In winter, decorative peppers look beautiful on the kitchen window. Currently, there are many varieties of this plant, which differ in height, color of foliage and fruits, in shape and size of fruits. Decorative peppers bloom and bear fruit from July to October. Their flowers are small, white or lilac, often single. Unusual and decorative plants give pods sticking up, the most diverse color and shape. Small fruits may be orange,
light yellow, red, green, lilac, brown, violet - all colors can be in shades. During ripening, the fruits change color. So at the same time on one bush there are many fruits of a different color.
Decorative peppers have pods of various shapes. They are mainly conical: short or long, elongated. There are varieties with round fruits that are very reminiscent of berries. There are long-fruited (up to 20 cm) and small-fruited (up to 1 cm) varieties.
If you want to have a bright, relatively unpretentious plant with colorful fruits on the window, buy or plant decorative pepper. Its cultivation begins in March. Seeds are planted in pots (large depths) with a soil mixture. When the first two true leaves appear, young plants
dive. For normal development, this culture requires a temperature of about 22 ° C. Decorative peppers are fed two or three times with organic or mineral fertilizers (not containing chlorine). In summer and spring, plants require good regular watering. Decorative peppers bloom in the presence of sufficient lighting, but are afraid of drafts. If the fruits began to fall, then either you overdried the soil, or a draft appeared.
Decorative pepper fruits contain a lot of capsaicin, which gives them a sharp spicy taste. They can be used as seasoning for cooking. Still fruits contain carotenoids, ascorbic acid, essential oils, steroid saponins and fatty oils. With moderate consumption, decorative hot peppers increase appetite and improve digestion. Dried fruits are also used for the preparation of tinctures, which are used for neurology and radiculitis, for grinding and compresses. Pepper fruits themselves should be handled carefully - they irritate the skin and mucous membranes quite strongly.
In February, the plant drops foliage, but do not rush to throw it away. With proper watering and a sufficiently high temperature, young leaves will soon appear, and then flowers and fruits. With good care, they can please you for 2-3 years. For propagation, you can use ripened fruits - seeds from them usually give a good germination.
Decorative peppers can be grown on open ground, then their seedlings are planted in the ground, subsequently fed and looked after like ordinary sweet pepper. At the end of autumn, carefully digging the bushes, you can transplant them into pots and arrange them on the balcony or on the windows. Until deep winter, they will delight you with colorful fruits and intense foliage.