Additives include various mineral and organic fertilizers, as well as folk remedies. To start feeding pepper seedlings and subsequently reap a rich harvest, you need to study the composition of the fertilizer and its properties.
Feeding peppers depending on growth
Each fertilizer has specific characteristics and is used only in a certain time interval. It is determined depending on the phase of pepper development: growth of green mass, development of shoots, flowering or fruiting. For example, nitrogen is used at the initial stage of cultivation, potassium and phosphorus - during the formation of ovaries and fruits. There are fertilizers that have a universal effect and are used regardless of growth (complex additives, folk remedies).
How to tell what a pepper is missing by its appearance
The deficiency of elements is determined by the appearance of the seedling. A healthy plant is erect with erect shoots and elastic green leaves. The leaf plates are not deformed. All vegetative processes occur on time.
Changes in appearance indicate problems in nutritional balance. Pale coloration of leaf blades indicates nitrogen deficiency. If the lower part of the leaf turns purple, it means the pepper lacks phosphorus. Curling and drying of the leaf blades indicates a clear lack of potassium in the pepper diet.
Mineral fertilizers
Minerals are one of the most important components that affect the quality of the fruit as well as its quantity. Mineral components include:
Nitrogen
Peppers need it to gain green mass, form ovaries, and ensure the growth of stems.
Phosphorus
The element promotes the development of the root system, is responsible for the formation of fruits and their ripening period.
Potassium
This compound is considered a fundamental component for the appearance of peppers. Potassium affects the color intensity, correct shape and size of the vegetable.
Magnesium
The substance is an additional source of nutrition for the root system, and also helps maintain the mineral balance in the soil.
What micro- and macroelements does pepper need?
The soil must contain the required amount of useful elements. This is one of the most important conditions for good development and growth at all stages, from seedlings to fruiting.
With a lack of useful elements, pepper grows poorly, the root system develops slowly, and the stem becomes more fragile. This leads to low yield.
Peppers need to be fed with chemical baits: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, magnesium, iron. Chemicals can be used both in complex and pure form.
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Stanislav Pavlovich
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Attention: for fruitful ripening and growth, organic fertilizer is required, which must be applied regularly.
Fertilizing in the spring after transplantation
When the peppers have already been transplanted into the ground, after 2 weeks they begin to fertilize the soil. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied first. These include urea and ammonium nitrate.
Fertilizing with urea
Dilute 10 grams of urea in 10 liters, pour the solution into a watering can and pour the pepper under the root. The consumption rate per plant is 0.5 liters.
Urea can be used to irrigate the leaves and stems of peppers. The plant accepts foliar feeding well. Fertilizer can be used in dry form; it is enough to distribute it on moist soil in a thin layer near the stem and between the rows. There are 7-8 grams of powder per square meter of soil.
Ammonium nitrate
Another, no less effective, fertilizer for crops is ammonium nitrate. In terms of chemical properties, saltpeter is more aggressive than urea. It is rarely used in dry form, more often in a diluted state and for root feeding. Dilute a tablespoon of the substance into a bucket of water and water the peppers 2-3 weeks after planting in the greenhouse. The treatment is repeated after 10-14 days.
Attention!
Feeding is carried out only in the morning or evening. Watering is not carried out during the day, as there is a risk of getting burned.
Advice from experienced gardeners
In the greenhouse, peppers are regularly inspected and the required fertilizing is given in a timely manner, following the recommendations:
- watering solutions are carefully poured under the roots, without splashing on the leaves and stems;
- for solutions take warm water, above 20°C;
- if there is prolonged cool weather, the peppers are supported with potassium;
- When using different fertilizers or pesticides in one tank mixture, you need to know exactly how compatible they are.
During flowering and ovary formation
When the peppers are already overgrown with green foliage and the stems become powerful, the second phase of growing begins. In terms of importance, it is more important than the first, since it is during this period that the laying of the future harvest occurs. Starting from the second half of June, fertilizing is carried out using phosphorus and potassium additives. Prepare a nutrient solution: mix a tablespoon of superphosphate and potassium sulfate in a bucket of water. Water the plants with the resulting solution once every 10-14 days, 2 times: the first time before flowering, the second time during the formation of ovaries.
Potassium humate is also great for this period of active pepper growth, as it increases soil fertility. 3 grams of humate are dissolved in 10 liters of water and the shoots are irrigated with the solution. Humate is not recommended to be combined with phosphorus fertilizers. Treatment is carried out 3 times per season: before flowering, during the formation of ovaries and during fruiting.
During fruiting
During fruiting, for rapid fruit ripening, it is recommended to use potassium fertilizer in combination with nitrogen fertilizers. Potassium nitrate is a substance that contains both potassium and nitrogen. It is diluted in an amount of 15 grams per 10 liters and watered onto mature plants under the bush. Potassium nitrate is suitable for irrigating foliage, the effect is the same as with root feeding.
Ammonium sulfate will replenish the lack of nitrogen in the soil, and sulfur will extend the fruiting period and improve the taste of the fruit. The substance can be added to mulch (40 grams per meter of land). The fertilizer is completely safe for peppers; all components are quickly distributed in the soil, without the formation of toxins and by-products.
How to feed peppers after planting: folk remedies
What to feed peppers after planting. Before deciding what and how to feed peppers in greenhouse conditions, you need to very well prepare the place of residence for new residents. To achieve this goal, a number of different types of nutritional components are introduced into the soil: potassium sulfate, superphosphates, wood ash, humus (compost). These products are not strictly necessary for feeding peppers. A good replacement for them are specialized mixtures from the store. But there is also a drawback here - not all mixtures may be suitable for peppers, so before purchasing fertilizers you need to find out what is included in the solution: if it contains a lot of chlorine, then you do not need to buy it, due to the negative tolerance of chlorine in peppers.
Organic matter
An additive with a natural organic composition is of particular value for pepper seedlings. To obtain a high-quality harvest, it is enough to use organic fertilizer 3-4 times throughout the entire season. Organic fertilizers, like mineral ones, are applied at a certain time, since their composition differs.
Mullein
This universal product is used as a feed for most nightshade crops, including peppers. The fertilizer consists of a large amount of minerals (nitrogen, potassium, calcium, phosphorus). Getting into the soil, it increases the level of humus, which determines the fertility of the soil. The optimal time to feed cow manure is at the end of May. During this period, peppers need a powerful growth stimulator and strengthening of immune abilities. Take 1 part mullein to 5 parts water and leave the mixture for 5-6 days. During fermentation, gas is released and the color of the fertilizer changes from brown to light yellow. Dilute the solution another 5 times and begin watering. Mullein is watered at the root, but foliar feeding with a similar solution is also possible. Treatment with mullein is repeated 2 weeks after the first feeding.
Important! To neutralize the unpleasant odor of mullein, add a teaspoon of copper sulfate to the freshly prepared solution.
Ash
Since ash contains a large amount of minerals, it is often used as fertilizer. They begin to feed with fertilizer from the moment the peppers are transplanted. Dilute a glass of ash in a bucket of water and water the plants a few days after transplanting. Before flowering, ash can be applied to the leaves and stem. It protects peppers from attack by pests and insects, and also prevents the occurrence of fungal diseases. This fertilizer can be added to the mulch and sprinkled between the rows from time to time.
Iodine
The substance has antibacterial properties, and also affects the taste of the pulp and improves the quality of the fruit. Iodine is used at the beginning of growing peppers. Add 3-4 drops of iodine solution to a liter of water and apply to shoots and leaves. Iodine leads to the death of pathogenic microflora and prevents insect attacks. The substance can be used up to 4 times throughout the season, with an interval of 2 weeks.
Egg shells
Crushed shells can serve as a source of calcium for peppers. Boiled egg shells are dried and crushed using a crusher. The crushed powder is poured into the rows, regardless of the time of growing the seedlings. You can prepare liquid fertilizer for watering: mix the shells with water in a ratio of 1:3. Peppers are watered at the root during flowering and fruiting. Calcium is easily washed out from the soil with each watering, so the need for the element arises constantly. The shells can be added to mulch, as well as before planting peppers.
Yeast
Once in the ground, yeast begins to process organic components, resulting in the release of nitrogen and potassium. Yeast feeding will be especially relevant immediately after transplanting the peppers to a permanent place. For 10 liters of warm water, take a packet of dry yeast and a tablespoon of sugar. All ingredients are mixed and left to infuse for 2-3 hours in a warm place. After time, dilute the resulting mixture 5 times and water it at the root. To enhance the growth of peppers and the rapid formation of ovaries, the additive is used 3 times: 1 time after planting, 2 and 3 times after flowering and before fruiting.
Attention! Yeast is a good additional product when feeding, therefore it is used in alternation with mineral or complex fertilizers.
Additional recommendations
Using good and timely nutritional formulations is not all that is required of you to achieve good pepper development.
Listen to additional, no less important recommendations for cultivating this vegetable:
- Water the seedlings not only with water, but also with nutrients. Fertilize the bushes every 15 days, dissolving organic matter and minerals in warm (close to the soil temperature in the greenhouse - approximately + 25 ° C) settled water. Gradually, the amount of fertilizer applied must be increased. You need to start watering with useful organic solutions from the moment the first leaves form.
- Try to alternate the applied organic and mineral mixtures.
- 2 days before fertilizing, the bed should be well moistened.
- After applying fertilizer, the soil around each bush should be loosened shallowly, provided that it is not mulched.
- It is worth introducing beneficial insects into the greenhouse, luring them with sweet solutions. This will contribute to high-quality pollination of the pepper.
- Systematically treat plantings with insect repellents. The first pepper harvest is harvested in mid-August. The last treatment against parasites should be carried out no later than 30–35 days before harvesting.
We recommend reading when and how to properly harvest peppers in a greenhouse.
So, cultivating peppers in a greenhouse is quite possible for novice vegetable growers; they just need to correctly follow the agricultural techniques developed by professionals. And then you will no longer have the question of why this plant is not developing well, but healthy and consistently fruit-bearing bushes will grow.
Complex fertilizing
A complex is a complex mixture that includes minerals in a certain proportion. They have a wide spectrum of action and instantly nourish the soil, replenishing its mineral balance. The complexes are easy to use, soluble in an aqueous environment and are used throughout the entire period of growing seedlings: from planting to fruiting.
Agricola
The additive is popular with a large part of gardeners. It contains no poisons and is safe for plants and fruits. Its action is aimed at accelerating fruiting and increasing productivity. Over the entire season, 3-4 feedings are carried out with an interval of 2 weeks. 25 grams of the substance are mixed in 10 liters of water and watered the seedlings, starting 3 weeks after transplanting into the greenhouse.
Effecton-O
The fertilizer contains phosphorus and potassium and is more suitable for use in the second phase of cultivation - during flowering and ovary formation. The main purpose of the product is foliar feeding. The solution is prepared by mixing 2 tablespoons of the bulk mixture and 10 liters of water. Effecton is used no more than 3 times during the entire season.
Baikal
Fertilizer is mainly used at the beginning of growing seedlings, as it intensively nourishes the root system and ensures early flowering. Baikal is bred in an aquatic environment in a ratio of 1:1000. Watering is carried out a couple of weeks after planting the peppers in a greenhouse or greenhouse. Repeat treatment after 14 days.
The main rule in successfully growing peppers is the correct use of fertilizer. For it to really work, it is diluted in the required proportion and used for watering or irrigation at a given time interval. If the seedlings themselves develop quickly and grow well, there is no need to apply fertilizing. Excess minerals in the soil leads to withering and death of the crop.
Features of plant processing in a greenhouse
Unlike growing vegetables in open ground, fertilizers for peppers in a greenhouse are needed more often. It’s more convenient to keep a calendar and mark the dates for soil treatment. For indoor soils, organic substances are preferable. Mullein, bird droppings and ash are well digestible and, if used correctly, will provide a good harvest of ecological products.
Growing conditions must meet the needs of the crop. Peppers like high humidity, but not excessively so that fungus does not form. Therefore, after watering or spraying, the greenhouse is ventilated, but without drafts. Root fertilizers are applied in the morning - watered with a solution heated under the sun's rays to 25 °C. Foliar treatment is carried out on a cloudy day. This is how the stomata of the shoots open as much as possible and absorb nutrients.
