episodes:

Selection of seed material and its preparation for sowing.
Formation of soil for planting.
Plant care.
Possible diseases and harmful insects, and their control.

Let's get acquainted with each of the episodes in more detail and find out everything agricultural secrets for the cultivation of sweet peppers.

Episode one - seed preparation

Choose only early ripe varieties and hybrids, you should not delay the growing season if the weather conditions of the middle zone are very capricious. After all, when growing a vegetable in open ground, a lot depends on temperature and humidity.

Before planting, the seeds need to be processed or "wake up", this is necessary for a friendly and quick spitting of the sprouts from the seed box. The faster the process takes place, the more forces will remain for further development.

Soaking the seed material is done for a couple of days.
Next, a special solution is prepared from fairly warm water and potassium permanganate, and the seeds are re-soaked, but for a short time, no more than 15 minutes.
The next treatment is done in a stimulating preparation and lasts up to 12 hours.

After that, the seeds are ready for sowing.

Episode two - soil preparation

Preparing the soil for seedlings is an important preparatory moment. The earth must be loose and fertile. It is good if the soil consists of sand and humus, with the obligatory addition of ash.

The garden also requires special preparation, the soil is filled with superphosphate, manure, wood ash and must be moistened.

Episode three - growing seedlings and adult plants

Experienced gardeners know that it takes a long time to sprout sweet peppers, it can take two weeks, or even more time, before the first sprouts appear above the soil surface.

It is for this reason that pepper seeds are planted very early - at the end of January or early February. Here great importance have varietal characteristics.

To prepare the soil, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is required, which is used to irrigate the soil and thereby disinfect it from fungi and pathogenic bacteria.
Containers must have holes for water drainage.
When planting seeds, a distance of at least 2 cm between seeds should be observed.
After sowing, the boxes are covered with foil or glass, thus creating a greenhouse effect.
The boxes are placed in a dark and warm place until shoots appear.
After pecking the first shoots, the containers are put on a warm windowsill.
Watering is done only as the soil dries out and only with warm settled water.
Before the appearance of the first two true leaves, do not pick.
In the process of growing seedlings, top dressing is carried out with a complex mineral fertilizer, which is prepared according to the instructions. The frequency of top dressing is about once every two weeks.

Pepper tolerates picking well, but some vegetable growers prefer to plant seeds immediately in a separate container so as not to injure the root system once again and not bother themselves.

After about 100 days, seedlings can be moved to a prepared garden bed in open ground. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

The end of May is suitable for planting peppers in open ground, but here the dates may shift due to the weather in one direction or another. When the soil is well warmed up, plants adapt faster and are less susceptible to disease. In this case, high or warm beds, which are prepared in advance, will be appropriate.

In them, warming up occurs much faster, and warm fertile layers allow the plant to be heated from below. It was these beds that my friend had built, so the vegetables looked healthy and strong.

Seedlings are planted at a distance of 50-60 cm between the bushes. The holes are plentifully watered and removed from the seedlings by the method of transshipment. You should not deepen the pepper, he does not like this, you can plant two bushes in one hole, they are favorable to this.

Next, you should use the well-known rule, which is called the "four "P". It consists of four main actions: weeding, tying, feeding, watering. If you remember them constantly - good harvest you are provided.

Separately, I want to dwell on the feeding of adult plants, during the entire vegetative period, there should be at least three top dressings:

The first - two weeks after landing on the garden. Usually, a kilogram of rotted manure is taken for one bucket of water, infused for two days and poured under each plant up to 1-2 liters.
The second is during flowering. It requires support with potassium humate (according to the instructions) and superphosphate (2 tablespoons).
The third - two weeks after the last feeding, the plants should be fed with ash or Kemira, since the plants need potassium during this period. You can insist nettles and pour the bushes with the resulting mixture.

Waterlogging the soil can provoke the appearance of fungal diseases, so you should know the measure in watering.

Weeding is an essential element of care, as is a garter. Thin slats can be used as supports, but it is best to stick them into the ground when planting plants, so the roots will be less injured.

After planting pepper on the ridge, cover the bushes with a film or covering material, but be sure to ventilate the plantings.

In spring and early summer, the sun is very active, so make sure that the leaves do not get burned under the scorching rays through the film cover. This happens quite often, so experienced vegetable growers throw lutrasil on the film to slightly shade the area.

Despite this danger, the site should be well lit, you should not form a bed next to trees or bushes, you will lose crops, since sweet pepper does not like to grow in shady places.

Episode four - diseases and insects

Sweet pepper most often suffers from late blight, white rot, black leg, black bacterial spot. In order to secure landings, they should be ventilated, not allowed to stagnate with moist air. You can use anti-disease drugs at the first sign of illness, such as Fitosporin, as well as folk remedies in the form of a solution of milk and greens.

Pests can also spoil the crop. Aphids, bears, slugs, whiteflies and others love to feast on the juicy pulp of a vegetable, frequent guests in the garden.

Against uninvited guests, you can use special ready-made remedies, and herbal infusions of garlic, yarrow, wormwood. Aphids may disappear after spraying plants with serum or soapy water based on any detergent.

Sweet pepper is an essential element of any garden and personal plot, vegetable growers grow it both in greenhouses and in the open field, it is quite unpretentious and, as a rule, very productive. Its cultivation is an interesting and exciting activity, which gives a lot of pleasure, especially when you see the results of your work.

Pepper is one type of vegetable, without which no holiday can do. Bulgarian pepper is always present on the table in the form of cutting or a hot dish, and sweet pepper is present on the winter table in the form of a preparation for the winter. But few people know how grow peppers outdoors on the suburban area. Such a vegetable is very fastidious and requires good care for itself, but every novice gardener dreams of trying to grow it on his site.

Seedlings of Bulgarian and sweet pepper

Growing such a vegetable has its pros and cons, if there is an error with watering, sudden changes in temperature or if the transplant is incorrect, the yield decreases to almost zero.

Damaged plants will no longer give the desired short summer harvest, since without a tie there will be no pollination, and without this the plant will receive less nutrition and thus will not give the long-awaited harvest in the fall.

But in order for it to grow and please with its harvest, it is necessary to plant it very early and ensure seedlings and development without stress and temperature changes. This the most important thing rule when growing sweet peppers in open ground.

The most important points in sowing bell peppers are:

Preparation of seeds for sowing;
soil preparation for sowing peppers;
sowing seeds;
picking peppers.

It is better to consider each procedure separately, so as not to miss and avoid mistakes.

Preparing seeds for seedlings for growing peppers in open ground

Purchased seeds need to examine the seeds and remove all frail and damaged ones. good seeds must be treated for a fungal infection.

To do this, put the seeds in gauze, as in a bag and place in a thick solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. After this procedure, rinse with warm, running water.

There is one more good way for good seedlings bell pepper- this is Elina's solution. It is necessary to place a bag of gauze in a solution of 1 drop of Elina diluted with 1 liter of water and leave for one day.

After all these procedures, put the seeds on a damp cloth and cover with wet gauze. In this form, the seeds should be put in a warm place for one week, but if the seeds do not swell, then you can wait another week.

The main thing is not to leave the seeds dry, they must be moistened, otherwise the seeds will dry out and disappear.

Soil preparation for planting

For sowing, you can buy ready-made soil in a specialized store and only add one fifth of the washed sand.

You can no longer add anything to the finished soil, because it already has:

Horse soil;

deoxidizing additives;
mineral fertilizer;
hesmine substances;
sand;
agropermit.

To understand why they need the soil, it is better to find out all the additives in detail.

Horse soil is practically free of microbes and absorbs moisture well; all plants cannot do without this additive.

Deoxidizing additives are needed to remove high acidity from the topsoil.

Mineral fertilizer provides mineral nutrition and promotes plant growth.

Hesmine substances are needed for stimulation and root formation, as well as plant resistance.

Sand reduces soil shrinkage during long-term cultivation of the plant. Usually the sand in large numbers need home flowers in pots.

Agropermit saturates the roots with oxygen and promotes their good growth and nourishes the substances necessary for growth.

Experienced gardeners do not buy soil, but do it themselves at home. To do this, you need only two parts of humus, one part of sand and two parts of peat. Mix everything well and heat in the oven for about one hour. In this way, the soil will be ready for planting seeds.

Sowing seeds

Seed ripening occurs 10 or 14 days after germination, and seedlings are best planted when it is 60 days old. Therefore, sowing is best done in mid-February, when the daylight hours are still short.

Before boarding, you need to rinse the plate well in potassium permanganate solution, and then fill it with cooked soil mixture. Lightly compact the soil so that the bowl is two centimeters higher than the soil.

Make a recess and carefully spread the seeds at a distance of 1.5 cm. After filling the seeds with prepared soil and compact.

Pour warm water over, but be careful not to wash the seeds. To prevent moisture from evaporating, you need to close it with a special lid, and if there is no such lid, you can use a regular plastic bag.

Seeds need to be put in a warm place where the air temperature is about 17 degrees. Be sure to water with warm water and not let the soil dry out, but you can’t fill it either.

Be sure to watch the pepper seedlings so that they do not bend over. To avoid this, you need to turn in turn towards the sun. And also it is possible over seedlings

How to bake properly

To reduce the risk of damage to root rot plants, the pepper is transplanted when the plant has two leaves.

But it is better to transplant after 4 weeks, when the seedlings are stronger and more resistant to stressful conditions and the stalks of pepper seedlings are already stronger.

Before transplanting seedlings, you need to shed well and wait for the excess water to drain.

It grows and develops more slowly than tomatoes and therefore it is better to transplant into separate small pots.

Pour pre-prepared soil into half of the pot, make a hole and place pepper seedlings, send with earth and lightly compact. Carefully pour warm water, holding the stems and if the soil has settled, then you need to add the prepared soil, but not too much. Peppers should be half potted, not completely covered.

Place these seedlings in a warm and well-lit room.

How to feed seedlings

Care for seedlings should already begin after the peppers are transplanted open ground in their summer cottage.

First feeding is done after two weeks after diving and two weeks after the first bait. While the plant is young, it is better and very convenient to apply top dressing in liquid form. You can buy it in a flower shop and it is best to choose:

Agricola;
Strong;
Fertik;
Suite;
Mortar.

How to properly dilute the top dressing for peppers will be written in the instructions for use.

Two weeks before planting bell peppers in ordinary soil in a summer cottage, it is necessary to harden seedlings in the open fresh air.

But there is one necessary part to consider open air: direct sunlight should not fall on the peppers, but there should not be a cold and strong wind either.

Most the best way a closed balcony with a non-sunny side is suitable for hardening.

Grow seedlings in peat tablets

There is one more great way for seedlings of peppers, these are peat tablets. Peat tablets give excellent results, and a plant that is stressed when diving can no longer be afraid, so like this procedure with a peat tablet do not need to be performed.

The peat tablet contains all the necessary additives for the development of pepper and with the help of such a wonderful tablet to grow good seedlings even for beginner gardeners.

Seedlings still need to be grown in separate pots, so peat tablets can be taken with a diameter of three centimeters.

Place the required amount of peat tablets on the tray and pour warm water over them. When swelling, the tablets increase and take the form of a glass.

As soon as the peat tablet swells to the desired size and stops absorbing water, you need to drain excess water and make a small hole in the cups

Pepper seeds should be prepared in the same way as when sown in the soil. This must also be done in advance. Seeds should be carefully placed in the holes and sprinkled with prepared soil. Close the tray with a lid or put on a plastic bag.

Pepper planting and care in the open field

Peppers do not like cold and heavy soil, and if there is clay soil on the site, then better cultivation Bulgarian pepper in open ground should be fertilized with peat and humus.

The earth needs to be dug up well on a spade bayonet and rake well so that there are no large lumps. After that, make not very deep holes for planting, but very frequent holes also do not need to be done.

Before planting, you need to put a little bit in each hole mineral fertilizer, which will contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Such a composition must be mixed well until a homogeneous mass.

Carefully remove the seedling from the pot, being careful not to damage the root system of the pepper. Place the seedlings in the hole and fall asleep half earth hole. You need to fall asleep so that the entire root system of the seedling is closed.

Pour abundantly with warm water and for a year the water will be absorbed to cover the entire hole with dry earth.

If the plant is tall and requires a garter, then it is worth tying the peppers to a special support. If the nights are still cold, then you need to cover sweet peppers in polyethylene meadows, but you can’t cover them with woven covering material.

Outdoor Pepper Care

In order for outdoor cultivation to be carried out with proper care, there are four rules:

Top dressing.
Watering.
Prophet.
Garters.

Top dressing. During growth and cultivation, it is necessary to feed three times. The first top dressing after 10 days after planting in ordinary soil can be fed with ordinary manure.

The second dressing is done before flowering. They are fed with a woody hall or supperfastate. To do this, dilute potassium humate with 10 liters of water. Pour peppers with this solution.

The third top dressing should occur two weeks after flowering. Feed with a woody hall. And you can also feed sweet peppers with nettle solution. To do this, cut the nettle into small pieces and pour warm water. Infuse this solution for several days, and then pour over the peppers.

Watering. Sweet peppers are very fond of moisture, but an excess of pepper is very harmful. Therefore, sweet peppers need to be watered as the soil dries.

Prophet. Light and fluffy soil good growth plants. It is imperative to ensure that the peppers are not overgrown with grass, and the soil must be loosened near the peppers.

Sweet pepper is one of the most beloved crops grown by vegetable growers. True, this vegetable is very demanding, without receiving something, it can seriously punish its owners with a decrease or complete absence of a crop. requires a lot of attention, knowledge and experience. Especially do not be upset for those who only the first year took up this business. Gradually, if there is a desire, everything will be able to learn.

Growing seedlings of pepper

In most areas, even in the most southern, the cultivation of sweet pepper begins in (end of February, beginning of March). This can be done both in greenhouses and in room conditions. It is best to grow seedlings on the windowsill in special earthen cups, which are then easily transferred to open ground. And all because, like any other species, it takes root very poorly. For normal growth, seedlings need moisture, warmth and light.

When seedlings reach 60-65 days of growth, they can be transplanted either outdoors or into a greenhouse. The last option, of course, is the most suitable, but if this is not possible, then you can try to harvest from the pepper that will grow on the street.

in open ground

If you decide to use this method to save money on film, then you will not succeed. In any case, growing peppers outdoors requires a temporary small greenhouse to keep the plants warm until around the end of June. In May and even June, the weather is not entirely stable, which can lead to poor growth of sweet peppers and a lack of harvest.

So, the first step is to prepare the ground. Since autumn it is necessary to dig it up, make rotted manure. Before planting, you need to dig again, to make it in open ground is best done in the place where legumes, cucumbers, green crops and root crops grew before. Sweet pepper loves fertile soil, but if there is none on the site, then peat and rotted sawdust must be added to the ground at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 sq.m. The beds should have a height of about 30 cm, while the width is about 1 meter, but the length is at your own discretion. It is also necessary to think in advance how the greenhouse will be built. The easiest way is to stretch the film over plastic or metal arcs inserted into the ground.

When everything is ready, you can start planting seedlings. It is best to do this in the evening, when solar activity is reduced. To do this, at a distance of 40-45 cm from each other, it is necessary to dig holes, taking into account the row spacing - 55-60 cm. Pour water into each hole and wait until it is absorbed. Seedlings or an earthen cup with a plant are lowered into a hole and carefully covered with earth. When the planting of seedlings is completed, you can stretch the film. If it is very warm during the day, then the film can be removed, not forgetting to pull it on at night.

It should be noted that the cultivation of pepper in the open ground in the first two weeks is unfavorable: the plants begin to hurt, grow slowly. This indicates that it is starting to take root. To help her, the earth can be slightly loosened, and watering can also be reduced. When the peppers are well strengthened and begin to grow, watering should be increased to about 10-12 liters per 1 sq.m. Water for this is used only warm, the temperature of which is about 25 0C. Cold and cool water significantly inhibits growth and fruit set.

During flowering, it is necessary to fertilize sweet peppers with diluted dry Fertility fertilizer (per 100 l 1 kg) at the rate of 1 liter per 1 bush. Another top dressing is carried out during the fruiting period (for 100 liters of water, one bucket of bird droppings and 2 cups of nitrophoska).

In order for the pepper bushes to bear fruit well, it is necessary to remove the tops of the main stem, and also to carry out the seeding, leaving only 4-5 upper stepsons.

Pepper is a heat-loving and moisture-loving crop. Growing peppers outdoors is not a difficult task, it is only important to adhere to some features. Sweet bell pepper is very popular among professional gardeners, it is successfully grown by summer residents. Everyone can grow pepper in their summer cottage. How to grow sweet peppers and get the most out of the plant will be prompted by the advice of experienced breeders. By following their recommendations, the yield can be increased several times.

Preparing a plot for planting sweet pepper

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

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

After a uniform distribution of the nutrient composition, the soil is dug up.

Pepper is not planted in the area where organic matter has just been introduced.

A Bulgarian guest does not need an abundance of fresh organic matter. Pepper is better to "underfeed" than "overfeed". The abundance of nitrogen combinations leads to the fact that the culture is actively growing and developing rapidly. Such a plant bears fruit much worse: pepper discards tied fruits, the size of vegetables decreases. So organic fertilizers are brought in in the autumn.
In the spring, before planting, the open area must again be loosened and fertilized. For 1 sq. m. for spring fertilizer is used:

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

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

We plant seedlings

Bulgarian pepper is a thermophilic plant. Young specimens are planted in the soil after the threat of spring night frosts has passed. The time of planting seedlings depends on the regional location of the cottage. As a rule, peppers are planted starting in mid-May.
Seedlings of bell pepper for open ground must undergo a hardening process. To increase resistance unfavorable factors plants should be taken out in warm weather Fresh air. Hardening of young individuals is carried out gradually, starting from a few minutes.

Pepper planting scheme 70x30 cm or 50x50 cm:

A few hours before planting, young plants are watered abundantly. The culture at the time of transplantation should be vigorous and healthy. Lack of moisture can have a detrimental effect on the survival process. Withered plants drop the first buds, delay their development. A weak and wilted plant during transplantation is a significant decrease in yield.
Young seedlings are planted in the afternoon. At night, the culture will not fight the sweltering heat and will throw all its strength into survival. In the event that it is cloudy outside, pepper seedlings can be planted at any time of the day.
Prepare holes in the soil for planting. Each hole should be watered abundantly: 2 liters of water per plant. Water for irrigation is best used at room temperature, heated in the sun.
Seedlings are transplanted with an earthen clod. Each plant should be separated from the container and planted in the prepared holes not too deep: the pepper is planted 3 cm deeper than it grew in room conditions. Pepper does not form adventitious roots well. But still their appearance contributes to a better nutrition of the culture.

The plant is not demanding on the composition of the earth. However, it grows best in loamy soil.

Watering plants outdoors

Peppers are very fond of water. But still, it should be watered carefully. Overwatering is just as detrimental to the plant as dryness. Immediately after transplanting bell pepper from containers into the soil, watering is not carried out. For the first time, the soil is moistened after 7 days. Peppers are watered at intervals of 3 days, 1 liter of warm water per 1 plant. Water the culture at the root. In extreme heat, peppers are watered daily.

10 days after planting the seedlings, plantings should be checked for survival. Dead sprouts are replaced with spare ones.
Established plants are watered very carefully. Bulgarian professional vegetable growers call such watering thin - frequent watering in small doses.
It is easy to determine when a plant needs water: if the bush has completely darkened, the pepper needs urgent watering. Wilting peppers can also indicate insufficient watering. Although the wilting of the plant in the afternoon does not indicate dryness of the soil.
At the time of the ripening of the crop, pepper is watered much more: 1 time for 6 days, 2-3 liters per plant.
During the hot period, pepper is watered in the morning or evening hours.

We loosen a bed with peppers

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

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

Loosen, weed, spud bell peppers should be very carefully. Its root system is in the top layer of soil. In addition, the plant itself is very fragile.

Proper feeding is the key to successful cultivation

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

10 liters of prepared organic solution;
60 g of superfastate;
20 g of potassium chloride;
1 glass of wood ash.

Also, pepper can be fertilized without the use of organics:

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

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

Peppers do not tolerate chlorine. That is why potassium chloride is recommended to be replaced with wood ash. Any varieties for open ground should be fertilized especially carefully.

Spring night frosts are detrimental to pepper: protective measures

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

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

Temperature indicators for successful cultivation

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

Tall varieties need support

Varieties of sweet pepper, characterized by high growth, need to be tied up. Low-growing pepper varieties can not be tied up, but the presence of a support contributes to uniform fruit ripening, easier care and high-quality harvesting. To create a support, traditional wooden pegs are used. The plants themselves are protected by other cultures of high growth. The wind through such protection will not blow so much.
We form a bush - we increase the yield of a vegetable

The formation of the plant is very important for obtaining high yields. Many breeders believe that without a properly created form, it is impossible to get the maximum benefit from a plant.
Bush formation methods:

They create a skeleton of a bush: in the first fork, only the two strongest shoots are left. On the skeletal shoots, 2 branches are also left, one of which will grow vertically, and the second - directed to the outside. It is recommended to remove internal shoots. With proper shaping, a pepper bush can grow to a height of up to 1.2 m.
They create a skeleton of a bush: two shoots are tied up in a vertical direction. In each node, 1 external shoot is left. With this formation, it is necessary to plant plants at a distance of up to 50 cm, install supports and stretch horizontal twines. The bush is able to rise to a height of more than 2 m.

We attract insects for pollination

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

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

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

Choosing a variety of pepper for growing in the garden

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

"Funtik"

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

"Czardas"

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

"Barguzin"

sweet pepper can grow up to 70 cm;
fruit color from rich yellow to orange;
fruits of a cone-shaped elongated shape;
ovary weight - 150-200 g;
during the growing season it is possible to collect up to 18 fruits from one plant;
differs in unpretentiousness and ability to adapt to any compositions of the soil.

"Cornet"

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

"Chord"

it is demanding on lighting: with abundant light, the height of the plant can reach 1 m, but as a rule, the plant grows only 50-60 cm;
fruits have a bright red tint;
cone-shaped fruits;
the mass of the ovary depends on the light: with abundant light - 200 g, with a lack of light - 150 g;
medium-yielding variety: from 10 to 20 fruits can be harvested from one plant;
for successful cultivation strong lighting is required.

Pinocchio F1

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

"Cabin boy"

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

"Actor"

one of the most tall varieties pepper: the height of the bush is from 1 to 1.5 m;
when ripe, the fruits have a scarlet hue;
ovaries cone-shaped, strongly elongated with a blunt tip;
the most fleshy pepper: the weight of the fruit is about 300 g;
medium-yielding plant: up to 14 vegetables can be harvested from a bush.

"Bagration"

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

"Smile"

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

"Nafanya"

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

"Tomboy"

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

"Bunny"

undemanding to growing conditions;
the height of an adult bush can exceed 1 m;
fruits are rich red, rarely burgundy;
differs upward directed fruit growth;
the mass of one vegetable can be from 160-250 g;
during the growing season it is able to please up to 15 ovaries from a bush;
fruits differ in juiciness and pleasant aroma.

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

Hybrid or variety: what to prefer

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

2017-01-16 Igor Novitsky

Sweet pepper is a rather whimsical plant, but this quality does not prevent hundreds of thousands of gardeners from annually collecting hundreds of kilograms of this from the garden. amazing plant. 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 again pour 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 on permanent place. This crop needs well-warmed soil and consistently warm weather. In addition, the threat of night frosts should be completely avoided. For areas with a warm climate, the best time for planting peppers in open ground is 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.