Peppers are a plant in the nightshade family, like eggplants, potatoes, and tomatoes. its scientific name, annual bell pepper comes from Greek capto “biting”, alluding to the spicy properties of the fruit, in fact among the varieties of this species there are both sweet and hot peppers.
Here we are going to dive into the operation of planting peppers, with particular reference to the sweet pepper. Those who wish to try the hot varieties will find in the Orto Da Coltivare a guide specifically dedicated to the cultivation of hot peppers, although they are the same species, among the very hot varieties there are plants that have special climatic requirements and therefore a slightly different planting period of the pepper.
So let’s see how and when to plant pepper a crop that can give great satisfaction, returning its needs to the field and even producing 2 kg of fruit per plant.
Contents [Ocultar]
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When to Plant Peppers
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anticipate planting
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The correct moon phase
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how to sow
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soil preparation
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pepper transplant
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Choosing the best cultivar to plant
Contents
When to Plant Peppers
The pepper plant is often described as a “cold” species, in fact it does not tolerate too cold temperatures. In the countryside it is necessary to wait until the minimum temperatures are permanently above 15 degrees, even at night and, during the day, it is better for the thermometer to reach 25 degrees.
To obtain a better harvest, it is advisable to anticipate the weather and to sow in the nursery.
anticipate planting
In most of Italy, waiting for these outside temperatures means being too late: ideally, the plants should already be formed in April-May, so that they can produce all summer. So it is advisable to consider protected planting which will speed up time.
The protected nursery may simply consist of a structure with transparent or glass sheets, which takes advantage of the greenhouse effect, or it may have a warm bed, i.e. soil, manure and fertilizers which break down and ferment, raising the temperature of the soil. We can also increase the temperature using a simple heating mat or special cables, as best explained in the seedbed heating guide.
The correct phase of the moon
There is no conclusive evidence of the effects of lunar cycles on crops, we know this is an ancient tradition prevalent in many agricultural cultures around the world and continued for centuries. Therefore, we can freely choose whether or not to follow these ancient traditions. peppers it is a fruit vegetable so if you want to follow the phases of the moon, planting should be done on the crescent moon , a period said to be favorable for the aerial part of the plant, in particular for the production of flowers and then fruit. If planted in the waning phase we will see the plants grow in the same way and we will continue to harvest excellent peppers, however, it is said that in the waxing moon the plant performs better.
how to sow
The chilli seed is quite small, in fact, in 1 gram we find about 150, this means that if we sow in the field we must prepare a well-leveled seedbed , while to put it in a pot it is necessary to use very refined soil. In both cases we must be careful to put it shallow.
The seed germination time is 4-5 years, but as the seed ages, it dries out more and more and its outer seed coat becomes harder and harder. In practice, the older a seed is, the more likely it is not to germinate. A useful trick to facilitate germination is to bathe in chamomile tea before sowing.
The sowing operation itself is harmless, it is simply a question of putting the seed under a light layer of soil, as already mentioned. the pepper is sown shallow: about 5 to 10 millimeters deep. What makes the difference are the precautions before and after planting: first in tilling the soil, then in controlling temperatures, which must be between 20 and 30 degrees, and in constant irrigation but never in doses. excessive.
Germination times vary depending on weather conditions, but generally pepper takes at least 12-15 days to germinate. Considering the fact that not all seeds will hatch, it is best to put three or four seeds in each pot (or on each post if planted in the open field), to be sure that something will hatch, we can clear up later .