Decorative pepper on the windowsill. Conditions for the cultivation of bell peppers. Diseases and pests

Add some peppercorns to your life ... literally! You don't need to run to the vegetable shop: let's find out how to get pepper fruits at home.

What kind of pepper can you grow in a pot on a windowsill?

Pepper cultivation on the windowsill can be carried out in order to obtain fruits and for decorative effect... Both tasks can be combined, since its fruits look very aesthetically pleasing in the interior thanks to interesting form and bright colors.

The species division includes two subgroups:

1. Piper- he is peppercorns. The plant has racemose inflorescences similar to a bunch of grapes. The fruit is a drupe. Each cluster forms up to 50 berries with a pericarp;
2. Capsicum- vegetable crops with a fleshy juicy fruit and a variety of colors (green, red, yellow, purple, etc.).

What kind of pepper crops can I potted at home?

• Red and green chili peppers;
• Bulgarian Bell pepper;

Popular varieties of hot chili peppers:

• Chipotle;
• Piri-piri;
• Jalapeno.

Sweet peppers are the most delicious varieties:

• Pimento;
• Padron;
• Apricot Favorite;
• California miracle.

How to grow hot red peppers at home?

Growing hot peppers in indoor conditions is not only cultivation, but also decorative process... For planting, a special variety of vegetables is used, called " Small miracle". The "wonderful" pepper comes from Holland, but in our country it has been bred for a long time. Gardeners love this variety for its abundant fruiting and original decorative appearance. The fruits of the "Little Miracle" are rather diminutive, but taste it does not affect at all.

The tiny red pepper is hot and piquant and can be rolled up in jars, pickled, added to salads, soups and stir-fries. The bush itself looks unusually picturesque and attracts the eye. The plant is very compact in size, so it is grown even on small kitchen in cramped conditions.

The grown bush is covered with thick-walled fruits small size with the shape of a blunt cone. They are only 3 cm long and weigh five grams. More than 50 fruits can be harvested from just one bush. At different stages of ripening, the peppercorns change color, the colors of which have many options: green, beige, yellowish, orange, red and purple. Variety "Little Miracle" in greenhouse conditions lives up to 5 years. When growing at home, you can achieve almost the same results if you care for the plant with great care.

There is a way to accelerate the ripening period by the end of spring. For this, various manipulations with lighting and thermal conditions are carried out. A vegetable planted in autumn is deliberately placed not in the most favorable conditions so that it does not waste energy on flowering and growing on cold days. As the duration of daylight hours increases, the pot is exposed to a bright window.: for this, the most adventurous gardeners "watch" the sunny weather, moving the pot as close to warmth and light as possible. This method can speed up the appearance of ovaries, which grow to pods by May.

Planting seeds

Seeds of hot mini pepper are sown in February. A container with a volume of at least two liters is suitable as a pot, which is previously doused with boiling water for disinfection. A drainage layer is poured at the bottom of the pot, consisting of expanded clay or crushed stone and charcoal... The composition of the soil laid on top of the drainage should include rotted foliage, leafy soil and river sand. The proportions of the mixture are 5: 3: 2. A little trick: before planting, the soil is spilled with boiling water and allowed to cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

In the cooled soil layer, holes are sealed, their diameter is 1 - 1.5 centimeters. Seeds, previously soaked and swollen in water, are planted in a hole, two to three grains each. On top of the pot or container, a film, food grade or polyethylene, is stretched with a thin layer. If the pot rectangular shape, instead of a film, you can use glass or plastic cover, however, each gardener himself decides what is more convenient for him to work with. The finished container with seedlings is removed to a warm place. The light source must be present, but not burn out the soil.

After five or seven days, the first shoots begin to break through the soil. The time has come to rearrange the seedlings on the kitchen windowsill or balcony, where she will receive enough sunlight, heat and fresh air... When leaves appear on the plants, you can pick and plant the strongest specimens in separate pots. Weak leaves are not needed, they should be removed so that they do not interfere with the development of the root system, taking resources from it.

In the near future, the planted bush will grow to 18 - 20 centimeters in height. During this period, he is pinched the top of his head. A pinched specimen will be branched and lush, which also contributes to better fruiting. Watering is carried out with warm (not hot) water as needed, about once every two days.

Care

Conditions for keeping miniature hot peppers determined based on basic rules agrotechnics:

1. The "Little Miracle" variety requires a minimum of 18 hours of light every day. If there is not enough natural light, it is additionally purchased for seedlings UV lamp... A bush that lacks lighting loses its ovaries and stretches upward;
2. Window pepper does not tolerate constant drafts, temperature drops and temperature rises above 25 ° C;
3. The bush can be sprayed with warm, settled water (see above for the soil moistening regime) 1 - 2 times a week;
4. If ovaries have formed on the plant, the amount of watering must be increased;
5. Before the ovaries appear, the shoots are fed with mineral or organic fertilizers every two to three weeks;
6. Plants planted in February should bloom in June. Gardeners recommend shaking the bush occasionally during this period to stimulate pollination;
7. Small hot peppers growing in a pot are transplanted into a container every year bigger size... The transplant is carried out by the transshipment method: a bush with a root system is pulled out of an old pot, shaken off, placed in a new container and soil is added.

At proper care the bush will quickly begin to bear fruit and will live at least two to three seasons. The maximum life span in a window sill is about five years. So that the plant does not appear fungal diseases and pests do not start, spray it for preventive purposes with difokol or malathion. If traces of gray rot, aphids or spider mites appear on the leaves, the pepper, unfortunately, will have to be destroyed.

When will the pepper harvest be?

Pepper variety "Little Miracle" is considered ready to eat after acquiring a yellowish color. Plants planted in February bear fruit in early July and continue to harvest until early November. A fully ripe peppercorn has a red or orange hue. The ripening of the vegetable, if necessary, is carried out at a temperature of 20 ° C. To give the pepper an even more pronounced burning taste, you can dry it by stringing the stalks on a harsh branch.

What is the difference between growing sweet peppers at home

Chili pepper is not suitable for everyone, and it's not just about the conditions and possibilities for growing. The Capsicum annuum variety is considered the hottest spice, not suitable for use in the presence of problems with the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, you can try to cultivate bell peppers on the windowsill.

Suitable varieties

• Sturdy;
• Sweet chocolite;
• Triton;
• Western film;
• Carat;
• Yova;
• Red bell.

Bell peppers are not only tasty, but also healthy. It contains one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C, so doctors consider it an excellent product with dietary properties, as well as a beneficial effect on immunity.

What is sweet pepper famous for?

• Free radicals contained in its fruit are indispensable for maintaining the body's cellular metabolism;
• Heat treatment has little effect on beneficial features pepper;
• The use of pepper lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood, prevents ischemia;
• This pepper contains lycopene, a carotenoid pigment and antioxidant, which is characterized by antitumor and immunostimulating effects.

Planting seeds

The agricultural technique for growing sweet peppers at home is not much different from the greenhouse technique or the method of cultivating hot peppers. The process of sowing seeds and picking are carried out in a similar way.

When about six leaves appear on the pepper seedlings, it must be carefully transplanted into pots filled with fertile soil. A pot with a volume of at least 1.5 liters is taken, its bottom is covered with gravel, expanded clay or fine gravel.

For growth bell pepper the moisture regime of the soil coma and air humidity are important.

It must not be allowed to dry out and overflow. The soil is irrigated with warm water, which has settled for several days. Tap water will kill the growth.

Sprout care

Top dressing is done every two weeks with a fertilizer based on microelements. Once every 30 days, pepper is poured with an extract of wood ash, prepared in a proportion of 20 grams per liter of water. To stimulate the ovary, you can "help" the plant: for this walk over the flower cotton swab, transferring pollen from one inflorescence to another.

16.09.2017

Although it's cold outside, January and February are ideal months to start growing hot chili peppers. IN recent times this culture is especially popular. Read on for tips on how to grow hot peppers on a windowsill and how to properly care for them is fun and economical as the plant will bear fruit year after year.

General information

This exotic, burning plant can be used to cook different dishes: from pizza to pasta and sauces. Chile will make you feel hot even in winter.

The pungent taste of the peppers comes from the chemical capsaicin, which is incredibly pungent. A drop of solution containing only 1/1000 mg of capsaicin can cause a prolonged and intense burning sensation.

Varieties

There are many types and varieties of hot peppers that can be planted on a windowsill. Take a look at the range of seeds most commonly grown at home:

• Jalapeno - grows quickly, forms compact bushes 50-100 cm high.Up to 40 fruits 5-8 cm long, 2-3 cm in diameter, weighing up to 50 g ripen on the bush at the same time.The color is dark red, but green, unripe fruits are also used ... The taste is fruity-burning, moderately spicy.

• Hot cherries - from sowing to the first harvest 85-90 days. The plant is small, compact, all dotted with small round red fruits 2.5-3.5 cm in diameter.

• Habanero is one of the hottest peppers. The plant is branched, fruits 3-4 cm long, up to 2 cm wide, uneven cone-shaped, red or orange when they are ripe.

• Pungent Bouquet - Productive, delicious chili, great for cooking. Fruits are conical, curved, red.

• Spice Boys are small plants ideal for a 1 liter windowsill pot. White, green, purple pods become orange, red, yellow as they ripen.

How to grow hot peppers from seeds on a windowsill

In the apartment, you can start sowing as early as January, since the sharpest varieties usually have a long growing season.

Pre-soak the seeds overnight in warm water or epin solution.

Fill small, low containers with ready-made seedling soil, sow seeds (not too thickly) and sprinkle with a thin layer of soil.

Peppers need a lot of heat to germinate, so first put the seed container in a warm, dark place and cover. plastic bag... They germinate at a temperature of 21-28 C.

Seedlings will appear about a week after planting. But don't worry if they are in no rush - peppers germinate well if the seeds are fresh.

Once germinated, move the hot peppers to a warm, sunny windowsill.

After the seedlings have the first true leaf, they are transplanted one plant at a time (dive) into pots with a diameter of 10-15 cm.

Care

As a rule, hot pepper grows quite successfully on the windowsill, develops well, blooms and bears fruit, but still there is important recommendations when leaving.

Temperature

Chile are demanding for heat and die even from minor frosts, so the room climate is very suitable for them. In a pot on a windowsill, hot peppers can grow for many years. Most of all they like sunny windows facing south.

Make sure that the temperature does not drop below 15 C. Peppers do not tolerate sudden changes in heat and cold and abundant watering with cold water.

Watering

Water the peppers regularly, avoiding overdrying, but be careful not to overfill them.

Lighting

Hot peppers need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. With a lack of light, the plants stretch out, the leaves turn yellow on them, the buds and ovaries fall off.

If additional lighting is arranged for the plants in winter, then they will bear fruit better.

Top dressing

While light and water are most important for the development of hot peppers, there are other nutrients required for growth and fruiting. These are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. But don't overdo it with fertilization!

After the plants bloom, you can feed them a little potassium.

If the chili leaves become wrinkled or appear on the tips of the pods dark spots, your plant lacks calcium and phosphorus.

Pollination

Peppers self-pollinate very well. Just shake the plants gently from time to time. This simulates the action of wind that occurs in nature.

Transfer

As the plants grow, larger pots will be required. The standard progression of diameters is 7 cm, 15 cm, and then the final 20 cm.

To transplant a plant:

1. Fill the pots with fresh soil and lightly dampen it with water.
2. Then make a fairly large indentation in it.
3. Take the plant carefully from the previous container, grabbing the roots with a lump of earth so as not to damage them.
4. Place the pepper in new pot, gently compact the soil around the stem and water a little.

Pruning

To make the bush grow more lush, its upper shoots, which have reached 40 cm, are cut off. Chiles respond very well to pruning.

Pests

One of the main pests of chili peppers is green aphid... Even one individual who accidentally got into an apartment from the street is capable of infecting your plant, creating a whole army of offspring.

To get rid of aphids, rinse the leaves and stems with a jet of water. Use chemical agents the fight is not recommended.

Video

Harvesting

After 60-70 days after sowing, the plants bloom, and later they form fruits of various colors (depending on the variety) - from brown to bright purple or yellow. When the fruits are ripe, they turn red in most varieties. It is better to cut them off with a knife.

The very first fruits are best removed while still green in order to stimulate further fruiting.

You will be able to harvest fresh chili from late spring to December. One plant can give you over a hundred hot peppers.

• Chile can be planted any time from January to May, but with more early term more likely to quickly start receiving fruits. By sowing seeds in January, you will be harvesting as early as July.
• By mid-May, when it is warm enough, move the pepper pots to open balcony or a veranda, but in a place protected from the sun.
• The spicier and more unusual varieties, such as the habanero, take longer to mature.
• The yield of peppers increases in the second and third years.
• Inspect your plants regularly to make sure there are no aphids growing there and that the soil is still relatively fresh.
• After 4-5 years, the yield of peppers will decrease, and it will be time to grow a new plant.

So, for growing hot peppers in winter on the windowsill, you need a sunny window, a spacious pot with fertile soil and easy care... Compact bushes with many original bright red and green fruits are unusually beautiful and perfectly decorate the apartment.

Capsicum belongs to the Solanaceae family, its varieties are subdivided into hot and sweet. The bitter taste is given by the alkaloid capsaicin.

Decorative indoor pepper stands out effectively on the windowsill and serves as a source of spices for preparing a wide variety of dishes. In everyday life it is called "light", although in fact in culture there are several dozen species and varieties of plants. It is popular not only for its burning taste and attractive appearance, but also for its ease of growing at home.

Selection of varieties and seeds for successful cultivation

The easiest way to propagate decorative indoor peppers is by seeds. The key to success in the right choice planting material.

How to choose seeds for planting at home

Seeds taken from dried fruit are great. You can purchase planting material in shops for gardeners - or in online stores offering seeds of exotic and ornamental plants... If you plant in February-March, you can easily get fruits already in September-October of the same year.

To begin with, you need to decide what kind of pepper you want to get in the end - high or low, spicy or not very, with fruits-berries or the classic "pepper" form. Typically, this information is on the packet. However, when purchasing, you need to pay attention to how long ago the seeds were collected?

Hot pepper seeds with proper storage can remain viable for up to 5 years, but every year the percentage of germinating falls... It is best to grow indoor peppers from seeds harvested last season if you plan on harvesting this year.

The most important! Selected seeds should not have any flaws - dark specks, strong twisting, damage, traces of rot. Quality seeds are pale yellow, almost White color.

How to choose the best variety

Distinguish between early ripening, mid-ripening, late-ripening. The fruits early maturing varieties you will be able to feast on within 65-100 days from the moment of germination. Fruits from mid-season plants can be obtained in 100-120 days. But late-ripening varieties will be able to please you with a harvest only after 120-150 days.

Bush height... As a rule, lovers of indoor hot peppers prefer abundantly fruiting bushes up to 30 cm high - this is optimal height bush for home-growing. There are also very miniature bushes 15 cm, and real giants up to a meter high.

Fruit shape... Most lovers prefer classic conical or elongated peppers. Fruit round shape, berries, are often mistaken for a close and poisonous relative - nightshade, and are considered inedible. This is not so - such a pepper can also be eaten, but if you are not sure that it is not nightshade, then it is better not to risk it. Fruits are also found in exotic forms, for example, Aji orchid.

Fruit and leaf color... This is especially important if you plan to grow the plant as an ornamental plant. There are very decorative varieties paprika, for example Bolivian rainbow, Fish, which, as they ripen, change their color several times, and at the final stage of ripening they can be yellow, orange or red.

The foliage of some varieties may also have blotches. different colors- white spots and dashes, lilac stripes, which become brighter, the more sunny the location of the plant.

Pungency- if you plan to eat the harvest of hot indoor peppers for food, it is important to make sure that you can do it - there are absolutely not spicy species, but there are ones that are so bitter that it is unsafe for an unprepared person to eat them. Especially appreciated among gourmets Habanero- the fruits, depending on the variety, differ in pungency, but they have an incomparable citrus-floral aroma and taste!

If you want to make a hot pepper at home just for the sake of beauty, then the pungency is not important, but the decorative properties (height of the bush, shape and color, ripening features) should be addressed Special attention.

Seed germination technology

For planting five seeds of hot indoor pepper, plastic or ceramic is quite suitable flower pot 300 ml. If you plan on planting in separate containers, you can choose smaller pots or use yogurt cups.

Step-by-step instructions for growing pepper from seeds at home:

1. Pour drainage at the bottom of the container - expanded clay is best.
2. Put the soil on top. Usually choose a ph-neutral soil for indoor plants or a mixture for peppers and tomatoes. Garden soil is not suitable, as it may contain insect larvae, fungal spores, which adversely affect seed germination.
3. It is recommended to pre-soak the seeds in warm water for several hours for swelling and faster germination. Sometimes a stimulant is added to the soaking water, in particular - Epin, to increase germination. The use of a stimulant will not affect the plant in the future, but if the seeds are harvested 2-3 years ago, then the probability of successful germination will be higher. Can be planted without soaking.
4. Distribute the planting material evenly over the soil surface at some distance from each other. This is necessary so that young plants do not interfere with each other as they grow.
5. Sprinkle the seeds on top with soil - about 0.5 mm so that they are completely covered. If the surface of the soil is dry, moisten it with water, preferably from a sprinkler for flowers. It is important that the surface of the soil is slightly damp, but not wet, otherwise the seeds may rot.
6. As the top layer of the soil dries up, it must be regularly moistened.
7. It is advisable to put a plastic glass on top of the pot, thereby building a greenhouse. This is especially true if the planting takes place in February-March, and the indoor temperature may be below 25 degrees.

At a temperature of 22-25 degrees, shoots appear after 10-14 days If the seeds are harvested 2-3 years ago, the germination process may take another 1-2 weeks.

Seedlings must be periodically ventilated - briefly raise the greenhouse so that young plants get used to environment... Gradually, the "no greenhouse" periods should be increased, and eventually removed altogether.

Transplanting young plants to a permanent place

When two pairs of true leaves appear on the seedlings, it is necessary to plant them if the seeds were planted in one container. If the seedlings were planted in individual pots, then you can transplant the plants into larger pots when the roots appear at the bottom of the water holes.

Leaving all plants in one pot is not worth it. Decorative bitter indoor peppers are grown according to the principle one pot - one plant... The fact is that, being planted together, the weaker specimens are “drowned out” by the stronger one. The weak will greatly lag behind in growth and development, flowering will be late and poor, and fruiting may not come at all.

When seating, it is better to use small deep pots of 100 ml. Transplanting a young specimen immediately into a pot of very large volume is not useful - the "extra" earth will begin to sour from watering. It is better, as the plant grows, to gradually transfer it into a container, slightly larger than the previous one. The main feature the fact that it is time to transplant the plant - the roots peeking out of the bottom of the pot. During the season, as a rule, the bush is reloaded 2-3 times.

Features of care and creation of conditions

The goal of every home grower is to see their plant blooming, in the case of ornamental peppers, the finish is beautiful fruits that decorate.

Stimulating flowering and fruiting

Young seedlings of "fire" on the windowsill begin to bloom about a month after the emergence of shoots. The first flowers will most likely be empty and fall off, but as they grow and develop, ovaries will appear and fruits will develop.

Special pollination is not required, but to increase the number of ovaries, you can periodically shake the pot with a bush or "pollinate" the flowers with a soft brush.

Depending on what kind of indoor hot pepper you have (early, mid or late), the first fruits may appear in summer, when the sun is most active, or in early to mid-autumn.

It is important to remember hot peppers at home does not require pinching and intensive formation of the bush in the first year of growth, cutting off flowers and the first ovaries. Indoor pepper "knows" to what height it needs to grow, when to start blooming and how many fruits to set. Your task is to provide him comfortable conditions growth.

What conditions are necessary for pepper

Sunny location... It is advisable to keep the pot on the windowsill indoors. On very sunny balconies, the "lights" suffer greatly from the rays, the leaves can be damaged, the flowers fall off, and the fruits are strongly deformed and lack seeds.

In the shade, seedlings bloom reluctantly, set few fruits, and may suffer from the bay. Extremely uncomfortable bushes of burning indoor decorative pepper feel on the shelves, refrigerator and closet - away from the sun and fresh air.

Regular watering and spraying- the main components in the care of pepper at home. Ogonyok is very fond of water. In summer, on sunny days, the plant must be watered every day. Spray with water room temperature, preferably twice a day.

Fertilizer... From March to September (and for late ripening ones - to October), it is advisable to feed indoor peppers with a specialized fertilizer for fruit plants... There is also a special fertilizer for peppers and tomatoes, it is found in shops for gardeners and florists.

Formation... In addition to the sun, water and a pot of sufficient volume, indoor hot peppers can be formed as the branches grow - this is important in late summer and autumn for plants of the first year of life and in the early spring when it comes out of a state of rest.

They form, that is, cut too long branches - this gives a more neat look, allows the plant to save energy. But the main trunk should not be shortened - this may cause the bush to die.

Harvesting and Seeding Rules

As the fruit ripens, it is possible and necessary to harvest. There are varieties of indoor peppers, the pungency of which decreases at full maturity. Therefore, such fruits are harvested at the stage of technical ripeness. These unripe peppers are often much tastier than ripe ones.

For example, the fruits of the decorative bitter peppers of the Jalapeno variety (Jalapeno) are most often harvested when they are still green, but characteristic "scars" have already appeared on them, but becoming red this species already loses its taste value.

If you are interested in seeds for planting in the future, then you need to wait until the fruits are fully ripe, that is, they acquire final color(yellow, orange or red). The fruits must be removed from the bush and allowed to dry for several days.

If the pepper is thin-walled, then it dries quickly enough, if it is thick-walled, then when the fruit wrinkles, it must be carefully cut and allowed to dry again for several days.

Then the seeds are carefully removed and laid out on a napkin to dry. Well-dried seeds can be put in a bag and stored dry dark place, storage in the refrigerator is allowed. The main thing is that moisture does not get in, in this case they can rot.

Caring for indoor peppers in a pot in winter

Contrary to popular belief, hot indoor peppers - perennial plants... On average, the bush can bear fruit actively for 5 years. The main thing is to reload the plant as it grows and renew the soil every spring. However, not all growers are ready to provide the home handsome man with comfortable wintering conditions. Therefore, there are three possible options.

First... If you do not want to save this specimen, at the end of the season after the end of fruiting, the bush can be thrown away, and in February-March a new plant can be grown from the seeds obtained.

Gradually, the leaves will partially fall off. Sometimes the pepper sheds the leaves completely. Branches that are too long can be shortened slightly. In winter, new leaves and even flowers may appear on the branches, especially if the thaw lasts for a long time and the heating works intensively.

In February-March, indoor pepper will start growing again, at this moment it is necessary to transplant it into a pot slightly larger than the previous one, to replace the main part of the soil. Increase watering gradually.

The third... If you not only want to preserve the plant, but also to get a harvest in winter, then additional lighting is necessary. In this case, special lamps are installed, watering is not reduced, and top dressing is continued.

As you can see, growing ornamental peppers at home does not require special knowledge and skills. A "light" in a pot is perfect for those who do not like to wait too long for the planted plant to finally bloom - only 3-4 months pass from seed to beautiful and fragrant fruits.

If you love, learn how to grow an avocado from seed and seed. Watching a miracle being born is much more interesting than buying a ready-made flower in a store.

Hot peppers are added to confectionery, chocolate, tea - very unusual and effective remedy in the fight against colds and flu!

Growing sweet bell peppers on a windowsill is a pleasure. The southern vegetable is easily "domesticated" and pleases our family juicy fruits... In addition, it is useful. What to say about the fact that multi-colored peppercorns have become a real decoration of the kitchen.

The first vegetables have already been tried five months after the germination of the plants. For a long time? I don’t think, but how much joy and true pleasure there was. He held out his hand, and the fragrant miracle is already in the salad.

Bell pepper on the windowsill - real

Growing bell pepper at home is an exciting and somewhat profitable activity. It is tempting to cook meals with your own vegetables without leaving your apartment. Is not it?

The plant is perennial, because the bushes feel great on the windowsill for at least 2-3 years.

Add bell peppers to green onions, cucumbers, and herbs to your windowsill. You will not regret. Add another vegetable crop to your home garden.

We are happy to share the secrets of growing sweet bell peppers in the house.

What varieties of bell peppers to choose

In order for the pepper to grow and bear fruit, you need to choose the right varieties for your home garden. These are self-pollinated and early maturing hybrids.

From home crops, varieties of universal use would be an excellent option. They feel good both outdoors and in containers on the windowsill (protected ground).

The selection of sweet bell peppers is great, but we offer the following:

• "Patio-Ivo" - indoor peppers with bright yellow fruits all year round(also suitable for growing on the balcony);
• "California miracle" - the bush grows up to 75 centimeters, the fruits are thick-walled, have a ribbed surface and a bright red color (improved selection);
• "Jupiter F1" - a high-yielding mid-early hybrid with fleshy large fruits, which are first green and later red (Dutch selection);
• "Oda" - undersized (up to 50 centimeters) and fruitful, and the fruits purple fragrant and very sweet.

If you come across mid-season varieties "Bulgarian-79", "Gift of Moldova", "Winnie the Pooh", "Swallow" or "Novogoshary", grow it boldly. They all received good reviews.

Conditions for growing bell peppers

Sweet pepper is not whimsical, therefore it is not very capricious. But certain conditions must be observed to obtain a good harvest.

1. Better if you place a southern plant on the windowsill of the sunniest room. Otherwise, additional light will be needed.
2. Make sure that the peppers are not disturbed by drafts. He doesn't like them.
3. It will grow and develop well with optimal temperature air + 20-26 ° C during the day, and at night not lower than + 18 ° C.
4. The soil must be loosened regularly.
5. Pests of bell peppers at home can be spider mite or aphids, so be vigilant and watch your green pets.
6. When the bushes begin to bear fruit, tie them to a trellis.
7. As in the open field, and on the windowsill, do not put containers with hot and sweet peppers in the same room. Only in different! As a result of cross-pollination, the fruits will become bitter.

Video clip on growing bell pepper at home

How to grow bell peppers at home from seeds

Before planting, be sure to soak the seeds for 30 minutes in a weak potassium permanganate. Then you need to give them time to dry out a little. Transfer to a damp gauze for pecking.

Transplant seeds ready for planting into a pot with purchased (mixture for growing vegetables at home) or prepared soil. In equal proportions, a mixture is made up of:

• peat;
• leafy land;
• turf land;
• sand.

When the seedlings get stronger and are ready for transplanting in separate containers, you need to pinch the main taproot. The first shoots appear in 3 weeks.

The soil must be constantly moist. Only warm, settled water is taken for irrigation.

For feeding, once a month, plants are watered with a solution wood ash(6 tablespoons per 3 liters of water).

Growing and caring for bell peppers at home will give you pleasure. Feel like a gardener today.

Irina Velichko for Pro100ogorod.

Bonsai-like bushes, neat and pretty pods of incredible colors and shades, this is how chili peppers look on a windowsill. The genus that unites all peppers is called capsicum, due to the content of the substance capsacin, which gives the fruits and seeds a pungent, burning taste.

These fruits can be made from them as a seasoning medicinal tinctures... The plant itself is also sometimes called capsicum.

Did you know? Capsacin, found in the fruit, is added to ship paints to reduce shellfish fouling on boat and ship bottoms.

Choosing a variety of chili peppers for growing on a windowsill

You will be surprised how easy it is to grow a plant at home if you choose the right variety. Exotic names: "Aladdin" "Dwarf" "Poinsettia", "Variegated troll", as well as more familiar ones: "Bell", "Swallow" - varieties have different shape and fruit color, foliage color, ripening time.

Fruits of early ripening varieties ripen in 90-120 days, mid-ripening - 120-140 days from the moment of planting.

• Tabasco: The pungent pulp of its fruit is the basis for the popular Tabasco sauce. It is grown on the window, and in industrial quantities - on plantations. The variety is valued for its early maturity.
• Salut is one of the most undersized varieties, its round compact bush grows up to 20 cm. Large, up to 5 cm fruits in the form of red and orange cones are directed upwards and have a strong aroma.
• "Aladdin" - suitable for the windowsill and open ground... Its numerous fruits in the process of ripening change from green color to cream, purple and red. Another advantage of this variety- early maturity and long fruiting period.
• "Bell" - red fruits unusual shape, ripen in 150 days. The pungency in the fruit is unevenly distributed.

Other early ripening varieties for growing at home are also popular: "Aquarelle", "Firstborn of Siberia", "Dwarf", "Treasure Island",

Important! There are inedible peppers that are grown only for decorative purposes: Clown, Goldfinger, Filius Blue, Orange, Red Rocket, Pepperoni.

Selection of capacity

Before planting at home, prepare the container. Pressed peat pots are ideal for seedlings. Each adult bush will need a separate container.

It can be a wide medium-deep flowerpot, wooden box, covered with foil, plastic container. A drainage layer, 3-4 cm, of expanded clay, gravel or charcoal must be placed on the bottom.

Soil mix

For breeding seedlings, a ready-made earthen mixture from a store is suitable. Optimal potting soil composition:

• sod land, vegetable humus - 2 parts,
• peat - 2 parts,
• vermiculite - 1 part,

You can add a little calcined river sand to the mixture. The use of an additive or similar helps to retain moisture in the soil, which makes it easier to water the chili and take care of it at home.

Did you know? Pepper got this name for its bright red pod, "chili" in the Aztec language - "red". Archaeologists find traces of this plant during excavations of ancient cities in Peru.

Grows best in loose, light soils with good air permeability. In winter, to preserve the water balance of the soil and increase the illumination of the bush in a dim sun, it is recommended to cover the soil surface with perlite.

Preparing seeds for planting

When growing chili peppers for the first time, it is best to purchase seeds from a specialty store. Seeds from fruits purchased from the supermarket are not suitable. The shops sell fruits of industrial varieties bred for cultivation on plantations and in. You can plant them in the country, but they are not suitable for breeding at home.

Important! Inspect the seeds before planting. They must be large enough for their class, light-colored, free from damage, deformation, stains and discoloration.

To accelerate germination, the seeds are soaked for 3-4 days between two napkins soaked in water and left in a warm, but not hot place. When the swollen seeds begin to germinate, they are sown in the ground.

Sowing seeds in a pot

A drainage layer is placed in a peat pot, or other temporary container, with an earthen mixture on top. In the ground with a finger, make indentations of 0.5 cm, where they put two prepared seeds. If the container is wide, you can make several such holes, retreating 5-6 cm from each other. The holes with seeds are covered with earth, watered, the container is covered with a transparent film.

Seedlings emerge from the ground in 7-15 days. The film can be pierced in several places and removed completely when 3-4 leaves appear. Seedlings can be thinned by removing weak seedlings.

Did you know? Transplanting seedlings to permanent place called picking, because to stimulate the growth of roots during transplantation, the lower part of the root of the plant is removed.

The container into which the seedlings will be transplanted is prepared the day before the pick. A thick layer of drainage is placed in a suitable pot, an earthen mixture is placed on top, and watered abundantly.

A recess is formed in which the roots of the seedling with an earthen lump should fit. Leave for a day. On the day of the pick, the sprout is watered, after 1-1.5 hours it is carefully removed from the temporary container, without disturbing the lump of earth around the roots. The lower third of the central root is removed.

An earthen lump with roots is placed in a depression in the ground, central root must be straightened out. Add soil to the pot, so that the leaves are 2 cm above the soil level.

Conditions and care for chili peppers at home

Sharp temperature drops, drafts have a bad effect on the plant. Optimal conditions for growing a plant on a windowsill:

• temperature + 25 ° С,
• long, about 18 hours, daylight hours,
• loose, moist, but not wet soil.

Important! Pepper is a self-pollinated plant, therefore, during the flowering period different varieties should be kept at a distance from each other. Shaking the flowering peppers is recommended for maximum ovary formation.

In summer, the plant can be taken out onto a balcony or loggia. In winter, in the apartment, put on the windowsill with sunny side... To extend daylight hours, the plant is illuminated with lamps. Water the pepper under the root as the soil dries up.

When watering, use clean, settled water at room temperature. The foliage is also sprayed from a spray bottle.

To regulate the acidity of the soil, a solution is used once a month