Bulgarian pepper (or capsicum) is a valuable vegetable crop. He has no shortcomings. The nutritional value is huge, the pulp of the fruit contains a whole pantry of nutrients plus a huge dose of vitamin C. The taste is wonderful. And the fruits themselves please with juicy and bright colors: red, green and yellow peppers are a very beautiful and tasty addition to almost any dish.
Pepper is a thermophilic and hygrophilous plant, however it can be grown even in Siberia. There are special varieties, early ripe and high-yielding, bred specifically for the climatic conditions of our country.
However, there is one controversial point when growing such a crop as bell pepper. Stepsonovka: conduct or not? For the next of kin, tomato, this procedure is mandatory, but the situation with peppers is not so clear.
Peppering: arguments for and against
Opponents and supporters of this procedure bring a lot of arguments in their favor. So, why is it not worth pursuing pepper? First of all, because this plant does not tolerate such a procedure. Bell peppers like to grow heaped, touching leaves with each other, and their own foliage is quite thick. And if you remove the stepsons, the plant can simply discard the remaining leaves and ovaries, so that there will be no crop in principle. Another argument of opponents of pinching is that there is no need to carry out this procedure. The plant will bloom and bear fruit so well, so there is no need to stress it.
However, there is another opinion. Many people consider pinching peppers an obligatory procedure. The arguments are as follows: the bush will grow better, develop and give a bountiful harvest.
However, as often happens, the truth is somewhere in between, and neither side is right.
How to pinch pepper
Bell pepper really does not tolerate pinching, moreover, it practically does not need it. How can you determine if this procedure is necessary or not? First of all, we pay attention to the variety: there are a small number of varieties of bell pepper, which are recommended for pinching.
The next thing you need to pay attention to is the weather. If the summer is humid and hot, then the pecking of the pepper is mandatory: in such weather, the number of shoots will increase sharply, and they must be removed so that water can flow freely to the roots. In hot and dry summers there will be very few stepchildren, therefore it is better not to touch the bushes at all. Moreover, additional shoots will protect the soil from drying out.
If there is still a need to pinch pepper, then 5-6 top shoots should be left. It is on these branches that the crop will appear later.
To form a compact bush, many carry out pinching - removing the upper part of the main stem. This procedure is also optional.
Brief conclusion: if you are an inexperienced gardener, it is best not to step on bell peppers. Harvest is likely to be less, but you will avoid the risk of destroying the plant.