If peppers are planted in time, then the quality of the crop will improve significantly. Before proceeding to planting work, you should learn how to properly plant pepper in open ground. In the article, we will consider everything about the temperature for peppers, how to protect from low temperatures, and which varieties are frost-resistant.
Temperature conditions
Peppers can be planted both in open ground and in a greenhouse. It is very important to consider the air temperature. Peppers love heat, but the temperature regime for seedlings and adult plants will be different. In addition, hardened plants tolerate lower temperatures better at night. They can survive even if the temperature drops to -2 degrees, but the unacclimatized ones can suffer at zero degrees.
Pepper seedlings stop growing when the thermometer shows below +13 degrees. And at a temperature of +7 degrees, slight frosts are noticeable on the soil. With a decrease in temperature, the yield and its quality decrease.
Experts recommend planting seedlings in open soil only in the second half of May, when the weather is already becoming relatively warm. The possibility of frost is almost zero, so there are no additional risks either. Some gardeners believe that planting seedlings in June will be better, but most do not adhere to this opinion, since you may not have time to harvest, as early as August, nighttime temperature drops negatively affect the growth of vegetables.
The optimal temperature regime for growing peppers is from +18 to +25 degrees. In some cases, planting is allowed in spring and at +15 degrees, but you should be very careful, because if the air temperature drops below +13 degrees, then the pepper will slow down in growth and development. In addition, if the decline lasts from 5 days, then the pepper will begin to develop further only 20 days after the warming.
How to protect from low temperatures?
Experts recommend that before you start growing pepper, get acquainted with the methods that will help protect plants from low temperature conditions.
Seedling
When transplanted into open ground, seedlings are very vulnerable to low temperatures. Therefore, care should be taken to protect it by creating a reliable shelter, which is recommended to be used until mid-June. Shelter can be used both frame and frameless. Let’s take a closer look at these two structures.
- Frame. This is a more difficult solution, but also more reliable, for this reason, many gardeners prefer frame options. For example, you can create a frame from bars, and then lay a polyethylene film on top of them.
- Frameless. This design is also reliable, since it is made of agrotextile. This solution is sold ready to use. Manufacturers note that pepper does not freeze in such structures even with a strong drop in temperature.
adult plants
Mature peppers should be more resistant to cold temperatures, but do not relax. It is necessary to monitor temperature fluctuations every day in order to take the necessary measures in time. If necessary, the plants can be wrapped, otherwise the plant slows down in development, and the timing of flowering and fruit set can be significantly shifted.
In early August, nights usually get cold, so experts recommend re-installing shelter for these vegetables. A film or non-woven fabric is required, and only one layer can be used for reliable protection. Mature plants are not afraid of lowering the temperature, it does not adversely affect them.
You can use other methods of protection against cold snap.
- Sprinkling. This method consists in the fact that fine spraying of water is used. This option is one of the most effective. For sprinkling, a special installation is required. It is recommended to turn it on in the evening, and turn it off in the morning. Irrigation is carried out at night.
- Smoke. This option also applies to fairly effective methods. In this case, it is necessary to choose the “fuel” correctly, since thick smoke will be required to achieve the goal.
Important! It is not necessary to adhere to the above terms as much as possible, since the region where the pepper is grown is of primary importance. In some areas, spring can be very early, while in others, on the contrary, late.
Frost-resistant varieties
In order to be able to grow peppers even in areas where daylight hours are usually short, special varieties have been bred. All of them are characterized by frost resistance. They do not freeze and do not die at low temperatures. Such varieties are ideal for growing in the Urals, in the Moscow region, as well as in the south of Siberia.
Experts recommend the following frost-resistant varieties that can withstand minimum temperatures:
- “Kolobok”;
- “Martin”;
- “Pioneer”;
- “Yellow Bull”;
- “Novosibirsk”;
- “Red Bull”;
- “Merchant” and others.
All of the above varieties are early maturing. If you create comfortable conditions for growth, then one bush will produce 2,5 kg of crop. The fruits are quite large and thick-walled.
It should be noted that pepper is a heat-loving vegetable. In warm regions, where there is enough rain or artificial irrigation is being established, the bushes give high yields. Breeders develop special varieties that will allow pepper to be grown even in regions where the air temperature drops to critical, and many varieties simply stop growing. Bulgarian pepper grows in many regions of Russia, the main thing is to close it in time to protect the plants from low temperatures and frosts.
