How to understand what is missing peppers. Why peppers do not grow in an open field greenhouse after planting and what needs to be done How to understand what peppers lack

Margarita Turkina answers the questions of gardening readers

I have some sad peppers this year. Planted in a regular greenhouse. She fed with infusion of grass, ash, purchased potash fertilizer - no effect. There are almost no flowers, fruits, too, the bushes are not very green, but not yellow, of course. Moreover, on some varieties that I have been planting for many years (“Morozko”, “Bogatyr”), everything is not bad. But two new varieties - "Big Mama" and "Big Papa" are clearly missing something. I really like the Big Dad variety. Colored peppers grow right away, very interesting, in other varieties they are usually green at first, and these immediately pop out purple. What would cheer them up?

Elena Fominskaya, Sosnovo

Want to know what your peppers are missing? Before fertilizing, according to the condition of the plants, it is necessary to determine which substances are insufficient in the soil:

Nitrogen - the leaves are small, pale green, turn yellow, fall off early.
Phosphorus - leaves are dark green or bluish, with a red tint, drying out, almost black.
Potassium - the edges of the leaves turn yellow, turn brown and die, twist down, the leaves are wrinkled.

Calcium - apical buds and roots are damaged and die.
Magnesium - the leaves lighten, acquire a yellow color and a red or purple color at the edges and between the veins.
Iron - the leaves are pale green, the tissues do not die off, lightening appears between the veins - chlorosis.
Copper - the tips of the leaves turn pale, chlorosis appears.
Boron - the apical buds and roots die off, flowering does not occur, the leaves fall off.

Inorganic phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied in the fall, nitrogen - in the spring.

In your case, apparently, it's not about the nutritional value. For pepper, the most important limiting factor in its prosperous life is the optimal and uninterrupted supply of moisture, especially in the early period. Otherwise, the plant sheds flowers and ovaries. But in no case should peppers be poured, the air in the roots is more important for them than the presence of “food” there. That is why the bed should be moisture-intensive and at the same time breathable, and mulched on top. In addition, it is necessary to water with warm water 1-2 times a week. After watering cold water plants "freeze" for a week or two, growth stops, and the ovaries fall off.

Well, you can “cheer up” the plants as follows: make an infusion of banana skins, ash and nettles. Take 1 cup of ash in a bucket of water, brew with a liter of boiling water, add water up to 10 liters, and add the remaining components as desired and possible. The container is tied with a film and left for 2-4 days in the shade, after which it is added to the water for irrigation (half a liter per watering can). Peppers respond very well to this dressing. You can speed up the effect of top dressing by spraying the plants on the leaves with an infusion of banana peels alone: ​​put peels from 2-3 bananas in a liter jar, pour clean water and leave for 3 days. Then add water up to 1.5 liters, filter and spray the plants in the morning.

I am having difficulty with how to shape my peppers properly. Do I need to pinch the crown bud. Where is this crown bud located? My main trunk forked, in this place there are one or three flowers, and the ovaries also went further along the trunks. Tell me what to do. And what does it threaten if you leave the crown bud?

Katya Lebedeva, a young vegetable grower.

A crown bud or crown flower is one or sometimes several flower ovaries formed in the first fork that appears on the stem when the first two branches form on the plant. This bud or buds must be removed, and the sooner the better. The main crop of fruits from the ovaries located above the fork will receive additional nutrition. In addition, the plants will be better lit. Do not chase a huge number of peppers on a bush, and try to thin out the entire crown of plants from extra stepchildren that grow inside the bush. A good harvest of peppers is a lot of light and moisture.

Growing peppers in a greenhouse is not easy, and for many beginner gardeners, it seems completely impossible. In fact, peppers are not so whimsical. You can harvest a rich harvest of culture after studying certain recommendations and following all the rules.

Growing vegetables in protected ground is carried out only through seedlings. The process will be more successful if you plant peppers in the soil where cabbage, cucumbers, onions or carrots previously grew. At the same time, if pepper grows in place of potatoes or tomatoes, then such a procedure will not bring much benefit. It is also undesirable to grow a crop in the same area where its closest counterparts previously grew.

Caring for pepper in a greenhouse involves creating optimal conditions for growth and development for the vegetable, as well as preparing the soil for it. Before planting seedlings, the soil must be disinfected, for example, with copper sulfate (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of heated water).

It is worth planting young peppers in a properly prepared greenhouse in May. If severe weather conditions are expected, it is best to start growing the crop at the beginning of the season. This is how the sprouts adapt to the coolness and other factors controlled in the greenhouse.

Peppers of one variety need to be grown at a distance from a representative of another. Plants need protection from self-pollination. For this purpose, it is better to use a natural wall, for example, corn.

Planting a vegetable, both in open and protected ground, should be carried out in such a way as to exclude damage to the root. It is better to make high beds, which will provide large volumes of crops in the future. Why? In low beds, sprouts can completely freeze and die. It is worth noting that a significant crop can only be harvested in a greenhouse.

AT open field pepper grows unimportant even in good weather. The fruits ripen for a long time, are small in size and lose their juiciness.

In the greenhouse, peppers need basic care, and in the open field - more thorough. In protected soil conditions, it is enough for a crop to provide systematic top dressing, abundant watering and controlled growth conditions.

Peppers grow well only under conditions of proper prevention of crop diseases. Otherwise, vegetables develop poorly: they wither, and then die. Proper care of the culture includes:

1. Watering the sprouts with water and fertilizing. You can apply an infusion of nettle or a mixture of superphosphate, potassium and saltpeter. It is necessary to start feeding with the appearance of the first leaves on the plants. After the first fertilizers, over time, feeding should be increased.
2. Periodically carry out pinching, removing the lateral processes of the vegetable. But the procedure is applicable only in hot conditions. In cool weather, pinching is not worth it, as the plant will not tolerate this operation well, it will wither. In addition, peppers are deprived of their natural defenses.
3. It is necessary to trim additional stems, as they inhibit the growth of the crop and create a shadow for it.
4. After landing in the ground, when the pepper becomes tall enough, it will need to be tied up. This will prevent the plant from falling from its own weight and ensure proper formation of the bush.
5. In order for the pepper to pollinate properly, insects need to be lured into the greenhouse. It is better to do this by spraying the bushes with sweet solutions.

Possible Causes of Poor Growth

Often, pepper grown in a greenhouse slows down its growth and development. The bushes look healthy and do not wither, but do not grow either.

Most likely, this phenomenon is caused by unfavorable conditions for the vegetable in the greenhouse. After all, there is at least one component of care is broken - the pepper stops growing.

Non-compliance with the rules may be:

1. Seedlings do not grow due to planting them in cold, unprepared soil. Therefore, tillage in a greenhouse and compliance with all deadlines is an integral part of growing vegetables.
2. Peppers grow poorly and develop in the absence of the necessary substances in the soil - nitrogen and phosphorus. Therefore, the earth must be fed.
3. The air in the greenhouse should be heated to 28 °, at night - at least up to 10 °. If this condition is not met, the vegetables wither. Violations in the development of culture can be caused by "jumps" in temperature. Gardeners need to gradually raise and lower the temperature.
4. Peppers should be watered only with heated water. Since the roots of the plant are "afraid" of hypothermia. The procedure should be carried out in the morning, at the same time. Unlike growing a vegetable in open ground, in a protected one it is worth carrying out frequent airing during the day to avoid condensation.
5. Stepping not carried out in time will provoke a slowdown in the growth and development of the plant. Why? Because the stepchildren will “pull” all the nutrients from the soil onto themselves.
6. Root not getting enough air? As a result, vegetables grow more slowly. Therefore, the ground near the bushes must be periodically loosened.
7. Due to poor ventilation, the plants are sickly and lethargic, they weaken and lose their elasticity.
8. After planting the plants, it is necessary to provide them with sufficient lighting. If this is not done, the seedlings will stop growing.

The reasons for the inhibition of the growth of peppers are easy to determine on their own, even by the appearance of the bushes. Everything can be corrected and thus save the plants and the future harvest.

Video “Pepper. Why does the ovary not bloom or crumble?

How to deal with it

After transplanting seedlings into the soil, it may not develop properly due to inappropriate weather conditions. Negative influence renders even the night temperature below 12°.

As a result, the pepper loses its healthy appearance, loses color and buds. To save the plants, just like in the open field, they need to be sprayed with Immunocytophyte, watered systematically and not grown in the open: covered with a film or cellophane.

If there is a high probability of frost, you can sprinkle the plants with ash and water in sufficient quantities. Plants should not be left open. It is necessary to spud the bushes with earth and cover them with cellophane or film, newspapers, cellophane. This recommendation applies to both indoor and outdoor growing.

You can also protect the bushes with sprinklers that provide drip irrigation. Why? Evaporation from the water will raise the temperature under the film by several degrees.

After planting seedlings, do green plants have weak roots? They must be watered with Kornevin 7-14 days after transplanting. Nitrofoski can be added to the irrigation mixture. The substance will improve the condition of the seedlings. Why? Because nitrogen is one of the main components of the plant organism.

So, it is easy to understand the reasons for the poor growth of pepper in greenhouse conditions. The first signs can be detected immediately after planting seedlings. You can save plants by carrying out elementary procedures. The main thing is not to hesitate and act quickly.

Video “The best cover for pepper, eggplant and tomato”

The video tells about how you can cover the plants in the best way. Peppers under such shelter develop well and give an excellent harvest.

There are many problems in growing peppers, whether they are grown for the first time or rarely. Peppers are relatives of tomatoes, but they are more whimsical in care. They need more heat and light, they cannot stand temperature extremes, dampness and dryness, they suffer greatly from damage to the roots. In addition to care errors, there are also diseases and pests that pass to seedlings from poor-quality soil.

Optimal conditions for seedlings of peppers

All the plants that we grow on window sills and in gardens once came to us from the wild. To know exactly what conditions are needed for a particular culture, it is enough just to find out where it comes from. The birthplace of capsicum peppers and even those that are called bell peppers is tropical America. The tropics are characterized by: relatively dry weather, moderate cloudiness, easterly winds. Average daily temperature in summer: +20 ⁰C... +27 ⁰C, in winter +10... +15 ⁰C. So, we create just such conditions for seedlings of peppers. We do not dry the soil, and we do not fill it, sometimes we spray the leaves of peppers, it is possible in the morning, imitating dew, especially during the heating season and hot days. Locations - on the eastern, southeastern windows. In warm weather, especially a week before landing in the ground, we often open a window or window and ventilate.

The most common pests and diseases - table

The future of peppers, their health and productivity are 50% dependent on soil quality and seed preparation. The remaining 50% of success is the right care.

Problems that arise when growing - table

Pepper seedling diseases and their control

Blackleg

Black leg most often affects seedlings at the stage of the first true leaf. The stem near the soil itself becomes transparent, darkens and dries up. The plant falls to the ground and dies. All this suggests that the soil is infected, not processed before sowing. The black leg mushroom can live in any soil, but it does not develop in any conditions. Even if the earth is not warmed up or spilled with fungicides, the disease will bypass those seedlings that:

• grows on loose, moderately moist soil;
• ventilated;
• not thickened and evenly illuminated by the sun;
• watered only with water at room temperature, there is no temperature difference on the soil.

Video: Black leg of peppers

1. Before sowing, spray the soil with Bordeaux liquid (100 g per 10 l of water), pour over a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g per 10 l of water), pour boiling water, hold in a water bath for 10-15 minutes or warm in the microwave for 10 minutes before soaring.
2. Treat seeds before sowing with one of the preparations: Fitosporin (4 drops of paste concentrate per 200 ml of water), Epin (1-2 drops per 100 ml), etc.
3. Do not flood the seedlings, ventilate, turn on the window with different sides to the sun.
4. Remove dead and infected peppers, immediately transplant the remaining ones into another soil, add Fitosporin to the water during the first watering.

white rot

The disease often accompanies the black leg. A white fluffy coating appears on the stem, which spreads up the plant. The peppers are dying. The fungus loves dampness and low temperatures: +12... +15°C. Also, its development is favored by sudden changes in temperature in combination with high humidity.

Prevention and ways to fight:

1. Disinfect the soil before sowing and picking.
2. Water the seedlings with water only at room temperature.
3. Do not expose to the open sky in cloudy, damp and cold weather.
4. For prevention, make foliar top dressing: 1 g of zinc sulfate, 2 g of copper sulfate and 10 g of urea per 10 liters of water.
5. Remove the affected seedlings along with the top layer of the earth (2-3 cm).

Gray rot

The disease manifests itself in spots on leaves and stems, which can be dark green or brown, often weeping and always with a gray or pinkish fluffy coating. The main reason is too damp soil, moisture stagnation, the roots do not breathe and rot, and behind them the ground part.

Prevention and treatment:

1. Drainage required.
2. Water peppers only as the top layer of soil dries up.
3. Loosen the soil, but very carefully so as not to damage the roots.
4. Transplant the diseased plant to another soil.
5. Spray with copper-containing preparations: copper sulfate (2 g per 10 l of water), HOM (40 g per 10 l of water), Bordeaux mixture (100 g per 10 l of water), repeat every 10 days.

Dry spotting or Alternariosis

The disease is common in all areas where tomatoes are grown. Gibok affects all nightshades, including peppers. If you took the land for seedlings from your garden, then you should not be surprised at the symptoms of alternariosis on the leaves of peppers. The spots are brown, dry; heat and water drops on the leaves contribute to the development of the disease.

Video: Brown spotting (alternariosis) on tomatoes

Prevention and treatment;

• Do not take land for peppers from the area where tomatoes grew.
• In any case, disinfect the soil before sowing the seeds.
• Pickle the seeds in a solution of phytosporin, potassium permanganate, etc.
• Water the peppers under the root.
• At the first sign, spray with the drug: Ridomil Gold (2.5 g per 1 liter of water), Quadris (15 ml per 10 liters of water) or copper-containing: copper sulphate, HOM, Bordeaux liquid, repeat after 10 days.

Fusarium wilt

This disease affects already grown seedlings, in which the first buds appear. The lower leaves turn yellow, curl and fall off. Gradually, the whole plant dies. The fungus settles on weakened plants, in thickened plantings, loves dry soil and high temperature (+28 ⁰C).

Video: Fusarium wilt, how to fight

Prevention and treatment:

1. Grow varieties of peppers that are resistant to Fusarium.
2. Use only special primer. Fusarium develops on acidic soils.
3. Disinfect the soil and treat the seeds.
4. Timely water the seedlings and feed.
5. Do not use fertilizers containing chlorine.
6. Landings do not thicken, ventilate.
7. Spray every 10 days with Trichodermin (100 ml per 10 liters of water).

Black bacterial spot

The disease enters seedlings through mechanical damage (breaks, scratches) from infected soil. Bacteria can also live on the surface of seeds. Favorable conditions for development: heat(up to +30 ⁰C) and moisture on the leaves.

Prevention and treatment:

1. Disinfect soil and seeds before sowing.
2. Do not water over the leaves.
3. Spray the entire aboveground part with one of the preparations: Fitolavin (2 ml per 1 liter of water), Planriz (1 ml per 1 liter of water), Fitosporin, HOM.

Pests and what to do about them

All pests are brought into the house along with the soil. They can switch to seedlings from already infected indoor flowers. It can be recommended to keep seedlings and flowers on different windows. However, there is a big plus from such a neighborhood. Firstly, a special plant microclimate is created, and secondly, the aroma of many indoor flowers repels pests. For example, if there are geraniums next to peppers, then there will never be aphids and whiteflies. Any other fragrant flower works in the same way: lavender, jasmine, lemon, etc.

If pests are found on one plant, you should not take it to another window into isolation, you need to process all the flowers and all the seedlings that are in this room.

Aphids

Small insects black or Green colour not only leaves stick around, but also young stems, shoots, flower buds, that is, everything that seems juicy and tasty to them.

Video: Fighting aphids on peppers with a shower

How to fight?

1. If there are still few aphids, wash off manually with soapy water, you can use a soft brush or sponge for this. Most sucking individuals will be destroyed in this way, it will immediately become easier for peppers to grow. Soap must be washed off the leaves the next day, it clogs the pores and prevents the plants from breathing normally. Water procedures should be carried out on a sunny day, after covering the soil with a film.
2. After a soapy bath, some of the pests and eggs will remain so that they do not multiply again and do not settle, spray with chemicals: Intavir (1 tablet per bucket of water), karbofos (60 g per 10 l of water), Fitoverm (1 ampoule per 1 liter of water), Decis (2 ml per 10 l), etc.
3. Repeat the treatment every 7-10 days, changing the preparations. It is during this period that a new generation of aphids can be born and grow.

whiteflies

Small flies no larger than 3 mm are very similar to aphids: they are the same omnivores, they settle their green larvae on the reverse side of the leaf. Distinguished by white wings. If you approach the peppers and move their leaves, then the flies will fly up in a flock. The pest can come out of the soil or fly into the window.

Ways to fight:

1. Put yellow cardboard or paper smeared with glue or something sticky on the window next to the peppers. These insects fly on yellow.
2. Sprinkle the soil in pots with tobacco dust.
3. Wash the larvae with soapy water and treat with drugs from sucking pests: Spark, Decis, Ftoverm, Aktelik (2 ml per 2 l of water), Aktara (8 g per 10 l), etc.
4. Repeat the treatment every 7-10 days.
5. There are tips from gardeners to use a mosquito fumigator against whiteflies. Set it closer to the peppers.

Video: Fighting the whitefly with biological products

spider mite

These pests also settle on the back of the leaf and feed on the juices of the seedlings. Shapeless large spots of different shades appear on the leaves: from yellow to dark brown. On the reverse side, with a magnifying glass, you can see transparent, green and brown mites. The color depends on the age of the individual. Contrary to the stereotype and name, there may not be cobwebs in the habitat of ticks. Therefore, it is not necessary to consider its presence as the main criterion when making a diagnosis.

The methods of struggle are similar to the previous ones: wash off with soapy water and treat with the same preparations. There are recommendations to spray with medical alcohol or vodka. To begin with, it is better to test this original remedy on one leaf or plant.

Soil or root mite

There are many types of soil mites, and different colors: from transparent to red. They live in any soil, improve soil balance by eating organic matter, rotten roots, leaves. But in conditions of high humidity, ticks actively multiply, there are many of them, there is not enough food, as well as space. Ticks come to the surface of the soil and begin to feed on the juices of the seedlings. At the same time, the pest not only takes strength from the peppers, but also introduces a putrefactive infection into the wounds. Small punctures appear on the leaves, a semblance of scars on the reverse side Brown color, seedlings can get sick with rot.

Video: Pests (soil mites) started on seedlings, treatment with phytoverm

Prevention and control measures:

• Do not flood seedlings of peppers, let the soil dry out a little.
• Sprinkle the soil with tobacco dust mixed with ash.
• Spray with tick preparations: Aktelik, Fitoverm, Aktara.

Care mistakes, how to eliminate their consequences - table

Many problems with pepper seedlings can be avoided if you initially take a healthy soil and process the seeds. It is also worth carefully studying the varieties of peppers and choosing disease-resistant ones. Much depends on care, but for peppers it is not difficult: keep the soil moderately moist and loose, provide good lighting, sometimes give top dressing and do not disturb the roots unnecessarily.

Pepper in the beds does not grow well after a month in the open field. Such complaints can be heard from summer residents. The reasons are called themselves: bad seeds or poor land. Gardeners have a particularly hard time in the heat, when the soil has compacted in the beds, cracked, and there is no way to fluff it.

And despite the fact that watering is done almost daily. You look at such a vegetable garden, your heart shrinks. Not a blade of grass, not a stalk, the whole weed is selected. But you just need to deal not with “harmful” grass, but with vegetable crops.

Have you noticed how green inhabitants of the planet grow in Nature? Fine. People do not interfere in their lives. What are we doing wrong in our areas? Breaking the balance of coexistence of plants! Hence all the troubles.

Pepper care according to the laws of Nature

Farmers appreciate any kind of shelter for the soil. After all, in nature, she does not happen naked. Dry herbs, needles, fallen leaves are laid on it in layers. All this protects the root system from the cold, prevents the earth from drying out and gives shelter to the necessary insects.

If the pepper does not grow well, and does not please with ovaries, you need to know certain rules.

1. Correctly form a bush, removing the tops and stepchildren from the bottom of the trunk. Leave at the top.

2. Loosen the soil and mulch it (hay, straw, needles, mowed fresh grass). In the heat, the top layer warms up to 70 degrees, and the roots are superficial. And if there is no mulch on the ground, the bushes suffer. During the day they stand miserable and lethargic. Of course, you try to water them more often, but the earth only compacts and the plants stop growing. In some cases, they even die if emergency measures are not taken.

3. It is desirable to carry out top dressing evenly and in small doses, preferably in liquid form. It is contraindicated before planting to make fresh manure, only in the fall.

4. Water every three days, abundantly and only with water warmed up in the sun along the aisles. After that, the soil must be loosened or mulched.

Any variety of a healthy vegetable will thank you with a harvest on light soil that passes air well. Experienced gardeners for this competently bring compost, humus and ash into the beds. Be sure to cover the ground with mulch and properly water your green pets.

Answers to the question why bell pepper does not grow

This should be done no more than twice per season. Rake off the layer, loosen and return the mulch to its place again.

• How deep should seedlings be planted?

The question is timely. If the plants are buried, they will not grow well. As already mentioned, deep planting is not for peppers. Seedlings are planted no deeper than cotyledon leaves. And when they grow up by 40 - 50 cm, spud them.

Do not forget to carry out foliar feeding with trace elements. It is important. For the future, you need to know that sowing pepper for seedlings according to the lunar calendar brings positive results.

And how are things with this culture in your area?

In the end, I really want to show a picture of your future harvest.

pro100ogorod.ru

Pepper seedlings grow poorly, what to do?

Sweet bell pepper is a capricious plant. It loves light, warmth, and is sensitive to the composition of the soil in which it grows. Optimum humidity is another criterion by which a good growth of a sweet vegetable in the seedling period is determined. There can be several mistakes of a gardener who independently grows pepper from seeds.

The soil

For peppers prepare a special well-fertilized light soil. It is bought ready-made or made up at home from sod, peat and leafy soil, supplied with useful micro and macro elements. The presence of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen is especially important.

In the case of peppers, pay attention to the acidity of the soil, which should not exceed the norm for this plant. It is 6.5-6.7 units. The acidity level of any soil is checked using litmus. If the parameters are exceeded, powder is added eggshell. Do this 2-3 weeks before sowing seeds or in the fall.

Before use, the soil is calcined on fire to avoid the development of viral diseases. If this is not done, the seedlings can get sick with a "black leg". This disease completely deprives young shoots of viability.

Light

Pepper seeds are germinated under the film in a warm dark place. As seedlings form, the container with sprouts is transferred to the south window, which is well lit during the day. Twice a day, the container is turned first with one side, then the other side to the glass so that the seedlings do not stretch.

Lack of light can lead to yellowing and dropping of leaves and death of sprouts. If the daylight hours are short, artificial lighting is used. Pepper is a southern plant that needs a lot of sunlight. Seedlings may not feel well if they are dark.

Humidity

In the first weeks of growth, young peppers are especially sensitive to the level of moisture in the soil and the air that surrounds them. At this time, the seedlings are best sprayed, not watered. Excess moisture can lead to root rot, blacklegs, and stunted growth.

Pepper seedlings feel better in slightly dry than waterlogged soil. For good growth sprouts are watered no more than 1-2 times a week, depending on the ambient temperature.

top dressing

It is a mistake to think that peppers need to be fed hard. Those fertilizers that were applied for sowing seeds are enough for young sprouts for a long time. At least the first feeding is carried out no earlier than 10-14 days after the emergence of all sown seeds.

By this time, the sprouts become strong, the root system is well formed, and the plants need additional nutrition for further development. As an additive, a complex mineral fertilizer is used. Especially a lot of seedlings need nitrogen, which contributes to the formation of green leaves.

If pepper seeds sprouted well, but seedlings grow poorly, slowly, the reasons must be sought in external conditions. Observations of plants will help determine what the sweet southerners are missing.

ladym.ru

Secrets of growing bell pepper

TO YOUR EXPERIENCE

Sweet pepper has long ceased to be a curiosity for us. And as such, it has been known for no more than 200 years. At first, it was not so sweet already, as it contained a lot of capsaicin, which gives the fruits pungency and bitterness. It is today, thanks to breeders, that we can admire the taste of sweet pepper, popularly called Bulgarian for some reason. Probably because in the 17th century the Bulgarians were the first to bring it to Russia, to Astrakhan.

Today pepper is cultivated all over the world. And Russia is no exception. In our area, pepper is an annual crop. Although at home in Mexico, it is considered a perennial plant.

It seems that we are already used to this southerner, and in greenhouses and greenhouses he is still a rare guest. And at the same time, its other relatives (potato, tomato, physalis) from the nightshade family have long been appreciated and tamed by us.

Some gardeners, after the first failures, get the impression that this culture will not grow in our country, since it is very thermophilic. Anna Gordeeva, candidate of agricultural sciences, absolutely disagrees with this. She has been engaged in a comprehensive study of sweet pepper for more than 20 years and knows absolutely everything about the “Bulgarian”. She sees the reason for the failures primarily in non-compliance with the rules of agricultural technology.

For some, peppers are already in bloom, while for others, the first buds have just been thrown out. Do you know that it is from this first crown (or royal) flower that the yield depends?

In the first fork of the main stem, the crown, or royal, flower always opens. As sad as it is, it should be removed. And the sooner the better. Otherwise, the plant will give all its strength to the formation of this one and only fruit.

You can also pinch the main stem over the 5-8th leaf before the first bud is tied. This activates the growth of lateral shoots, on each of which, as a rule, a lot of ripening fruits are formed. After pinching, the yield increases by at least 30%. In addition, a sprawling bush shade the soil and the lower parts of the stem. This weakens their overheating and reduces the wilting of plants, and most importantly, it protects the fruits from sunburn.

Peppers have much higher moisture requirements than tomatoes. Their roots are superficial, so the plants do not tolerate even a short-term drying of the soil. Slight wilting of the leaves is a signal for urgent watering. And this must be monitored constantly. Peppers (however, like other garden crops) should be watered only with warm water, the temperature of which is not lower than plus 23 degrees. From cold water, the plant can stop growing, delay flowering or get sick. And it is desirable to water in the morning and only on the surface of the soil, so that water does not fall on the leaves and stem.

But peppers also react badly to an excess of moisture: water consumption depends on the weather and the phase of development. During the fruiting period, they need much more moisture. Until the fruits begin to form, you can water it once every 5–7 days, then 2 times a week. In the heat, watering can be every other day and even daily. With a lack of water, flowers fall, the ovaries shrink.

And the need for water is determined by the pepper itself. More precisely, according to its leaves: if they have darkened on the whole plant, it's time to go for a watering can.

The ovary that appears at the pepper first grows in length, then in width, and only at the very end the walls begin to thicken. If at this moment there is a lack of moisture, the fruits will be thin, dry and small.

After watering, after waiting for some time, it is advisable to loosen the garden bed shallowly (by 1–1.5 cm). If it is difficult to knock down the crust, you can use sharp pitchforks, but without swinging them (so as not to cut off the roots), make deep punctures between the plants to bring fresh air to the roots.

You can lightly mulch the bed with peat, humus, compost or dry earth. This technique will retain moisture in the soil longer and prevent the formation of a crust. Mulching with black non-woven material also gives a good result.

In order for the fruits to set better, especially in a greenhouse, artificial pollination is needed. To do this, in the morning (from 9 to 11 o'clock) lightly shake the plants. It is also necessary to periodically ventilate the greenhouse. But you can open the door and windows only on one side: pepper does not tolerate drafts.

Peppers are very responsive to all kinds of top dressing. Better, of course, to use organic. It can be fermented "green" cocktails, and infusions of mullein or bird droppings. You can add "mineral water" to them. For example, for 10 liters of solution - 1 tbsp. l. mineral fertilizer containing trace elements. It can be "Kemira-universal", "Mortar". If there is no organic matter, you can prepare the following composition: for 10 liters of water - 2 tsp. "Carbamide" and "Superphosphate".

It is desirable to fertilize peppers every 10–14 days, adding 1 liter of the mixture under each bush. When the fruits become the size of a walnut, the “menu” should be somewhat changed: for 10 liters of water - 1 tsp each. "Superphosphate" and "Potassium salt". Wood ash can also be used instead. 2 tbsp. l. ash is poured into 3 liters of water, left for 2-3 days, stirred from time to time, then filtered and used.

If it is cold outside, the growth of peppers slows down. It is understandable: because of the cold, the root system works poorly, the plants starve. In such cases, foliar top dressing is needed. With a lag in growth, use "Urea" (0.5 tsp per 5 liters of water). Slurry diluted with water 1:5 also works effectively.

To protect the flowers and ovary from falling off, at the beginning of flowering, it is necessary to spray the plants with a solution, in 10 liters of which 2 g of Boric Acid and Magnesium Sulfate are diluted. With weak flowering and poor fruit filling, the Superphosphate extract will help. 1 tsp the drug, pour 5 liters of hot water, leave for a day. And then start processing.

In early August, it would be good to feed the peppers with potash fertilizer "Kalimagnesia", which contains up to 30% potassium and up to 20% magnesium: 1 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water. Fertilizer not only increases the content of vitamin C in fruits, but also increases productivity, prolongs fruiting, and helps to resist diseases.

To protect peppers from such a very common disease as vertex rot, it is necessary to treat plantings on leaves at least once a week with a solution of "Calcium nitrate" - 1 g per 1 liter of water. Top dressing under the root is also very effective: for 10 liters of water (0.5 liters per plant) - 1 tbsp. l. "Calcium nitrate" and 1 tbsp. l. "Potassium sulphate".

Foliar mineral supplements can be combined with pest and disease control products. It is very good to add liquid humates to them - potassium and sodium salts of humic acids. Such solutions can be used both for watering and for spraying plants. Humates and humic acids are the basis of humus. And the humus itself is the key to the active growth and development of plants. The use of humates will accelerate flowering and fruiting, and increase the yield. To prevent diseases, you can spray peppers several times a season with modern biological preparations- growth and protection stimulants: "Fitosporin-M", "Zircon", "NV-101", "Epin-Extra". Foliar dressings act on the plant faster than root dressings, but do not replace them.

A lot of controversy is going on around the topic of the formation of pepper bushes. Everyone knows that stepchildren should be removed from tomatoes. But it turns out that the same procedure is important for peppers. Pruning will redistribute the nutrients and increase the amount of harvest. Be sure to remove all stepchildren and regularly cut off fruiting and barren shoots. To what plant and ugly fruits.

Low standard varieties are not pinched, but thickening leaves are only removed so that the peppers are in the sun. In medium-sized varieties, all leaves are removed to the fork and the crown bud. In tall peppers, all leaves up to the fork and the crown bud are also removed, and two shoots are left in the fork itself. With further growth in each next fork, one shoot is left to continue, and the second is pinched after the first ovary. And the shoots must be tied to the trellis.

Fruits from ovaries located above the fork will receive additional nutrition, and the harvest will be significantly larger. In addition, the plants will be better lit.

As for the actual harvesting, experts distinguish between two degrees of ripeness in peppers: technical and biological. The first occurs 35–45 days after flowering, when the fruits are still green, but have already reached their maximum size, and only a thin bright strip speaks of their “color” affiliation. At the stage of biological ripeness, the fruits are brighter and juicier.

When do you cut peppers? When will they turn completely yellow or turn red? And here is wrong. Anna Petrovna advises the first fruits, so as not to overload the plants, to shoot at the stage of technical ripeness. Then the second, more powerful wave of the crop will have time to ripen on the bushes.

The pepper, taken in the phase of technical ripeness, already contains a sufficient amount of vitamins, and the vegetable itself is quite suitable for consumption. At this time, with light pressure, the fruit crackles slightly. And you need to cut it carefully with secateurs.

You can’t pick peppers: the stems are very fragile, and the stalks are hard, and you can break off the whole shoot.

It has been proven that harvesting pepper in technical ripeness increases the yield by 25–30% due to the saving of substances that are spent on seed formation.

Want to know what your peppers are missing?

Take a close look at the leaves. From them it is easy to determine what substances are lacking in the soil:

Nitrogen - the leaves are small, pale green, turn yellow, fall off early;

Phosphorus - the leaves are dark green or bluish, with a red tint, drying out, almost black;

Potassium - the edges of the leaves turn yellow, turn brown and die, twist down, the leaves are wrinkled;

Calcium - apical buds and roots are damaged and die;

Magnesium - the leaves brighten, acquire a yellow, red or purple color at the edges and between the veins;

Iron - the leaves are pale green, the tissues do not die off, lightening appears between the veins - chlorosis;

Copper - the tips of the leaves turn pale, chlorosis appears;

Boron - the apical buds and roots die off, flowering does not occur, the leaves fall off.

Natalia TYSHKEVICH

www.dddkursk.ru

Pepper cultivation - problems and solutions

Everything seemed to be provided for the normal cultivation of pepper, but something, however, went wrong. The plant does not give buds for a long time, the leaves begin to turn yellow, and even the flowers crumble. In a word, problems are brewing. What to do to correct the situation? How to grow sweet pepper and get a good harvest?

Why pepper does not give buds - this may be due to the fact that the plantings are overfed with nitrogen fertilizers. Care must be taken with the infusion of weeds. Remember about manure, which is contraindicated for this culture.

Why there are no ovaries on pepper

When pepper blooms without forming ovaries, then you should pay attention to the following factors that interfere with pollination:

• high humidity;
• too high temperature;
• a sharp cold snap (the temperature dropped below + 12 ° C in the greenhouse or on the street).

In hot weather, ventilate greenhouses, and in cold weather, heat and reduce watering.

Flowers began to crumble (ovaries)

There are several reasons for this.

1. Excess nitrogen in the diet.
2. Got cold.
3. A sharp temperature difference (day - night).
4. Cold weather for a long time.
5. Watering with cold water on the heated ground.
6. The soil is too dry.

Note that the culture does not like waterlogging, but does not tolerate drying out of the root system.

The fruits are rotting

If you notice the rotting of the fruit in the place where they are attached to the stalk and began to fall off, this is a symptom of fruit rot. The disease is caused by a prolonged cold snap.

What measures to take

Buy Uniflor-bud fertilizer and spray, following the instructions, after sunset the leaves (for 10 liters of water - 2 tsp). The drug "Zircon" will not interfere either.

It's all about periods of prolonged cooling, when the roots of heat-loving crops themselves cannot work, therefore they starve, and begin to take nutrients from the leaves. On display and yellowing of the leaves, which later will not slow down the fall. If there are problems with the growth of peppers, the information “Bulgarian pepper does not grow, what to do” is useful to you.

Rescue activities

In stable cold weather, even a week, the plants need foliar feeding on the leaves.

Spray the plantings with any of the following preparations:

• "Epin-extroy";
• "Novosil" ("Silkom");
• Ecoberin.

They will relieve stress from green friends.

Spend the same top dressing with a solution of calcium nitrate on the leaves (for 10 liters of water - 0.5 tablespoons of the drug).

Rot on top

Sometimes rot forms on the tops of pepper fruits - top rot of the fruit, which progresses from a white spot that has appeared, and begins to rot. The phenomenon is not considered a disease, but signals a deficiency of water, calcium and potassium. Fill this gap and heal the wards.

Growing pepper and caring for it requires attention to any negative manifestations. It remains only in time to help your plants.