Pepperis an edible fruit vegetable belonging to the nightshade family, as is the very popular tomato. It has valuable he alth and culinary properties. It is possible to bothgrow peppers in the groundand under cover. The obtained vegetables can be eaten raw, cooked, baked or preserved. See how to growpepper on the plotand learn about the best Polishpepper varietiesfor amateur cultivation.
Paprika - various colored varieties of paprika
Sweet pepper(Capsicum annum) is an annual plant, reaching about 75 cm in height, and this is most often found in amateur cultivation on allotments and home gardens. Hot pepper(Capsicum frutescens) can be grown as a perennial and reaches 1.5 m in height.
Pepper - properties
Pepperis a very attractive vegetable. It can be red, green or yellow, which makes it very colorful on the plate. Its taste, nutritional and healing properties are highly valued.
Pepperscan be eaten raw, cooked, baked, pickled or preserved. Spicyvarieties of peppersare added to spices and sauces.Pepper fruitsare high in vitamin C (fresh pepper contains four times more vitamin C than lemon) and beta-carotene. They are also a rich source of sugars, minerals, thiamine, riboflavin and nicotinic acid.
And what are theproperties of paprikadepending on its color? Well, the most vitamin C and beta-carotene is in red pepper. Yellow pepper is an excellent source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which support eyesight.Green pepper, on the other hand, can be recommended to pregnant women, because it contains large doses of folic acid needed during this period. It is also a source of vitamin E.
Worth knowing! Stewed or baked peppers, unlike many other vegetables, still retain most of their nutritional properties: -)
Pepper - growing from seedlings
Peppers are grown from seedlingsprepared in a greenhouse or at home on a window sill. With the intention of planting under covers, peppers can be sown as early as March. If the seedling is planted into the ground, we start its production in the second half of March.Pepper seedsare sown in litter boxes or pots with compost soil at a pH of 5.5 to 7. A good substrate is also de-acidified garden peat mixed with sand in a ratio of 1: 1. The temperature of 20-26 ° C and a constantly moist soil are required for the proper development of plants.
When the plants produce 2-3 leaves, the seedlings are pricked into 6-9 cm pots.Fertilization can also be started from now on. It is most convenient to use liquid fertilizers diluted with water for irrigation. These can be multi-component mineral fertilizers for vegetables or natural biohumus.
In the ground or under coverpepper seedlingscan be planted after about 10 to 12 weeks, when the plants have about 6 leaves .
Peppers - cultivation in the ground
The pepper seedlings can be planted to the ground when the risk of frost is over. Depending on the weather and the plant growth rate, this is done from the second half of May to the beginning of June. Before planting into the ground, the seedlings must be hardened for a few days, which consists in reducing watering and gradually longer airing.
Due to the high sensitivity of this vegetable to wind and high heat requirements, togrowing peppers in groundwe should choose a quiet, warm place with a southern exposure. Peppers require fertile, well-drained soils with an average nitrogen content. In order to improve the thermal conditions and limit the growth of weeds, it is advisable to mulch the soil in the paprika bed.Garden bark, straw or sawdust can be used as mulch. For the first month, the planted peppers can also be covered with white spring agrotextile, which will protect the plants against the still low temperatures and accelerate the yield.
Once the plants are established, we strip their tops, making them branch out nicely. Tallvarieties of peppersmust be tied to stakes. During the growing season, fertilize with a multi-component fertilizer and water it regularly, remembering not to use too cold water for watering (water at a temperature of approx. 21 ° C is ideal). We water it quite often, but in small portions. Insufficient watering is manifested by shedding flowers and small and misshapen fruit, so regularwatering peppersis especially important during the flowering and fruit formation period.
Peppers - cultivation under cover
Growing peppers in a greenhouse or in a foil tunnel is sometimes less unreliable and allows you to obtain a more abundant and better quality crop.We can plant peppers under unheated covers a little earlier than into the ground, from the beginning of May. Remember to ventilate the foil tunnel regularly and water the plants frequently, because the soil can dry up faster here. For the covers, it is worth choosing the finishingvarieties of peppers , which do not require cutting, untying and thinning.
Peppers - harvesting and storage
Harvesting pepperswill be possible after approximately 12 to 14 weeks. They must be done before the frost comes, unlesswe grow paprika under coverSome peppers are best harvested while they are still green, while others are left until they turn red or yellow. Pick the fruit one at a time, cutting the stalks about 2.5 cm above the fruit.Storing paprikais possible at 12 to 14 ° C for two weeks.The waiting period for hot pepper fruits is slightly longer (up to 18 weeks), you can it is also much longer to be stored (frozen or dried - even for several months).
Peppers - varieties for amateur cultivation
Foramateur cultivation of paprika in the groundmainly Polish varieties, proven in our climate, are recommended. Manypepper varietiescan be grown both in the ground and under cover.
Nocturne pepper- a mid-early variety, especially recommended for amateur cultivation , attractive due to the unusual color of the fruit, reaches up to 80 cm in height. The fruits range in color from dark purple to dark cherry, triangular in shape with a pointed tip, weighing from 60 to 90 g. One plant can contain up to 15 fruits. This pepper variety can be grown in unheated tunnels and in the ground, requires staking and side shoot removal to the first branch, no pruning required.
Oleńka Pepper- a variety with high growth force and vigorous branching. It produces spherical fruit, strongly flattened, strongly ribbed, weighing about 90 grams.When they mature, they change color from dark green to dark red, the flesh is juicy and sweet, with a high content of vitamin C. Suitable for direct consumption and for preserving. It is best grown in unheated foil tunnels and, in good weather, also in the field.
Papryka Ożarowska- one of the best Polish varieties, giving high and even crops, medium early, with lush growth and compact habit. The fruit is large, with a slightly wavy surface, when ripe, it turns red, tasty and contains a lot of vitamin C. It is suitable for cultivation in foil tunnels, and under favorable conditions also in the field, requires cutting and staking.
Telimena Pepper- a lush, mid-early variety. The fruit is large (weight over 100 grams), thick-walled, trapezoidal in shape, turning from dark green to dark yellow, the flesh is juicy and tasty. Best for growing in foil tunnels, requires pruning and supports.
Papryka Tajfun- a medium-late variety, included in the group of medium-hot peppers. The fruits of this variety of peppers are large, cylindrical in shape, longitudinally ribbed, turning from dark green to dark red. It can be grown both in the ground and under covers.
Papryka Cyklon- an early variety with an upright habit and sharp-tasting fruit. The fruits are conical with a smooth surface, pointed, dark red in color, quite large. It is an excellent variety of pepper for cultivation in open ground, tolerant to unfavorable weather conditions.
People looking for good qualitypepper seeds for growing in a garden or on a plot , we recommend the store of our guide . We sell varieties of peppers that yield very well and are resistant to diseases and unfavorable growing conditions. By sowing these seeds you will see how easy it can be to grow beans in your backyard. To view the seeds offer, click on the image below.
