Rules and features of watering peppers at each stage of growth

What water to use

Bell peppers and hot peppers are moisture-loving vegetable crops. For full growth and development, rapid rooting in the garden and good fruiting, the plant needs not only a sufficient amount of sunlight, but also moisture.

All pepper varieties tolerate drought very poorly. The plant has a shallow root system located close to the surface of the soil, so it is very important for the vegetable grower to carefully monitor the condition of the soil. At the same time, when growing peppers, it is necessary to take into account not only the optimal frequency of watering, but also the quality of the water used.

What water to use for watering peppers:

To moisten peppers, you cannot use tap water - it contains chlorine and impurities of metal salts, which harm fragile seedlings.
It is best to moisten peppers with rainwater, which has a softer composition without chemical impurities.
If there is a river, pond or other fresh body of water nearby the garden, the water from it can also be used to irrigate the pepper beds.

The liquid for irrigation should not be cold, so it is not advisable to collect water from a well or borehole.

The optimal option is considered to be a temperature not lower than +17°C and not higher than +23°C. You don’t have to heat the water on purpose, but leave it in direct sunlight for several hours.

Rules for moistening the soil under seedlings

Before watering, you need to determine the condition of the soil. If you decide to moisturize, then you can proceed to the following steps:

Fill the container for irrigation with prepared settled or melt water;
Irrigate carefully and measuredly, trying to prevent liquid from entering the above-ground part of the plants.

In a situation where water gets on the leaves or stem of the bushes, it should be removed using a clean piece of material for this purpose.

Watering methods

There are several methods for watering sweet and hot peppers, which can be used both in small gardens or greenhouses, and in large farms that grow peppers on an industrial scale.

Basic methods of watering peppers:

Manual is one of the most common, but quite labor-intensive methods of moistening vegetable crops. Various hand-held devices are used for watering - watering cans, buckets, plastic bottles or hoses. This method of moisturizing is most suitable for small garden plots.
Drip - when using this method, hoses equipped with special droppers and a filter system are connected to the water supply source. Drip irrigation is considered the most effective, as it ensures uniform soil moisture and prevents the formation of a dense crust on the soil surface.
Surface - this method of moistening is most preferable for arid regions. In this case, small grooves are prepared in the row spacing and filled with water. Thanks to this, plant root systems can consume the amount of moisture that they need at this stage of development.
Intrasoil - pipes are installed under the top layer of soil through which water is supplied to the roots of the plant. This ensures even moisture and the absence of pathogenic bacteria on wet pepper leaves.
Sprinkling - with this method of moistening, special drip devices are used to simulate rain.

Sprinklers can be purchased at gardening stores. The disadvantage of this method is the high cost of the irrigation system and insufficient moisture in hot, arid climates.

Rules and features of watering

Watering bell and hot peppers should not only be timely, but also correct. When irrigating a vegetable crop, you need to take into account basic agrotechnical rules, since improper irrigation can do more harm to the plant than good.

Basic rules and features of watering peppers:

The frequency of watering peppers in a greenhouse and open ground is different, because in greenhouse conditions it is much easier to maintain an optimal level of moisture. In open soil, you need to constantly ensure that the soil around the pepper bushes does not dry out.
When the air temperature rises above +29°C, it is necessary to moisten not only in the root zone, but also over the entire surface of the bed.
Watering peppers is best done in the early morning and finished by midday. Plants should not be moistened during the day, as drops of moisture on the leaves under the influence of direct sunlight will lead to burns. You can also water the plants in the late evening, after sunset.
On average, mature plants grown in open soil are watered every 5-7 days, but this depends on weather conditions. On hot days, the frequency of watering is increased - the peppers are watered every 2 days.
The sprinkling method, in which pepper leaves are moistened, is suitable only before the flowering phase begins.
Excess moisture is very harmful for pepper, which leads to rotting of the root system and the development of fungal diseases. When watering, you need to ensure that no puddles remain on the surface of the soil.
In rainy weather, you need to stop watering, which will lead to waterlogging of the plants. In the greenhouse, peppers are moistened less frequently, every 3-4 days.

Watering must be stopped 12-15 days before harvest. Thanks to this, the ripening of fruits accelerates and their taste improves. But if during this period new ovaries continue to form on the bushes, watering continues.

How often to water pepper seedlings on the window?

The moisture requirement depends on many factors of a given vegetable:

From age . Watering pepper seedlings after sowing the seeds is not done until the first sprouts appear. While the plants are small, they will not need too much water, but as they grow, the volume will increase, and watering must be regular. Read more about preparing seeds before planting.
Planting density . When seedlings are planted too close to each other, the soil dries out quickly and must be watered very often to prevent it from drying out.
From the amount of land . If there is little of it, then watering is done as often as possible, and if there is a lot, then several times less often.

Advice! Pepper plants need to be watered in the morning.

Watering depending on the period

The frequency of watering bell and hot peppers depends on the phase of plant development. At different stages of growth, vegetable crops require different amounts of moisture. It is very important to take these features into account, since the amount of moisture that young seedlings need is not suitable for adult pepper bushes.

After planting seedlings in the ground

After transplanting pepper seedlings into open ground, you need to be especially careful about watering. During the first 12-15 days, the seedlings adapt to the new growing location, so they should not be disturbed by strong water pressure.

Moisturizing should be daily, but gentle and minimal - no more than ½ glass of water is used for each bush.

After 15 days, the pepper has fully adapted to open ground or greenhouse beds, so it can be transferred to the usual watering regime. Stronger plants are watered every week, using a bucket of clean water per 1 sq.m. In hot weather, watering is carried out once every 3-4 days.

Bloom

During the flowering period, watering bell and hot peppers plays a huge role, because if there is a lack of moisture, the plant will simply drop its buds and you will have to forget about a good harvest.

During the flowering phase, peppers are irrigated twice a week, the optimal amount of moisture is 12-15 liters per sq.m.

For flowering peppers, the sprinkling method is not used. It moisturizes not only the root zone, but also the leaves and buds, which will lead to their falling off. The best option would be drip or hand watering using a watering can.

Fruiting

At the fruiting stage of a vegetable crop, it is advisable to strictly limit the frequency of watering. It is enough to moisten bushes with ovaries that have appeared once every 3-5 days, using no more than ½ bucket of water for each plant.

During the period of direct fruiting and fruit ripening, the frequency of watering must be reduced and fruit-bearing plants should be irrigated no more than once every 7-8 days.

To check, you can take a handful of earth in your palm and crush it - if it crumbles into grains, the pepper needs watering.

What container is suitable for growing peppers

The choice of landing containers is not limited if they meet the requirements for containers: disinfected surface, presence of drainage holes.

You can grow seedlings in plastic containers for ice cream and cookies, peat tablets and cups, plastic cups, milk or juice tetra bags, etc.

The most popular containers are cassettes or plastic boxes in which seedlings grow before picking. After the procedure, plastic cups are used.

If there are not very many seedlings, then it makes sense to use peat cups. If there are a lot of seedlings, then peat cups will hurt your pocket.

ON A NOTE. There are also unusual growing methods. Such as snail, diaper, growing on toilet paper, etc.

Watering with fertilizing

Watering bell or hot peppers can be combined with the simultaneous application of fertilizing. This will help not only moisturize the plants, but also saturate them with the mineral elements necessary for full growth, development and good fruiting.

Irrigation options with fertilizing:

18-22 days after planting peppers in open soil - 2-3 grams of superphosphate and 5 grams of calcium nitrate per 5 liters of water.
The period of bud formation is ½ teaspoon of liquid mineral fertilizers with a high potassium content per 5 liters of water.
Completion of fruit filling - 0.5 grams of potassium salt and superphosphate per 5 liters of water.

Among organic fertilizers, it is best to use peat or wood ash. They are added in an amount of 10 g or 1 tsp. per 1 liter of water, respectively.

To stimulate the growth of young seedlings and their rooting, you can use hydrogen peroxide, which can be found in any home medicine cabinet. To do this, add 2 tbsp to 1 liter of water. l. peroxide with a concentration of 3%. For each seedling you will need a teaspoon of this stimulant, which is applied under the root in the early morning or evening.

What's better?

ATTENTION! Water the seedlings only with warm or room temperature water.

Otherwise, your plants will die or grow weak.
There is also a risk of blackleg. Water for irrigation must settle. This should be done in the evening.
Fill watering cans or watering bottles in advance. Sometimes gardeners water seedlings with melt water. To do this, they place containers of water in the freezer until ice forms. Then you need to take them out and defrost the water.

There are also several additives that will improve your seedlings. Use the method that is more convenient for you.

Potassium permangantsovka

A solution of potassium permanganate protects seedlings from infections. You need to mix 5 grams of manganese and a liter of water. Then water the seedlings with this solution. As a result, bacteria and fungi that are dangerous to the pepper will die. Potassium permanganate is also used to treat containers where future crops will grow.

Ammonia

It is the best fertilizer for pepper seedlings. Ammonia is a nitrogenous compound that is easily absorbed by plants. Thanks to it, the pepper stem is strengthened, and this is important for a rich harvest, it also stimulates leaf growth and replenishes the lack of nitrogen.

You need to feed the seedlings with this alcohol after 10 days from the date of picking. To prepare the solution, mix one liter of water and one teaspoon of ammonia. Then water the seedlings with it.

Yeast

Yeast helps peppers stock up on useful substances:

minerals;
ergosterol;
vitamin B;
carbohydrates;
nucleic acids;
amino acids;
lipids.

The plant needs them to fight various diseases. That is, yeast contributes to the development of immunity in seedlings , since nutrients enter the plants in sufficient quantities.

Fitosporin

This is a biofungicidal agent that has been tested by time and many gardeners. Fitosporin is used to:

disinfect the soil of seedlings;
soak pepper seeds;
soak the roots of the seedlings in the solution before planting in the ground;
carry out safe watering at the root.

Iodine

This is a fairly common trace element in nature, found in low concentrations. The availability of iodine in soils of different regions varies greatly.

REFERENCE! Sufficient amounts of iodine for the normal functioning of plants are found in the soils of coastal regions, chestnut soils and chernozem.

In pepper, it increases the content of vitamin C, has a positive effect on the harvest, as it stimulates the development and growth of garden plants, and also affects the color, taste and size of the fruit.

Hydrogen peroxide

Like phytosporin, peroxide disinfects soil and containers for seedlings. You need to dissolve one bottle of peroxide in four liters of water. Water the soil a few days before planting seedlings or seeds so that the missing oxygen in the soil has time to be replenished. It is advisable to treat the beds with it after harvesting.

Care after watering

Proper care after watering will help prevent rapid evaporation of moisture and maintain optimal moisture balance for a long time. The most important thing is mulching after irrigation.

Peat, straw, sawdust, fallen leaves or chopped grass can be used as a mulch layer. An excellent option would be a special non-woven material - spunbond or agrofibre.

The mulch layer (except for non-woven material) should have a thickness of 5-7 cm. Next time, the pepper can be watered directly on top of the mulch. Another advantage of mulching is weed control, so after laying the mulch, peppers will need to be weeded much less frequently.

After each watering, as well as rain, the soil around the pepper must be loosened. This will prevent the appearance of a hard crust on the surface of the earth, which impairs the access of oxygen to the roots of the plant. But loosening must be done very carefully, since pepper has a superficial root system - that is, located close to the surface of the soil.