Bell pepper is an unpretentious plant that grows in southern latitudes without any problems. Difficulties in growing this crop in conditions middle zone and to the north are associated with the long growing season of the plant. If you know how to properly plant pepper seedlings, you can get bountiful harvest not only in the greenhouse, but also in the open ground.

Even the earliest ripening variety bell pepper the growing season is up to 140 days, and the time from germination to harvest ripening is at least 90 days. Plus, the germination time of seeds ranges from 10 days to 1 month.

Thus, if you have seeds of an early or mid-season variety, then you should sow bell pepper for seedlings no later than mid-February (northern regions), early March (middle zone).

Germination rate of bell pepper seeds depending on air temperature:

• 26-28 ºC – 8-10 days;
• 20-24 ºC – 13-17 days;
• 18-20 ºC – 18-20 days;
• 14-15 ºC – up to 1 month;

You can speed up the process of seed germination by pre-soaking and preparing them.

Seed preparation

Preparing seeds for sowing consists of disinfecting, stimulating and soaking them.

Before starting preparation, you should discard low-weight seeds, since they will grow into weak plants or they will not sprout at all. To do this, the existing seed material is poured into water. After a few minutes, all the seeds that remain on the surface of the water are discarded. Work continues with sunken, which means full-weight, seed material.

Disinfection seed material carried out with a solution of potassium permanganate (in common parlance, potassium permanganate). To do this, dilute a slightly pink solution into which the seeds are immersed for a couple of hours. A non-chemical method of disinfection is heating in hot water(50 ºC) for 20 minutes. After which the seeds are immediately cooled in cold water.

Stimulation and feeding are carried out by special means Epin type (Humate, Zircon). The existing drug is dissolved in water strictly according to the instructions, since an overdose is extremely harmful. The seeds of bell pepper, which were removed from the potassium permanganate solution, are transferred into the resulting solution. The material is kept in the “feeding” for 20-30 minutes. Then they are washed and soaked for germination.

It is convenient to carry out germination between two cotton pads. To do this, the seeds are laid out on the surface of a disk and covered with another one. The top disk can be signed ballpoint pen, if you want to plant several varieties of pepper. Discs should be wetted sparingly. Seeds that are completely flooded will “suffocate” and die.

As soon as the peppers hatch, they need to be planted in the ground. You should not allow a visible sprout - it will easily break off during sowing. You can skip the germination stage, but this will slightly delay the germination time.

Pay attention! Seeds that are pre-treated by the manufacturer do not require pre-sowing manipulations. On a bag of this seed material it says “Do not soak!” Follow this instruction - soaking such seeds will damage the nutritional and protective capsule.

Preparing the soil for sowing seedlings

sow sweet pepper You can use “purchased” soil, peat tablets, or self-prepared soil. Experienced gardeners believe that at least 50% of the soil for seedlings should come from their own garden. This is explained by the fact that the plant “gets used to getting” food from a certain soil mixture. A radical change of soil when planting seedlings from “purchased” soil into the garden delays the development of the plant for a long time.

Requirements for seedling soil:

• neutral or slightly acidic environment;
• sufficient organic content for “looseness” and moisture retention;
• sufficient content nutrients;

It is not difficult to create such a soil mixture. You need to take:

• two parts of garden land;
• one part of peat or special soil for seedlings;
• one part of humus, compost or top layer (10 cm) of meadow soil;

To increase nutritional value and adjust acidity, add the following to 10 liters of soil:

• stove ash (who has it) - a handful;
• lime (for those who don’t have ash) - a handful;
• double superphosphate - 2 matchboxes;

It is better to fertilize with potassium and nitrogen fertilizers later, when watering the seedlings.

Pay attention! The prepared soil mixture needs to be spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. The second way to kill pathogens in garden soil is to preheat it to 60 ºC.

Methods for sowing pepper seedlings

There are several ways to plant sweet pepper seedlings:

1. Classic - peppers are sown in a “common” container and subsequently planted in a larger container or individual pots.
2. In ready-made cassettes, 1-2 seeds are sown without picking.
3. IN peat tablets– sow 1 seed at a time without picking.
4. In twists - in rolls from toilet paper followed by planting young shoots in large containers or separate pots.

Pay attention! Best results allows you to grow bell pepper seedlings without picking, planting them in separate containers. Peppers, unlike tomatoes, do not tolerate transplantation well, get sick for a long time and are stunted in growth.

Growing seedlings in peat tablets

For germinating peppers, tablets with a diameter of 3-4 cm are suitable. They are placed on the bottom of a large container and filled with water. As soon as the tablets stop absorbing water, the excess is poured out.

A seed is placed in the center of the formed cylinder (and it “grows” when it swells) to a depth of about 0.5 cm. The container is placed in a warm place. To retain moisture, the top is tightened cling film or polyethylene.

The mini greenhouse should be ventilated at least 1 hour a day. Watering is carried out using the bottom method as the peat dries. After the sprouts appear, the cylinders are moved to separate containers with prepared soil mixture.

The mesh that envelops the peat cylinder prevents the lump from disintegrating and root system pepper is not injured. Further care consists of timely watering and lighting.

Pay attention! If you do not want to transfer the seedlings into pots, then you should buy tablets with a diameter of 7 cm. In such cylinders, the pepper will not need additional soil.

Growing seedlings in cassettes

Growing seedlings in cassettes or individual pots with a volume of 250-500 ml produces high-quality seedlings. You can sow sprouted seeds one at a time; dry seeds are better, two in one container, followed by removal of the weaker plant. The seed is buried 1 cm into the soil and watered.

Cassettes are placed on a south or west window, or under a lamp. It is important that the air temperature is not lower than 25 ºC. As the seedlings grow, soil is added to the pot. Watering in cassettes is carried out using the bottom method - water is poured into the pan. Pots with seedlings are usually watered in the classic way.

Classic home method of growing seedlings

The “old-fashioned” method of growing pepper seedlings at home has a right to exist and even has some advantages:

1. When sowing in a common container, seed germination is not particularly important.
2. It is convenient to sow in small dishes.
3. When picking seedlings, weak plants are discarded.
4. If you follow the timing and agricultural techniques of diving, the pepper will tolerate it relatively well.
5. Planting in the “native” soil will prevent the plants from getting sick and taking a long time to get used to the new soil after planting in the greenhouse.

To sow, take a small container with soil and sow the seeds densely to a depth of 0.5 cm. Water the ground, cover the top with film and place the container in a warm place. After the sprouts appear for a day (two), the seedlings are transferred to warm window. As soon as the sprouts turn dark green, the first real leaf hatches - they need to be picked.

The picking box (if there are no separate containers, which is preferable) should be at least 12-15 cm deep. The seedlings are watered several hours before transplanting. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 10-15 cm, preferably in checkerboard pattern.

Twist landing (Moscow style)

Sowing seeds for germination between ribbons of toilet paper began not so long ago. There are supporters and opponents this method. The main advantage of this method of seed germination is its compactness.

The technology is as follows:

1. Place a cellophane tape on the table (it is convenient to use a food bag cut lengthwise).
2. Lay toilet paper on top and spray it with water from a hand spray bottle (important! the edges of the paper and cellophane must match).
3. Seeds are placed on a strip of cheap (thicker and coarser) toilet paper at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other and from the top edge of the paper at the same distance
4. Cover the seeds with a layer of paper and moisten well.
5. Roll into a weak roll, effortlessly.
6. Place the twist in a container with a little water poured into the bottom.
7. Remove the structure to a warm place.

As soon as the sprouts appear, the twist is transferred to a lighted place. Planting seedlings in the ground is carried out with two developed cotyledon leaves. The roll is unrolled and cut with scissors into separate fragments with sprouts. The seedlings are planted in a permanent container, where they will develop before being planted in the garden.

Growing seedlings at home is not too troublesome if you have some skill. Follow the deadlines and agricultural techniques, give the seedlings light and warmth - bell peppers will delight you with a harvest until frost.

Planting peppers is quite a labor-intensive task, but if you do everything correctly, your work should be crowned with success. The proposed material will help you learn how and when to plant this tasty, healthy and beloved crop by many.

Properties of sweet pepper

Why should you plant peppers? Firstly, you will have a lot of fruits that you can eat fresh (the healthiest option), pickled or stewed. Secondly, it is in demand in the market, having a high price.

What are the benefits of pepper? Bell pepper has a composition rich in vitamins (A, B, C, E, K, P, folic acid), micro- and macroelements (iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.). It strengthens the immune system, blood vessels, improves vision, memory, attention, has a beneficial effect on the skin, hair, nails, increases appetite, helps normalize digestion, and has an anti-carcinogenic effect. Pepper is recommended for anemia, blood diseases and obesity. At the same time, you should not overeat it if you have an elevated blood pressure, diseases of the heart, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

Start planting peppers

The process of planting peppers begins with sowing seeds for seedlings. It is better to do this at the very beginning of March, about two months before landing in open ground. Seedlings love quite high temperatures, watering, loosening and fertilizing.

Pepper seeds take a very long time to germinate. It’s only right to cover them a little with soil, cover them with film and place them in a warm place. The soil must be systematically moistened (sprayed) with warm water. If there is such a possibility, it is better to plant the seedlings immediately in separate pots to avoid picking.

Seeds can first be left for several hours in an ash solution or germinate in a damp cloth. A good mixture for seedlings can be peat, humus and turf soil. It should be noted that sweet pepper seeds lose their viability very quickly. Therefore, it is possible to sow them earlier, so that there is time to try again if the first one fails.

Be sure to keep the seedlings warm and in the light. She doesn't like temperature changes.

Feeding seedlings should be done with caution so as not to destroy the plant. It is not recommended to constantly touch and change the place for seedlings.

When sowing in general box, the seedlings must be dived. Peppers do not like to be transplanted, so you need to be careful not to damage the roots. From here in the best possible way picking is transshipment (the plant is removed from the pot along with a lump of earth).

It is less painful to plant seedlings in the ground when using peat pots to sow seeds. Just before planting, when the seedlings have already reached the required size, it is worth hardening them: take them out to open air, ventilate, reduce the growing temperature. The variety (low or tall) determines the height of the seedlings. Peppers do not tend to stretch out much.

When you grow seedlings yourself, you will receive useful experience and you will be able to properly drive out many plants, since the process of growing seedlings of different crops is largely similar. At the same time, you will know that you are planting the variety you need without diseases and pests.

Planting peppers in open ground

This crop should be properly planted in an area with fertile, moist soil, avoiding places exposed to the wind. The site should be away from trees. A few days before planting, it must be dug up and nutrients added, of which the crop requires a lot. The day before planting seedlings, you need to water the beds and level them. It is highly recommended to keep the root depth the same as it was in the pot. Some vegetable growers spray seedlings with a special drug to improve growth.

In early or mid-May, in warm weather, when the soil for planting has already been prepared (previous crops could have been legumes, cucumbers, greens), seedlings are planted at a distance of about 40 cm from each other, respectively, leaving a little more space between the rows. Seedlings should have 7-9 leaves. It is possible to cover the plantings with film, as well as provide shade on initial stage and proper watering. It is recommended to plant in the evening. You should not plant hot peppers next to sweet peppers, as the plants tend to cross-pollinate. When very young seedlings are planted, there is a possibility of obtaining a smaller harvest.

Planting peppers in closed ground

In a greenhouse it is easier to create the required conditions for the plant. What to do if you want to plant a crop in closed ground? This will depend on the material the greenhouse is made of because peppers love heat and may die when the temperature gets too cold. This is especially true for greenhouses made of glass and film. Before use, it is advisable to carry out disinfection measures.

In addition to the temperature, it is imperative to observe the humidification regime so that the water does not stagnate in the greenhouse. You should carefully approach the formation of the soil composition so that it is not sandy. Application is necessary in the fall. Before planting, add humus. The day before planting, water well. In a greenhouse, it is permissible to plant peppers at a distance of 20-30 cm. The proximity of tomatoes and eggplants is undesirable due to similar diseases of these crops. It will be optimal when there are cucumbers near the peppers.

Pepper care

Proper care of peppers after planting is also important. This includes shallow loosening, since the roots are shallow, weeding, watering, especially during the formation of flowers and fruits, fertilizing, and disease prevention. The advantage of care is that the fruits can be collected even when they are green (at the stage of technical maturity).

When growing on a balcony, remove dried leaves, side shoots and shoots that do not bear fruit, leaving only the strongest ones. The stems are tied up and the flowers are helped to pollinate.

Now you know when and how best to plant peppers.

Sweet pepper is a popular vegetable among summer residents. The cultivation of pepper is simple, but it has its own characteristics, and the crop itself requires careful care. One of the important components in growing a crop is planting seedlings in open ground. The quality and volume of the future harvest depends on the success of this procedure.

When and where

Planting pepper seedlings in the ground should only be done when warm weather sets in, since frozen soil negatively affects the sprouts, slowing down their growth. Peppers should be planted at a constant air temperature of at least 15°, and a constant soil temperature of 10°.

The timing of agrotechnical measures depends on geographical and climatic conditions. Plants may die from frost. Therefore, in the Moscow region, sprouts need to be planted in the soil when buds appear on the seedlings. During this period, up to a dozen leaves are already present on the seedlings.

The process of transplanting pepper into greenhouse soil falls on the period 1–15 May, and in open ground – 10–30 May. Newly planted sprouts must be covered with cellophane, thus creating a greenhouse.

You need to choose the area for the pepper carefully:

1. You cannot use soil for planting where eggplants, tobacco, or potatoes previously grew.
2. The soil where cucumbers, cabbage, herbs and legumes were grown is also not suitable.
3. You cannot plant peppers in the same area for 2 years in a row.

The soil must be cleared of weeds in advance, fertilized, loosened and prepared to retain water.

Landing technology

Planting seedlings in greenhouse soil is carried out only after preliminary preparation land.

The soil needs to be made soft by loosening it. This is the only way the soil will easily allow moisture and air to pass through. After loosening to a depth of 40 cm, manure is added to the ground and then leveled. Tall plants should be planted according to the 50x80x70 pattern in the amount of 3 pieces per square meter. For small peppers the scheme is as follows: 60x30 in the amount of 4 bushes per square meter.

You can plant peppers in the Moscow region belt method(in two rows) at a distance of half a meter from each other. The sprouts are placed in a checkerboard pattern, leaving a distance of up to 90 cm between them.

Planting a vegetable in unprotected, open ground involves hardening off the young shoots. This procedure is carried out by taking the seedlings to fresh air. Their time on the street is gradually increased.

Bell pepper grown independently, subject to technology – a natural vegetable with a wonderful unique taste that will saturate the body useful substances.

Soil preparation

Unfortunately, not every open ground is ideal for growing peppers. Therefore, the soil must be pre-prepared by loosening and fertilizing. For example, in Ukraine, sandy lands are fed with humus, sawdust, clay soil and peat. Loamy lands can be “rehabilitated” with rotted sawdust, peat and manure.

Peat-type soil needs turf and humus, while clay soil, on the contrary, needs peat, humus, sawdust and coarse sand.

Are you planning to land? A week before this, the open ground must be moistened sufficiently. The holes in the soil should be made slightly larger than the container in which the sprouts grow. Sweet and bitter peppers should never be planted side by side. After all, self-pollination can occur between them, and the entire harvest will eventually taste bitter.

Bitter varieties of vegetables are grown at a distance of 25 cm between bushes, and up to half a meter between rows.

Transplanting

Planting seedlings involves seed treatment. There are several disinfection options:

• 1% manganese solution followed by rinsing with water.
• Treatment with drugs: “Zircon”, “Albit”.
• Antifungal treatment with Immunofyte.

After the procedure, several more operations need to be performed:

1. Preparation soil mixture(peat, humus, yellow sawdust treated with boiling water), which is processed wood ash and manganese solution.
2. Fertilizing the land with superphosphate, potassium sulfate and ammonium nitrate.
3. Small containers (most often pots) are filled with prepared moist soil.
4. The seeds are deepened a centimeter, 2-3 pieces in each hole.
5. The containers are covered with film or cellophane, and the soil is watered by spraying water.

In a greenhouse, for seedlings to appear, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 25°-30° for 4 days. When the first shoots appear, the film can be removed and the temperature can be lowered to 18°. On the fifth day, the seedlings need to be watered with warm, settled water. After 7 days, you need to return the previous air temperature - 25°.

After the first leaf has formed on the pepper sprouts, the plants must be planted in larger containers consisting of peat or soil-soluble substances.

With the appearance of three leaves, the crop needs to be fertilized with a solution of urea, superphosphate and potassium salt. After feeding, the peppers need to be watered. The plants need to be fertilized again after the formation of the fourth leaf.

Pepper loves light, so after the second leaf appears, the daylight hours should be 12 hours. Artificial light sources can also be used for this purpose.

During the development of sprouts, it is necessary to add soil to the container twice to avoid starvation of the vegetable. Watering the crop should be done as needed, but the plant should not be “flooded”.

The correct way to plant peppers in unprotected soil is to carry out the operation after the buds appear (approximately 50 days after sowing the seeds). If the culture “outgrows”, it may lose immunity.

Video “Planting pepper seedlings in open ground”

Honorary gardener Klimtseva Luiza Nilovna tells how to choose the time to transplant pepper seedlings into a greenhouse, what fertilizers can be applied.

Care

To achieve the expected results, you need to properly care for the planted peppers, depending on their growing conditions.

IN greenhouse conditions you need to systematically loosen the soil to a depth of 5 cm. The procedure must be carried out carefully, between seedlings, so as not to damage its roots. Also, in protected growing conditions for peppers, the soil must be fertilized with peat.

bell pepper also called sweet, it is rich in nutrients and vitamins, comes in a variety of colors, is juicy and tasty.

Process growing sweet peppers has its own characteristics, since pepper is a heat-loving vegetable. To get 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 seedling method.

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 diving well, so try to sow the seeds immediately 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 - soak 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 this 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.

Do the watering 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 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 of ammonium nitrate in 10 liters of water, 10 g potash fertilizers, 30 g superphosphate.

Second feeding carried out 14 days after the first with mineral fertilizers in 2 times greater proportions 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 spring top layer soil, add 40 g of ammonium nitrate per m 2 of area.

Before planting seedlings in open ground, disinfect the soil with the following solution: dilute 1 tablespoon of copper sulfate in 10 liters of water.

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 at which 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 different varieties Plant 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 feedings with chicken manure diluted with 1 x 10 water. Alternate such feedings with foliar feeding, 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 pepper plantings with sugar or honey solution: 100 g sugar, add 2 g 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 ripening, 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!

Russian gardeners grow sweet and bitter peppers mainly in seedlings, as they have a number of advantages. But in this it would seem simple matter there are many nuances. Find out how to properly plant peppers in the ground as seedlings, because the development of plants and, ultimately, the volume of harvest that the vegetable grower will receive depends on this. Learn about the rules for preparing the site, soil and seedlings, as well as how to care for them during the first time after transplantation.

Pepper is a heat-loving crop, so it can be planted vegetable beds only after the threat has completely passed spring frosts, and the ground temperature will no longer drop below 15 °C. In each region of Russia, such conditions for planting pepper in open ground occur at different times - in May, or even in June.

The age of seedlings that can already be placed in the beds should be approximately 60-65 days. There is no point in keeping it any longer; a 2-month-old pepper outgrows it and begins to sprout its first flowers. When transplanting it into the ground, the plants experience stress and shed the color from which fruits could form. At the same time, the vegetable grower loses part of the harvest, and this is unacceptable. If this happens at the time of planting, you need to tear off all the buds on the seedlings. This will stimulate leaf growth, which will have a beneficial effect on further flower formation and fruiting.

Choosing a growing site

The choice of place for planting pepper seedlings in open ground must be taken responsibly. This culture loves warmth and a lot of light. The volume of the harvest depends on how much solar energy gets on plants. Therefore, sweet peppers need an open, well-lit area. It is better not to plant this crop near buildings, fences and trees, as it will be in the shade, which will certainly affect its growth, development, and productivity.

Wind, especially cold northern wind, and draft are also unacceptable: pepper does not like hypothermia. Therefore, it is worth choosing sites protected from the wind for it, for example, not far from the same residential or outbuildings, fencing. In such places, plants will be able to feel under reliable protection.

The soil on the site should be fertile, light, and nutritious. Water should not stagnate in it, but air should penetrate well inside. The acidity of the soil that peppers love is low or neutral.

It is also necessary to pay attention to those crops that grew on the site previously. Acceptable predecessors for peppers are pumpkin vegetables, cabbage, onions, garlic, and root vegetables (except potatoes). You cannot use beds where tomatoes, tobacco, and eggplants were grown before peppers. They pull nutrients from the soil in the same volume as peppers, and besides, they can also suffer from the same diseases. You only need to plant pepper in one area for 1 year, and return it only after 3 or 4 years, following the rules of crop rotation.

If you plan to plant sweet and bitter peppers, then the beds where these varieties will grow should be kept as far apart as possible. This should be done to ensure that their flowers do not cross-pollinate.

Soil preparation

The soil for pepper can be prepared in the fall after the end of the growing season of its predecessors or early spring. The bed must be carefully dug up, weed roots must be removed, if any, and the soil must be filled with fertilizers: mineral or organic.

The best soil for peppers is cultivated sandy loam and loam, but if there is a different type of soil on the site, then it needs to be improved:

1. On sands in the fall you need to add peat, clay soil and organic matter, and mineral fertilizers- in spring (for each m2, 30 g of nitrogen and 40 g of phosphorus-potassium mixtures).
2. Clays are made easier by adding peat, sawdust or sand.
3. Acidic soil must be limed when autumn digging or at least half a month before spring work, and before planting, fertilize with potassium sulfate and superphosphate.
4. For every meter of fertile soil, add up to 1 bucket of rotted compost or humus and up to 500 g of wood ash.

IN northern regions It is recommended to plant peppers on " warm beds", heated by the decomposition of plant residues. To do this, you need to dig a trench at least 0.5 m deep. Place a layer of manure (compost) mixed with straw chaff at its bottom. Sprinkle a layer of fertile soil on top. On the day of planting seedlings, the trench should be shed hot water to start the reheating process. In heated soil, the roots of the pepper will always be warm and will not be damaged, even if it gets colder.

Preparing seedlings

Seedlings are prepared for planting in the ground 1-1.5 weeks before. You can’t immediately move it to the ridges: pampered in the warmth, it may die. Hardening will save the seedlings from this fate. It is carried out like this: in the first days, the pepper is taken out into the fresh air for a couple of hours, and then brought back into the heat. In subsequent days, the hardening time is gradually increased. The seedlings should not stand in a straight line sun rays, but in a shaded place so that the leaves do not burn.

In addition to hardening, pepper seedlings need to be protected from fungal diseases. To do this, it is treated with fungicides a week before transplantation. A couple of hours before planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly. This will make it easy to remove plants from planting containers and not injure the roots.

Planting scheme

The distance at which peppers should be planted will depend on the variety. Information on optimal plant placement is provided on the certified seed package, but there is also a standard layout that can be followed. In a row, plants are placed 40-50 cm apart from each other, and 60-70 cm of space is left between rows. According to this scheme, you can plant bushes of normal height and large-fruited ones.

For low-growing varieties of the crop, the planting scheme for pepper seedlings may be different. They can be placed more densely (30 cm in a row by 40-50 cm in row spacing). This distance is sufficient for varieties with medium-sized fruits. Another advantage of close planting is that the pepper leaves can better protect the fruit from sunburn. Its disadvantages: it is difficult to water and loosen, process bushes and collect fruits.

Transplanting

Plants are transplanted into the garden bed in the morning or evening. 1-2 hours before this, the seedlings are watered abundantly. This way the seedlings tolerate the procedure better and are easier to work with. A wet lump of earth is easier to remove from the container, and it holds the roots tightly. Dry ones often fall off and injure them, then the seedlings take longer to recover and take root.

Planting pepper seedlings in open ground is carried out according to the chosen scheme. Holes are marked and dug in the garden bed. The soil must be moistened. Plants are placed in recesses level with the ground, the free space is sprinkled fertile soil and lightly tamp.

It is impossible to deepen the pepper below the root collar; it does not put out additional roots like a tomato, so there is no point in this. In addition, being deep in the ground, the stem can rot.

Next, the plantings are irrigated. If possible, immediately mulch the soil with peat or other available material. Full-size seedlings are left as is, overgrown seedlings are immediately tied to supports.

If for some reason the gardener was unable to properly prepare the soil for planting peppers, nutrients can be placed in the hole when planting. Such agricultural technology is not considered correct, but is acceptable in special cases. Depending on what fertilizers are available, the following options are used:

• any complex drug according to the instructions;
• humus + ash;
• humus + potassium sulfate.

When applying this fertilizer, mix it thoroughly with the soil so that it does not burn the roots of the plants. The rest of the landing is carried out as standard.

Caring for plants in the first two weeks after planting

All measures for caring for peppers after planting in the ground consist of watering and loosening the soil after them. In sunny weather, it is necessary to shade young bushes so that they do not get burned under intense rays. You also need to monitor how the plants take root and feel in the beds.

How to prevent hypothermia of planted seedlings

When planting seedlings in open ground, there is always a risk that the plants will not have enough heat, especially at night. In this case, temporary tunnel shelters will help solve the problem of additional heating of plantings. They are installed on the beds after planting or immediately before it. Peppers are planted under a film or agrofibre is used as a covering material.

In the future, depending on the weather, one side of the greenhouse is opened for ventilation during the day. At night it is completely closed. If the weather is warm and the seedlings are already well rooted, shelter is not used. The structures are removed only after the temperature environment will be comfortable for pepper growth. The minimum for it is 15 °C.

Planting

When planting plants in beds open type It often happens that some of the seedlings do not take root or die. This happens for various reasons. Among them, the most important are:

• incorrect deep landing;
• pests and diseases;
• weather conditions, heat or cold;
• planting weak, frail, elongated plants;
• poor care of unrooted seedlings.

In any case, experienced gardeners always grow 5-10% more bushes than they need. Such a reserve is usually enough to replant plants in the beds in the event of their death. Replacement of seedlings is carried out in the same way as usual planting.

Watering and loosening

Proper irrigation of pepper is the key to obtaining rich and bountiful harvest. Its regularity largely depends on the climatic conditions in the region, temperature, and soil structure. Young plants need moisture constantly, but in small quantities. Overwatering leads to diseases and death of plants. From a lack of water, on the contrary, they dry out and also die.

The first moistening of the soil is carried out when planting plants. Next, do not water the pepper until the soil at the roots dries out. The need for an operation is determined by the condition of the plants and soil. On average, the beds are moistened once every 2-3 days.

For irrigation use warm, settled water. Cold liquid straight from the wells is not suitable for peppers. Plants suffer from thermal stress and do not develop for a long time. Irrigation tap water harmful due to the presence of chlorine in it. Peppers do not like this microelement, so they must leave the liquid from the tap. Water the seedlings in the morning or evening at the root. Sprinkling is more risky, but is also acceptable for young plants.

Regular loosening of the soil ensures air penetration to the roots of plants, which has a good effect on their growth and fruiting. But it should be superficial, not deep, otherwise you can do more harm to the pepper than good. Until the seedlings take root well, you need to work with the tool in the bush area carefully. Loosening is necessary after each watering, except the first, however, it can be successfully replaced by mulching with hay, straw, and sawdust.

Fertilizing

When growing peppers in open ground, the first fertilizing is carried out 2 weeks after planting. With good preparation of the beds, stable weather and regular watering, healthy strong seedlings At first, he has everything he needs to settle down in a new place and begin to grow. The soil contains enough nutrients, and moisture makes them available for consumption. Additional contribution Fertilizers are not required at this point.

The only thing you can feed peppers after planting is stimulants and growth regulators. These liquid or bulk preparations increase the survival rate of seedlings, improve their adaptation to the garden, and help increase the productivity of adult bushes. These include Gumate, Kornevin, Epin, Zircon, etc. The dosages and method of use are described in detail in the instructions for each of them.

Expert opinion

Maria Vlasova

Gardener

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Preparing pepper seedlings for transplanting into the ground and the procedure itself should not raise questions for the gardener. If everything is done correctly, the plants will take root well, grow stronger and give the gardener a generous harvest.