The cultivation of bell pepper in a greenhouse is not an easy task. Often this vegetable in a greenhouse slows its development: the bushes have a healthy appearance and do not fade, but they grow very poorly. For reasons of growth retardation, as well as what needs to be done to get healthy, strong plants, read this article.
Why pepper does not grow well in a greenhouse
Pepper bushes in a greenhouse can grow slowly if proper agricultural techniques are not followed, as well as under microclimatic conditions detrimental to the culture. If at least one rule of care is violated, pepper may stop growing. The discrepancies with the rules may be as follows.
Not prepared soil in the greenhouse
It sometimes happens that pepper seedlings do not grow due to the fact that they were planted in the cold earth, which had not been properly prepared. Therefore, proper soil preparation in a greenhouse is an integral part of cultivating a crop.
If the root system lacks oxygen, the plants also slow down their growth and become painful and lethargic. To access the air to the roots, from time to time you need the earth around the bushes.
Did you know? Sweet pepper is called Bulgarian only in the countries of the former USSR. In English - this just pepper. In Europe you will hear the name “paprika”. In Costa Rica, a vegetable is commonly called sweet chili. But in Egypt it is known as green pepper.
Temperature violation
The air in the greenhouse should be heated to + 28 ° C (at night - at least to + 10 ° C). If this condition is not met, the fruits will lose elasticity. Deviations in the development of bushes can also be triggered by jumps in temperature indicators. Therefore, you need to raise and lower the temperature in the greenhouse gradually.
Irrigation technique
This culture needs to be watered only with warm water, since its root system is afraid of hypothermia. Irrigation should be carried out at the same time in the morning. In addition, it is important to ventilate the greenhouse several times during the day to prevent condensation.
Late bush formation
Not done in a timely stepsoning leads to inhibition of the development of bushes. This is due to the fact that stepsons pull on themselves all the useful substances from the ground.
Sometimes it is necessary to remove long lateral shoots that prevent the bushes from developing properly and block sunlight. Once every 10 days, it is necessary to check the stems and cut off too long specimens. The same procedure is necessary after harvesting.
Stalks should also be tied if you want to achieve the correct formation of the bush.
Important! Only remove unnecessary side branches when the temperature in the greenhouse and outside reaches its maximum. Dry and cool days are extremely unfavorable for this procedure, because green mass in such weather protects plants from external threats.
Lack of lighting
Pepper loves a lot of light, but it can be missed not only in the spring, but even in the middle of summer, in July. Therefore, after planting, the seedlings should be well lit. On cloudy days, it is worth lighting the plants with lamps. Without proper lighting, young plants can also stop growing.
What is feeding necessary for?
In addition to the above reasons, pepper bushes in closed ground do not grow well in the absence of important nutrients. Without fertilizers, as well as their correct application, the plant will not grow green mass, the fruits will not be tied, and those that are still tied will be poured and ripened. Therefore, you should learn to properly fertilize the soil for the normal development of this culture.
The main types of fertilizing
Consider the better to feed pepper for a good harvest and growth, as well as how to properly fertilize it.
Mineral
The composition of mineral dressings is directly related to the period of plant development, climatic conditions and the variety of pepper. So, during the period of active growth of shoots and foliage, the culture needs nitrogen. However, as soon as the pepper bush is formed, begins to bloom and form the ovaries, the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers should be stopped.
But fertilizing, containing phosphorus, can be applied throughout the life of pepper bushes, from the first sprouts to the complete ripening of vegetables, because these substances positively affect the development of rhizomes and accelerate the growth of fruits.
Along with phosphorus, magnesium and calcium are important for the entire development period, and the dose of potassium should be adjusted taking into account the weather. On hot summer days, you need to reduce the amount of fertilizer, and in the rainy and cloudy season - increase.
Important! Too much nitrogen in top dressing of pepper bushes leads to the growth of green mass of pepper to the detriment of flowering and fruit setting.
Organic
Organics, unlike minerals, are always welcome, regardless of the growth rate of the bush, weather conditions and other factors. The main rules are to apply organic fertilizers in small portions, as well as completely eliminate fresh manure that can burn plants.
In the autumn season, when preparing soil for planting seedlings, compost or rotted manure should be added at the rate of 5 kg per 1 m² of greenhouse. And in the spring, immediately before planting, humus must be added.
Folk remedies
Since everything that pepper is fertilized in the fruiting phase affects the quality of the fruits and their taste, many gardeners at this stage prefer home-made products. They quite effectively replace the usual mineral mixtures. For example, dried and crushed banana peels contain the required amount of potassium. Such top dressing can be used in a mixture with wood ash, which, in turn, contains phosphorus.
A solution of finely crushed eggshell, previously infused for several days in a dark place, will be a good source of calcium.
Many valuable trace elements are concentrated in milk and dairy products, for example, in whey. Dilute 1 liter of any milk in 10 liters of water and add up to 100 drops of iodine. It will turn out an excellent fertilizer for pepper bushes, which also has a protective effect against fungal diseases and parasites.
Did you know? Chocolate and bell pepper have similar properties: both increase the amount of endorphins (hormones of happiness) in the blood. And if its high calorie content keeps chocolate from regular consumption, then to become happy with pepper is safer for the figure. In addition, endorphins are sourced from foods such as bananas, strawberries, and even mustard.
Directly in the fruiting phase, it is worth feeding the pepper bushes with yeast. To do this, 10 g of dry raw materials must be diluted in 1 bucket of water and pour 2 tbsp. l granulated sugar, let the liquid brew for several hours, then add 2 handfuls of wood ash. The resulting solution should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 5 and pour planting with it instead of plain water.
How to properly feed
Gardeners, as a rule, practice 2 types of top dressing: fertilizing under the root (root) and through foliage (foliar).
Root
This method makes the main part of the fertilizer. In order to get healthy, strong seedlings for the first time, you need to fertilize the culture 10-15 days after the shoots appear. For this, complex dressings (for example, Kemira-Lux, Kristallon) or compound fertilizers (a mixture of potassium nitrate and superphosphate, a composition of potassium sulfate, superphosphate and ammonium nitrate) are suitable.
After 10 days, the procedure should be repeated. As soon as the peppers bloom, the next top dressing will certainly be required, since the future crop is laid precisely at the blooming phase. During this period, the best results are obtained from slurry or infusion of bird droppings (1 part of the substance per 1 bucket of water). Such organic fertilizers should be infused for at least 1 week.
Important! So that the unpleasant smell from the mixture with manure does not spread throughout the greenhouse, cover the watered soil with straw or peat.
After 2 weeks, for better fruit setting, it is worthwhile to fertilize with potassium. For this, 1 teaspoon of potassium sulfate, 20 g of superphosphate and the same amount of urea are dissolved in 10 liters of water. Under each bush you need to pour 1-2 liters of the resulting liquid.
Foliar
For pepper seedlings, an extra-root technique is preferred - spraying the foliage with nutrients. It increases the resistance of young bushes to various ailments, especially to the black leg. For this it is necessary to apply micronutrients of the type “Orton Micro-Fe”, “Ideal”, “Aquadon-micro”. Use these fertilizers in liquid (diluted in water) form.
Getting on the foliage, fertilizers diluted with water move along the internal parts of the plant in an upward or downward flow. Because the bush needs processing throughout the growth. Spray leaves from the top and back. Feed the leaf on cloudy days or in the evening.
Additional recommendations
The use of sound and timely nutritional formulations is not all that is required of you to achieve good pepper development.
Listen to additional, equally important recommendations for the cultivation of this vegetable:
- Water the seedlings not only with water, but also with nutrient compounds. Fertilize the bushes every 15 days, dissolving organic matter and minerals in warm (close to the soil temperature in the greenhouse - approximately + 25 ° C) standing water. Gradually, the amount of fertilizer should be increased. It is necessary to start watering with useful organic solutions from the moment the first leaves are formed.
- Try alternating between organic and mineral blends.
- 2 days before the feeding, the bed needs to be moistened well.
- After fertilizing, the soil around each bush should be loosened shallow, provided that it is not mulched.
- It is worth running beneficial insects into the greenhouse, luring them with sweet solutions. This will contribute to high-quality pollination of pepper.
- Systematically treat plantings with pests. The first crop of pepper is harvested in mid-August. The last treatment for parasites should be carried out no later than 30–35 days before harvesting.
So, the cultivation of pepper in a greenhouse is quite possible for beginner growers, you just need to correctly perform the agricultural technology developed by professionals. And then you will no longer have a question why this plant is developing poorly, but healthy and stably fruiting bushes will grow.
