How to feed peppers for active growth and productivity

Correct and timely feeding of bell pepper is the key to its active growth, long-term fruiting and high productivity. When choosing what to feed peppers with, summer residents and gardeners give preference to both organic and complex mineral fertilizers, which can be bought at any gardening store. Additional addition of nutrients promotes rapid rooting of seedlings after transplanting to a new location, increases the number of ovaries and improves the taste of the fruit.

Why do you need fertilizer and how to choose it?

Bell pepper is a demanding vegetable crop that needs a large amount of micro- and macroelements throughout the growing season.

With a deficiency of nutrients, the growth of the plant slows down, it weakens, the number of ovaries decreases - this leads to low pepper yield.

Nutrient deficiencies can be determined by external signs:

yellowing of leaf blades – nitrogen deficiency;
gray tint on the back of the leaves - the plant requires more nitrogen;
pale purple color of the leaves - indicates the need for phosphorus;
the edges of the leaf plates curl, lose elasticity and become deformed - lack of potassium;
yellowish or brown spots on the leaves and their drying out - the pepper lacks magnesium.

Fertilizers for bell peppers with nitrogen help young seedlings strengthen the root system, increase green mass, and obtain strong and plump stems.

Compositions containing phosphorus are most important at the beginning of the growing season - they promote adaptation to a new place and reduce the stress of replanting. Potassium-based fertilizers strengthen pepper immunity and increase resistance to adverse weather conditions.

Useful tips

To fertilize your peppers as efficiently as possible, here are some tips:

Before carrying out root feeding, water the seedlings generously. This will allow the fertilizers to be evenly distributed in the soil and not damage the roots of the plants.
Spray with a nutrient composition only in the morning or evening, or in cloudy weather.
Consider the total amount of fertilizer applied.
Use the basic organic complex when preparing the soil for seedlings and in the spring.
Alternate between different types of fertilizers.
Make the decision to apply fertilizing taking into account the appearance of the pepper and its needs.
Do not overdo it in feeding, causing harm to the crop instead of the expected benefit.

Feeding pepper seedlings involves a set of activities. Knowing all the nuances, plant needs and alternative options for different nutrition, fertilization work does not cause difficulties. And the result in the form of a rich harvest of healthy and tasty fruits will delight every gardener.

Industrial products

Industrial means for feeding bell peppers are deservedly popular among summer residents and vegetable growers. Such preparations have a number of advantages over organic compounds. If it is very difficult to determine the amount of nitrogen and other elements in droppings or nettle infusion, then in industrial fertilizers the composition is precisely balanced and developed specifically for bell peppers.

Effective industrial fertilizers for pepper:

Urea is an excellent source of easily digestible nitrogen for vegetable crops. This fertilizer is popular among summer residents due to its fast action and affordable price. To prepare the solution you will need 10 grams of urea per 5 liters of water. Also, the drug granules can be scattered around the plants, lightly embedding them into the soil.
Ammonium nitrate is another source of nitrogen for peppers and other plants. A solution for watering peppers is prepared from 5 liters of water and 15 grams of the drug. Ammonium nitrate has a faster action than urea.
Potassium monophosphate and potassium sulfate - these supplements are used in case of a lack of phosphorus and potassium. They must be used in strict accordance with the instructions, since an excess of these elements is also dangerous for pepper.
Nitroammophoska – contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Most often, this fertilizer is applied to the soil during digging in the spring or autumn.
Superphosphate is one of the most popular and widespread fertilizers for vegetable crops. It can be added to the holes when planting pepper seedlings in a permanent place, and used as the first feeding for their rooting.

Gardening stores offer a wide range of complex mineral fertilizers designed specifically for bell peppers. Among such preparations are GUMI Kuznetsova (1 tsp per 5 liters of water), Kemira Lux or Kristalon (10 grams per 5 liters of water).

What else to add when planting peppers

Each gardener, as a rule, has his own proven recipes for mixtures. And successful combinations of these components that increase the yield of peppers. And protect them from pests and diseases. It is recommended to place them in the holes in layers. Then moisturize generously. And only after that, plant the seedlings, after sprinkling the nutrient mixture with soil and mixing it.

The popularity of folk fertilizer recipes is explained not so much by the toxicity or possible harm of chemical fertilizers, but by the danger of oversaturation of the soil with one or another chemical element. For example, excess nitrogen will lead to the growth of the bush, which will deprive the fruits of nutrition and slow down their ripening.

In regions with fertile soil, the addition of ash is usually sufficient. For cultivated lands, fertilizing with a mixture of ash and compost or humus will suffice. In the absence of these supplements, you can use ready-made nutrient complexes. For example, each pepper bush can be fed with 1 teaspoon of “Nitrophoska” mixed with soil or 1 tablespoon of “Fertika”.

Folk remedies

Many vegetable growers prefer to use organic fertilizers to feed bell peppers. They have a completely natural composition and are prepared from simple and affordable ingredients.

Effective organic fertilizers for peppers:

Chicken or pigeon droppings - this fertilizing saturates the plants with nitrogen and is a good option if you keep poultry at your dacha. Leave the droppings to infuse for 24 hours, then dilute with clean water in a ratio of 1:20.
Mullein infusion - pour cow manure with warm water in a ratio of 1:10 and leave to ferment for a day. Use for root watering of peppers.
Nettle infusion - chop fresh nettles and pour into a barrel or bucket. Fill to the brim with warm water, stir and leave to ferment under the sun for 11-13 days. Dilute the finished infusion with water in a ratio of 1:10 and pour over the pepper.
Yeast is a natural source of mineral elements, proteins and amino acids. To prepare the top dressing, dissolve 10 grams of dry yeast in 1 liter of heated water, add 100 grams of sugar. When the yeast is completely dissolved, add another 9 liters of water and leave until bubbles appear on the surface. Before watering, dilute the concentrate with water 1:5.
Wood Ash – This organic fertilizer can be used at all stages of pepper development, starting with adding a handful to the hole when planting in the garden. Ash can be used in several ways - dust the peppers with dry fertilizer or prepare a solution for watering from 5 liters of water and 2-3 tbsp. l. wood ash.
Banana peel is a natural source of potassium and other micro- and macroelements for vegetable crops. They can be added to holes when planting pepper seedlings in beds or watered adult plants with an infusion of 1 liter of warm water and 1-2 banana skins. Let the product brew for 3 days, then use for watering.
Eggshells - compensate for the lack of calcium in pepper plantings. Grind the eggshells to a powder, pour in 1 liter of hot water and leave to infuse for 3 days. This product can be used for both seedlings and adult bushes.

During the period of ovary formation, you can feed the pepper with bread mixture. It will not only speed up the formation of ovaries, but also strengthen the plant’s immunity. To prepare the top dressing, soak 500 g of rye bread in 5 liters of hot water, leave to steep for 4-6 hours. Strain the bread crumbs and use to water your pepper bushes.

Choosing a place to plant peppers

First of all, you need to take care of the correct placement of pepper plantings on the site. The place allocated for the beds should be well heated and not have stagnant moisture in the soil. The principle of crop rotation does not recommend planting this vegetable after nightshade crops. Including the pepper itself. Because this will lead to a decrease in yield. It is best to plant peppers after cucumbers, herbs, zucchini and legumes.

Pepper prefers light loamy and well-groomed suspended soils. Therefore, it is necessary to form a nutrient mixture that will complement the soil already in the beds. Nightshade crops do not like high levels of acidity. Therefore, it is necessary to lower it and avoid areas fertilized with fresh manure. To increase the yield of pepper, it can be fed with various mixtures depending on the stage of plant development.

Feeding depending on the period

The frequency of fertilizing bell peppers depends on the type of soil on the site. If the soil is fertile, fertilizers are applied less often than if the crop is grown on poor soil. In central Russia, podzolic soil with low fertile qualities predominates. In such conditions, it is advisable to apply fertilizing at least 5-6 times during the growing season.

Frequency of fertilizing bell peppers:

The first is carried out after the formation of the third true leaf of the seedlings after sowing the seeds for seedlings. For this purpose, fertilizers with a high concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen are used.
Second, fertilizers are applied again 11-12 days after the first feeding of seedlings, when the seedlings have 4-5 true leaves. For the second procedure, you can use organic compounds.
The third - helps the seedlings prepare for transplantation to a permanent place. It is carried out 5-7 days before the transplant.
Fourth, pepper seedlings are fertilized 12-14 days after planting in the beds. For successful rooting and adaptation to a new location, plants require nitrogen in combination with magnesium.

During bud formation and fruit formation, peppers require potassium, nitrogen and calcium. For feeding, you can use both organic and mineral fertilizers containing these elements.

Seedlings after picking

After picking, pepper seedlings need nitrogen and phosphorus. If the first element is necessary for young seedlings to quickly grow green mass, the second strengthens the root system and ensures its full development.

To saturate plants with these elements, it is advisable to combine pepper picking with root feeding with superphosphate. The solution for watering seedlings should have a weak concentration - no more than ½ tbsp. l. superphosphate per 5 liters of water. Additionally, you can add 1 tsp to the fertilizer. ash and ½ tsp. saltpeter.

The prepared fertilizer is used when picking pepper seedlings, as well as 10-12 days after transplanting to a permanent place.

When planting in open ground

In order for pepper seedlings to quickly take root and fully develop, you need to correctly select and prepare the soil for planting. It is also necessary to take into account the “neighborhood” in the garden bed and its predecessors.

Bell peppers cannot be placed on a site where vegetables from the nightshade family - potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants - were grown.

How to prepare a site for planting peppers:

Loosen the area well - this will improve the supply of oxygen to the deep layers of the soil.
To disinfect the soil, spill it with a solution of 10 liters of hot water and 1 tbsp. l. copper sulfate.
Prepare the planting holes for the pepper seedlings by adding fertilizer to each handful. Wood ash with humus would be a good option.
It is best to place the holes on the south side of the greenhouse or vegetable garden - this way the heat-loving plant will quickly adapt to the new place.

Hot peppers must be planted separately from bell peppers, since the crops are cross-pollinated.

As fertilizer when planting peppers in open ground, you can use rotted mullein (1 kg) with wood ash (400 g) and superphosphate (80 g) or a mixture of calcium nitrate (30 g) and superphosphate (80 g).

After 12-14 days, the stronger pepper seedlings need to be fed - this will ensure rapid growth of green mass. To do this, you can use mullein solution, nettle infusion, Nitroammofoska or urea.

For growth and harvest

For active growth and high productivity, you need to follow the feeding schedule for bell peppers and be sure to take into account exactly what mineral elements it needs at each stage of development.

For the first feeding, which is carried out at the stage of active growth before flowering, you can use a mixture of superphosphate (5 g) and urea (10 g) per 10 liters of water.
During the second feeding in the flowering phase, pepper requires a full range of mineral elements for high yield. A composition of urea (2 tablespoons), superphosphate and potassium nitrate (1 teaspoon each) per 10 liters of water has a good effect.
The third feeding during the fruiting period should not contain nitrogen. At this time, it is best to use a solution of potassium salt - 1 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water.

During active fruiting, peppers can be fed with organic fertilizer. To do this, pour 1 kg of manure, 50 grams of nitrophoska into a bucket or barrel with 10 liters of water. Leave to infuse for 7 days, then water the pepper bushes, using 1 liter of solution for each.

Containers for seedlings

I will sow the seeds in a double cup, that is, in two cups inserted into each other. There should be a drain hole in the inner glass, and a little drainage material should be poured into the bottom of the outer one. This is done so that the plants do not suffer from excess moisture in the roots and so that dirt does not spill out of the glasses.

I will germinate seeds and grow pepper seedlings in a box with a temperature controller and lighting from three diode lamps with a power of 36 watts each. The inside of the box is upholstered with reflective material, and the outside is lined with plastic film to preserve moisture and heat.

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