All about planting peppers in open ground

Pepper is considered one of the most common vegetable crops in Russia. Sweet varieties are suitable for preparing snacks, salads and preparations for the winter, while spicy ones will make any dish tastier, more aromatic and richer.

Not all gardeners dare to grow pepper, knowing that it is a heat-loving and southern crop, but experienced summer residents have demonstrated the opposite in practice. Many varieties develop remarkably in the climate of the northern, western and central regions. To collect a tasty and rich harvest, you need to comply with all the conditions of agricultural technology, and proper care begins with planting.

Inexperienced summer residents are often afraid of planting pepper in open ground, since in such conditions it will be more difficult to protect seedlings from the vagaries of the weather, pests and diseases. Whether it is sweet bell pepper or hot, the process of planting seedlings must be approached as responsibly as possible. Each stage (site selection, preparation of planting material, etc.) is important and affects fruiting.

They start preparing for work in a few days. The selected land plot must be cleared of weeds, fed, and other necessary manipulations are performed. When growing seedlings on your own, you need not only prepare, but also germinate the seeds. When using ready-made seedlings, a number of activities are also performed. By the time the plants are planted in the ground, they must be prepared properly.

Auspicious days are set for planting pepper on the site.

It is recommended to adhere to certain deadlines.

• In the period from February 15 to March 15, sowing seeds for seedlings begins. For the southern regions, the date is slightly shifted a couple of weeks earlier (early February – early March).
• As soon as the seedlings reach the age of 60-90 days, they can be transferred to the street and planted in the ground. Work can only be carried out at a favorable temperature.

The above times are approximate and may be adjusted depending on many factors. Before growing, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the variety. A suitable date must be indicated in its characteristics.

Sowing seeds to obtain pepper seedlings.

• South. The beginning of the last winter month is the first days of March.
• Middle lane. After March 15 – the second half of this month.
• North. From the second half of March to the first days of April.

Suitable timing for transferring plants to open ground.

• South. Work is carried out from the last days of April to mid-May.
• Middle lane. Suitable dates are considered from mid-May to the beginning of summer, including the first days.
• North. Until June 15-16.

Some gardeners, especially those who have been growing fruits and vegetables for more than one year, are guided by a special calendar.

The following dates are recommended for 2021.

• February – from the 15th to the 16th and 28th; March – the first day, 8 and 9, as well as the 12th. During these periods, you can begin to germinate the seeds to obtain seedlings.
• In May, young plants can be transferred to closed ground (greenhouses and greenhouses). Numbers – from 12 to 18 and 8 May.
• In open-air beds, seedlings are planted in May (from the 12th to the 18th) or in June (the 13th).

Preparation for landing work includes the selection of a suitable site. Pepper prefers open areas lit by the sun. The territory should be spacious, but protected from strong and cold winds. You can plant seedlings along the south wall of a house or other building.

For germination, a site where the following crops used to grow is great:

• cabbage (any variety);
• leguminous plants;
• zucchini;
• cucumbers;
• various root crops.

You should choose another location if you grew in the ground:

• tomatoes;
• eggplants;
• potatoes;
• pepper.

The ideal soil is light, fertile, retaining moisture.

The beds are prepared in the fall according to the following scheme:

• the site is cleared of weeds and plant debris;
• the use of mineral dressings at the rate of 30-50 grams per square meter;
• the earth is fertilized with ash, spending from 50 to 80 grams per square meter;
• when making organic matter, from 5 to 10 grams of humus are used;
• the fertilized area is carefully dug up.

Even if the soil is severely depleted, it is undesirable to put more nutrients than the declared norm. Fresh manure for top dressing is not suitable due to the high content of nitrogen in it. Excess of this component will prevent fruiting.

If site preparation is carried out in the spring, you need to carefully dig the ground and fertilize with the following substances (consumption per square meter):

• nitrogen-based formulations – 20-30 grams;
• phosphates – from 30 to 40 grams;
• potassium substances – 30-40 grams.

Before transferring seedlings, they must be prepared for new conditions. For this purpose, hardening is carried out. First, containers with plants are left on the street or at an open window for no more than an hour. The time interval is gradually increased, bringing it up to 8 hours a day. The day before the transfer, the seedlings are left outside overnight.

If you want to grow seedlings yourself, you need to properly select and prepare seeds for germination.

The method of preparation of seed depends on the period of their storage:

• if the seeds are 3-4 years old, they can be sown dry, but for better germination, it is advisable to immerse them in warm water for a day;
• seeds that are more than four years old are soaked in a growth stimulator and a solution of “Heteroauxin”, with their help, germination increases to 90%.

The germination process is carried out according to the following scheme.

• The grains must be wrapped in a damp cloth or paper, which is periodically sprayed with water.
• The bundle is placed in a bag to create a greenhouse effect. The bag is filled with air and tied.
• Next, the container must be laid on a tray or board and transferred to a warm place. You can leave it next to the battery.

After a couple of days, fresh shoots should appear. As soon as the seeds begin to germinate, they are transferred to moist soil, deepening by half a centimeter. Peat or peat tablets are often used instead of earth. Suitable soil mixture can be prepared by yourself. The following components are mixed: one part of sand and garden soil, 2 parts of humus, a tablespoon of ash (calculated per kilogram of the mixture).

Pepper does not tolerate picking and transplanting, so it is advisable to immediately germinate the culture in separate containers until it is transferred. Special peat tablets will work great, as the plants are transplanted into the ground with them without damaging the root system. Instead, they use ordinary plastic cups with a minimum diameter of 10 centimeters. In order not to harm the roots, the container is cut.

To obtain strong and healthy seedlings, the following conditions must be met.

• Comfortable temperature conditions – from 25 to 28 degrees Celsius. At lower rates, the growth of seedlings slows down.
• As the soil dries, irrigation is carried out. Water should be settled and warm, about 30 degrees.
• Plants love moist air, so it is advisable to periodically spray containers with seedlings with a spray bottle.
• Do not allow sudden changes in temperature and drafts.
• A container with seedlings can be placed on the windowsill on the south side or taken out to the balcony.

Planting pattern strongly influences the yield. Inexperienced gardeners often make the mistake of planting plants too close together in an attempt to make the most of the land. At the same time, the fruiting process of vegetable crops is disrupted.

When laying the beds, you can choose any of the following schemes.

• With the standard method, a gap of 0,5 meters should be left between plants. This option is recommended for medium-sized varieties with large-sized vegetables and chili peppers.
• If the land is small, you can choose a close scheme, keeping a distance of 30 centimeters between seedlings, and 40 centimeters between rows. This option is desirable to choose for undersized and compact shrubs.
• For low plants, the combined option is also great. Two peppers are planted in one planting hole. Landing scheme – 60×60 centimeters. And also the plants will be comfortable in regions with a hot climate, as bushes located close to each other will create additional shade.

It is not difficult to learn how to plant pepper correctly, the main thing is to follow the established rules and listen to the secrets of experienced specialists. As a rule, vegetables are planted in greenhouses in mid-April. If the soil is not warmed up, heaters are used, or the area is watered with boiling water. A dense covering material of black color will help to keep the heat.

When transferred to open ground, the date of work is shifted closer to mid-May. Frost should completely recede. Early planting involves covering young plants overnight with non-woven material to keep them out of the cold air. And also landing is carried out in the first decade of June, when warmer and more comfortable weather sets in.

Here is what the standard landing algorithm looks like.

• Seedlings are watered abundantly before planting. It is desirable to carry out work in cloudy and warm weather, without strong wind.
• The depth of the planting pit or hole should be greater than the height of the container with the seedling. It is impossible to excessively deepen the plants, otherwise the process of their development will be disrupted. Plants may also die.
• The dug pits are irrigated with warm water, spending 1-2 liters of liquid for each. Water must be completely absorbed into the soil.
• If the pepper grew in pots or peat tablets, they are carefully transferred to the hole. When growing vegetables in plastic containers, the plants must be taken out carefully, without destroying the earthen clod.
• Seedlings are planted in an upright position, placing as deep as possible to an acceptable value. The correct location ensures the development of lateral roots and appendages.
• Seedlings are sprinkled with a small amount of earth around the trunk, and then rammed.

When growing fruit crops, each gardener may face different difficulties. The main one is infections, pests and diseases, from which plants of the nightshade family often suffer.

Young seedlings are often attacked by a black leg, because of which the seedlings grow poorly and die. To protect the plantation from this disease, it is necessary to treat the seeds with a disinfectant solution before germination. It is also necessary to comply with the conditions of agricultural technology, maintaining the correct temperature regime and the optimal level of soil moisture.

Insufficient watering also affects the health of plants, they turn yellow, and the leaves and ovaries wither and fall off. In the hot season, the fruits themselves often fall off. Wilting is dangerous for plants of any age. Shrubs lose their bright color, a brown tint appears.

Harmful bacteria, fungi and infections often live in the soil layers. They remain in the ground from predecessors that previously grew in a particular area. Some of them end up in the soil with organic matter. To save the plantation, you should do the following:

• seed must be processed before germination;
• you need to strictly adhere to the rules of crop rotation;
• affected plants must be quickly removed from the site and destroyed, the same applies to overgrown pepper;
• shrubs can be treated with protective agents as a preventive measure, flowering peppers should be sprayed only with safe compounds that will not affect fruiting.

Fungicides are highly effective. When using them, you must strictly follow the instructions for each drug. Otherwise, the plants will be harmed. If it is very cold outside, the plantation should be protected from adverse weather conditions with the help of covering material and specialized garden equipment.

Bright and juicy fruits often attract the attention of garden pests. Many gardeners recommend opting for folk recipes, as such formulations are safer and can be used at any stage of the growing season.

To cope with aphids, the area is treated with the following solution using a sprayer: 250 grams of wood ash per 10 liters of warm water. Spider mites are repelled by a composition based on onions and garlic (200 grams of any of the plants) and dandelion tops (200 grams). Approximately 35 grams of crushed laundry soap is mixed into the solution. The tool must be insisted throughout the day, and only after spraying.