Peppers (Capsicum annuum) are a delicious ingredient that goes perfectly with any dish; if you or your family consume several, you can consider cultivating them! You can start with seeds or buy seedlings to transfer to the garden; either way you will soon have some tasty self-grown vegetables that you can be proud of.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Starting with the Seed
Step 1. Consider growing peppers from seeds
Although many nurseries sell seedlings already started, be aware that it is possible to grow these vegetables from seeds relatively easily. Green, yellow, red, and orange varieties are the most common, but farmers can choose to devote themselves to dark brown and purple ones.
Some fast-ripening cultivars can produce fruit in as little as 2 months, but others need around 3 months to start flowering
Step 2. Choose the planting period based on the climate in your area
Most pepper plants should germinate indoors, about 2 months before the last frost. If you live in southern regions with a mild climate and a long growing season, you can also wait and start growing outdoors; obviously, your choice determines when the vegetables will begin to develop.
Step 3. Plant the seeds in a light layer of potting soil
The peppers must be just covered with earth and watered; sprouts should appear within 1-2 weeks.
Step 4. Make sure the temperature is high enough
The seeds need to be exposed to heat in order to germinate. For best results, the ambient temperature should be above 26 ° C, while the soil should be slightly warmer.
- Slowly sprouting seeds may benefit from heating mats.
- Remember that if temperatures drop below 12 ° C, the plants will not grow at all.
Step 5. Possibly avoid that the seedlings become too tall and threadlike
To prevent them from growing in height and thus remaining too thin, buds that have sprung up indoors need strong lighting; an inadequate initial development alters the general health of the plants causing them to become pendulous and limp.
If you can't prevent this from happening despite all your efforts, you can support the seedlings by tying them to bamboo sticks or skewers using regular twine
Step 6. Get the seedlings used to the outside climate before moving them to the garden
If you live in an area where it is not possible to start growing directly outdoors, once the minimum temperatures stabilize above 15 ° C, it is worthwhile to proceed with an adaptation period.
Step 7. Transfer the peppers to the jars once the first leaves appear
These plants grow well in containers, even developing up to one meter in height and width; for this reason, farmers choose containers at least 25 cm deep, to prevent the roots from getting tangled.
Step 8. Make sure the young shoots are exposed to the right conditions to help them develop
These vegetables need full sun and fertile, well-draining soil; moreover, they are relatively resistant to drought, as long as they are not buried in very small pots.
Part 2 of 3: Caring for Peppers
Step 1. Use black horticultural sheeting or mulch to control weeds
The latter material is perfect for accelerating plant growth in cold climates.
In areas where temperatures are more lenient, mulch should preferably be used, as it helps the soil retain moisture and protects the roots from hot weather
Step 2. Apply fertilizer
These plants benefit from a slow-release granular product or from organic blends prepared with fishmeal or alfalfa.
However, if one of the plants produces a lot of foliage and no vegetables, you should reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer; this chemical is mainly used to obtain lush but fruitless plants
Step 3. Wait until the peppers are ripe before picking them
The fruits of almost all the varieties are initially green and ripen within two weeks, taking on the desired color; however, some cultivars take up to a month to get the right shade.
Tall varieties should be supported with stakes to keep them from falling out as the fruit grows and ripens
Step 4. Protect the plants from sudden drops in temperature
A good method is to use wire mesh cages covered with plastic sheets, just as is done with the cultivation of tomatoes; alternatively, you can use domes.
These devices were originally made of glass, but you can make them by recycling plastic jars or soda bottles
Step 5. Save some seeds for planting in the future
If you put them back in the right conditions, they remain viable for up to two years; this means you don't have to buy new ones every year as long as you store them in a dark, dry place to prevent them from germinating prematurely.
Step 6. Throw away the plants of the season
Once the winter cold arrives, collect the last peppers and uproot the plants; those that have not been affected by disease can be composted.
Put the sick ones in bags and throw them in the trash to avoid spreading the pathogen
Part 3 of 3: Coping with Problems and Pests
Step 1. Use Epsom salt to aid in the production of peppers
Plants that are not very fruitful due to the heat can benefit from spraying 5 g of this salt dissolved in a liter of water.
Alternatively, you can pour the salt onto the soil at the base of the plant and cover it with more potting soil so it can penetrate deeply
Step 2. Use calcium to manage bud rot
In some cases, you may notice that the peppers are black at the ends; this is a symptom of a disease known as "rot", which you can treat by increasing your calcium intake. The easiest way to proceed is to water the plant in question with expired milk.
If you don't have enough rancid milk for the whole garden, you can dilute it with water
Step 3. Spray the plants with water or insecticide to get rid of the aphids
These parasites are quite common in vegetable gardens and can be temporarily eliminated with a powerful flow of water. Farmers who follow organic methods can use Neem oil or pyrethrum products.
Several applications may be required, as these threats are difficult to eradicate
Step 4. Protect plants from extreme cold and heat
Temperatures below 18 ° C and above 35 ° C can prevent them from producing vegetables; however, if it is a brief cold or heat wave, the peppers should resume production once the weather is back to normal.
