Peppers and tomatoes are extremely responsive fertilizer crops. If you want the plants to please you with an excellent harvest, it is necessary from the first days of planting seedlings to make sure that the soil contains all the necessary trace elements for its growth and development. And since they will absorb them quickly and quite diligently, fertilizers for pepper will have to be applied regularly as seedlings grow.
The main difficulties
When talking with gardeners, you often hear that they stop growing peppers in their area. This is due to some of the difficulties that is the cultivation of a thermophilic crop in our climatic conditions. Few people know that this is a perennial shrub, but in our country it is cultivated exclusively as an annual plant. Its fruits are loved by everyone, they go to the preparation of salads, first and second courses, are sources of vitamins and minerals.
Is it so difficult to grow them in Russia? Let's just say this is possible, subject to a number of rules. We do not take into account the southern regions of the country. This culture has a long growing season, which means that in many regions of the country, seedling planting begins in February. This gives the plant a chance to catch in a short, hot period to bloom and grow fruit. In addition, very important factors are timely weeding and watering, cultivation. Do not forget to apply fertilizer to the soil on time. For pepper, this is one of the foundations of normal life.
We grow seedlings
To get a good harvest, it is necessary to sow the seeds in the soil in late January - early February. To do this, you need to prepare the boxes in advance, fill them with soil, water. In a couple of days it will be possible to start planting seeds. The composition of the soil is the same as it will be used for subsequent cultivation in open ground, greenhouses or greenhouses. You will need two parts of the earth, one peat and one humus. Everything is thoroughly mixed. If you take garden soil, then do not forget to disinfect it with potassium permanganate or exposure to high temperatures.
First feeding
Pepper fertilizer is a source of life and health. Only on nutrient-rich soil will seedlings grow strong and healthy. So, she can easily transfer the transplant to the open ground and take root without any problems. As soon as the first true leaves appear in the seedlings, it is necessary to feed. The second stage - two weeks after the dive. The last time the seedlings are fed 10 days before planting in the ground. Further, all activities will be carried out already at the main place of residence.
Best lineup
The ideal fertilizer for pepper during the first weeks of seedling life is a complex, nutritious mixture, in which the nitrogen content prevails. If you have nowhere to buy it, then you can cook it yourself. There is nothing complicated about it. It is enough to dissolve 1.5 g of potassium salt and 0.5 g of urea, as well as 4 g of superphosphate in one liter of water. This is the starting composition, which will enable the plants to quickly gain strength, and will start to grow. Pepper seedlings are fed by irrigating the nutrient composition of previously moistened soil.
As soon as the plants release the second and third leaves, it is time to dive. It is best if they are immediately cups designed for an individual fit. For example, peat.
Immediately after this, the next feeding of pepper seedlings follows. Urea is best used for this. To do this, dissolve one tablespoon of the substance in 10 liters of pure water. For the third time, immediately before planting in the ground, preparations containing nitrogen and phosphorus are used. In small quantities, the potassium content is acceptable.
Optimum dosage is the key to success
Fertilizers for the growth of pepper seedlings should be supplied to the soil regularly, which is an essential guarantee of good growth and a future crop. Young peppers are the most unpredictable of all garden plants. They can grow and develop normally, and suddenly, in an instant, they begin to dry out. Experienced gardeners say that this is just the result of a lack of nutrition. If urgent feeding is needed, then the situation can still be saved.
It is useful to know what functions a particular substance has. Nitrogen is essential for the growth of the green mass of the stem, phosphorus - for a powerful root system. But potassium seedlings are almost never used, it will be required much later. But the quantity is a little more difficult to determine. Based on practical experience, we can say the following. While the plants are developing well, have thick trunks and well-developed leaves, you can not bother to fertilize. And as soon as growth retardation is diagnosed, you can correct this situation with a new batch.
We stopped at this point because an inexperienced gardener can decide that granular compost, vermicompost, and other "charms" that are now freely sold in summer cottages can be sprinkled under the root in unlimited quantities. It is unlikely that this plant will die, this is a fact, but they will begin to "fatten". That is, you get a huge bush with lush leaves, which refuses to bloom and produce crops. All his energy will go to the formation of green mass. But if you feed too much, then the leaves will lose their beauty, begin to curl and become fragile.
The main differences in feeding seedlings
Fertilizing for bell pepper must be done correctly. If in the soil you can simply water the ground, and only then with the help of a watering can pass a nutrient solution, then in the boxes you will have to change tactics. Here you moisten the soil in the evening, and in the morning, feed. Otherwise, there is a risk of flooding the root system. Fertilizing tactics are of two types. In the first case, nutrients are introduced under the root, and in the second, they are sprayed onto green leaves. In the case of seedlings, it is the first option that is suitable, since nutrition should go both to the roots and leaves.
The first nutritious cocktail is prepared in approximately the following proportions: 1 g of urea, 8 g of superphosphate, 3 g of potassium sulfate. This mixture must be dissolved in two liters of water. There is one more trick. Before applying fertilizer for bell pepper, it is recommended to sprinkle ash in the pots. Subsequently, the concentration is doubled. The frequency of application is two weeks.
Choose a bed
It is best to plan spring plantings in advance, and for this you need to know what conditions pepper likes. Growing and caring in the open field is a little easier than in pots. The main thing that a southern guest needs is a warm land with a high humus content. It is best if the composition is sandy or loamy. That is, moderately loose. Good moisture is required, therefore peat, turf and leaf humus must be added to too light soils. It is best if legumes grew on the selected site last year. But the bed of tomatoes fits poorly, because they have one pest.
The soil for planting pepper is prepared in advance. From autumn, organic matter must be added to the selected bed. For example, rotted manure. This is the best choice for every gardener. You need to make it in the amount of 3-4 kg per square meter. Another option may be straw with the addition of nitrogen components. These are optimal fertilizer options for any type of soil.
Top dressing in the ground
It's time to transplant our young pepper into the garden. Cultivation and care in the open field will be largely determined by weather conditions. If the weather is hot and sunny, you just have to add the necessary nutrients, as well as carry out regular watering. If it’s cool outside, you will have to arrange additional protection in the form of a greenhouse or greenhouse. But more on that later.
The first top dressing will be required two weeks after the young peppers have moved to the open ground. For this purpose, the following solution is used. For 10 liters, you need to take two teaspoons of urea and the same amount of superphosphate. Under each bush, you will need to make about one liter of solution.
Mass flowering period
This is an important point, since right now your future crop is being laid. The formed ovary will now grow and turn into healthy vegetables. To prevent flowering wasted, it is very important to add potash fertilizers. For pepper, this will be their first introduction from the moment of planting. To prepare the nutrient solution, you need a teaspoon of potassium sulfate, a similar amount of urea and two tablespoons of superphosphate. Dosage similar to the first top dressing.
Fruit formation
When the flowering is over, a small ovary appears on the bushes. Each of these primordia can grow into a huge juicy and delicious pepper. For more intensive growth and development, the third top dressing is performed. To do this, for 10 liters of water, you need to take two teaspoons of superphosphate and potassium salt. If fruit growth is intensive, then this can be limited. But sometimes the gardener notices that, despite all the efforts, the ovary continues to hang on the bushes unchanged, or the plant itself froze in growth. If nothing is done, you can stay at the end of the season with tiny green fruits that are suitable only for winter harvesting. An excellent solution would be foliar feeding with a urea solution. A bucket of water will require 30 g. It is best to do this in the evenings, for 5-7 days.
Indoor feeding schedule
Growing plants in a greenhouse has its own specifics. Here the temperature is different, which means that the growth of peppers will be more intense. Accordingly, much more nutrients will be required. At the same time, do not forget that organic substances contribute to the productive formation of the crop, and minerals are necessary for proper plant growth. The ideal fertilizer for pepper when planting is an aqueous solution of bird droppings. Concentration should be weak, maximum 1:15. Mullein can also be used, here the proportions can be 1:10. These mixtures contain a complete set of useful substances that contribute to the growth and development of crops. If the soil of the greenhouse is well manned since the fall, then you can replace the organic with potassium sulfate with superphosphate.
Mineral fertilizers for peppers in the greenhouse become very important about two weeks after flowering. Now is the time for the active formation and growth of fruits. The best choice will be organic with the addition of mineral fertilizers. By the way, the collection of the first fruits does not mean that plant care can be stopped. The third feeding is carried out just at this time. The composition can be slightly changed. In some cases, gardeners believe that the best fertilizer for peppers is the composition indicated above. Further feeding is necessary only if the soil is very poor. Here, a mixture of superphosphate with mineral fertilizers is best suited.
Folk remedies
If you are against the use of chemistry, and there is no way to get rotted manure, then you can use other folk remedies. To do this, one tablespoon of wood ash must be dissolved in two liters of hot water. Stir and let it brew for a day. Now it remains only to strain and use as intended. Ash as a fertilizer for peppers is a source of the most important minerals.
For feeding, you can use eggshell. To do this, take the shells of two or three eggs, wash and dry. Now thoroughly chop, pour into a three-liter jar of water and let it brew for three days, stirring occasionally. During this time, the water will be enriched with magnesium and iron, calcium and potassium. As a top dressing, this infusion can be used, breeding one to three.
Another great recipe is tincture of onion peel. It not only saturates the soil with microelements, but also disinfects it, which is especially useful for young plants. It is very easy to prepare it, for this you need to take 20 g of husk in 5 liters of water and insist for five days. If you like coffee, then during the year try not to throw out the thick. It is dried and collected, and then applied to the soil. So it is saturated with nitrogen and oxygen, which is very useful for plants. In addition, gardeners recommend stocking dry banana skins. Shredded and added to the soil, they are also an excellent source of potassium and other nutrients.
Finished Nutrient Complexes
It is difficult to say which option is optimal. Someone prefers to grow their plants exclusively on natural top dressing, such as mullein or bird droppings. Others from early spring are stocked with industrial solutions, powders and tablets, which are sufficient to dilute in water and make into the ground. Complex fertilizer for seedlings of tomatoes and peppers can be bought in liquid form or in granules. Trademarks may have different names, but the essence of this does not change. Check out the composition. If it contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, then this is just the mineral complex that you need. For pepper, the percentage should be N: P: K% 12.5: 17.5: 25. When preparing the soil, fertilizer in an amount of 20-30 g per 1 square meter is evenly scattered on the surface of the earth, and then dug up.
The second stage opens during the growing season. Now additionally feeding the plants with a half dose is performed. That is, 10 g per square meter is already used. Contribute to damp earth and evenly distribute around, incorporating into the soil. In addition, fertilizer is applied in the form of a solution. To do this, take 10 g of powder for seedlings and 20 g for adult plants. A small amount of insoluble residue is acceptable. For seedlings, it is recommended to alternate top dressing with one irrigation with plain water. For adult plants, its use is allowed at each watering.
Instead of a conclusion
Pepper is a rather capricious culture, so in order to get a good harvest, the gardener must provide all the conditions for it. The southern plant loves hot weather and plentiful watering, as well as nutritious soil. If the first two factors are highly dependent on the climatic conditions of the region, then the third entirely depends on you. The choice of fertilizing varies according to the preferences of the gardener. You can ask humus from a neighbor - a farmer, supplement it with wood ash and forest humus, and you will get excellent nutrition for your plants. And you can just buy a special solution or granules in the store, which is enough in excess for the entire season.
And finally, the advice of experienced gardeners. After harvesting, sow a bed on which you plan to plant peppers with ordinary barley in the next season. As soon as the first green appears, mow it with a sickle and leave it on the ground. This will enrich the soil with nodule bacteria and make it healthier.