Despite the fact that pepper is a rather heat-loving vegetable crop, it is quite possible to cultivate it in Russia, in the central regions and even a little to the north. In a harsh climate, it is not grown by direct planting in open ground, but only with the help of seedlings. This is a very useful vegetable, it is a champion among vegetables for the content of vitamin C. True, there are so many of it in pepper only in an unripe state. And when the fruit ripens, it significantly increases the content of another useful substance - provitamin A.
It is very widely used in cooking, especially sweet peppers. This product goes well mainly with meat dishes, complementing them and adding piquancy to them. In general, pepper is tasty in any form - and being steamed, and fried, and in the form of lecho ( sweet pepper is used in its preparation , the agricultural technique of which is the same). Due to its beneficial properties and such widespread use, many people grow it, despite certain difficulties.
Agricultural technology of peppers when grown in central Russia is as follows: seedlings are prepared for starters. Seeds are soaked, warmed up. After germination, they are planted in small pots for seedlings: special small or in traditional cropped bottles for soda or mineral water, cropped boxes for juice. Each pot contains 2 seeds. It should be remembered that the vegetative period of pepper (that is, the period from germination to fruiting) is approximately 140 days, or less than 5 months. And in open ground (or in a greenhouse, depending on where you are going to grow pepper) seedlings are planted at the age of about 70 days. At this moment, the buds are ripening on the bushes. The agricultural technology of pepper practically does not depend on the variety that you have chosen, the rules for all of them are approximately the same.
As a rule, an average family of 4-5 people planting 15-20 paired bushes is enough in excess. Enough to eat fresh pepper, and to make various preparations for the winter.
Peppers need to be planted after plants such as mustard, radish, turnips, cabbage (any), radishes or tomatoes. Before planting peppers in open ground, you need to properly fertilize the earth, make it balanced. The ideal option is sandy-clay soil with a good humus content. Pepper does not tolerate cold soil and cold winds, and therefore it is best to plant it near the south side of the house - the wall will protect from the wind, and from the south the soil and a lot of sunlight are best warmed up.
Agricultural technology of pepper is carried out taking into account the fact that the plant loves heat with an average content of water in the soil. That is, where peppers grow, it should be very warm and moderately humid.
Peppers are planted in beds, every 50 cm from each other. They are strong and tall bushes with a tree trunk. And so be sure to think about the garter, consider its possibility. You can immediately stick a column next to it so that you do not have to stick it later and injure the roots. Tie up at the level of the main fork of the bush.
But you can plant more often (25 cm between the bushes), that is, use the so-called thickened type of planting, in which much more plants are planted on the same area of the earth. Fruits are much smaller, but their number from one bush increases significantly. Choose what is more valuable to you - quality or quantity.
Agricultural technology of peppers provides for its pruning, which he safely tolerates. Cut only the longest shoots on the bushes. In this way, they ensure that none of the branches on the bush turns out too overshadowed by others. Be sure to cut the branches below the main fork and shoots inside the crown of the plant, because they always turn out to be shaded and, as a result, do not bring normal fruits. Or they don’t give them at all. The fruits are removed as they reach marketability. This stimulates the formation of new ovaries.
Agricultural technology of sweet pepper practically does not differ from the above. Therefore, you can grow it the same way.