Content
Bell pepper is one of those garden crops that like to “eat”, which means it will have to be fertilized frequently and abundantly. Unlike its “relatives” - tomatoes, peppers are not afraid of overfeeding; on the contrary, there is the following rule: the more leaves there are on the bell pepper bushes, the more fruits will ripen on them.
About how to implement pepper feeding After planting in the ground, what fertilizers to choose for this and how to draw up a feeding schedule can be found in this article.
What do bell peppers need?
For normal development, pepper, like other vegetable crops, needs very little:
- water;
- Earth;
- Sun;
- complex of minerals.
If everything is clear with watering - pepper loves frequent and abundant irrigation, then we will have to talk about other factors in more detail.
Choosing the right site is half the battle. For sweet peppers, it is necessary to select an area that is maximally illuminated by the sun, which is located on level ground or on a hill (the crop does not tolerate stagnation of moisture).
Soil for pepper should be loose and fertile, the roots of the plant should be well saturated with oxygen and useful microelements - then the harvest will delight the owner of the garden.
The site for the crop is chosen in the fall, since it must first be fertilized and dug up. Good predecessors for bell peppers will be onions, carrots, legumes, pumpkin plants and herbs. But you shouldn’t plant peppers in place of tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants - these are plants from the same family, they have the same diseases and the same pests.
Now we can talk about the composition of the soil. First of all, peppers need the following minerals:
- Nitrogen necessary for plants to grow green mass, which is very important for a crop such as bell pepper. A sufficient amount of nitrogen in the soil will ensure the formation of many ovaries, as well as the formation of large and beautiful fruits. But an excess of nitrogenous fertilizers can also harm garden crops - lead to a decrease in plant immunity, infection with viruses, and slow down the ripening of fruits.
- Phosphorus Pepper needs it at the stage of fruit formation and ripening. Another function of phosphorus fertilizer is to improve the development of the root system, which, in turn, contributes to the rapid adaptation of plants after transplantation and better absorption of water and micronutrients.
- Potassium is responsible for the beauty of the fruit - peppers become brighter, have dense and crispy flesh, do not wither for a long time and remain elastic and juicy. Potassium fertilizers can increase the content of vitamins in fruits and make them more tasty.
- Calcium necessary for the culture to resist various fungal infections, such as blossom end rot, for example. This is why calcium-containing fertilizers are often used for greenhouse crops or in humid climates.
- Magnesium sweet pepper is also needed; without this microelement, the leaves of the plants will turn yellow and fall off, which will naturally affect the yield of the crop.
A gardener can find all the fertilizers necessary for peppers both in mineral complex additives and in organic compounds.
But it is recommended to use manure or bird droppings during the autumn digging of the earth or as fertilizing for predecessor plants.
The thing is that pepper is not able to absorb complex fertilizers - for good absorption of fertilizing by the roots of the crop, the organic components must decompose into separate components.
When and how to feed peppers
Bell pepper needs several feedings, which will have to be carried out at all stages of crop development.
For fertilizer, it is better to use ready-made formulations designed specifically for nightshade crops or prepare mixtures yourself by dissolving mineral additives in water for irrigation or spraying.
Preparing the soil for planting peppers
The main work of the gardener should be aimed at preliminary fertilizing of the soil in the area where pepper is supposed to be planted next season. Fertilization begins in the fall.
This can be done in different ways; experienced gardeners offer the following methods:
- Dig holes in the area, the depth of which is at least 35 cm. Pour fresh manure mixed with sawdust and straw into the bottom of these trenches. Cover it all well with earth and compact it, leaving it like that until next season.As soon as the snow melts, they begin to dig up the soil on the site. Two days before the intended planting of pepper seedlings, the soil must be watered with a warm (about 30 degrees) solution of saltpeter and urea. The next day, the soil is generously watered with a hot, dark pink solution of potassium permanganate and covered with thick plastic film. All this will help not only nourish the soil, but also disinfect it before planting pepper.
- You can also scatter humus, superphosphate and potassium sulfate over the area in the fall, and evenly distribute the fertilizers using a rake, thereby embedding them into the surface layer of soil. In the spring, before digging up the site, the fertilizer complex is supplemented with urea and wood ash, which are also evenly distributed in the top layer of soil.
When seedlings are planted in prepared soil, they can receive fertilizers in an already prepared form, which significantly speeds up the pepper adaptation process and contributes to better development of the crop.
Feeding seedlings
While the pepper seedlings are in the house, they need to be fed at least twice. It is advisable to do the first fertilizing two weeks after planting the seeds, when only cotyledon leaves are formed on the seedlings.
They do this in one of these ways:
- They use a solution of superphosphate and urea - the most valuable components for pepper seedlings. In 10 liters of water you will need to dissolve 7 grams of urea and 30 grams of superphosphate; seedlings are not watered with this mixture too much, trying not to damage the delicate stems and roots.
- You can dilute 1.5 tablespoons of potassium nitrate in a bucket of water, and also pour this mixture over the pepper.
- You can replace saltpeter with a special complex of fertilizers for pepper “Kemira Lux”.You can also dilute it: 1.5 tablespoons per bucket of water.
- You can prepare the following composition for peppers: a tablespoon of superphosphate and 1.5 tablespoons of foscamide, dissolved in 10 liters of water.
- You can also dissolve 2 teaspoons of ammonium nitrate, 3 tablespoons of potassium sulfate and 3 tablespoons of superphosphate in a bucket of water.
The result first feeding There should be increased seedling growth, rapid appearance of new leaves, good survival rate after picking, bright green foliage color. If the pepper feels well and develops normally, you can skip the second fertilizing of the seedlings, but it is this stage of fertilization that is responsible for the good acclimatization of the seedlings in the new place and the development of immunity.
You can re-fertilize seedlings with the following formulations:
- Dissolve 20 grams of complex fertilizer such as “Kristalon” in a ten-liter bucket of warm water.
- Use the Kemira Lux composition in the same proportion as mentioned above.
- Dilute 70 grams of superphosphate and 300 grams of potassium salt in 10 liters of water.
After this feeding, at least two weeks should pass - only after this period of time can the seedlings be transplanted to a permanent place (in a greenhouse or in unprotected soil).
Feeding during transplantation
Do not forget that peppers are not grown in the same place for two years in a row - this leads to depletion of the soil, the crop absorbs all the necessary microelements. In addition, such plantings are more susceptible to infection by characteristic diseases and attacks by pests whose larvae are found in the ground.
If the soil has been prepared correctly since the fall, it is quite enough to add the following fertilizers to the holes immediately before planting the seedlings:
- Composition of a mixture of mineral and organic fertilizers. To prepare the mixture, combine 300 grams of humus or peat with 10 grams of potassium salt and 10 grams of superphosphate.
- For each square meter of area, you can add 40 grams of superphosphate and 15 grams of potassium chloride.
- Instead of potassium chloride, you can add superphosphate with wood ash; it will take about one glass.
- Stir cow manure in warm water and pour this solution into the pepper holes - about a liter into each hole.
Now the plants will have enough nutrients, the pepper will develop normally and form many ovaries. If the soil on the site is severely depleted, replenishment may be required at other stages of crop development.
You also need to plant seedlings correctly:
- it’s good if the pepper was grown in separate cups - this way the roots will suffer less during transplantation;
- two days before transplanting, the seedlings are watered abundantly;
- all fertilizing should stop two weeks before planting peppers in the ground;
- You can deepen the seedlings right up to the cotyledon leaves;
- the holes should be about 12-15 cm deep;
- each hole will require about two liters of water;
- you need to plant seedlings in the mud until the water is completely absorbed;
- pepper loves heat very much, so it makes no sense to plant seedlings in soil warmed up by less than 15 degrees - the crop will not develop, its growth will slow down.
Fertilizing peppers during growth
In different phases of development, pepper may need completely different minerals. The frequency of fertilizers directly depends on the composition of the soil on the site, on the climate in the region and on the variety of bell pepper. During the growing season, the crop may need three to five feedings.
So, At different stages, peppers need to be fertilized with the following compounds:
- Immediately before the bushes begin to flower, as well as at the stage of fruit ripening, pepper most urgently needs fertilizers with nitrogen. If this component is not enough in the soil, the crop will “signal” by drying out and dying of the lower leaves, as well as the paleness of the tops of the bushes.
- Sweet peppers need phosphorus at the very beginning of development, when seedlings transplanted to a permanent place. Damaged roots are not yet able to independently absorb phosphorus from the soil; this component must be added additionally.
- When the fruits set and form, the bushes need potassium most of all; its deficiency is compensated for by potassium fertilizers.
- In August, when the fruits are already finishing their development and gradually ripening, pepper needs water most of all. Water the crop as needed when the soil dries out, but this should be done at least once every 7-10 days.
All fertilizers must be applied along with water for irrigation - this will prevent burns to the roots and stems and promotes better absorption of microelements. Water for irrigation should be moderately warm; it is best to use settled or rain water.
Excessive use of fertilizers can negatively affect the pepper yield and the general health of the plants. But an excess of nitrogenous fertilizers can harm human health - excess nitrogen that is not absorbed by the crop turns into nitrates and poisons the body.
Attention! You should start feeding bell peppers no earlier than two weeks after planting seedlings in the ground. It is recommended to carry out all subsequent fertilizing of the vegetable crop at the same interval.
Organic fertilizers for peppers
Since simple organic matter (in the form of manure, chicken droppings) is not very useful for the crop, and mineral fertilizers can most likely affect the health of a summer resident, and are also expensive, people have created a lot of recipes for more accessible and healthy fertilizers for sweet peppers.
Among such folk remedies are:
- brewing black tea. To prepare the fertilizer, brewing only large-leaf black tea is suitable; 200 grams of such tea leaves are poured with three liters of cold water and left to infuse for a week. This type of nutrition contains a lot of useful substances: magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium and sodium.
- Peppers need potassium to grow actively. You can get this component from ordinary bananas, or, more precisely, from the peel of these tropical fruits. The peels of two bananas are poured with three liters of cold water and left for 2-3 days. The mixture filtered through a sieve is poured over the peppers.
- IN chicken egg shells It also contains a lot of useful microelements, including calcium, phosphates, and magnesium. The shell needs to be crushed into a fine powder, then a three-liter jar is filled about half with it, the rest of the volume is added with water.This composition is stored in a dark place until a characteristic sulfuric odor appears, after which the fertilizer is ready for use. This composition must be used during the period of fruit set and development.
- If the bushes show signs of a fungal infection, they can be treated iodine. To do this, add a couple of drops of iodine and whey to water (liter) - the bushes are sprayed with this mixture.
- You can also feed peppers yeast. Regular fresh baker's yeast is poured with warm water and a little granulated sugar is added. The mixture should ferment for a couple of days, after which the fertilizer is ready, you can safely water the peppers with it.
- Chicken droppings can be used to fertilize pepper only in dissolved form; dry droppings can severely burn the stems and roots of plants. Dilute the droppings with water in a ratio of 1:20; simply water the bushes with this mixture.
- Young nettle will also be an excellent source of microelements. To prepare the fertilizer, cut greens need to be filled with water and placed in a warm place. After a couple of days, the grass will begin to settle to the bottom of the container, which means that the fertilizer has already fermented and can be used. For greater effectiveness, you can add purchased microelements to the nettle solution; you can use the composition every 10 days.
Planting seedlings in a greenhouse and in open ground is accompanied by the same soil preparation, including fertilization and soil disinfection. But subsequent feedings may differ slightly, since in simple beds the soil still contains more useful microelements, and garden peppers are less likely to become infected with fungal infections than greenhouse peppers.
Fertilizers for bell peppers should be selected in accordance with the growing season of the crop, as well as depending on the condition of the plants. It often happens that the initial fertilizing at the stage of planting seedlings is sufficient - throughout the season, pepper feels great in soil saturated with microelements. In any case, the gardener must monitor the condition of the plants until the fall, until the pepper bears its last fruits.
This is the only way the sweet pepper harvest will be plentiful, and the vegetable itself will be tasty and healthy!
