Feeding peppers during flowering and fruiting: what to feed, the best means

What batteries are needed?

Sweet pepper is a plant from the nightshade family, the growth of which requires cultivated, loose soil rich in nutrients. At different stages of vegetable ripening, different types of fertilizers are needed.

Among the components that pepper needs, there are three main ones:

• Nitrogen. The plant needs it at the initial stage of the growing season and during the formation of ovaries to activate growth. Further ripening of the fruits takes place with minimal application of nitrogen fertilizers, since their excessive amount negatively affects the taste and size of the peppers.
• Phosphorus. Necessary for the formation of the plant’s root system and ovaries. The lack of phosphorus fertilizing has a negative effect on the formation of ovaries and fruit growth. Phosphorus deficiency is easy to recognize by the appearance of the crop: the upper leaves begin to twist, acquire a violet-purple hue, and the lower leaves crumble.
• Potassium. The plant needs potash during the budding period and until the end of fruiting. The substances allow the fruits to acquire the required shape and promote good shelf life. If there is a lack of potassium, peppers quickly lose their presentation after harvesting, are poorly preserved, quickly rot and deteriorate.

Important! Fertilizers containing chlorine are contraindicated for feeding sweet peppers. It is also recommended to minimize the use of lime.

How to feed peppers after planting in the ground

Before transplanting seedlings, the soil is prepared. For 1 sq.m. add half a bucket of compost, 100 grams of ash, 0.5 tbsp. double superphosphate and 1 tsp. potassium sulfate. After applying fertilizers, the soil is plowed and heated to 50 degrees. Celsius with water, and cover with film.

Rules for watering peppers before feeding

Watering peppers must be done a day or two before feeding in liquid form. This applies to both prepared solutions and complex fertilizers, but not to organic matter. When fertilizing, the soil should be moist; when using dry mineral fertilizers, re-watering is carried out.

For the first time, peppers are fed after waiting 15-20 days after planting for the development of the root system and adaptation. It is recommended to use fertilizers that contain a high content of phosphates and nitrogen. 2.5 g of double superphosphate and 10 g of urea per bucket of water. Apply a liter under each pepper into pre-moistened soil. After the plants have rooted, you can also use organic matter: bird droppings or mullein (dissolved in water 1 to 10).

If the soil is not fertile, additional fertilizing will be required to saturate it with minerals: 20 g of potassium sulfate and 35-40 g of ammonium nitrate and phosphate. Or replace it with the complex drug Lifdrip.

Before feeding peppers in a greenhouse, it is important to consider how the soil was prepared for planting. If using the above method, then the same fertilizing is used as when growing in open ground.

Feeding peppers during the period of growth and development

During growth, fertilizing is done twice a month, using mineral fertilizers and organic matter. Growing peppers need adequate amounts of potassium, calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen. During this period, use Nitroammofoska or Azofoska according to the instructions.

When peppers grow poorly, you need to decide quickly what to feed them with. If there are no signs of diseases, pests or lack of minerals, use complex fertilizer in small doses: Kemira-Lux or Clean Sheet.

Before budding begins, fertilizing is carried out with superphosphate and nitrogenous fertilizers (ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate): 5 and 10 g of mineral fertilizers are dissolved in 10 liters of water, respectively, and infused. First, the beds are watered abundantly by sprinkling, and the solution is then applied, trying not to get on the leaves, 100-150 g per bush.

Be careful when choosing fertilizer

When feeding peppers, you should avoid fertilizers containing chlorine (ammonium chloride), since when it gets into the root system it “clogs” the sap flow. This will not destroy the plant, but it will slow down the access of minerals and its development, and may affect the size and taste of the fruit.

Organic fertilizers include chicken manure (diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 5), wood ash (200 g per bucket of water), and manure (1 kg per 10 liters of water).

Pepper fertilizer recipe: “Green tea”

Feeding with infusions of herbs and dried flowers has a positive effect on the growth of peppers. To do this, collect leaves and flowers of plantain, dandelion, nettle, coltsfoot and woodlice, finely chop them, put them in a bucket and fill them with cold water. The solution is left to infuse for 7-8 days, then filtered and 1 liter is added to each bush along with fertilizing.

Rules for applying fertilizers

In order for fertilizing to bring maximum benefit to vegetable crops, you need to take into account several rules:

1. It is advisable to alternate mineral fertilizers with organic ones - this will improve the flowering of peppers and increase their fruiting. The interval between application of compounds must be at least 14 days.
2. It is best to apply fertilizers only after watering, in moist soil - this will increase the effectiveness of the composition.
3. To prepare fertilizers, use only clean, settled water, heated to room temperature.
4. Root or foliar fertilizing should be done only in the early morning or late evening, in the absence of direct sunlight, which can cause burns to the stems or leaves.
5. Strictly adhere to the proportions indicated in the instructions and do not exceed them. Excessive amounts of microelements will cause serious harm to the pepper and impair its fruiting.
6. 2 weeks before harvesting, you should stop using any fertilizers.

Feeding peppers during the flowering period is an important condition for strong immunity, high yields and excellent taste of the fruit. To do this, you can use popular folk remedies, complex mineral or organic fertilizers. When choosing fertilizer, you need to take into account the condition and composition of the soil, as well as the stage of development of the vegetable crop.

Top dressing for peppers during flowering and fruiting

Regular feeding of pepper has a positive effect on plant productivity, improving the appearance, size and taste of the fruit. But an excess of “nutrition” is harmful for the crop, especially during flowering and fruiting - the bushes actively begin to grow green mass to the detriment of the formation of buds and ovaries.

Mineral and organomineral fertilizers

Flowering and fruiting peppers, unlike plants at an early stage of the growing season, need much less nitrogen.

Now he needs phosphorus and potassium. Immediately after the start of flowering, the peppers are watered with a nutrient solution (the norm per plant is 0.8–1 liters), diluting 35–40 g of simple superphosphate, 10–15 g of potassium sulfate and 5–7 g of urea in 10 liters of water.

You can also use other mineral fertilizers. Phosphorus-containing fertilizers popular among gardeners are Superphos and Foscamide. Potassium is contained, for example, in potassium magnesium and potassium monophosphate. Nitrogen - ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate. The dosage is determined according to the manufacturer's instructions.

During fruiting, mineral fertilizers are used only if the appearance of the pepper clearly indicates their deficiency - the development of the bush slows down, the leaves become smaller, the fruits are deformed. Then the bushes can be watered with a solution of potassium and phosphorus fertilizers (a teaspoon and a tablespoon per 10 liters, respectively). The exception is pepper grown in greenhouses. For him, such fertilizing is necessary after harvesting.

In addition to phosphorus and potassium, ripening fruits need calcium. Its deficiency often provokes the development of blossom end rot. For prevention, plants are sprayed with a 0.2% solution of calcium nitrate every 15–20 days.

Calcium deficiency is one of the main causes of blossom end rot in peppers.

For flowering and fruiting peppers, fertilizers based on potassium or sodium humate are more suitable. They are very useful at this time - the number of ovaries increases, the fruits ripen faster, acquire a more “marketable” appearance, and are stored longer. Fertilizers that are popular among gardeners are:

• Ideal;
• Giant;
• Impulse-plus;
• Surprise;
• Humisol.

Humic acids are very useful for fruit-bearing plants

The fertilizer is diluted according to the instructions. Foliar feeding is carried out from the moment of flowering until the end of fruiting once every 2–3 weeks.

Natural organics

Organic fertilizers have a high nitrogen content, so they are used with caution during flowering and fruiting of peppers. If humus or rotted compost was added to the soil when preparing the bed, one fertilizing is sufficient - 5-7 days after the formation of the first ovaries. Infusions used:

• fresh cow dung;
• fresh or dry chicken manure;
• “green tea” (nettle leaves, dandelion leaves, any other garden weeds).

It’s easy to prepare the fertilizer:

1. Fill approximately a third of the selected container with raw materials (the greens must be chopped first). If desired, add a quart jar of wood ash.
2. Top up with water and close the lid tightly.
3. Leave in the sun for 3-5 days. You will know that the fertilizing is ready by the characteristic smell.
4. Before use, strain the liquid and dilute it with water. If the raw material was manure or greens - in a ratio of 1:10, litter - 1:20. The norm per bush is 1 liter.

Folk remedies

When growing peppers, one should not forget about traditional methods of feeding. Many of them are highly effective and practically harmless to humans.

Table: folk methods of feeding peppers during flowering and fruiting

Folk remedies

In addition to traditional mineral and organic preparations, gardeners often use folk remedies for feeding, designed to effectively and, most importantly, safely, influence the ripening and growth of fruits.

The following are used as fertilizers:

1. eggshells. Contains an increased concentration of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and organic substances important for nutrition and crop development. In addition, the shell reduces the acidity of the soil and enriches its structure. To prepare fertilizers, pre-dried and disinfected shells are used, infused for 5 days in clean water.

2. Serum. Dairy products have a balanced composition that improves soil structure, prevents the development of late blight, and improves the taste of peppers. The serum can be used to treat the first greenhouse shoots of the crop, as well as plants planted in open ground. Before adding, 1 liter of dairy product is diluted in 10 liters of water, mixed thoroughly and poured under the bush, in a dosage of 1 liter.

3. Tea. Tea fertilizers are useful for seedlings that are just beginning to develop. Contains microelements that support good plant health. For feeding, an infusion of linden, nettle, dandelion, and plantain is used. Medicinal decoctions are sprayed on the crop during its flowering or applied at the root.

4. Yeast. Pepper bushes can be treated with a solution based on yeast, which contains large amounts of potassium, manganese and nitrogen. This product serves as a growth stimulator and activates the intensive development of the root system.

Features of choosing fertilizer for bell and hot peppers

Fertilizers are selected based on the variety. In regions with cool climates, gardeners grow sweet (Bulgarian) and hot peppers.

Sweet (bell) peppers grow in fertile soil rich in nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. Chlorine should not be present in the soil. For good growth, plants use root fertilizers.

An excellent fertilizer for bell peppers is manure. Liquid manure is dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:5. Per sq. m use 5-6 liters of infusion.

Yeast, ash, banana peels (contains phosphorus, potassium, calcium), boric acid, eggshells, onion peels, and herbal infusion are used as organic fertilizers.

Hot peppers in the greenhouse are fed weekly when the first ovary appears. Use fertilizers based on pine ash, fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen.

Hot peppers are fed once every 10 days with chicken manure and potassium, or a Nitrophoska solution is prepared (35 g diluted in 10 liters of water).

Rules for fertilizing

Sweet peppers will delight you with high yields if you feed them correctly, guided by the following rules:

• During the ripening period, 4 additional feedings are applied.
• Additional addition of nutrients only if there are symptoms of their deficiency.
• The first feeding is 14 days after planting the seedlings in open ground. A composition with phosphorus and nitrogen is used.
• Flowering phase - 2 feedings, 1 time root, second time foliar.
• After 4 weeks, water with tincture of nettle leaves.
• Budding - preparations with nitrogen are applied at the root.

Attention! These feeding rules are the same for both plants in open soil and those growing in a greenhouse. But for greenhouse peppers it is necessary to reduce the amount of nitrogen, otherwise the bushes will grow greatly.

Terms and rules for fertilizing

During the season, 6-7 fertilizing is applied: three main ones, the rest - additional ones.

Basic feeding:

1. The first is introduced two weeks after planting the seedlings in the greenhouse. At this time, the plants begin to bloom.
2. The second is carried out during the formation of the ovaries. If the first feeding was using mineral fertilizers, the second is carried out with organic substances.
3. The third is applied during fruiting. Use fertilizers that dissolve well in water.

Gardeners use two methods for applying fertilizers: root and foliar.

Root

With the root method, solutions are applied under the root in liquid form or into the ground before planting the seedlings in the greenhouse.

Egg shells are considered an excellent fertilizer. It is laid in the ground before planting seedlings. But an infusion is also prepared from it: the shells of no more than three eggs are crushed and 3 liters of water are poured. The solution is infused for four days, and then young and adult plants are watered with it.

Foliar

Foliar feeding is carried out if the plant signals that it lacks nutrients. The lack of elements is determined by the appearance of the bush.

If the crop grows poorly, it is sprayed with a urea solution. For 10 liters of water use 1 tsp. substances.

Calcium nitrate is suitable for rapid fruit formation. The bushes are irrigated with a solution of the substance (20 g of the substance per 10 liters of water). This solution is enough for 1-1.5 square meters. m.

How to treat a plant that has developed blossom end rot? This question is asked by beginning gardeners. In this case, calcium nitrate will help. Each bush is watered with a solution (0.2%). Use one liter per plant.

What gardeners advise

Gardeners advise using organic and mineral fertilizers during flowering

During active flowering, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are applied. If the plant lacks this substance, the leaves begin to darken and wrinkle. Fertilizers with nitrogen are applied by drops or in dry form:

1. Ammonium nitrate. This substance contains salts of nitric acid. Thanks to them, greenery grows. Add 15 g of substance to 10 liters of water. For each bush use 0.5 liters of solution.
2. Nettle infusion. Organic fertilizer has a beneficial effect on the plant. It helps fight pests and diseases and stimulates growth. The infusion is prepared as follows: 100 grams of dried leaves are poured into 3 liters of warm water and infused in a warm place before the fermentation process begins. When it starts, cover the lid with polyethylene. Leave it in this state for two weeks. The finished infusion is diluted in water (two parts of water are used for one part of the solution and 2 tablespoons of ash are added) and the plants are watered.
3. During the flowering period, humus will be a good way to feed. It is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5. Plants are watered with the solution. Apply once.

Important! You cannot use an infusion of humus and manure at the same time. This will harm the plant.

Signs of nutritional deficiencies

A deficiency of one or another nutritional element can be easily recognized by the appearance of peppers. Plants will show the following symptoms:

1. Nitrogen deficiency manifests itself at the initial stage by blanching of the leaves. If nitrogen fertilizer is not applied, the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off, new ovaries do not form, and the growth of the bush stops.
2. When there is a lack of phosphorus, the leaves change color, becoming purple-orange. Subsequently, the stem begins to thin out and the roots stop growing.
3. Potassium deficiency can be determined by the appearance of a yellow border on the leaves. Soon the leaves turn brown and dry out. During fruiting, potassium starvation leads to deformation of the fruits and their uneven coloring.
4. Due to calcium deficiency, the color of the leaves changes to yellow-gray. The topmost leaves are the first to be affected. In the future, the growth point may die off.
5. With a lack of boron, pepper leaves remain small and their edges curl downward. Over time, the growth points may die off. The development of shoots is suspended, roots do not develop, the flowering process is disrupted, and the ovaries may crumble.

Having determined which mineral the plants lack, apply the appropriate fertilizer.

On a note! If food is supplied in the form of leaf feeding, the concentration of the solution must be reduced by 2 times.