Bell pepper is a tasty and healthy vegetable grown in almost every household plot. Its high yield is the cherished dream of every gardener. To achieve this goal, vegetable growers use various methods, which include not only applying all kinds of fertilizing, but also using special cultivation methods. One of such effective technologies is the formation of pepper at certain stages of its growth.
The need for bushes
This method has both fans and opponents. The latter are also right, only partially. The fact is that the formation of a bush of pepper is not required if it is a short or medium-sized variety. Plants with a height of 0.5-1 meter are able to more or less independently cope with growth problems and even give a good harvest. However, tall varieties, stretching up to 2 meters in height, need help. This help consists in timely pinching, pruning and removing unnecessary shoots.
The formation of pepper in a greenhouse is especially relevant, since in an artificial climate tall varieties reach maximum sizes. In greenhouse conditions, they need constant care, and, of course, the bushes must be tied up.
The formation of pepper in a greenhouse made of polycarbonate, glass or film contributes to better growth and strengthening of plant branches. Proper correction of the bush provides him with the necessary access to light, good ventilation and adequate nutrition for future fruits. Proper care and formation of pepper have a positive effect not only on the rate of ripening, but also on the quantity, size and beauty of the fruit.
"Anatomy" of bell pepper
The main objective of the formation of this vegetable crop is the rational creation of a powerful and compact bush with healthy and strong shoots. It does not matter where the pepper is formed - in the open ground or in the greenhouse, this procedure is carried out in several stages. In order not to harm the plant, it is necessary, first of all, to know its “anatomy”. So, the "construction" of the bush of pepper includes:
• Root stalk.
• The main shoots.
• Minor shoots.
• Main branches.
The correct formation of pepper allows you to get up to 20 fruits from each branch.
Cropping Features
When carrying out procedures for cutting green leaf mass, a strict balance must be observed. Too much pruning of the bush will cause the plant to lose the ability to synthesize the necessary amount of energy required for the ripening of large fruits in large quantities. Thus, the formation of sweet pepper should be carried out competently and rationally.
Tools for cutting
Trimming bell peppers is performed using a special garden tool: a knife, pruner and shears with rounded ends. All tools must be well sharpened and clean. The presence of nicks and rust on the cutting surfaces is unacceptable, as this can lead to infection of the plant with various diseases.
After trimming the first shoots, the bush should be tied to a garden support or trellis to prevent the risk of possible damage and breakage during further care or due to wind (if pepper grows in open ground).
Methods of forming a bush
The formation of pepper seedlings begins after the stem reaches a height of 20-25 cm. In this phase, the bush begins to branch and forms a crown bud. The main shoot should already contain up to ten leaflets and up to four lateral shoots of the first order, from which the first skeletal branches of the pepper bush should be selected.
The formation of tall varieties of pepper is carried out according to one of three schemes: in two, three or four stems. The pruning scheme is selected taking into account the plant variety, planting scheme, growing conditions and timing. If the pepper is formed correctly, the result should be a bush with a powerful main trunk, on which several strong skeletal branches are located.
Phased bush formation
The most popular and effective technique for forming a pepper bush is a 2-stalk pattern. The process is carried out in several basic ways and is divided into four stages.
I stage. Removing the crown flower bud
The development of pepper starts from one stem. When it grows to a height of 15-20 cm, its branching begins. At this point, a flower bud is formed. To improve the branching of the bush, the bud must be removed. In the case of the formation of several buds, they are all removed.
In the process of self-growing seedlings, it is necessary to monitor the appearance of buds and immediately remove them.
They leave the crown bud only in the only case - when they plan to grow one huge pepper on the bush for seeds. But in this case, all other fruits will have a very nondescript appearance.
II stage. Removing excess shoots
When several shoots are formed at the branching point, a couple of the strongest are selected from them. They will be skeletal branches of the bush. On the remaining branches, pinching is carried out. Trimming the growth point and the crown.
At this stage, the plant is already acquiring several dozen leaves. When thinning the bush, one leaf is left on each branch, which can provide nutrition to the fetal ovary.
After a while on each branch, forks with a bud will form. Of the newly emerged shoots, the strongest should be left, and the rest should be pinched off the first leaf.
This procedure is performed each time the bush branches. The buds that appear in the branching are left, and in the internodes, they are removed.
III stage. Removal of lower leaflets and sterile shoots
At the vegetation stage, pepper bushes can form sterile shoots. They are formed on the main stem below the first branch. Such shoots must be completely removed. In addition, all leaves that are not responsible for the nutrition of the fetus are cut off. Leaves can be cut in any part of the bush. So that the formation of pepper is gentle, no more than two leaves should be removed at a time.
IV stage. Pinching the main branches
This process is carried out after the formation of a sufficient number of fruits on the bush (about 20 pieces). At this stage, it is necessary to pinch all the growth points located on the main shoots. Such a procedure helps to slow down the growth of green mass and prevent the emergence of new ovaries in order to direct the plant's strength precisely to the ripening of the fruits. It is carried out 1-1.5 months before the technical ripening of fruits and mass harvesting.
Useful Tips
• The main principle that should be observed when forming a bush of pepper is the timeliness of procedures. Extra shoots must be removed at the initial stage of their development so that they do not take away the strength from the plant.
• Another important point is the phased implementation of work. It is impossible to form a pepper bush at a time correctly. With the simultaneous removal of a large number of shoots, the plant will simply die.
• If bell peppers are grown outdoors, dry and windless days should be chosen for pruning and pinching. Such conditions contribute to the rapid healing of sections and, thus, the plant easily tolerates the necessary trauma. If the procedure for forming a bush is carried out after rain, watering or spraying, the risk of pepper infection with various diseases increases significantly.
• Do not rejoice when tall and beautiful shoots appear on the bushes, but without flowers and ovaries. This useless green mass only takes away the strength and necessary nutrients from the plant. Such shoots are called fattening, and they must be removed as soon as possible.
• So that all fruits develop equally and small and deformed peppers do not appear, it is recommended to leave no more than 20 pieces on one bush.
• To prevent damage to the bush under the weight of the fruit, its branches must be fixed to a trellis or supports. With a garter, they can be gently rotated to move the flowers and ovary to a more lighted place.
• For the manufacture of trellises and supports, as well as for the garter itself, it is categorically not recommended to use wire or metal structures. During operation, these materials will oxidize or become rusty, which will cause damage to both greenery and fruits that are in direct contact with metal elements.
• It should be remembered that any operations on the formation of pepper bushes can be carried out only on healthy soil. If the soil contains pathogens injured as a result of pruning a plant, they will certainly become infected and die quickly.
• After trimming one bush, it is recommended to sanitize the garden tool, and only then proceed with processing the next one. This simple rule will help to eliminate the infection of healthy bushes.
• All trimmed shoots and leaves must be collected and disposed of outside the garden. Such a measure is necessary to prevent the invasion of harmful insects, which are attracted by the smell of plant juice.
• When growing bell pepper, you should minimize the impact on it of various stresses. This also applies to pruning. The formation of bushes must be carried out in a timely and mandatory manner under the “right” weather conditions.
• Any traumatic operations can be carried out only on healthy plants and always with a clean and sharp tool. Affected by any disease, the bush will certainly not be able to cope with injuries and die.
• Bell pepper is a very photophilous plant. Sufficient lighting is the most important source of health and vitality of this plant.
Consequently, the most important task of the vegetable grower is to provide access to the required amount of light so that neighboring bushes and their shoots do not "fight" among themselves for light. With a lack of coverage of the crop, you can not wait, even if there were flowers on the bush. Therefore, it is so important to remove all unnecessary from the bottom of the plant - leaves, flowers and ovaries.
Conclusion
The formation of a bush of pepper in a greenhouse is a rather scrupulous and laborious job, but the result is worth it. Well-groomed plants produce several crops per season.
Many gardeners consider bell pepper a rather whimsical crop that requires a lot of effort to grow. However, if you follow all agrotechnical rules and follow the necessary recommendations, then a good harvest of large and juicy fruits is guaranteed.