Potted peppers - home care

Growing hot pepper from seeds is a relatively difficult process, since the plant is whimsical to planting conditions, requires mandatory soaking of the seed, germinates for a very long time even with abundant fertilization. But is it worth giving up or is there a chance to get an excellent harvest of hot pepper indoors without significant labor costs and financial losses?

• We make the soil for indoor hot pepper
• Planting seeds in the soil and features of the process

Hello dear readers!

So, dear friends, after reading the previous articles, you are probably thinking about planting lemon, dill, parsley or cilantro at home. Maybe some of you have already planted these plants? Then let's talk about the next inhabitant of our windowsill - sweet pepper.
Sweet pepper is very beautiful for its tight fruits, bright, tasty, filled with vitamins. It is him that we lack so much on rainy autumn days, and on harsh winter weekdays, and during the period of spring beriberi.

Do you want to admire the pepper and eat it all year round? In this case, feel free to start planting pepper on your windowsill, as these plants are ideal for care and growing in an apartment.

Temperature and humidity

The room should be 23-25 ​​degrees in the spring, in winter it is allowed to drop to 16-19 degrees.

An important feature of ornamental peppers is that the plant loves temperature changes, this concerns the difference between morning and night temperatures. For this reason, plant breeders recommend taking the pot out to the balcony.

To grow pepper on a windowsill, a moisture content of at least 60-70% is required. Exceeding the normal values ​​is not spiteful, besides this plant does not tolerate the dry period poorly. If the hygrometer shows less than 50% humidity, it is recommended, in addition to watering, to spray the bush with water from a spray bottle.

Indoor pepper varieties

Compact, undersized varieties of pepper (they are the most unpretentious and persistent) will be ideal for planting at home. The growth of this plant will reach half a meter and it will perfectly fit into the size of your window. The best varieties:

• Treasure Island. After 90-100 days, the pepper will invite you to taste its juicy orange-red heart-shaped fruits. Their mass reaches 60 grams, the thickness of the peel is up to 7 mm.
• The firstborn of Siberia. The crop ripens in 108-113 days from the moment of germination. The fruits are large, up to 100 g (peel thickness up to 6 mm). Bright red in color, these peppers are aromatic and tasty.
• Dwarf. Pepper variety with juicy, red fleshy cone-shaped fruits. Their weight reaches up to 83 grams (walls up to 9 mm). You can harvest the crop after 110 days from the time the sprouts appear.
• Watercolor. Glossy scarlet cone peppers will be ready for your table in 110 days. This pepper on the windowsill has small fruits, "for one bite", their weight reaches up to 30 grams, with a thin peel up to 2.5 mm.
• Gift from Moldova. Large peppers of a dark red color will delight you with a rich, sweet taste after 124-136 days. The weight of the fruit reaches 90 grams, the thickness of the peel is up to 6 mm.
• Swallow. A fragrant variety, the red juicy fruits of which can be used to decorate the table after 130 days. The fruits are large, up to 84 grams, with thick (up to 5 mm) walls.

These varieties of pepper are distinguished by high yields, they will delight you with their attractive fruits all year round.

Indoor peppers, like their outdoor counterparts, are divided into many varieties. When choosing, more importance is usually given to the fruits of the plant - size, color, taste: spicy or sweet. No less important factors are the time of flowering and ripening, fertility. Some species require special care, conditions of detention. The most popular varieties of decorative indoor peppers for self-cultivation are:

• Light;
• Chile;
• Small miracle;
• multi-colored indoor pepper - Garda Firewoks;
• Purple bullet.

Indoor peppers are interesting not only for fresh vegetables grown on the windowsill of an apartment, but also for their interesting, enchanting look. The leaves and fruits on the bushes of each variety have their own shades, structure, shape, abundance of flowering and the appearance of flowers. Some housewives keep indoor peppers on their windowsill exclusively for the interior. A properly selected plant variety complements the design of a room, especially a kitchen.

The most common type of hot indoor pepper is Twinkle. It is widely used in winter growing apartments. It has a relatively short ripening period - the bush begins to bear fruit 3-4 months after the first shoots appear in the pot. The size of the plant is small - the bush grows up to 30 centimeters, but the news is covered with fruits. In one flowering period, about 50 peppers ripen on the bush.

Indoor bitter pepper Spark is a long-term culture: with proper care, the bush lives up to 6 years. The plant does not require special care; regular watering will be enough for it in the apartment. In summer and on warm spring days, it is recommended to take the plant pot out to the balcony. The light is propagated by seeds, they are harvested in the fall, when the fruits become bright scarlet.

Chili or cayenne pepper varieties came to us from Bolivia. They are successfully grown in apartments and houses in any region, but they need a special soil - a mixture of peat, sand and earth. Fruiting in 90 days after germination. Ripe fruits are bright red, oblong in shape, up to 5 cm in length.

Almost all types of indoor peppers have a pungent taste, but Peak is an exception, its fruits are sweet, in a soft and delicate peel. Bushes grow up to 50 cm, leaves are dark green, wide at the base. With proper care, peppers live in a room for 2-3 years. At the same time, up to 15 fruits ripen on the bush - 2-4 chamber cone-shaped peppers, weighing 100-150 g.

The multi-colored indoor pepper Garda Firewoks is one of the most extravagant species. The bushes are not tall, 25-30 cm, but very lush branches with foliage begin close to the base. The leaves are long and narrow. Fruits are thin, oblong, up to 5-6 cm, they, like foliage, stick out in different directions. Pepper pods are spicy with a slight sourness.

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The most popular variety of purple indoor peppers is Explosive Amber. In mature form, its fruits are red, but during ripening they change colors: from pale lilac to dark purple. The main feature of this variety is the color of the leaves of the plant. The foliage of an adult bush has an unusual purple tint, scattered in the center, and saturated around the edges.

Growing in containers and pots

If you plan to grow an ornamental plant in containers or pots, you can choose any type of plant. Capsicum, the second name for ornamental pepper, is usually sown in early March, and in the summer you can take the pots with the plant outside, for example, on the balcony.

As for the choice of a pot, it is worth taking a container with a volume of about 5 liters.Although, if you plan to grow vegetable or berry peppers, which are tall, you should take a larger pot.

How to care for indoor peppers?

Caring for indoor peppers at home does not take much time, but you still need to pay attention to the plant, regardless of the age of the bush. Indoor pepper is a thermophilic culture and grows better in the sun, but the direct midday summer rays are dangerous for it: the leaves will burn. In the constant shade, the development of the bush will slow down, there will be less ovary.

Indoor decorative pepper easily tolerates pruning, you can shape its branches at your discretion. Pruning is carried out only at the end of summer, when the plant has gained strength, or in spring, when it is out of dormancy. Long branches are cut, the main trunk must not be touched: the pepper will die. Indoor pepper inflorescences do not require artificial pollination, but to speed up the process, you can shake the pot slightly during the flowering of the bush or help the flowers to pollinate with a soft brush.

Basic rules for watering indoor peppers:

1. In winter, the main thing is to make sure that the soil in the pot is moist, water the room pepper once a week.
2. In the summer you need to water every day, and the bushes in small pots and young sprouts a little 2 times a day.
3. It is useful for a bush when its leaves are sprayed daily with water from a spray bottle.
4. After pruning, the bush needs abundant watering to recuperate.
5. Do not overfill the soil or water the plant with cold water. Such actions can lead to rotting of the root system and the death of the plant. Moreover, the disease will manifest itself so late that it will be impossible to save the bush.
6. Plants placed over heating radiators need to be watered more often. In such cases, it is recommended to put a container with water on the battery to humidify the air.

Indoor pepper is a hardy and not capricious bush without special requirements for the soil, but, like every plant, it shows much better results with regular fertilization. Top dressing of indoor peppers begins two weeks after transplanting the seedling, and then is carried out once a month, depending on the condition of the plant, the conditions of its maintenance.

To make the flowering more abundant and the buds to form faster, pinching is carried out. Such care for indoor peppers is necessary, as a rule, at an early stage of cultivation before transplanting the seedling into a pot to a permanent place: the upper bud is cut off as soon as 8-12 leaves have formed on the stem. So the bush will grow not in height, but in width, letting go of fruitful shoots.

Which variety to choose

You can plant any variety of homemade decorative peppers at home. However, there is a list of varieties of decorative indoor peppers that are considered the least demanding to care for, they are most often eaten by others:

• Goldfinger
• Red rocket
• Jamaica
• Python
• Troll
• Black bride
• Pearl
• The Queen of Spades
• Filius
• Blue baby
• Jellyfish
• Aladdin
• Pearl
• Zorro
• Sirius
• Salsa
• Wushu
• Ampel mischievous

If you are growing decorative hot peppers for the first time, then you should start with these varieties.

Seed preparation

As you sow, it will ... grow. Particular attention must be paid to planting the pepper. Let's first decide what not to do:

1. You can not plant seed without preliminary soaking, as well as without treatment with special preparations (for example, a growth stimulator, a complex set of fertilizers, fungicides, etc.). The seeds are very small and have little vitality, so they can be lost without preparation.

   

2. Do not put grains in cold ground. They can not only rise for a long time, but also disappear. For germination, they need at least a temperature of 17-22 degrees. It is best if you can maintain a temperature of 32 degrees Celsius in the first week after the seeds are in the ground.This can be done using a conventional 60 W lamp, which is placed 12-16 centimeters from the surface of the earth - there will be enough heat.

   

3. It is impossible to firmly compact the soil over the seeds, they will germinate much longer and it will take up to 2 weeks of time until you can see the first "signs of life" in the pot.

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Now more about the disembarkation process itself. There are many technologies and every gardener does it differently. Let's consider the most common technique in more detail.

1. Seed soaking. The inoculum is placed on a gauze bandage or simply on a plate, where 2-3 mm of a previously prepared growth stimulator solution is poured. 1/3 measuring spoon or 2 grams of the substance is diluted with 1 liter of water. It is necessary to keep the grains for 9-12 hours, and the water temperature should be at least 30 degrees. You can warm it up with an ordinary lamp, as is the case with soil.
2. Preparing pot holes. If you are going to grow several bushes in one vessel, then you need to make 3-4 holes in different sides of the vessel, no more than 3 centimeters deep. It will be enough just to push the ground a little with your finger, so you will immediately kill 2 birds with one stone: install a dense sole and save time. After the seedlings germinate, they can be planted in different pots, or left to grow in one. In the second case, a large vessel is needed or the bushes will be smaller.

   

3. Planting seed. 1 seed is thrown into the center of the hole and lightly (!) Is sprinkled on top with earth.

   

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After that, it is imperative to water from a sprayer (you cannot pour water from a bucket, the earth will settle quickly), evenly saturating the soil.

It is necessary that it is filled with water as much as possible. You can determine the sufficient level visually - small puddles should form on the surface (see photo)

If you are going to plant seedlings outdoors or take out the pots for the summer, then you can plant a little smaller - the plant will grow well and take root at high temperatures.

For convenience, you can make special "tags", which indicate all the necessary information about the variety that you planted in this pot. They will be especially relevant with a large number of plants, when it is simply impossible to remember what was planted and where.

With their help, you can further control the growth and development of the plant. The sticky paper can be glued directly to the outside of the plastic pot.

To rid future plants of infections, the seeds should be kept for 20 minutes in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate, then rinsed with cool water. And soak in nutrient solutions of epin or zircon (growth biostimulants):

• Epin. Take 2 drops for 100 ml of water.
• Zircon. Add 1 drop to 300 ml of water.

In the healing solution, the seeds should be kept for about a day at room temperature. Then place them in damp gauze and place them in a dark, warm place.

Keep the pepper seeds there for 3 days at a temperature of 20 ° C to 25 ° C. Periodically moisten the cloth with warm water (it must not be allowed to dry out).

As soon as the seeds hatch, you can transfer the pepper to the windowsill.

Preparing a vessel for a future plant

The first step is to decide where the vegetable will grow. Many gardeners prefer to use long vessels in order to be able to plant several plants in a row at once. This allows you to significantly save space, but there are also many "drawbacks", for example:

1. The vessel will be relatively large, at least 20-25 kilograms, which will make it much more difficult to move. A large mass will also adversely affect the material of the window sill, especially if it is plastic. It can deform or "sink" in the middle.
2. It will be more difficult to navigate the varieties, since the planting density is quite large and it is often possible to determine what exactly will grow from the seedling only after the first fruits.
3. Unkempt appearance and difficulty in dividing varieties. You cannot put seedlings separately after the start of ripening, which will not satisfy the requirements of many gardeners. Some plants can be pollinated.

It is better to give preference to traditional flower pots (see photo).

Calculating the amount of land is quite simple - for 1 plant you must have 5 kilograms of fertile soil

(the calculation is made taking into account that the height of the bush will be no more than 35 centimeters, and it will be a room variety).

This is the minimum volume that is required for high-quality growth of the root system. It can also be planted in smaller pots, but, in this case, there is no guarantee that the pepper will develop correctly. If there is not enough free space for the lateral roots, they will twist. This will affect the vegetative mass of the plant, and even the fruits - they will be much sharper, smaller in size. In some cases, they are deformed - the pods have an irregular shape, curl more strongly.

To prepare the vessel, we need: a screwdriver, a heating element (lighter, gas stove, etc.) and a rag to wipe off the plastic. One of the most important points in the manufacture of a pot for indoor peppers is drainage - without it, there is nothing even to hope to get friendly shoots and ripe vegetables on time. To do this, you need to make several holes in the plastic bottom.

Most often, manufacturers produce such containers with special places where the plastic is much thinner and has a lower melting point. Only 140-160 degrees will be enough to melt the mugs at the bottom. If such places are not provided, it will be necessary to make drainage holes in a monolithic base. To do this, heat a screwdriver (best of all curly) on a gas stove or by means of another hearth of fire, then lean it to the bottom.

After the diameter of the burn-through matches the thickness of the screwdriver, you need to make several rotational movements at an angle of 50-60% degrees to widen the hole and smooth the edges.

Now the place for planting the plant is ready, all that remains is to find a shallow plate or stand under it, into which excess moisture will be poured after abundant watering. You can use an old ceramic plate or buy a factory fixture for 13-15 rubles on the market - it will be much cleaner in appearance.

Please note that the outer side of such a plate should not be metal (vessels can be steel only for balconies, where they are placed on the floor), since the surface of the window sill can be damaged.

Indoor pepper - diseases and pests

Diseases of bitter indoor pepper are the same as those of its garden counterpart. Some of them lead to yellowing of the foliage, others to damage to the root system. In the open field, the plant is mainly infected by insects (ants, flies), spreading under the skin of the stem:

• stolbur - underdeveloped fruits;
• fusarium - leaves turn yellow;
• late blight - spots on fruits;
• black code - the lower part of the stem rots.

Indoor ornamental peppers have less risk of infection; such diseases are formed only from improper care: excessive watering, the use of dirty water or soil, and other soil. Therefore, it is advisable not to dive seedlings with indoor peppers, but to place the prepared seed immediately in a pot with high-quality soil, where the bush will grow constantly.

Growing pepper from a cutting

In summer and spring, decorative peppers can be grown by cuttings. To do this, you need to cut off the lateral process, after which the resulting cut must be treated with a special growth stimulator. Next, the shoot must be placed in a mixture of soil and sand, the components are taken in a 1 to 1 ratio.It is necessary to ensure maximum watering of the cuttings, and then cover it with a plastic or glass cap. Place the stalk where it will be warm and light enough.

It is important to periodically ventilate the root; this should be done at least once a day.

You can pinch the top to speed up the rooting process. It is worth making sure that the cutting grows in soil suitable for potted plants. If you have chosen sandy-earthen soil for it at the rooting stage, you should give preference to the same mixture at the transplant stage.

Getting started landing

We need to prepare several containers for growing pepper in advance. Each pepper needs its own house, a separate wide and deep enough pot (so that the plant's rhizome is spacious and comfortable).

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Do not forget about the drainage layer (fine gravel, expanded clay or broken small pieces of red brick will do).

You can plant seeds at one of the most convenient periods for you:

• The last days of February - early March. It is necessary to find the most suitable time for landing (be guided by the weather forecast). If, a week after planting the seeds, nature decides to pamper us with very warm, sunny weather, the pepper can slow down its growth. In this case, it is better to keep the pepper at home at the beginning of its growth on the north window for a while.
• Winter months. When planting seeds in winter, it is necessary to ensure that the daylight hours are 12 hours daily. In addition, light the pepper with fluorescent lamps.
• The plant germinates well when planting seeds in late July or early September. Again, keep an eye on the weather forecast (so there are no too warm days ahead).

Transplant rules

Variety "Ogonyok"

Ornamental pepper is easy to grow from seeds, for this you just need to fulfill a number of conditions:

1. The seeds are wrapped in cloth and placed in a glass, poured over with warm water.
2. The next morning they prepare a pot: first, lay out a layer of expanded clay, pour soil on top.
3. The seeds are planted in moist soil to a depth of no more than 1 centimeter. The distance between plantings should be at least 7 centimeters, otherwise the bushes will intertwine and die.
4. After planting, the soil is moistened again with a spray bottle.
5. For a greenhouse effect, the seeds are covered with foil or plastic cups - this will accelerate seedling.

Taking care of our pepper

Operation	Pepper desires	Advice
Watering	As needed	Pepper on the windowsill should be watered with settled warm water (water temperature 30 ° C). Sprinkle the pepper with warm water daily. To prevent the plant from overheating during the winter heating season, cover the battery with a damp cloth. Remember to loosen the soil constantly.
Lighting	In winter, daylight hours should be 12 hours	Periodically turn the plant with different sides to the window. Fluorescent lamps will work with the usual white spectrum. Avoid direct sunlight.
Temperature	Day 25 ° - 27 ° C Night 10 ° - 15 ° C	In the summer, it is good to keep the pepper on the balcony, in the winter, transfer it to the windows in the south. Beware of drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations.
Top dressing	Fertilize once every two weeks after watering	You can feed the peppers on the windowsill with purchased nitrogen fertilizers for indoor flowers. Or make a nutrient solution (3 liters of water and 6 tablespoons of ash). As a top dressing, you can prepare decoctions of nettle, plantain, clover. It is very beneficial for peppers.

The plant may suffer from a lack of minerals. How to grow peppers in the most favorable conditions? Just monitor the condition of its leaves and apply the necessary fertilizer with a suitable composition in a timely manner:

• the leaves curl, a dry edge appears at the edges - a lack of potassium (add potassium sulfate or potassium nitrate);
• the matte color of the leaves with a grayish tint, the foliage begins to shrink - there is not enough nitrogen (ammonium nitrate, which contains 35% nitrogen, will help);
• the lower part of the leaves acquires a purple color, and the leaves themselves begin to nestle against the trunk and stretch up - there is little phosphorus (phosphoric acid is needed 16-18% percent);
• the deciduous crown acquires a marble color - the pepper on the windowsill lacks magnesium in the diet (magnesium in sulfate form is needed).

You can not use potassium salt, potassium chloride (their composition with an excess of chlorine is harmful to the roots of the pepper). But the excess nitrogen is not terrible for pepper.

Lighting

The first thing worth saying is that the room should be bright enough and often ventilated, but drafts are categorically undesirable. It is better to choose window sills in the east or west, so you will take into account the lighting requirement.

Don't put pepper pots on the south side. The fact is that the plant can get burns on the leaves if it is in the sun for a long time.

However, you do not need to keep the plant in the shade all the time. At least 3-5 hours a day, the bush should be placed in direct sunlight. If the weather outside the window is cloudy, you need to organize an artificial light source. If the sun is not enough, you will notice this by the appearance of the bush - the branches develop poorly, flowering is worse, and the fruit is catastrophically small.

The most stressful period for ornamental pepper is considered to be the end of autumn - the beginning of winter, since this period is characterized by a short daylight hours. In order to maintain the growth of pepper, you need to organize additional lighting with phytolamps.

We are waiting for the harvest

Most domestic peppers are self-pollinated plants. By the way, they can also be pollinated. Therefore, try to keep different varieties of peppers apart from each other.

When the first fruits appear, do not overload the plant - leave up to 4-5 fruits on it.

For this we select red, ripe fruits. Cut the pepper neatly in the circle of the stalk and very carefully remove the seed-bearing, holding it by the stalk.

We devote the next 4 days to drying the seed crop at a temperature of 25 ° C to 30 ° C. And we separate the seeds. Store them in a paper bag in a warm, dark place.

The maximum shelf life of seeds is 5 years.

It is necessary to transplant pepper on the windowsill once a year. He wants new, fresh land for a richer harvest (after all, he has already taken everything useful from the old soil). Change the land completely to fresh.

Transplant the plant carefully, being careful not to injure the root system with an earthy clod.

And after two years of the pepper's life, it already needs to be changed. It is a biennial plant and will readily pass the baton to younger and stronger peppers.

I wish you a rich harvest!

See you soon, dear readers!

Tags: pepper

Tags: pot, transplant, pepper

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Plant height

Different kinds

If the pepper bush grows in a natural environment, such as bell peppers, it manages to reach a height of 1 meter or even higher. As for indoor conditions, that is, growing on a windowsill, the plant can grow on average up to 30-60 cm, Aladdin is considered the highest variety. At the same time, the life span of a capsicum at home is not long, only 4-5 years.

However, even in such a short time, the bush will delight you with bright fruits more than once. Plus, you will be harvesting throughout the entire calendar year.

Pepper ornamental Filius blue. Hot peppers

Once I caught sight of a pretty small bush, all strewn with peppers, looking up like candles. Since this all started. Searches for the nearest flower shops, on the Internet.There is a lot of information, there are a lot of varieties, but often what grows is very different from what is in the description and in the picture and on the package. I had to buy and plant more to get that “perfect” flower that I dreamed of. The collection has grown, there is not enough space on the windowsill, I do not have time to eat everything , so the idea came to share with the people. May everyone be pleased with beautiful bushes and fragrant freshly picked fruits. And to make it clearer what is being sold, I decided to make a photo gallery. I didn’t come up with new names for the “wrong” peppers, and so there was a confusion with hybrids. All peppers were grown on the windowsill. Since there is only one south-west window, the peppers grew in 3 rows, shading each other, which is why, perhaps, the varieties that I grew for myself turned out to be a little elongated. Peppers are perennial plants, if they have enough light, then they constantly bloom and bear fruit. On my window without illumination, they bloom in February and in April you can already shoot the first harvest :). In terms of the size of my peppers, in my opinion, the smallest is Medusa, Zimbabwe bird, decorative Dutch orange hot pepper, then decorative Dutch yellow (but he also has larger peppers), then the Queen of Spades and Indian Summer, then, already medium - Filius blue, Rainbow of Bolivia *** (Tiny) and Sibirischer Hauspaprika. I sell seeds and sometimes seedlings and mature well-formed plants. I can sow and grow peppers to order. In general, write, ask.

Home care

Growing a culture in a pot is an easy task for experienced vegetable growers, but beginners should familiarize themselves in detail with the rules and features of care.

Temperature and lighting for hot pepper

Like garden relatives, indoor varieties prefer a warm microclimate, therefore, during the growing season, they need to provide a temperature within 25˚С. In winter, this figure should be slightly reduced to 15-18˚С. The change of night and day temperatures favorably affects the plant. With the onset of heat, it is advised to transfer the pot to a balcony or loggia.

For full development and high yields, it is advised to put a flowerpot on the western, southwestern or southern windowsill. A light-loving plant in spring and autumn needs good sunlight for up to 4 hours a day. On hot days, when the sun is especially active, it is better to shade the aerial part. If there is too little light, artificial lighting with phytolamps is used.

Watering and moisture

Pepper is a moisture-loving crop, so it is important to regularly monitor the condition of the soil and spray to create the required level of moisture. For the procedures, it is worth taking water at room temperature. In spring and summer, watering is carried out as the substrate dries, and spraying is carried out at least twice a week.

Advice!

If the flowerpot stands next to heating devices (or on hot days), then it is better to use a spray bottle every two days.

With the onset of autumn, the frequency of watering is reduced, and in winter it is reduced to a minimum. Pepper does not respond well to drought. Its leaves and fruits can not only wither, but also fall off. Prolonged lack of water can lead to death.

Pot and substrate

The pepper pot should be small. If a plant is diving from a common box, then the container should be no more than 100 ml. The pot must have drainage holes so that excess liquid can drain into the pan.

You can buy ready-made soil mixture in the store, or you can make a nutritious substrate yourself:

• leaf humus - 2 parts;
• turf soil - 2 parts;
• sand - 1 part.

You can prepare the soil from the components that can be found in any farm: crushed stone, sand, fertile black soil and universal fertilizer. All components are poured in layers. The first layer is crushed stone (drainage material), sand and black earth.Fertilizer can be mixed with soil or poured between a layer of sand and earth.

How to grow correctly

Sowing of indoor peppers is done at any suitable time of the year. If the planting was carried out in August-September, then the harvest will ripen around November-December.

For planting pepper seeds, the soil mixture is purchased at a gardening store or you prepare a nutritious substrate yourself. To do this, mix the following components:

• river sand, perlite or vermiculite (1 part);
• peat (2 parts).

Before sowing seeds, the soil for plants must be disinfected by sprinkling with preparations "Biofungicide", "Fitosporin" or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This procedure is carried out to prevent the development of fungal diseases. Some people pre-calcine the soil in the oven.

Pepper grains are germinated in humid conditions before planting. For this, the seeds are wrapped in a damp cotton cloth. To keep the moisture longer, cover the saucer with seeds with a lid.

For several days, the container with grains is placed in a dark and warm place with an air temperature of + 25-27 ° C. The seeds are kept moist and periodically inspected for sprouts. When the seeds hatch, they are planted in prepared soil.

Growing instructions

Those who have been growing indoor peppers for a long time plant sprouted seeds from late February to early March.... The day before sowing, the soil is well moistened. After this time, the grains are deepened into the soil by 1 cm and the container is covered with transparent glass or film. Next, the container is placed in a warm, dark place until shoots appear.

When the seedlings have 3-4 leaves, they are transplanted into separate pots. The container is chosen beautiful, with a volume of about 3-5 liters. At the bottom of the container, there must be holes to drain excess water and a drainage layer of 2-3 cm.

Irrigation quality is of great importance for pepper. Moisturizing is carried out not as abundantly as regularly. To do this, use settled water at room temperature (not lower than 20 ° C). Experienced growers water mature bushes when the foliage becomes slightly sluggish. However, when the plant begins to bloom and bear fruit, this is not allowed.

For your information... Some varieties of hot peppers especially need air humidification, so they are not only regularly moistened, but also sprayed on the bushes themselves.

Fertilize the culture every 10-14 days, mainly in the spring and summer. To do this, use complex mineral fertilizing, for example, "Nitrofoska", "Solution", "Kemira-Lux" or "Kemira-universal". For preparation, one teaspoon of the drug is stirred in 5 liters of water. Before fertilizing, the plants are watered, and in a pot, and not in a pan.

For year-round fruiting of pepper, the plant is kept at a daytime temperature of + 22-24 ° C, and at night at + 17-19 ° C. So that the bushes do not suffer from overheating on the windowsill in winter, they reduce the power of the heater.

In the spring, the pepper is transplanted into new soil. With the onset of warm weather, the culture is taken out onto the balcony and placed where there are no drafts. Some vegetable growers plant indoor peppers in the greenhouse, but they do not do this if its sweet brother grows there. In another case, the plants are pollinated, and instead of sweet pepper, bitter, albeit large, will turn out.

The nuances of home care

When pepper sprouts appear, the container with the seedlings is moved to the windowsill and the air temperature is lowered to + 20-22 ° C. The film or glass is removed and illuminated up to 12 o'clock with the help of lamps.

During transplantation, pinching of the main root is not carried out, since the culture does not tolerate this event well and slows down in growth.

For the first time, the seeds are planted in disposable cups with a diameter of no more than 5 cm and a height of up to 10 cm. Further, the transplant is carried out as the culture grows. Plants are moved to another container with a larger diameter when the roots begin to get crowded.Pots for adult shrubs are chosen with a height of 15-25 cm and a diameter of about 20-30 cm.

Indoor pepper is picky about soil moisture and does not like cold water. Plants are watered sparingly, with settled room water, as the topsoil dries out, but allowing moisture to be absorbed from the pan. If water remains in the pan after 30 minutes, it is poured out.

On a note. The higher the air temperature in the room, the more often the soil is watered.

Indoor hot peppers are not pinched, and in order for the plant to branch better, pinch its top.

Diseases and pests

Hot peppers, like ordinary peppers, are susceptible to fungal diseases and various pests. Therefore, it is worth finding out in advance what problems the plants may have and how to deal with them.

1. Spider mite. Due to the intervention of this pest, the growth of the culture stops, the leaves begin to curl, on which the mite leaves its web. They destroy it by spraying the plants with Aktellik, but at home, the biological products Bitoxibacillin or Fitoverm are best suited.
2. Aphid. Eats young shoots of culture. They get rid of aphids by treating the bushes with Fitoverm or Bitoxybacillin biological products.
3. Blackleg. This is a fungal disease that affects seedlings. The stem at the base of the shoots becomes thin and black. The disease appears due to excessive soil moisture or a lack of lighting - this leads to the death of young plants. To prevent the disease, the soil is watered and the sprouts are sprayed with the Previkur fungicide.

Important! On the packaging of each drug against diseases and pests, a waiting period is indicated, after which the fruit can be eaten.

Also tobacco is good for pest control. It is simply poured onto the plant itself and the surface of the soil in a container.

Possible growing problems

During the growth period, the root system very quickly assimilates new soil, therefore, from a lack of soil and nutrition, the pepper can shed leaves and flowers. It is important not to neglect fertilization during growth and flowering, and also to stimulate the formation of ovaries by artificial pollination.

Active leaf fall occurs in winter, especially in stuffy weather. Without air circulation, the leaves quickly evaporate moisture and weaken. The high temperature in winter with a lack of light is the most destructive for this plant. In such conditions, the bushes grow weak and deformed. The delicate foliage of pepper instantly reacts to any changes, be it temperature drops, or excessive watering. The tips of the leaves can darken from excess moisture, and the loss of brightness indicates a lack of trace elements.

In relation to pests, hot peppers are very resistant, but nevertheless, with improper care, they can be affected by aphids and spider mites. If this happened not during the fruiting period, you can use bio-fungicides, "Fitoferm", for example. If at the moment when you find pests, your pepper bears fruit and you use its fruits for food, try to fight aphids or spider mites using the same fruits.

Grind a few peppers in a coffee grinder and fill with warm water for a day (for 2-3 peppers, about 100 ml of water). Then add to the infusion of liquid soap (for adhesion) and spray the affected plants. After a day, the procedure must be repeated.

In general, nightshades are unpretentious. Having found a common language with hot indoor pepper, you will begin to understand what exactly this plant needs and correctly assess its condition.

Testimonials

★★★★★
Polina, 35 years old, accountant, Chelyabinsk. I received as a gift several pots of "Ogonyok" pepper, which quickly became my favorite in the kitchen. This plant not only pleases with its appearance, but also improves the microclimate of the apartment. And thanks to Ogonyok, we always have delicious, hot peppers on our table.
★★★★★
Irina, 43 years old, manager, Moscow. Ornamental peppers are very beautiful, but Black Pearl surpassed them all! It has unusually beautiful lilac flowers, and the ovaries that appear later resemble black peas. The fruits of the variety are edible, fragrant despite the pungent burning taste.
★★★★★
Victoria, 37 years old, dentist, Moscow region. Indoor hot peppers have been living on my windowsill for several years. I managed to come to an agreement with him only when I moved him to the south side. Otherwise, I did not have any problems with growing pepper. Some burning beauties serve culinary purposes, while others delight me all year round with their beautiful blooms.
Indoor hot pepper is an unpretentious and useful culture that performs decorative, food and medicinal functions. Growing and caring for a plant does not cause much trouble, so decorative peppers will become a welcome useful guest on your windowsill or balcony.

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Harvesting and Seed Harvesting Rules

As the fruit ripens, it is possible and necessary to harvest. There are varieties of indoor peppers, the pungency of which decreases at full maturity. Therefore, such fruits are harvested at the stage of technical ripeness. These unripe peppers are often much tastier than ripe ones.

For example, the fruits of the decorative bitter peppers of the Jalapeno variety (Jalapeno) are most often harvested when they are still green, but characteristic "scars" have already appeared on them, but becoming red this species already loses its taste value.

If you are interested in seeds for planting in the future, then you need to wait until the fruits are fully ripe, that is, they acquire the final color (yellow, orange or red). The fruits must be removed from the bush and allowed to dry for several days.

If the pepper is thin-walled, then it dries quickly enough, if it is thick-walled, then when the fruit wrinkles, it must be carefully cut and allowed to dry again for several days.

Then the seeds are carefully removed and laid out on a napkin to dry. Well-dried seeds can be put in a bag and stored in a dry, dark place, storage in the refrigerator is allowed. The main thing is that moisture does not get in, in this case they can rot.

General information about pepper

Pepper can be annual and perennial. For keeping in room conditions, special decorative varieties are chosen that do not shed their foliage in winter, like vigorous ones. The growth of low-growing peppers will not exceed 50-60 cm. Therefore, such plants look perfect on any windowsill. Pepper varieties for the home differ from each other: properties, degree of pungency, shape, size, color of the fruit.

In addition, indoor pepper is a natural antiseptic, purifies the air in the apartment, and fights viral bacteria. Lovers of traditional medicine make a tincture, which is used as a warming agent for rubbing with colds.

Ground - used in hair masks, which promotes their active growth. Hot peppers in the kitchen can always be used in the preparation of dressings for soups, ketchups, marinades, adjika, pickles. From sweet - salads are made, stuffed, pickled.

Important! Do not overuse spicy food in your diet, otherwise hot pepper contributes to irritation and inflammation of the stomach lining. Be sure to wear rubber gloves when working with fruits of sharp varieties.

Where to apply

Hot peppers are widely used to prepare savory dishes. The fruits are great for preserving and making various sauces. Hot pepper increases appetite, goes well with many dishes, especially the first.

It is also used in medicine. Medicinal tinctures are made from it, which are used against indigestion, sciatica and neuralgia. Hot peppers have been shown to lower blood pressure.

On a note. If dried fruits without seeds are ground in a coffee grinder, you get a natural spicy seasoning.

Space and space requirements

Pepper loves an abundance of light, warmth and moisture. The culture grows well on windows and balconies that face south and southeast... Daytime air temperature should be at around + 22-26 ° C, and at night within + 16-19 ° C. If these values ​​drop to + 13 ° C, the plants will die. They are also negatively affected by drafts. Growing pepper in winter on the balcony is allowed if it is well insulated or additionally heated.

In winter, daylight hours are reduced, so additional lighting from fluorescent lamps is evenly installed over the plants. They are fixed at a distance of 30-50 cm from the tops of the bushes. To extend daylight hours, the light is turned on before dawn and after sunset. Plants need lighting for 10-12 hours.

Storage for future use

1. Dry pepper: Take a needle and pierce the stems of the fruit so that they form a garland of pepper, then hang them in a warm, well-ventilated place and let the air dry them for a 4-5 week period. An electric vegetable and fruit dryer will help you simplify this method.
2. Dried peppers can be processed into flakes or powder, which will serve as an excellent seasoning for dishes.
3. Freezing peppers in bags or freezer containers immediately after collection, without further preparation. After you defrost your peppers, you will find that the flesh is slightly softened, don't worry, they will be just as hot as they were when picked.
4. Preservation and pickling any recipe you like.

The fruits will last much longer if they are simply placed unwashed fresh in a natural cloth bag or a special container for storing vegetables in the refrigerator.

Reproduction

Indoor peppers can be propagated in one of two ways:

• generative (from seeds);
• vegetative (using cuttings).

There are two methods to grow a plant from seed. The sequence of actions for the first method:

• Pick up pots with a volume of 4 to 6 liters, fill them with earth, not forgetting to arrange a drainage layer.
• Pour the seeds into the water, leave to soak for 60 minutes. Then transfer them to a damp cloth for a day.
• Plant them in prepared containers and sprinkle on top with a small amount of soil. The soil must be moist.
• Cover everything with foil or glass and put it in a warm room. Remember to regularly ventilate and moisturize. As soon as the first 4 leaves appear, pinch the top so that the crown begins to form.

The second method is growing seedlings and replanting them as they grow.

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Reproduction through cuttings can be carried out in both spring and summer. This method involves pruning the side shoots and placing them in separate rooting pots.

If you love aesthetics, then be sure to get yourself a decorative pepper. It can be used to decorate any window sill or balcony. In addition, its fruits will be useful in the preparation of culinary masterpieces.

Characteristics and features of the plant

Indoor pepper belongs to the nightshade family. The plant is characterized by branched stems, small leaves, light inflorescences and glossy fruits of various shapes, sizes and colors, depending on the variety. Flowers are formed singly or in bouquets. For home cultivation, it is advisable to choose compact bushes no more than 50 cm in height. Thus, it will be possible to plant several different species on the same windowsill so that they do not interfere with each other.

A perennial plant can live in apartment conditions for up to 5 years, delighting with beautiful bright fruits. Most of the representatives of ornamental bitter pepper are characterized by abundant fruiting.

Bitter pepper blooms without bright colors, but bears fruit very effectively. Depending on the variety, the peppers are red, orange, yellow, sometimes white, and even purple. Such a variety of shades allows you to create a unique composition if you arrange pots with different varieties in one place. During the growing season, the shrub is decorated with small, smooth fruits, as if covered with wax on top.

What indoor hot pepper looks like

The vegetable is also divided according to the ripening period. Early ripening varieties can be eaten within 2-3 months from the moment of germination. Mid-season ripens in 3.5-4 months, and late species in 4-5 months.