Instructions for growing decorative pepper “Little Miracle” at home

Description and characteristics of the variety

This unusual pepper variety was bred in Holland, a country where breeding work for growing fruit and vegetable crops is especially productive.

What does it look like

The fruits are small, up to 3 cm in length, weighing up to 5 g. The stem can grow up to 30 cm.

Important ! With good care, up to 50 ripe fruits can be collected from 1 bush.

As they ripen, peppers change color: they start out green, then turn purple, orange and finally red. The color of ripe small peppers is red, like the chili variety. The Little Miracle tastes exactly like chili – the fruits are hot and bitter.

The culture is used for culinary and decorative purposes: a low green plant with bright red splashes of fruit looks great as a room decoration.

Is it possible to eat it

Peppers grown on such bushes are small in size, but quite edible. They can be used in cooking as a spicy seasoning.

Peppers of this variety are used to decorate dishes when serving a festive banquet table. Only guests need to be warned that the bright and attractive fruits have a burning taste.

Secrets of productivity

The yield of sweet dwarf varieties and hybrids can be increased significantly by knowing the small nuances of caring for them.

Illumination

Low-growing varieties prefer sunny ridges without wind. Additional fluorescent lamps are specially installed in greenhouses.

Pollination

Sweet pepper is a self-pollinating crop. To avoid getting a bitter taste of fruits as a result of cross-pollination, the beds are located further from plantings with hot pepper varieties.

Seedling

Compact bushes of sweet varieties, even early ripening ones, are grown in seedlings. Most of them are sown in boxes with fertile soil in early February.

Temperature

To ensure rapid germination of seeds, maintain a temperature in the room of at least 20 degrees. Sweet pepper bushes stop growing if the air cools to 14 degrees. Moving into the ground is recommended after all possible frosts have ended and the soil temperature is not lower than 16 degrees.

Diving and hardening

The appearance of two true leaves signals the need to pick. The presence of 9–10 leaves and the first color indicates that the seedlings can soon be transplanted into the ground. It is prepared within a week and adapted to street temperatures. Cups with seedlings are taken out into the fresh air every day during the warm daytime.

Planting scheme

Planting compact, low-growing varieties of sweet peppers allows you to reduce the distance between bushes to 25 cm. Thus, in a checkerboard pattern, up to 5–6 plants fit per square meter.

Soil and fertilizing

The ridges create fertile soil with light soil and neutral acidity. When digging up beds in the fall, humus, compost, and mineral fertilizers are added for low-growing sweet peppers. The mineral complex is re-applied in the spring a week before planting young bushes. It is recommended to feed small plants twice with a solution of bird droppings, mullein, fertilizers with potassium and phosphorus. Excess nitrogen in the soil increases the green mass of the crown, reducing the number of ovaries.

Watering mode

It is recommended to maintain constant moisture in the beds on which low-growing varieties of sweet peppers grow. Mulching the root zone and loosening after watering will solve this problem.

Attention! A small amount of moisture leads to stunted growth of already dwarf bushes, the fruits become small and lose the shape declared by the variety.

Fruiting regulation

In early and mid-August, experienced gardeners remove buds and flowers from each bush that will not have time to ripen.

Harvesting fruits at the stage of technical ripeness makes it possible for more peppers to ripen.

Biologically ripened peppers contain more sugars.

Sweet peppers ripen successfully during storage, but their sweetness will be slightly lower. In this case, the choice of harvest time remains with the owner of the plantings.

Advantages and disadvantages

A unique culture has advantages:

• even with inattentive care, the bushes show high productivity;
• the crop is not demanding on long-term lighting and soil composition;
• economical use of fruits in cooking (one pepper is enough to give the dish a characteristic taste);
• indoor bushes destroy microbes - peppers have bactericidal properties;
• alcohol and vodka tinctures are used for medicinal purposes for radiculitis and rheumatism;
• decorative properties.

The only disadvantages include the strong pungency of ripe fruits. An ignorant person or child may carelessly eat pepper or touch it and rub their eyes. Then urgent measures will be required.

It is recommended to use pepper with caution in case of diseases of the pancreas and gall bladder. Uncontrolled and constant consumption of any spicy seasonings leads to gastritis and stomach ulcers, so it is not recommended to use it as an independent food product.

Reference. Pets do not show interest in this pepper.

Possible mistakes during care

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Failure to follow the rules of care leads to disturbances in the development of plants and fruits. Knowing the mistakes you can make will help you avoid problems.

Bugs and problems:

• cold water causes rot to appear on the roots;
• excess moisture leads to rotting of the roots and shedding of leaves;
• pinching the roots during replanting weakens the plant and, as a result, few flowers are formed and the decorative effect is lost;
• low humidity levels contribute to spider mite infestation;
• the shedding of leaves, flowers, and fruits occurs when there is a lack of light.

What is needed for growing

Despite the stated unpretentiousness, pepper still requires some care. It is simple, but without it the plant will develop poorly, bear fruit poorly, or even die.

Location requirements

Peppers of this variety love direct sunlight. It is recommended to grow them on a well-lit windowsill, and in the summer take them out onto a balcony or loggia.

Important! In extreme heat, direct sunlight can be detrimental to the plant. On such days, it is recommended to put it in a cool, shaded place.

The little miracle goes well with almost all ornamental crops that are grown in apartments. Unless a large number of geraniums nearby can have a depressing effect on the growth of the plant. But not all flower growers note this.

Materials and tools

To grow ornamental peppers you will need:

• container (tub, pot) with a volume of about 2 liters;
• spatula and small rake for loosening;
• scissors for pinching stems and cutting fruits;
• medium-sized sprayer for irrigating plants in hot weather.

You should prepare a container for settling warm water - cold watering greatly slows down the growth of the plant, and the leaves dry out because of this.

How to grow and care

A heat-loving crop from the humid tropics quickly adapts to indoor conditions if you create an environment as close as possible to its natural one. It’s not difficult to create it - you need to choose the right place, lighting, container and care for the plant based on its very small needs.

How to grow decorative peppers A small miracle

To successfully grow peppers, you will need to do some preparatory work.

Seed selection and treatment, soil preparation

Seeds can be purchased at any specialized store; the variety is not rare. Before planting, they should be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect and swell.

Traditional soil can be used. A mixture of garden soil, leaf humus and sand is considered optimal.

Landing

Peppers of this decorative variety can be grown by seedlings and sowing seeds . Since we are talking about home cultivation without subsequent planting in open ground, preference should be given to the seed method:

• the planting container is scalded with boiling water for disinfection;
• drainage is placed at the bottom: expanded clay, charcoal or crushed stone;
• the prepared substrate is poured on top;
• pour boiling water over;
• after cooling, make holes in the ground up to 2 cm deep;
• Place 2 seeds in each hole and sprinkle with substrate;
• The soil is lightly moistened again using a sprayer.

After planting is completed, the container is covered with film or glass and placed in a place where the temperature is maintained at 20-21°C.

Important! To prevent the formation of fungus, the film or glass must be periodically opened for a short time.

After the sprouts appear, the film is removed completely. After 10 days, the plants are placed on a lighted windowsill.

Care

Watering with warm water is carried out as the soil dries and a light crust forms on the soil mixture. The plant must be sprayed periodically in hot weather to prevent the leaves from drying out. During the formation of ovaries, watering is increased and more frequent.

Feed with minerals once a month. The first procedure can be performed after the first two non-cotyledonous leaves of the future bush appear.

Loosening is necessary for the plant so that its underground part receives more oxygen.

Important! Lack of loosening can lead to the death of the plant due to poor development of the root system.

Hilling is applied as the plant grows. It is carried out immediately after watering.

The top of the stem is pinched when the bush reaches 20-25 cm. This makes the bush lush, attractive from an aesthetic point of view and prevents the plant from wasting excess juices and energy on excessive growth.

It is recommended to replant annually using the transshipment method, increasing the area of ​​the container. Typically, such actions are carried out up to 4 years.

Disease and pest control

The main diseases and pests that affect pepper in the room:

1. Gray mold occurs when there is excessive soil moisture and insufficient lighting. It is destroyed by creating optimal conditions and treating the plant with soapy water.
2. Spider mites are carried into a room by air currents, usually through an open window. Appears where the air is dry. Its presence is noticeable by the withering leaves. The pest is removed by wet treatment of the leaves.
3. Common aphids are destroyed with a solution of laundry soap.

Pepper care after planting

Now let’s look at the rules for caring for the Little Miracle after planting. Let's start with hilling.

This procedure is carried out:

1. When the plant is in a pot for a long time . The soil in the container sags, becomes very compacted, the roots and stem are exposed, which leads to the roots losing their ability to grow, absorb nutrients and become susceptible to diseases. In addition, bare roots and stems are unattractive aesthetically. Hilling allows you to improve the health of the plant and increase its stability.
2. On the eve of transplantation as a preparatory measure . Due to the strengthening of the root mass in the stage of relative calm, the plant adapts more quickly when transplanted into another pot.

Algorithm of actions for hilling:

1. The day before the procedure, water the plant with a small amount of water, but so that the soil is moist, but not wet.
2. Just before hilling, the top layer of the substrate is thoroughly loosened, being careful not to damage the roots of the plant.
3. Then the required amount of prepared soil is poured into the container, making a cone around the stem. The height of the planting is about ¼ of the height of the plant, while the lower leaves should not come into contact with the soil, leaving a distance of 1–2 cm. Upon completion of the procedure, the pepper is watered.

If the pepper is located on a closed balcony, including in winter, hilling is also necessary; it will reduce the rate of cooling of the soil, and thereby mitigate injury to the plant.
In this case, simple humus or sawdust from deciduous trees is used for rolling. Hilling is done closer to the end of autumn, and in the spring - this topped up substrate is removed, then the pepper will begin to grow sooner. Loosening the soil. This agricultural practice improves the soil structure. It allows:

1. Provide the soil with air . The plant needs oxygen throughout its life. The above-ground part receives it constantly, but the underground part sometimes experiences hypoxia, or oxygen starvation. The plant becomes sick and withers. Also, with limited access to air, the plant lacks its important component - carbon dioxide, which it needs for photosynthesis.
2. Improve soil structure . Constant loosening destroys small soil capillaries through which moisture rises, thereby drying out the lower layers of the soil.

Tips and tricks

Although the agricultural technology for growing this attractive variety is not very difficult, there are subtleties that will help achieve better plant growth:

1. Planting is recommended in February. Then by summer it will be possible to harvest a full harvest.
2. After the first shoots appear, it is recommended to highlight them for some time. This will raise the air temperature above the pot and extend daylight hours.
3. The fruits are collected until the end of autumn.
4. The first fruits can be collected when they turn yellow.
5. The fruit is dark orange or red in color and is finally considered ripe.
6. On cloudy days and winter-spring, it is advisable to highlight the bushes. The optimal daily light regime for peppers of this type is 18 hours.
7. During flowering (which occurs in late spring - early summer), it is recommended to periodically shake the bush slightly to improve pollination.
8. As an ornamental plant, the variety can be successfully used in landscape design. Flowerbeds with densely planted bushes of small red peppers look impressive even when small in size.
9. To prepare tinctures, it is better to use ripe, aged fruits. They are collected and used together with the stalk.

Pepper diseases and pests

Pepper has a strong immune system. Due to the specific aroma, the risk of interference from harmful insects is also minimal. And yet, under certain conditions, the plant can get sick and die. Among the provoking factors:

Blackleg. The reason is excessive watering of the bush. Saving peppers is problematic, so it is better to immediately determine the time and frequency of watering.

Black leg
spider mite. The reason is the activity of the parasite in dry air. Due to lack of oxygen, the leaves turn yellow, dry out and fall off. Treatment is effective if fungicidal drugs are used.

Midges. The reason is that insects appear from neighboring crops. The plant must be thoroughly treated with soapy water.

Plant aphids. The reason is a violation of the care regimen. Parasites feed on young shoots and can cause the death of the entire bush. To minimize the risk of disease, carry out preventive spraying of bushes with low concentration fungicidal preparations.

Reviews

Lovers of compact plants on the windowsill appreciated the versatile use of Little Miracle peppers.

Yana, St. Petersburg: “The first time our experience of growing this variety was unsuccessful: the plants quickly grew up and then withered. It turned out that they need to be pinched and cannot be over-watered. But the second attempt was much more effective. The result was excellent compact peppers with characteristic bitterness and beauty.”

Semyon, Rostov: “The first time I saw such a pepper was on my neighbor’s windowsill. He actively used small peppers as spices and even infused vodka with them. My wife and I planted Little Miracle. No regrets. I planted some of the bushes as seedlings at the dacha - it turned out to be a flowerbed no worse than the one in which flowers usually grow.”

Anna, Belgorod: “ I love folk healing recipes, I actively use them and treat others. A tincture of this pepper is the first remedy for radiculitis and back pain. No expensive balm is needed. And it’s easy to grow, a very unpretentious plant.”

Pros and cons of growing

• The undeniable advantages of the Little Miracle include:
• Easy crop care.
• Relatively unpretentious to soil and lighting.
• Good yield.
• Economical use in cooking.
• Healing properties (in the form of alcohol tinctures for treating radiculitis, rheumatism and pain in the lumbar region).
• Bactericidal qualities - destroys some harmful microbes located in the same room.
• Excellent decorative properties.

As a disadvantage, it is necessary to note the danger for small children: the brightness and attractiveness of the fruits can provoke in children the desire to touch or taste them. And a sharp burning sensation in the mouth is not the worst thing that can happen to a baby. Much worse are burns and irritations from the sap of the plant if it gets on the child’s skin; even more dangerous are burns and irritations to the eyes if the child rubs them with his fingers after mashing the pepper.

Learn how to properly grow Capsicum and Cycaque peppers.

Harvesting

Depending on the time of planting, the harvest can be harvested by autumn or May. The most abundant period of fruiting occurs in the 3-4th year of the plant’s life. To obtain a good harvest, additional illumination with special fluorescent lamps or phytolamps is required for up to 14 hours a day during short daylight hours.

It is advisable to harvest the crop as it ripens, since over time the sharpness of the pulp decreases. Some varieties offer better taste in unripe fruits. If fruits are collected to obtain seeds for seedlings, you will have to wait for full ripening.

It is very interesting to grow ornamental peppers yourself , since you constantly need to monitor proper growth, crown formation, flowering and ripening of fruits. But it’s all the more pleasant to harvest the crop, which can be added to tea, confectionery, sauces, marinades, and even used for medicinal purposes.

In addition to easy care, decorative homemade peppers are a real decoration for the room, window sills, terraces and balconies!

There are about 1,500 different varieties of peppers. You can meet some of them - Atlant, Carolina Reaper, Gemini F1, Pompeo, Claudio F1, Latino, Ramiro, Star of the East and Aladdin - on our portal.

Product description

Decorative pepper "Filius Blue"

Decorative pepper "Filius Blue" ( Capsicum ornamental

)

The plant is attractive for its thin curved fruits. Low compact plant 20 cm high.

Filius Blue flowers look very unusual with purple petals, white core and dark blue stamens. What gives this pepper a particularly attractive appearance is its small, rounded fruits, the color of which gives it its name. They form green, as they ripen they change their color first to violet-blue, remaining that way for quite a long time, then they become orange-yellow and finally red. Since the variety is distinguished by an abundance of harvests and each plant at the same time always has a mass of fruits in different stages of ripeness, this pepper will become a real decoration for any window sill, balcony, rock garden or border flower garden. When grown indoors, the plants will provide you with years of enjoyment.

The plant is light-loving, prefers even watering, does not like dry air. Does not require complex care. It has a short growing season and is suitable for temperate climates.

Bears fruit continuously for 5-6 months a year. Mature pods appear within 80 days after picking seedlings. Their timely collection provokes further flowering of plants. For keeping them at home, pots with a volume of 7.5-11 liters are chosen.

Planting: For sowing, use nutritious soil. The optimal soil temperature for seed germination is +21° C. Shoots appear in 10-14 days. Seedlings are planted, then planted in pots with a diameter of 10-12 cm.

A spectacular decoration for any windowsill is decorative pepper. Not only is it a great decoration, but it is also used in cooking. There are several dozen plant varieties. During the ripening process, their color may change, but as a result, the fruit ripens with a burning taste. Growing such a plant at home is very simple.

Botanical features of hot pepper

Hot pepper belongs to heat-loving plants from the nightshade family with branched stems, medium-sized light flowers and glossy fruits. The culture is compact and actively bears fruit. All varieties of hot pepper can be divided into decorative and standard. For growing at home, it is preferable to choose decorative varieties that have a small bush height (from 15 to 50 cm).

According to the ripening period, hot peppers are:

• early ripening, ready on the 65–100th day from germination;
• mid-season, ripening in 100–120 days;
• late, pleasing with the harvest in 120–150 days.

In Europe, pots with decorative peppers are placed on the balcony, windowsill, near the house for Christmas.

When choosing a variety for growing at home, you should pay attention to the following features:

• fruit shape. In this regard, the culture is very diverse: the pods can have a conical, round, flattened shape, resembling a pyramid, a cylinder and even a bell;
• fruit color. It can be different - from bright yellow to purple;
• foliage color. The leaf blade is most often green, but you can find varieties with multi-colored inclusions in the form of spots and stripes, as well as with purple leaves;
• degree of pungency of fruits. The taste of hot peppers varies from spicy with a slight degree of bitterness to hot and hot.

Edible fruits of hot peppers differ not only in size and color, but also in shape: some, like New Year's toys, are round; others hang down like bells; still others rush upward like candles

Flowering period and subtleties of pollination in a pot

The beginning of flowering depends on the time of sowing and occurs either in summer or winter. The flowers of ornamental pepper are bisexual , so they easily self-pollinate when air moves.

1. To facilitate pollination, the bush can be shaken periodically.
2. During abundant flowering, it is necessary to apply mineral fertilizers according to a schedule, as this period is difficult for the plant itself.
   A sign of mineral deficiency can be a change in leaf color from purple to too light. Fertilizing is carried out with mineral fertilizers in the spring every 10-14 days.