Capsicum - For Those Who Like It Sharper

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Capsicum is also familiar to many under the names hot, hot, chili, red, Mexican. Unlike sweet vegetable peppers, paprika is more used as a seasoning. In many national cuisines of the world in both hemispheres of the globe, it takes pride of place. Sauces are made from it, marinated, added to canning and other dishes to spice it up. And indoor gardening lovers often just plant red peppers in pots on their windows as a bright decorative plant

Sowing capsicum

Capsicums are propagated through seedlings. This plant has a long line of development, so you have to start sowing long after the arrival of warm spring weather - back in January. It is recommended to pickle the seeds before sowing. To do this, you can use a weak pale pink solution of potassium permanganate or boric acid. The seeds are immersed in a disinfecting liquid for 10-15 minutes. This preventive measure will increase the resistance to fungal infections lurking in the seed or soil.

Sowing seeds can be done in a common container. 2 seeds are placed in the furrows at intervals of about 4-5 cm, to a depth of no more than 1 cm. The box with crops is covered with glass or foil and left in a warm place.

Growing capsicum seedlings

Until the moment of germination, the temperature in the room is maintained at about + 21 … + 23 ° C. Do not forget to ventilate the crops by raising the shelter above the container. When shoots become noticeable, after 4-5 days, the temperature is slightly lowered and out of 2 germinated seedlings, 1 of the strongest is left in each hole.

The grown seedlings with a developed pair of true leaves dive into separate pots with a diameter of about 10 cm. Peppers can be moved to a permanent place at the age of at least 60 days. By this time, buds and at least a dozen leaves should flaunt on it.

Transplanting

Depending on the cultivation method and the climatic conditions of the region, the optimal timing of planting seedlings to a permanent place is calculated:

• pepper can be planted in heated winter greenhouses in February-March;

• in unheated film shelters, paprika is planted in March-April;

• seedlings are moved to open ground in April-May.

Hot peppers can be placed on the beds after pumpkin and cruciferous: cucumbers, zucchini, radish, cabbage. It is highly not recommended to grow after nightshades: tomatoes, eggplants.

The desire of the gardener to plant as many more plants in a small area is understandable, but such a number will not work with hot pepper. With a strong thickening of the plantings, the capsicum will hurt. This will prevent the water from evaporating, and will also prevent each bush from getting enough sunlight. Therefore, a distance of about 30 cm should be left between the bushes. When planting, the hole is filled with soil enriched with complex fertilizer. After that, the plants moved to a new place need to be watered abundantly.

Capsicum care

Pepper is picky about watering. The soil under the bushes must be watered abundantly so that the water penetrates deep into the soil. If there is not enough moisture in the soil, the stems begin to woody, and the leaves become stained. Loosening the soil and mulching the beds will help to better retain moisture. Irrigation water should not be cold. It is recommended to settle it before that in deep barrels. To make the water heat better, caring owners paint the barrels black. When the air temperature drops, it is impossible to frequent with watering. This leads to an increase in humidity, which creates favorable conditions for the development of fungal diseases.

In addition to watering, it is useful to feed the capsicum. The first portion of fertilizers is applied 2 weeks after planting the seedlings, the second - after another 7 days.