What kind of soil do peppers like?

The quantity and quality of the crop directly depends on the soil in which the crop was planted. It is very important to choose the right soil for both seedlings and the main growing site. In order to do this, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the composition, acidity and other characteristics of the soil that is favorable for growing bell peppers and other peppers.

The soil suitable for growing peppers in the open field and in the greenhouse must have a certain composition. Otherwise, one should not hope for a good harvest. The main components that make up such a soil are as follows.

1. Humus. Seedlings and already strengthened plants require nutritious soil, so humus must be included in its composition. Fresh manure cannot be used for this purpose, as it is considered overly aggressive. In order for humus not to harm peppers, its age must be at least 2 years.
2. Leafy earth – a kind of humus, which is formed as a result of overheating of the grass.
3. Tattered land, which, depending on the type, consists of sand or clay sand.
4. Disintegrants. Several impurities can be safely attributed to this group at once, but the most popular is river sand. It can be administered in combination with peat. If there are no such components, then they can be replaced by the following: perlite, sphagnum, sawdust and vermiculite.

Sweet and other types of peppers love the soil of a certain acidity. The normal pH is between 5 and 7. You can measure it with a special device. To do this, you need to take a soil sample from the area where the peppers are supposed to be planted and check. The sensor will show the pH value.

For those who do not have an electronic meter, litmus paper will help. To do this, a soil sample is wrapped in a cloth, placed in a jar of water for several minutes, and then removed. Litmus paper is dropped into the water.

The essence of this method is that the strip should be painted in a certain color. The measurement scale is presented on the packaging. The first method is more accurate. But litmus paper is much cheaper than an electronic device for measuring acidity.

If the soil is very acidic, it must be deacidified. This can be done in various ways.

1. Add dolomite flour at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 square meter of soil.
2. Wood ash also acts as a deoxidizer. To restore normal acidity, you will need to introduce 1.5 kg of the substance per square meter.
3. You can use a special deoxidizer called Lime-Gumi. It will require only 200 g for the same 1 square meter of soil.

If you need to acidify the soil, then sphagnum peat should be added to it. Here the calculation is made in the proportion of 1,5 kg per square meter of soil.

Peppers of any variety are moisture-loving crops. The roots, which are responsible for the absorption of moisture, are located in the upper layers of the soil, so it is not recommended to allow even slight drying. If the peppers receive an insufficient amount of liquid, this will lead to the fall of flowers and ovaries. The result is a decrease in yield or its complete absence.

But excess fluid is also contraindicated, especially for seedlings. Excess moisture will contribute to the processes of root decay. Also, due to excessive moisture saturation, air will no longer penetrate into the soil, which will also adversely affect the further growth and development of the plant.

To determine the need for watering, the simplest method is suitable – visual. As for determining acidity, it is recommended to dig a small lump of earth from a depth of 20 cm. The result of the test is checked like this:

• if the earth crumbles, leaving dust, then the soil is very dry;
• if it sticks together in a lump, then this indicates normal humidity;
• if it leaves dirt on the hands, then it is necessary to stop watering for a while.

Each stage of crop development requires a certain level of humidity. For seedlings, moderately abundant watering is needed, while the indicator should be at least 70%. Before landing, you need to increase the rate by about 5%. In order for the plants to take root well in the soil, it is necessary to increase the humidity to 90% during the transplantation period.

The key to a good harvest of peppers lies in high-quality seedlings. It is at this stage that it is necessary to choose a good quality soil mixture. The most popular are the following.

• “Biogrunt” from the manufacturer “Udmurttorf”. This composition includes vermiculite and biohumus. Some experienced gardeners argue that the soil needs to be slightly deoxidized before sowing seeds.

• “Baby” from the company “Fasco”. The composition includes soil, sand and dolomite flour.

• “Ecoflora” for vegetables from the manufacturer “Gera”. Here the composition is the richest of all of the above. It includes: peat, dolomite flour, vermiculite and sand.

If for some reason you don’t want to buy a ready-made mixture, then you can prepare a suitable composition with your own hands at home. There are several proven soil recipes that are suitable for growing peppers.

1. In equal parts, the following components must be mixed: sand, peat, humus and earth.
2. To equal parts of sand, humus, turf and earth (a total of 10 kg), 200 g of ash must be added.
3. Lowland peat and humus in equal quantities must be mixed with superphosphate and potassium sulfate.

Before sowing seeds or planting seedlings, the soil must be prepared. This is done so that the plants take root and develop well.

Loose soil is very important for seedlings, as it will be easier for the seeds to sprout. The preparatory activities are as follows:

• the soil must be purchased or prepared at home;
• it should be loose;
• it should not contain aggressive components, for example, fresh manure;
• The soil for seedlings must be warm.

The soil must be decomposed into prepared containers (glasses or peat pots) and sow the seed.

Before planting seedlings in open ground, it must also be prepared. It is necessary to properly prepare the land: dig, loosen and remove all weeds.

If any pests or diseases were observed in this area last year, it is required to treat the soil with chemicals. This is necessary to destroy existing pests. After that, additional fertilizers must be added to the soil, acidity should be measured (in case of deviations, correct using one of the above methods).

When the ground is prepared, you can carefully transplant the seedlings into open ground. This must be done as carefully as possible so as not to damage the root system. During this period, peppers need special care and sufficient watering.

Also, the soil should be loose. This, first of all, is necessary for the development of the root system. In addition, active air exchange is observed in loose soil, which is also involved not only in the formation of quantitative, but also qualitative indicators of the crop. The soil should not contain impurities of clay and other components that adversely affect the plant.

The soil must be loosened in a timely manner and, if necessary, root fertilizers should be applied. It should also be noted that peppers have a negative attitude towards drafts, so they should not be allowed either.