Causes of poor pepper growth
Pepper is a vegetable belonging to the nightshade family. It is appreciated for its rich vitamin and mineral composition. Making some mistakes, gardeners have to deal with the fact that pepper grows poorly.
Causes of poor pepper growth
Growing seedlings
Strong seedlings are the first secret to growing success. But it needs to be grown properly. First, the seeds are soaked for 5 hours in moderately hot water until they swell, then wrapped in a lint cloth for 2-3 days so that they hatch. This ensures quick shoots. Floated seeds are not planted.
The sown seeds are watered abundantly and placed in a glass or polyethylene greenhouse. Before the emergence of shoots, they are placed in a warm place with an optimal temperature of 22 ° C, lighting does not matter. When the pepper has risen, the temperature should be between 10-15 ° C at night and 26-28 ° C during the day.
A warm and light-loving plant is provided with moderate watering with warm water, and additional lighting is organized. The seedlings should be kept in a well-ventilated area, but without drafts, with sufficient air humidity.
Particular attention is paid to the quality of the seeds. Usually, the packages with them indicate the expiration date. Do not neglect this, as the germination of seeds decreases every year.
Why seedlings do not grow after transplanting
Correctly selected soil and transplanting time is the second secret of success.
Sprouts adaptation
So that the plants do not get stress when planting in the ground, the seedlings are gradually adapted to the growing conditions: they lower the temperature, reduce the lighting. When the seedlings become strong, and about 10 leaves and several buds appear on the shoot, it's time to plant them in open ground. The most suitable time for a transplant is late May to mid June.
Soil preparation
For the normal growth of the pepper, the soil must be fertile, warm, rich in nutrients and humus, light and well permeable to water. Heavy soils make it difficult for young plantings to grow. Sometimes, when growing bushes on loam, the roots are blocked due to stagnant moisture. In this case, special ditches are made around the perimeter of the garden for the outflow of rainwater.
A week before planting, the soil is well treated with copper sulfate to prevent fungal infection.
The holes cannot be made deep, the seedlings are placed in them with a lump of earth to preserve the integrity of the root system, otherwise it will take root for a long time and grow slowly.
Organization of care
If the pepper is not growing, it may be due to insufficient care. The basic rules are as follows:
- timely watering;
- feeding seedlings;
- pinching and pruning;
- heat protection;
- weeding.
Watering
Proper watering affects the development of plants
Water the seedlings immediately after planting in the ground, repeat the procedure after 4-5 days, and then, if there is little rain, water it every 10 days, before the first harvest. Then they take a short break and resume watering with the appearance of a new color.Watering after harvesting the fruits is required, otherwise the pepper weakens and stops growing.
Top dressing
The first feeding is carried out when a pair of leaves is formed on the shoot, after 2 weeks - the second, the last - 2 days before planting in the ground. During the season, the plants are fed 2-4 times with chicken droppings, as well as by the foliar method, using mineral fertilizers. This helps to improve the growth of green mass and accelerates the ripening of the fruit.
Pruning
Grasshopping, that is, removing side shoots, is necessary in hot and humid weather. 3 times a month and after harvesting the fruits, the shoots are trimmed below the main fork of the stem. The longest branches that shade the plant are also subject to pruning. Expending too much energy on forcing shoots, the bush is able to stop growing.
Other growth factors of pepper
The main mistakes made when growing:
- Late disembarkation. Seedlings are planted in open ground when the air temperature reaches 20-25 ° C, otherwise there is a delay in development.
- Lack of lighting. If the pepper grows in the shade, the plant becomes tall and thin, does not develop well, breaks easily by the wind. Few fruits are tied on it.
- Deep or shallow immersion in the soil. The root collar is located close to the soil surface, otherwise the seedlings will stop developing.
- Root damage during transplantation. Seedlings are planted using the transshipment method, trying to preserve a clod of earth. The damaged roots grow back for a long time, and this inhibits the growth of the aerial part.
- Unsuitable temperature. Heat above 35 ° C and coolness provoke shedding of flowers and stunted growth.
Some varieties are not intended for cultivation in certain climatic conditions. Thus, varieties that do well in the southern regions do not grow well and bear fruit in the north. Because of the short and not very warm summer, cold-resistant varieties are planted there.
What diseases should be feared
With high air humidity, gray, white rot or Alternaria appears on the fruits. These diseases drain the vitality of the pepper and lead to inhibition of its vegetation.
The pathogen enters the plant through tissue damage, therefore, fruits with mechanical damage are removed in order to prevent mass infection.
When growing pepper for several years in the same place, one should beware of ground diseases: late blight, fusarium and verticillosis. It also depletes the soil and the pepper does not grow normally on it. If the plant is affected, its leaves and shoots begin to wither and stop growing. After a few days, the bush dies. For treatment, chemical treatment of the aerial part of the plant is used.
Sometimes stimulants are used for the comfortable existence of pepper. When used, the plant grows faster and develops better.
Conclusion
Creating conditions for heat-loving plants is a laborious process. If the pepper does not grow, you need to identify the cause as soon as possible, while the bush is slightly behind in growth from the rest of the plantings.
If the difference in size is very noticeable, it is better to remove the plants from the garden. you can no longer expect a harvest from it. Sometimes all planted bushes grow poorly. If even after the normalization of the conditions of their growth, nothing changes, the point is in poor-quality planting material.