Outdoor Pepper Care
Caring for peppers in the open field involves the implementation of certain recommendations. Their observance helps to strengthen the plant and achieve a high yield.
Outdoor Pepper Care
Temperature regime
Pepper is a thermophilic culture. It will not develop and grow properly at low temperatures. Indicators from 20 ° C to 25 ° C are considered optimal.
At temperatures below 14 ° C, plants stop growing. In cool weather (13 ° C), the bushes are covered with plastic wrap. The formation of areas of lilac color on the fruits indicates an inappropriate temperature regime.
Watering
After planting the plants in a permanent place, the earth is moistened every 2-3 days, adding 1-2 liters of water. This contributes to their good survival rate. Further watering is done in this way:
- before flowering - once every 7 days, in the heat - 2 times;
- during flowering and fruiting - 2-3 times in 7 days.
In the first case, the water consumption should be 12 liters per 1 sq. m., in the second - 14 liters per 1 sq. m. After the mass ripening of the fruits, take a break. When flowers appear again, watering is resumed. The amount of water is adjusted, depending on the type of soil: for heavy soil, less consumption is required, for light - more. The culture needs soil moisture when all parts of the plant darken.
Water is introduced only at the root so that it does not fall on the leaves and stems. The temperature of the liquid should be the same as the temperature of the soil, and its quantity should also be monitored. Sweet peppers do not like excess or lack of water, therefore, in rainy weather, watering is reduced or stopped altogether. On hot days, the leaves of the bushes wilt, but this is not a sign of the need for water.
It is impossible to allow prolonged drying out of the earth.
When the nights are cold, plants are watered only in the morning. If they are warm, you can add water in the morning and evening. Watering is carried out from different sides of the row, alternating.
Loosening and hilling
After planting in a permanent place, bell pepper stops growing for 2 weeks. The culture adapts to new conditions and builds up the root system. At this time, it is not worth loosening, so as not to damage the weakened plants.
Loosening
Loosening is recommended after 2 weeks after transplanting. The planting depth should not exceed 5-10 cm in order to avoid damage to the surface root system of the crop. For soil with a heavy structure, you can loosen it to a great depth, this will help to ventilate and warm up the earth well.
The soil is loosened after each watering and rain. In this case, they wait until it dries up a little. A dry crust must not be allowed to form.
Weeding
Proper crop care will ensure a good harvest
Plant maintenance involves removing weeds on a regular basis so that they don't overwhelm the peppers. The bushes are spud until the stem is lignified. The procedure promotes the activation of culture growth, increased oxygen access to the root system, and prevents the development of pathologies. Such actions ensure a good harvest.
Mulching
Mulching helps to retain moisture in the soil. Weeds do not develop under mulch. But this can only be done after warming up the soil.
Grasshopping and bush formation
The lower shoots are removed from bell peppers (with the exception of non-spongy varieties). The procedure is performed throughout the summer using scissors. It is better to prune stepchildren in hot weather for quick healing of wounds. You can lubricate them with charcoal.
When most of the fruits have set, pinch the top of the plant and remove the inflorescences. Vegetables from them will not have time to ripen, they will only take on part of the food.
Compact peppers do not require shaping. It is necessary to carefully monitor the growth of highly branching varieties. They remove excess shoots and those that grow inside the bush. Pruning is carried out for the purpose of additional lighting, since thickening does not contribute to a high yield. Larger cultivars require pegs to be tied to prevent plant breakage.
Top dressing
Compliance with the rules of caring for sweet peppers when grown in the open field provides for its stimulation. During the growing season, the culture is fed 3 times:
- The first application of fertilizers is carried out 2 weeks after planting the plants in open ground. For this purpose, a slurry solution is used, which is prepared in a ratio of 1: 5. A 1:10 poultry manure solution can be used instead. The following fertilizer is also used: 1 tbsp. l. urea, 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate, 10 liters of water. 1 liter of the product is poured under each bush.
- The second time is fed during the mass flowering. The following fertilizer is used: 40-60 g of superphosphate, 150-200 g of wood ash, 10 liters of water. Consumption - 1 liter per 1 plant.
- The third time feeding is applied during the period of mass fruit formation. To do this, use a solution of mullein or bird droppings. You can prepare a mineral fertilizer: 2 tsp. potassium salt, 2 tsp. superphosphate, 10 liters of water. Pour 1 liter of liquid under 1 bush.
Diseases and pests
The process of caring for bell peppers includes disease prevention and control. Most often, the culture is struck by:
- blackleg;
- bacterial, verticillous, fusarium wilting.
To prevent them, it is necessary to observe the crop rotation, buy high-quality seeds, and do weeding on time. When infected, diseased plants are removed.
The main pests of vegetables include:
- aphids;
- spider mite;
- slugs.
To combat aphids, prepare the following solution: 200-250 g of wood ash is poured into 10 liters of hot water (50˚C).
The following infusion helps against the tick: 200 g of chopped garlic or onions, 200 g of dandelion leaves in 1 bucket of water. Liquids in both cases are insisted for a day, filtered. They are used at different periods of plant development.
Slugs will not harm your crop if you loosen the soil regularly. A good way to deal with slugs is to sprinkle with ground pepper or dry mustard (1 tsp per 1 sq. M).
Conclusion
It is necessary to take care of sweet peppers, taking into account all the recommendations. Failure to follow the rules can harm the plants. The culture responds well to feeding, but their excess has a bad effect on it (you can burn the roots). It is also worth keeping an eye on the amount of water applied and the depth of soil embedding when loosening.