The most productive varieties of sweet pepper. Growing Sweet Peppers

Growing pepper in a greenhouse: how to get good harvest

Sweet or bell pepper remains one of the favorites vegetable crops which is grown in many countries. Its fruits are tasty and very useful, they are widely used in cooking most different peoples. In addition, it is a real storehouse of vitamins and useful trace elements. You can grow it not only in the garden in open field, but also in greenhouses, and modern agricultural technologies allow you to get a very good harvest. Growing peppers in a greenhouse is not particularly difficult, and mastering this business will be quite simple.

Selection of material for planting Planting peppers, getting seedlings Basic rules for growing peppers in a greenhouse Secrets of a good harvest Bell pepper diseases Harvesting bell peppers and getting seeds

Selection of material for planting

The first step is to decide on the variety for cultivation:

Today, there are several varieties of sweet pepper, but only a few of them are suitable for greenhouse cultivation. To get a good harvest, it is better to choose varieties " orange wonder», « Winnie the Pooh”,“ Night ”or“ Tenderness ”, they were specially bred for cultivation in artificially created conditions. In addition, experts advise purchasing varieties "Elephant", "Othello", "Victoria", "Health" and some others, but it is important to focus on the conditions of your area.

In addition, you should pay attention to the manufacturer: if you purchase seed from abroad, it may not give the desired result under local conditions.

The variety is also selected according to how you want to use the crop. if you prefer fresh fruits, then you should choose large-fruited varieties that ripen quickly. if you plan to preserve, you should choose small-fruited plants.

A few common varieties:

"Ermak" is a large-fruited, early-ripening variety with a high yield. It allows you to get two crops per season, the weight of the fruit can reach 250 g. "Gladiator" is a large-fruited variety with bright yellow fruits. They are distinguished by juicy pulp and thick walls. "Medal" is a variety of pepper with red fruits that ripen gradually. This plant can bloom and bear fruit throughout the year, the weight of one fruit can be 150 g. "Black Cardinal" is a special variety, distinguished by fruits of dark purple light. Such pepper can become a real decoration of the greenhouse.

Planting pepper, getting seedlings

Pepper cultivation begins in March, when it just starts to warm up a little:

It is necessary to prepare boxes with fertile soil for seedlings, moistened compost can also be used for this purpose, since pepper is very sensitive to the nutrient content in the soil. Between the seeds, it is necessary to leave a space of at least 2 cm so that the grown seedlings do not begin to interfere with each other. The planted seeds are sprinkled with dry compost, after which you need to make a mini-greenhouse: the boxes are covered with glass and paper until the seeds germinate. This usually happens after 2-3 weeks of regular soil moisture. When the seeds germinate, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of at least 21 degrees. The grown seedlings dive - transplanted into separate pots, each seedling needs a space of approximately 20 cm so that the root system has room to develop. The distance between the pots should be at least 40 cm, the temperature in the greenhouse should be maintained at about 18 degrees. It is necessary to water the seedlings regularly and do not forget about top dressing.

Under all conditions, the bushes quickly begin to branch, so you should not allow too active growth of green mass.

If the plants have already reached a height of 15 cm, they need to cut off the apical buds. This is done to obtain lateral processes and form a bush. The greater the number of lateral shoots, the more fruits can be obtained from one plant in the future. In the heated room of the greenhouse, you can also grow fairly tall bushes, but you need to take care of their garter.

Usually, the correctness of the conditions can be judged by the state of the plants themselves.

If the seedlings grow quickly and produce large bright green leaves, this indicates that they have enough moisture and nutrients. The lack of light gives thin and fragile shoots, from which it is difficult to expect a good yield.

Basic rules for growing peppers in a greenhouse

For transplanting peppers greenhouse soil convenient containers with sandy loamy soil are selected. The soil temperature should be at least 15 degrees, the air temperature in the greenhouse - at least 20 degrees. Usually, the principle of planting depends on the particular variety, and the manufacturer must indicate the necessary information on the seed packaging. However, there are general recommendations that are suitable for breeding most varieties:

Bushes are planted on the beds with a two-line tape. Row spacing should be at least 80 cm. There should be about 20 cm of space between plants, as the bushes will grow and they will need space. When the stem becomes long enough, the bushes need a garter. To do this, you can use wooden supports up to half a meter high. Flowers are removed from the first branch, only two shoots must be left. When the plant rises, only the strongest shoot should be left on each branch. All the rest pinch after the appearance of the bud. It is necessary to constantly loosen the soil, as this will provide the roots with oxygen. Too dense earth interferes with the growth of roots, and this will negatively affect the future harvest. It is necessary to regularly water the plants in sufficient quantities. A sign of a lack of moisture is the appearance of yellow-red spots on the leaves. In the greenhouse, it is desirable to maintain a constant temperature, since any sudden changes negatively affect the growth of the fruit. Good lighting needs to be achieved. This will ensure the shoots grow faster, and the fruits will begin to sing faster.

A polycarbonate greenhouse is good in that it allows you to provide plants with diffused light, so there will be no burns on the leaves from direct rays.

These are only general guidelines, as different varieties of pepper may require significantly different conditions. This is especially true for top dressing: most varieties of pepper need to be fed once a week, for this they are used complex fertilizers. At the same time, it is important to know that in the first phase of growth, nitrogen supplements predominate in top dressing, and when the bush begins to bear fruit, phosphorus fertilizers are used.

Secrets of a Good Harvest

Although Bell pepper – unpretentious plant, you need to know a few secrets that are important for getting an excellent harvest. A few subtleties relate to growing seedlings.

If the weather is warm outside, pots with seedlings are taken out several times at night to the balcony or terrace. A week before transplanting into boxes in the greenhouse, seedlings are treated with potassium salt, which stimulates growth. In addition, you can treat them with Elina stimulating solution: this increases resistance to various diseases and pests.

In order for the fruits to ripen faster, you need to harvest on time:

If one fruit has already reached right size and its ripeness must be immediately removed, because until this is done, other fruits will not begin to sing. It is necessary to inspect the bushes frequently, removing any diseased and dried leaves in a timely manner. In addition, barren shoots are cut off so that they do not take away nutrients from healthier shoots.

Sometimes the technology of growing bell peppers is used not in boxes, but in special bags filled with a nutrient mixture. A film bag can also replace a box, but it takes up much less space and you can place it anywhere. One of the common complaints of gardeners is that large, beautiful fruits suddenly turn out to be bitter, like in sharp varieties.

In this case, the Bulgarian pepper will acquire an unusual taste. In addition, cross-pollination is possible if the pollen was introduced by insects that flew through the window. It is undesirable to grow hot peppers on that hedgehog site.

Diseases of bell pepper

Bulgarian pepper, like many cultivated plants subject to various diseases. It is not so difficult to deal with them, but the plant will need to be constantly taken care of, because otherwise all the plantings may die, and a good harvest will not be achieved.

The most common diseases of this plant:

Blackleg.

This is a fungal disease that infects the stem of a plant and transmits it to the root system. If you do not take action, the plant may die, as the roots will be almost completely destroyed. The disease spreads quickly, so it can destroy not one bush, but all the plants in this garden. You can fight the black leg only with timely disinfection, and if the disease has already manifested itself, it is necessary to completely change the soil.

Bacterial spotting.

Another common disease that can affect the entire plant in the early phases of growth. It is caused by bacteria that infect the stem and leaves, causing spots to appear on them. If the plant bears fruit, the disease also affects the fruits, on which watery bulges begin to appear. It noticeably worsens the quality of the crop, in addition, it can quickly spread to neighboring plants. Spraying is the cure special formulations, and also replacement of soil in boxes.

Late blight.

A common greenhouse disease that causes fruit rot and damage to the green part of the plant. Late blight develops faster in greenhouses in which a constant temperature is not maintained: high humidity and periodic cooling create conditions for the development of late blight. Dark spots with a light green outline begin to appear on stems, leaves and fruits. To avoid late blight, it is recommended to pre-treat the seeds, in addition, when a disease appears, the plants should be regularly sprayed with a solution Bordeaux mixture familiar to many gardeners.

Phytophthora especially often affects tomatoes, so they are not recommended to be grown next to peppers.

The development of various diseases is additionally promoted by too high or too low temperature in the greenhouse.

Bell pepper harvesting and seed production

The yield of pepper directly depends on the efforts invested, and if you follow the rules of cultivation, you can get a large number of fruits.

You can find out the approximate yield even when choosing a variety and focus on these data when caring for plants.

Fruits are removed when they reach technical ripeness:

At the same time, they should acquire the size and color characteristic of this variety. You should not keep them on the bush longer; it is recommended to remove the ripened fruits immediately. They are quite fragile, so you need to cut the fruit along with the stalk. For this, strong scissors or a knife are used. Usually, the fruits reach maturity in 20-25 days, and after a few more days you can harvest a fully prepared crop.

Obtaining seeds is an important and responsible matter, since success will depend on it. further cultivation. For this, one bush is selected, in which all the features characteristic of the selected variety are maximally manifested.

How to get pepper seeds:

To obtain seeds, you need to select several of the largest fruits located on the third tier from the bottom. They are allowed to fully mature, so they do not need to be removed until the end of the summer. Other fruits and emerging ovaries are removed from the bush, as they gain some of their strength, and as a result, the seeds may turn out to be immature. When the fruits left on the seeds are fully ripe, cut and store in a paper bag until they are completely dry. The dried fruit is cut open and the seeds can be collected for later use. When harvesting, the seeds are collected in a paper bag, on which you need to write the name of the variety and indicate when they were collected. It is believed that they retain good germination for three years, however, older seeds can eventually produce quick healthy shoots.

There are hundreds of varieties of bell pepper, and every gardener will one day want to get new hybrid experimenting with cross pollination different varieties pepper. These plants are able to self-pollinate, but accidental pollination is possible, so if you do not plan to breed a hybrid, it is not recommended to plant several different varieties side by side.

For many, bell pepper remains a favorite vegetable, without which it is difficult to imagine both a festive and everyday table. Its cultivation does not require special knowledge and excessive care. However, the plant will appreciate the attention shown and will delight you with a plentiful rich harvest and large healthy fruits. You can choose a variety that is ideal for both growing conditions and taste preferences.

The greenhouse will allow you to get the first early harvest and continue to collect fruits until the very end of summer.

More information can be found in the video.

Pepper features of care, planting and cultivation

Pepper - features of care, planting and cultivation If you do not have a greenhouse, then pepper seeds must be sown in February so that the plants are 90-100 days old until transplanted in May. Pepper does not tolerate picking, so try to immediately sow the seeds in individual peat pots with a diameter of about 8-10 cm. It makes no sense to use large pots due to the slow development of its root system.

Peat pots for peppers are a good option

Substrate for growing peppers seedling way should be light and loose and consist of 2 parts of humus mixed with 1 part of sand and 1 part of earth. For 1 kg of such a mixture, you need to add a tablespoon of ash.

Pepper seeds need pre-planting treatment - they need to be kept until swollen for five hours in water, the temperature of which is about + 50 ° C. After that, they must be placed for pecking in a damp cloth for 2-3 days, the temperature in the room is about +20°C. Having carried out such a simple preplant preparation of seeds, you will receive seedlings literally the next day after sowing.

Sown pepper seeds must be thoroughly watered, and immediately after that cover plastic wrap or glass. Before germination, they can be in any warm (about + 22 ° C) place, while lighting does not matter, it is possible in the dark. After emergence optimum temperature for growing seedlings during the day about + 26 ... + 28 ° С, at night about + 10 ... + 15 ° С.

Do not indulge peppers with excessive watering, this can only damage them - cause a disease with a black leg. But try not to let the substrate dry out. Water for irrigation should be warm - about + 30 ° C, from excessively cold seedlings will be frail, get sick and may even die. Do not forget to monitor the air in the room in which the seedlings are grown, it should not be too dry. Spray the plants, and the room itself is well ventilated, not forgetting to protect it from drafts.

Pepper seedlings require additional lighting. During the month of February, it must be illuminated from 7 am to 9 pm. Before planting, seedlings need hardening, gradual accustoming to the rays of the sun, more low temperatures, wind and rain. To do this, the plant is taken out into fresh air, gradually increasing the time it stays there. During hardening, keep an eye on the weather conditions, do not allow pepper seedlings to fall under frost or low temperatures - for pepper it is below + 13 ° C.

Pepper planting

The best predecessors for peppers: onions, cucumbers, pumpkins, cabbage after green manure, zucchini and carrots. Bad predecessors: potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, physalis and eggplant.

Light soils are best for growing. It is better to prepare the soil for pepper in advance - a year in advance, adding 5 kg under the predecessor organic fertilizers per square meter, and in the fall, 50 g of potash and phosphorus fertilizers for deep digging. In the spring on the site - in upper layer soil, add 40 g of ammonium nitrate. Five days before transplanting pepper seedlings on permanent place, take care of the disinfection of the soil, this must be done with the help of a solution - add a tablespoon of copper sulfate to a bucket of water.

Seedlings are planted in open ground at the end of May - mid-June, according to the scheme 40x40 cm. Pepper seedlings are planted in an unheated film greenhouse in early April, and in tunnel shelters - at the end of May.

planting pepper

Try to place seedlings in the holes at the same depth at which the plants grew in the seedling box, without exposing the roots and without digging its basal neck. Peppers do not like cold ground, and if you want a serious harvest, arrange for him high beds, which must be raised by 25-55 centimeters.

Remember, pepper is highly susceptible to pollination, so if you plant several of its varieties on your site, try to place them at the maximum distance from each other and, if possible, separate them from each other using plantings of tall tomatoes, corn and sunflowers.

Growing pepper by planting seeds in open ground is impractical even in the southern regions. It will still be necessary to sow late, when the soil warms up, the plant will develop more slowly, the first fruits will ripen later, and the fruiting period of the pepper will be significantly shorter.

Pepper Care

Pepper care consists of timely watering, garters, weeding and top dressing. The first feeding of pepper seedlings must be carried out in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, for which 0.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 1 g potash fertilizers and 3 g of superphosphate. Second feeding 2 weeks after the first, dose mineral fertilizers it needs to be doubled.

Feeding pepper seedlings with a special infusion of nettle is effective, for the preparation of which it is necessary to take 1 part of nettle and 10 parts of water - we insist 2 days. The last top dressing should be carried out 2 days before you intend to plant seedlings in a permanent place, while increasing the dose of potash fertilizers to 7 g per 1 liter of water. For the season you need to make about 3-4 dressings of pepper chicken manure- 1:10, alternating such dressings with foliar ones, for which you need to use mineral fertilizers, such as nitrophoska (a tablespoon in a bucket of water).

A patch of peppers

With a lack of potassium, pepper leaves curl and a drying border appears on them. But with potassium, you need to be careful - pepper does not tolerate an abundance of potassium chloride. If the plant lacks nitrogen, its leaves become dull and, acquiring a grayish tint, gradually become smaller. When there is a lack of phosphorus, the underside of the pepper leaves turns deep purple, and the leaves themselves are pressed closer to the stem of the plant and rise up. If there is a lack of magnesium, the leaves become marbled, and an excess of nitrogen in the soil leads to the dropping of ovaries and pepper flowers.

In hot and humid weather, it is imperative to carry out pinching (removal of lateral shoots), especially for the lower stepchildren, and vice versa, if the weather is hot but dry, the plants do not pinch, since the leaf mass perfectly protects soil moisture from evaporation. Experienced vegetable growers advise removing the central flower on the plant growing from the first branch, this will help increase the yield.

During the growing season, peppers must be cut several times, trying to shorten the longest shoots and ensure the absence of shaded branches. Be sure to remove all shoots of pepper below the main fork of its stem, as well as branches inside the crown. Pruning must be done every ten days and after harvesting. Simultaneously with pruning, soil cultivation is also carried out.

Try to attract pollinating insects to the garden, for this, during flowering, spray the plants with a sugar solution: per liter of hot water 100 g of sugar and 2 g boric acid. Excellent result give pepper top dressing with liquid organic fertilizers.

It is useful to mulch pepper with rotted straw - a layer of about 10 cm, so you can reduce the frequency of watering, reducing them to once every 9-10 days. Timely care of pepper plants also consists in gartering plants. It is necessary to make a garter after hilling and mulching.

Pests and diseases

The most common pepper diseases are: late blight, white rot, macrosporiosis, blossom end rot, septoria, blackleg. More than others, peppers are harmed by slugs, whiteflies, scoops, aphids, Colorado beetle and a bear. To protect pepper from damage by a bear, an hour before planting its seedlings, pre-made holes must be filled with water. Having planted seedlings of pepper, again spray plantings with a sprayer. During the season, 3 times pepper plants must be pollinated with wood ash- better for dew. This will also help protect them from pests.

If you notice aphids on pepper seedlings, treat the pepper with whey - one and a half liters per bucket of water. After this procedure, powder the plants with sifted wood ash.

Pepper varieties

Before planting pepper, you need to decide on the choice of variety, and here it all depends not only on your taste preferences but also from the appointment of future fruits. So, if you intend to use peppers mainly in fresh, it is better to give preference to thicker-walled and large-fruited varieties, for example ‘California Miracle’,'Gladiator‘,'Winnie the Pooh' or ‘Gift of Moldova’. If the main purpose is conservation, then choose small-fruited varieties belonging to the "Siberian" series: 'Merchant', ‘Ermak’,'Victoria' other.

One of the most precocious varieties of pepper, the fruits ripen early and amicably. After the first harvest, pepper variety ‘ Yermak' blooms again and gives a good second crop. Highly large fruits, the mass of which reaches 250 g. The yield of the variety is 12-15 kg / m².

'Gladiator'

Middle Late dutch variety with large bright yellow fruits, tasty, with thick pulp. The wall thickness of the fruits reaches 13 mm, the weight of individual specimens reaches 380-400 g, and the yield is 10-12 kg / m².

'Medal'

An early ripe variety with extended fruiting. It constantly blooms and forms new ovaries. The fruits of the Medal variety are quite large - up to 150 g, in biological ripeness they are bright red in color, with a wall thickness of about 8-13 mm. The yield of the variety reaches 16 kg / m².

‘Jova’

One of the earliest Russian varieties, starting from the emergence of seedlings and until the moment of technical ripeness, about 95-100 days pass. Very productive, juicy and thick-walled. The yield is up to 14 kg per square meter, and the weight of some of its fruits exceeds 250 g. It is unpretentious and gives excellent yields even on heavy soils.

‘California Miracle’

Medium-early variety, fruit weight up to 400 g, and wall thickness up to 12 mm.

‘Black Cardinal’

It belongs to the late Italian varieties, has extraordinarily beautiful black-violet fruits (in technical ripeness) turning into red (in biological ripeness). From m² to 10 kg of crop.

'Victoria'

The variety is medium early, the fruits are relatively small in weight - up to 110 g, cone-shaped, slightly ribbed, about 7-13 cm long, wall thickness 7-8 mm. Yield 9-10 kg/m².

All types of pepper are long day plants. In conditions of dense plantings or in the shade, there is a high risk of shedding of ovaries, which significantly reduces the yield of these vegetable crops. Also, peppers are extremely responsive to frequent, but not too plentiful watering. And the introduction of a small amount of a liquid solution of biohumus at least once a month allows you to achieve a more complete and friendly return of the crop.

And yet one must be realistic: in the conditions of the northern regions, it is possible to achieve the biological maturity of pepper no more often than in 20-30 percent of plantings. And then, if the correct zoned varieties are selected early term maturation. But with proper agricultural technology, peppers taken in the phase of technical maturity (green) ripen safely in a dark and moderately cool room.

In the central and southern regions, gardeners are more fortunate: as a rule, they have every chance to pick peppers from the bushes in the phase of biological maturity (red, yellow or orange, depending on the variety).

When choosing pepper seeds, you should be guided not only geographic location the site where you are going to grow this garden crop, but also by the fact that it will grow in open or protected ground. For late ripening peppers, planting in greenhouses and greenhouses is recommended, or at least in the beds, where, if necessary, a temporary shelter can be installed. Also, prudently prepared arcs with covering material will help to shade garden plants when too high temperatures ah and scorching sun. Remember that pepper does not like extremes. Moderation is best for him.

When planting seedlings of pepper, provide at least 3 months for it to get stronger and gain the necessary qualities for transplanting to a permanent place. Good results can be obtained if the plants at this point reach the phase of 3-4 true leaves and some of the peppers form buds. But here, do not take it to the extreme: flowering peppers are much worse and take longer to take root in a new place. Therefore, it is extremely important to correctly calculate the landing time.

prepare the ground for permanent landing peppers - regardless of whether they will grow in open or protected ground - is necessary in the fall. If you have light sandy loam - add garden granular clay. It will help to “weight” the soil structure a little. If this is not done, the risk of leaching nutrients and fertilizers into the lower layers, inaccessible to relatively small pepper roots, increases.

It is better to plant peppers using the nesting method, digging holes in a checkerboard pattern in two or three rows, depending on the width of the beds. Optimal Distance for seating this vegetable crop - 30-35 cm. It is this feeding area that is considered the most suitable. In addition, the peppers will not obscure each other. Exceptions are low-growing compact varieties, in which case it makes sense to listen to the planting density recommendations developed specifically for them and indicated on the seed packaging.

Water the hole thoroughly before planting the pepper. Take the plant so that you can pull it out along with a clod of earth. For peppers and some others horticultural crops this technology is the only true one. If now the roots are freed from the clod of earth, then the peppers will take root much longer and at first they will spend their energy not on flowering, as it should be, but on the formation of additional lateral roots.

For 2-3 days, try to shade the transplanted peppers - direct sunlight for them is not the best help in adaptation now. Keep the earth around the plants moist and loose: moisture and oxygen access will help these crops go through a rather difficult stage faster. After a few days, the shading can be removed.

Regularly monitor the formation of new buds. If you grow peppers in a closed greenhouse, be sure to provide ventilation. In warm, clear weather, open access to pollinating insects. Now there are many self-pollinating vegetable crops, but if your varieties do not belong to them, consider how you can attract insects.

Perhaps act as a pollinator yourself. To do this, carefully examine the pepper flowers and understand the differences between male and female. One male flower up to 5 females can be pollinated. This agricultural technique is also recommended in the case of a cold rainy summer, when beneficial insects limited due to climatic reasons.

Further care for peppers should be reduced to frequent, but superficial loosening, equally frequent, but insignificant waterings (it’s good if the water is not too cold and from time to time gets on the leaves), top dressing.

The first top dressing is best done a couple of weeks after transplantation. Oven ash is optimal, rich in potassium, necessary to strengthen the ovaries. If potash fertilizers were applied during transplantation, carry out the first top dressing with a solution of slurry or fermented weeds. Further organic top dressing spend monthly until the time comes for the first harvest. Agricultural technicians do not recommend feeding peppers with organic matter when half of the fruits have already reached technical maturity. Such top dressing significantly reduces the keeping quality after removal and leads to the fact that the peppers laid for ripening will not blush, but become brown and soft.

Sweet and fleshy (Bulgarian, lettuce) peppers were bred in the middle of the 20th century by breeders in Bulgaria and Hungary, based on Latin American hot peppers. At the beginning of the 21st century, their experience was repeated in Myanmar, obtaining a sweet variety from another burning type- chili peppers.

In Russia, pepper became popular in the 19th century, then it turned out that this heat-loving culture was successfully growing in temperate climate and gives a good harvest. Sweet peppers have a pleasant taste and are an important ingredient in many salads, stews and other dishes. It's also extraordinary useful plant. The fruits of sweet pepper are rich in B and C vitamins, folic and nicotinic acid, P-active substances and carotene.

Sweet peppers are cultivated in the southern and central parts of Russia. It is important to choose the right plant variety for climatic conditions. Some hybrids can withstand even short frosts. Peppers are grown in seedlings, planted immediately in open ground or first under cover. Landing under shelter usually occurs in early or mid-May, and immediately into open ground can be planted in the last days of May or early June, since the optimal temperature regime for this plant is 19-27 degrees. The optimal age of seedlings is 60 days. It is important not to overexpose the seedlings, as overgrown seedlings do not take root well and may then grow slowly, which subsequently delays the time of harvest.

Seedlings can be grown independently or bought. Self-cultivation preferable, as it allows to reduce the cost of the crop.

To grow seedlings, you will need a well-lit heated room, soil, seeds and containers. The quality of the seeds is of great importance for the yield of pepper. It is best to use hybrids adapted to the Russian climate, resistant to diseases and pests, for example, Ararat, Adler, Terek, Kazbek, Erivan, Etude, Curiosity, Karat, Tamerlane, Sonata. The cost of seeds depends on the variety and can vary greatly. For example, 1000 seeds of the Terek variety cost 600 rubles, and such a quantity of seeds of the Erivan variety costs 1000 rubles. Variety Samson costs 2.5 thousand rubles for 1000 seeds. Planting density varies among varieties and is 3-5 plants per square meter.

With the constant cultivation of pepper for seedlings, seeds obtained last season are taken. They are calibrated in water, etched in a solution of potassium permanganate. Purchased seeds, as a rule, do not need processing.

As a container for seedlings, you can use plastic cassettes (for wholesale purchases, they cost 70 rubles per 1 piece, there are 40 cells in a cassette). Pepper does not like picks, because it does not tolerate damage to the root system that is inevitable when diving. For one plant, a cell diameter of 8 centimeters is sufficient, since the root develops slowly.

The substrate for sweet pepper seedlings should be loose and light. Perfect option is a mixture of humus, earth and sand. Subsequently, fertilizers are applied to the soil. The temperature for growing seedlings during the day should be maintained at 25-27 degrees, at night - at 11-13 degrees. Sweet pepper is a photophilous plant. It is necessary to provide lighting for seedlings from 8 am to 8 pm.

Before germination, pepper should be kept under a film, opening it in the daytime to prevent waterlogging. Watering - once every two days. In phase 1-2 of true leaves, seedlings are fed at the rate of 0.5 grams of ammonium nitrate, 3 grams of superphosphate, 1 gram of potassium fertilizers per liter of water. Before planting, it is also necessary to fertilize the soil. Ammonium nitrate costs 80 rubles per 3 kilograms, a kilogram of superphosphate - 40 rubles, a kilogram of potash fertilizers - 50 rubles.

The soil before transplanting seedlings should be prepared for another year. Under the predecessor, 5-10 grams of organic fertilizers per square meter are applied, in the fall 60 grams of phosphorus and potash fertilizers. In the spring, ammonium nitrate is added to the topsoil. The best predecessors for sweet peppers are cucumber, carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, zucchini, onions. It is not recommended to grow pepper after tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant, physalis.

Sweet pepper is very sensitive to the lack of minerals in the soil. If a drying border appears on the leaves and they curl, then there is not enough potassium. If the leaves are dull with a grayish tinge or light and small, there is not enough nitrogen. The underside of the leaves turned purple - not enough phosphorus. The leaves began to acquire a marble color - there is not enough magnesium. If the pepper sheds flowers and ovaries, there is an excess of nitrogen in the soil.

Standard scheme pepper plantings - 50 by 60 centimeters, but in general the planting density depends on the habit of the plants. Undersized varieties planted with a density of up to 10 plants per square meter, medium-sized - 5-8 plants, and tall, growing up to 100 centimeters, planted with a density of 3 plants per square meter.

As we noted above, in the first half of May, pepper is planted under cover. Typically, arc greenhouses are used to grow sweet peppers. The average cost of equipment for a greenhouse 10 meters long and 3 meters wide is 30 thousand rubles.

Planting under cover allows you to get a crop in late July or early August. The vegetative period of sweet pepper is 120-150 days. Early bell peppers are more expensive than those harvested in September.

During the entire growth period, peppers require regular watering and occasional feeding. Watering should be every 8-10 days, but stop watering two weeks before harvest.

Peppers are harvested manually, as the fruits reach the stage of technical ripeness. Seed fruits are left on the bushes. The last harvest must be done before the first frost. Harvested peppers are sorted by appearance. Part of the fruit is intended for the vegetable departments of shops and markets, the other part - for canning factories. Dry and clean fruits are packed in cardboard boxes and sent for storage or transported to vegetable bases. At a temperature of 0-1 degrees and air humidity of 90-95 percent, peppers can be stored for at least a month.

The cost of growing a kilogram of sweet pepper, according to various estimates, ranges from 40 to 60 rubles. The yield of sweet pepper depends on the variety and, subject to the cultivation technology, is about 10 kilograms per square meter. The average wholesale cost of pepper is 100 rubles per kilogram.

Bell pepper has become an everyday vegetable, so it is often used in cooking. This crop is grown in every garden, regardless of the region. You can grow it and harvest it almost anywhere, choosing the right variety. Today we will get acquainted with the best varieties of sweet pepper.

This is a typical representative of the nightshade family. The fruit is a hollow false berry, with large quantity seeds. Color from pale yellow to brown and purple. In its homeland, in Central America, it belongs to perennial plants, but in the Russian climate it is grown as an annual.

In the southern regions of the Lower Volga region, in the North Caucasus, in the Krasnodar Territory, it gives rich harvests in the open air, and in more northern regions, temporary or permanent shelters are needed.

Popular varieties of bell pepper

Early and mid-season varieties for open ground

Big Mama

It is grown both outdoors and in various shelters. Semi-spreading bush reaches a height of 1m. Individual fruits grow up to 200 g in weight, their walls reach 13 mm in thickness. Rectangular and smooth false berries become attractive orange at technical ripeness. Ripens in 120 days. Big Mama peppers received a high tasting score. Harvest is used fresh, suitable for conservation, indispensable in cooking.

Bogatyr

A typical representative of mid-season varieties. From the appearance of seedlings to the technical ripeness of the fruit, no more than 120 days pass.

On a tall and spreading bush (up to 60 cm), prism-shaped, rather large fruits ripen. Slightly bumpy skin with the onset of ripening acquires a pale green color, eventually turning into red. From one square meter, up to 7 kg of peppers with walls of 5.5 mm are obtained. Moreover, each pepper can weigh 150-180g.

The variety accumulates in the pulp a lot of ascorbic acid, routine, many useful trace elements. Taste is highly valued.

The fruits are used fresh, used for cooking hot dishes, processed into canned food and frozen.

Peppers of this variety endure transportation, are resistant to diseases characteristic of nightshade.

The harvest of the early ripe Swallow variety can be harvested after 130 days. The fruits ripen together. Can grow outdoors and under temporary cover.

To get a rich harvest, it is necessary to properly form a bush - remove all leaves to the first branch. A medium spreading bush grows up to 60 cm. Smooth cone-shaped fruits hang from the side branches. Light green color will tell you that the crop can be harvested. At this time, the fruits will reach 70 g of weight, and the pulp will be 5 mm thick.

The high yield of the variety, tasty fruits, versatility of use and resistance to diseases make it possible to recommend this variety for growing in a summer cottage.

Merchant

Another early ripe variety recommended for open ground and greenhouses. Begins to bear fruit after 100 days. Pyramidal peppers ripen on semi-spreading bushes growing to almost 1 meter. Ripening, the fruits are painted in a light green color, biologically ripe peppers are red. They have an excellent taste, the weight of one fruit reaches 130 g.

Peppers "Kupets" have a characteristic aroma, rich in vitamin C. The variety regularly produces a stable crop (up to 2.5 kg / m2), universal purpose.

Atlant

Large cone-shaped fruits of Atlanta do not fit in any way with modest, not very tall and sprawling bushes. The leaves are also disproportionate to the outstanding fruits.

Atlant has three-chamber peppers, dense, fleshy, crispy. When ripe, they become very sweet and juicy. Pepper walls reach 6 mm, with a total weight of an individual fruit up to 165 g.

You can collect them as early as 110 days. At this time, the fruits are painted in a bright light green color. Productivity - 3-5 kg ​​of pepper from 1 m2.

Belozerka

Bulgarian pepper Belozerka is one of the most commonly grown varieties. It bears fruit profusely outdoors. Ripens in 112 days. Bushes up to 70 cm. Cone-shaped, hanging fruits, slightly ribbed with a sharp top, painted in colors from light cream to red. Pulp thickness 7.5 mm, weight 130 g.

Delicious fruits of universal purpose. They ripen together. Productivity can reach up to 8 kg/m2. It is stored for a long time, does not deteriorate during long-term transportation. Plants are resistant to diseases and various rots.

Big Papa

Compact plants bear fruit in the open field and under temporary cover. 90 days after planting the seedlings, thick-walled (8 mm), cone-shaped, very tasty fruits weighing 150 g can be harvested. Purple fruits have reached technical ripeness and are ready to be harvested. Biologically ripe fruits are red-brown. Peppers keep fresh for a long time, do not deteriorate when transported over long distances. Productivity from 6 to 8 kg of fruits of high commodity qualities.

Bush of medium size, moderately leafy

high yielding variety resistant to diseases, in particular, to the tobacco mosaic virus.

California miracle

Very fruitful mid-early variety, you can harvest in 110-130 days. Can be used fresh, suitable for conservation. The fruit is a cube-shaped juicy, sweet grows up to 150g. Wall thickness up to 8mm. In technical ripeness, peppers are dark green, ripening, turn red. The plant is powerful, up to 1m in height.

The California wonder can be grown under temporary shelter and outdoors. Harvest up to 3 kg/m2. Commodity quality worthy.

orange wonder

Ripens in 100-110 days. Designed for temporary shelters and open ground. Zoned in the southern regions of Russia.

A powerful bush grows above 1 meter. Resistant to tobacco mosaic virus. On such a plant, cube-shaped, bright orange fruits ripen. The pulp is tender, juicy, up to 10 mm thick. The weight of an individual pepper can reach 250g. The yield of the variety is up to 14 kg/m2.

The collected very tasty fruits have high commercial qualities, are used fresh, harvested for future use.

Gogoshary

One of the best mid-season varieties. It has high taste and commercial qualities. Disease resistant. It can be grown in open and protected ground.

Rounded fruits are dark green at first, turning red towards full ripeness. Up to 10 cm in size, with sweet juicy pulp and a wall thickness of 5-6 mm. Fruit weight from 50 to 75 g. After 4 months, ripe peppers can be harvested. Harvest up to 5 kg/m2.

The bush is undersized, compact, not higher than 50 cm.

Gladiator

The fruits of the Gladiator contain an increased amount of ascorbic acid, tasty, with high commercial qualities.

The variety is resistant to verticillium. It can be grown under temporary cover and outdoors.
Peppers of this variety yellow color, with delicate sweet pulp with a delicate peppery aroma. Wall thickness 5-6 mm, weight up to 250g.

From crops to removable ripeness, 100-115 days pass.
A vigorous, spreading shrub feels better in areas closed from the wind. The estimated yield is 4-5 kg/m2.

Varieties for polycarbonate greenhouses

Wonder Tree F1

Hybrid Miracle tree confirms this name. Pepper bush 180 cm high! When other varieties are just beginning to bloom, a lot of fruits have already started on the "Tree". Medium-sized peppers, fiery red, up to 100 g of weight, prism-shaped, very tasty and juicy. The thickness of the pulp is 4-6 mm.

The hybrid is recommended for growing in a greenhouse. High-quality fruits are formed even with a lack of light. Resistant to fruit blossom end rot. They ripen together. The harvested crop is suitable for fresh use, good for processing. Pharaoh F1

Hybrid, for greenhouses and open ground. From planting seedlings to harvesting the first fruits, a little more than two months pass.

Bush of medium size, moderate height. The drooping fruits, prism-shaped, are covered with a glossy skin. Ripe fruits are yellow, later turn red. The weight of one pepper with a wall thickness of 7-8 mm can reach up to 160g. The taste of the harvested fruits is unsurpassed, the harvest is used fresh, suitable for processing. From one sq. m collect 6 to 7.5 kg. The hybrid does not reduce yields under unfavorable conditions. weather conditions, immune to viral diseases.

fat baron

The pepper bush does not grow above 55 cm. up to 15 fruits can ripen on it at the same time. The variety is resistant to infectious and viral diseases.
The fruits are cone-shaped, pleasantly sweet, 10-12 cm long, grow up to 140 g. Ready for harvest in July-September, after 120-140 days. Peppers with high consumer qualities.

The fruits ripened to technical ripeness are pale green, gradually turning red when fully ripe. Walls at harvest about 6mm. The total yield reaches 5kg/m2. Apply fresh, suitable for harvesting for future use.

ox ear

Medium maturity. From sowing seedlings to the ripening of the first fruits, a little more than 70 days.
The bush grows up to 70 cm. The peppers are thick-walled (6-8 mm), elongated-cone-shaped, smooth. Sixteen centimeter fruits can weigh up to 200g.

Biologically mature fruits are rich red, juicy and sweet. Long stored. Handles long distance transportation well. Up to three kg of fruits are removed from each bush.

Cockatoo

Tall bushes, up to 1.5m give up to 3 kg of pepper per bush. Giant fruits up to 30 cm long and up to 500 g in weight. Amazing peppers are elongated, cylindrical, slightly curved. The pulp is thick, juicy, sweet, fragrant. The purpose of the fruit is universal - you can use it fresh, or you can preserve it.

The crop can be harvested 110 days after sowing the seeds. Kakadu is zoned in the southern regions, with a lot of sunny days. It is very important that the planting site of seedlings of this variety is constantly illuminated by the sun.

Plants react painfully to lack of lighting. The advantage of the variety is resistance to diseases, rot, mosaic.

Gift from Moldova

A very productive variety. On a bush, no more than 0.5 m high, very beautiful and fragrant peppers ripen. Peppers of this variety can grow in a greenhouse, and maybe in the open air. It takes a little over four months from germination to fruiting. Recommended for cultivation in the south of Russia. Adapts to local conditions.

The bush near the Gift of Moldova pepper is compact, not higher than 45 cm. Semi-standard, with a large number of leaves. Resistant to some diseases.

The cone-shaped fruits are three-tetrahedral, about 10 cm long and weighing up to 90 g. Walls 4-5 mm thick. Ripe fruits are dark red, tasty and fragrant. Peppers of this variety ripen together, suitable for mechanized harvesting.

poplar

Mid-early variety with high quality fruits. The fruits are intended for fresh use and for processing. Zoned in the southern regions of Russia. Taste and commodity indicators of fruits are high. The variety is resistant to Vercilian wilt. Fruits suitable for harvest are light green, dark red when fully ripe. Peppers are conical in shape, up to 10 cm long with juicy pulp up to 6 mm.

One fruit can weigh 100-150g. ready for harvest 110 days after sowing.
A slightly sprawling bush in a variety is formed in a standard form, without a garter.

Ivanhoe

Sweet pepper, ripening for 115 days. High commodity and taste qualities. Genetic immunity to many diseases and low temperatures. It can grow under temporary cover and outdoors. Bushes up to 70 cm high, compact.

Fruit cream color suitable for harvest, when fully ripe they turn red. Cone-shaped, with tender, juicy and sweet pulp. A two- or three-chamber fetus gains weight up to 140g.

The crop withstands long-term storage and long-distance transportation.
A yield of 7 kg/m2 is achieved only in a greenhouse.

Hercules

It is characterized by high, stable productivity. Harvest begins three months after sowing. Delicious fruits have high commercial qualities. Disease resistant.
The fruits are initially dark green, ripening, turn red.

The varietal feature is a cuboid shape with a wall thickness of almost 7 mm. The mass of pepper can reach 160g.

The bush reaches 80 cm in height. The average yield is 3 kg/m2.

It is impossible to describe all varieties in any way, here is another selection of the best varieties:

1. The best early varieties for open ground are Funtik, Chardash, Barguzin, Cornet, Accord, Pinocchio F1, Jung.
2. Varieties for a polycarbonate greenhouse - Cardinal, Claudio, Atlas, Kakadu, Hercules, Denis, Orange Miracle, Tenderness.
3. Pepper sweet varieties for the Moscow region - Orange Miracle, Cardinal, Atlant, Latino, Agapovsky, Atlantic F1, Pinocchio F1, Winnie the Pooh, Golden Rain.

Agrotechnics of sweet pepper in the open field in in general terms has already been described many times in dozens of different agricultural journals and reference books. Typically, such materials begin with a presentation of the biology of the culture, listing the main varieties, diseases, pests, planting patterns, etc. Judging by the abundance of publications and their fundamental nature, this culture has been deeply studied and questions about its agricultural technology simply should not arise ...

However, in reality, everything is far from being so good. And crops of pepper in open ground, even in regions optimal for its cultivation, are very far from the potential of this crop. So, for example, in the experimental plots, most modern hybrids give a yield of 60 - 70 t / ha, while in production fields, even on drip irrigation, an average of 30 - 35 t / ha is obtained, very good professionals - 40 - 45.

Why is that? Because the devil is in the details. This culture is so sensitive to agricultural technology that the cause of losses and shortfalls in crops is often not only serious mistakes of the farmer, but even the smallest shortcomings and shortcomings. It is about these subtleties that I want to talk in this article.

And in most cases, we will talk about "varietal agricultural technology", because most of the agrotechnical decisions depend on the characteristics of the variety. And so let's start with the characteristics of the main varieties of pepper.

Hungarian variety type(conical) - the most familiar to us, since Soviet times, variety type. The fruits are conical, rather thin-walled (wall thickness less than 5 mm). Most famous varieties- A gift from Moldova, Belozerka.

block type(short cube or California) - the most popular on supermarket shelves. Fruits of the correct cuboid shape, with thick walls (up to 10 mm). The most popular varieties are California Miracle, Mazurka F1.

Lamuyo type(long cube-shaped) - very popular in production for processing, the largest of the peppers. Fruits in the form of a parallelepiped with a length approximately twice the cross section, thick-walled (up to 10 mm). The most famous varieties are Zerto F1, Plinio F1.

cappy type(long-conical) - the fruits of this cultivar are similar in shape to bitter pepper, but several times thicker and noticeably longer. The wall thickness, depending on the variety, can vary from 4 to 7 mm, the fruit length reaches 20 cm. This variety is most popular in Turkey, but in last years increases its market share of all European countries(including Ukraine and Russia). The most famous varieties are Kappi F1, Karina F1.

Rotunda (or Gogoshary type)- flattened fruit, shaped like a patisson, the wall is thick (up to 7 mm). For a long time, these varieties were amateur, but now they have taken their niche in commercial production. The most famous among them are Novogoshary, Kolobok.

Any production begins with planning - choosing a site, variety, planting scheme, irrigation method. A feature of pepper is that all these decisions are interconnected for it, and the correct choice of the other depends on the choice of one.

The table shows the dependence of the planting density of pepper during industrial cultivation on the choice of variety and irrigation method.

Note. Schemes like (130 + 50)/2 mean that on drip irrigation, pepper is grown in double rows in order to one drip tube, laid in a narrow row-spacing, watered two rows at once.

As you can see, there is no single optimal landing pattern. Depending on the variety and method of irrigation, the planting density may differ by a factor of two: the lowest - when growing large-fruited vigorous varieties on drip irrigation, the highest - for varietal conical peppers on furrow and sprinkling irrigation.

Pepper is biologically perennial plant, it's just that in our latitudes it grows only one season, but its biology determines many agronomic decisions in cultivation. Let's compare pepper with its close relative - tomato.

Tomato in the southern regions is grown both by seedlings and direct sowing. At the same time, the yield of direct sowing tomato is often not too different from seedlings, since the growing season here is quite enough for the full maturation of even a sown crop.

It's different with pepper. Of course, it is quite possible to get its fruits even with direct sowing, but the harvest will be meager, economically unprofitable. That's why peppers are grown only through seedlings even in the southern regions. At the same time, long-term experiments and the practice of industrial production show that the earlier the ripening of pepper begins, the greater the final harvest will be. As due to the biology of this crop, the total number of fruits depends on how many days of fruiting the plant will have. This means that in order to increase the yield of pepper, it is necessary not only to use seedlings, but full-grown seedlings (45 or 60 days). This is especially significant for hybrid pepper, the selling price of which is higher, so the increase in yield will easily cover the additional cost of seedlings. This will not happen on tomatoes: plant two plots of the same variety with 30-day and 45-day seedlings - and the yield will be approximately the same, just for a 45-day harvest it will start earlier and end earlier. On pepper, the end of the collection for all ages of seedlings will come at the same time - on the day of freezing, but plots with full-grown seedlings begin to bear fruit earlier and eventually give yield increase from 20 to 30% compared to seedlings of small ages.

Let's return to the issue of irrigation. Pepper is very resistant to drought, but at the same time it suffers greatly from waterlogging, and therefore is one of the most responsive crops to drip irrigation. This is due not only to the constant maintenance of humidity at an optimal level, but also to the ability to organize the supply of mineral fertilizers on drip irrigation extended over the growing season in small doses. This fully corresponds to the dynamics of consumption of nutrients by this culture. But when switching to drip irrigation, you may encounter unpleasant surprises. The most common - storm uprooting bushes.

Imagine you have installed a drip irrigation system, watering regularly, constantly keeping the top layer of soil moist. Plants develop very quickly, form a huge above-ground part (two to three times larger than on sprinkling), and the root system is superficial, there is no need for roots to grow in depth, since both moisture and nutrients are supplied to the uppermost layers of the soil. And at the first strong wind bushes fall, are uprooted, which leads to very serious crop losses. The problem occurs even with wind speeds of 15 - 17 m / s, as well as with heavy rains. This is especially true for vigorous peppers (variety types blocky, lamuyo, cappi), since they have the largest bush habit on drip irrigation, which, due to the high windage, leads to the most significant losses from “storm uprooting”.

It is impossible to solve this problem when it has already arisen. It can only be prevented. And for this, it is necessary to correctly build an irrigation schedule. In the first days after planting, it is better to water the seedlings quite often - once every one to three days, depending on the type of soil. And after the active resumption of growth of bushes for about two to three weeks, switch to more sparse irrigation (every three to four days for sands, once every five to six days for loams). This will cause the plants to form a deeper, more powerful root system, firmly holding the bushes from the "storm uprooting". Further, starting from the phase mass flowering, better come back for more frequent watering. Of course, this agricultural technique will work well only if you have properly prepared the soil, loosened it to a depth of at least 30 cm.

Sunburn- traditionally a very serious problem for the south, but in recent years it has often happened in the central regions. Of all the cultivars, the block and lamuyo are the most sensitive to sunburn, Hungarian and cappi are moderately affected, and the rotunda cultivar is very resistant. From the point of view of phenophases, fruits in the phase of technical ripeness are most susceptible to sunburn. Moreover, varieties with dark green fruits are affected more than those with light green ones, and varieties with pale yellow fruits in the phase of technical ripeness are least affected. The greatest danger is the situation when during the period of fruit growth there is cloudy weather for a long time, which is abruptly replaced by sunny days. In such cases, commercial crop losses can reach 35% on susceptible varieties.

How to avoid fruit sunburn? The main way is the formation of a powerful leaf apparatus that covers the fruits from direct sunlight. Pepper blooms profusely and is able to set a lot of fruits on a bush (up to 50 - 60 for some open field hybrids), but if the balance between leaf mass and fruit load is not observed, this will lead not only to fruit shrinkage, but also to serious losses from sunburn. To maintain this balance, it is necessary from the first days after disembarkation to start supplying mineral nutrition, orienting most nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers for the first third of the growing season, and also strictly monitor the maintenance of optimal humidity during this period. The lack of moisture (even short-term) is a signal for the bush to increase fruiting and weaken vegetative growth. If the same unfavorable weather scenario develops (a sharp change in long cloudy weather to sunny weather), then you can protect the fruits by spraying the field with wax-like preparations (for example, Vapor Guard antitranspirant). At the same time, it must be remembered that the fruits grow very quickly, and as they grow, the wax film stretches and loses integrity, so that the effect of such sprays is short-lived.

Another trouble of a non-infectious nature, annually leading to significant losses in the yield and marketability of pepper, is blossom end rot. Damage occurs when there is a calcium deficiency in the plant. The problem has long been known and studied, but, nevertheless, even on soils rich in calcium, it is not always possible to solve it. The assimilation of calcium by plant roots is very dependent on temperature - the stronger the heat, the worse calcium is absorbed not only from the soil, but also from the fertilizers that we apply to it. Therefore, to prevent crop losses, it is necessary to start calcium top dressing with irrigation water before the peak temperatures, and when the heat reaches its maximum, support the plant with foliar top dressing. In addition, the absorption of calcium is drastically hampered by a lack of moisture in the soil, therefore, it is during these periods (high temperatures and the load of bushes with a large number of fruits in the stage of active growth) that watering should be taken especially seriously, achieving almost constant maintenance of soil moisture at a level of at least 80 % of HB.

Briefly, it is worth dwelling on pest problems. I have been growing peppers for over 20 years and I remember well the "golden days" when there were practically no pests in peppers (except maybe a bear in some fields). But over the years, unfortunately, the situation has changed dramatically.

Since about 2000, pepper began to hit garden scoop - karadrina. And last year, the outbreak was so severe that very few escaped the damage.

High temperatures, which have become typical of recent seasons, lead to massive development of populations spider mite, aphids and thrips- very dangerous pests pepper, not only directly damaging it, but also being carriers of viral diseases.

And therefore, in recent years, the standard for intensive cultivation pepper is to carry out four to six ground insecticidal sprays, and plus, soil treatment against wireworms that gnaw scoops and bears (as a rule, it is carried out with irrigation water through a drip irrigation system). Pest control is greatly complicated by their rapidly developing drug resistance and high temperatures, which reduce the effectiveness of many insecticides and acaricides. The alternation of preparations from different chemical classes, processing at night, the selection of pesticides, taking into account their effectiveness at different temperatures, is the basis for success in protecting pepper from pests.

Mulching with black film. This agricultural practice is often introduced immediately with the transition to drip irrigation. This is understandable - the black film prevents the growth of weeds. For pepper, this is especially important, because unlike tomato, onion, cabbage, for pepper there are practically no insurance herbicides for the destruction of dicotyledonous weeds during the growing season of the crop. In addition, black film is another way to save irrigation water, which is becoming more and more important every year for all growing areas. And one more very important point regarding long-fruited varieties of pepper (cappie variety). The black film prevents the fruit tips from contacting the soil, which leads to the appearance of blackening of the tips, and hence to a decrease in the marketability of the fruit. Therefore, for varieties of this type, mulching the ridge with a film is an almost mandatory agricultural practice.

But often, along with the benefits that black film gives, the farmer gets a number of problems. And the first one is related to soil moisture control. If when irrigating an ordinary plantation we can visually control the quality of irrigation (blocking of individual droppers, breaks and damage to the tube by pests, the degree of wetting of the strip, etc.), then when irrigating under a black film, none of this is visible. Therefore, for such fields obligatory element drip irrigation systems will be tensiometers or potentiometers- devices that control soil moisture.

The second problem with using black film is soil overheating. In recent years, extremely high temperatures have become more and more typical of the southern regions where pepper production is concentrated. And, of course, black film, accumulating solar energy, gets very hot in the sun, which leads to overheating of the soil in the zone of the root system of pepper. How to solve this problem? There are two ways.

First- absolutely obligatory for all cultivars - plant seedlings as early as possible, use seedlings at least 45 days old, build an irrigation and mineral nutrition strategy in such a way as to form a powerful leaf apparatus as quickly as possible, which will shade the black film during high temperatures, protecting it from overheating. The shelter of early plantings with agrofibre can help very well in this, a greenhouse microclimate is created under it - with small temperature drops, with high humidity, which contributes to the accelerated growth of leaf mass.

Second, as a rule, concerns precisely low-growing varieties (Hungarian, rotunda). This is the use of either a two-color film (black on the bottom to prevent weed growth, and white on top to prevent overheating), or whitening the surface of an ordinary black film with a 2 - 4% suspension of lime or chalk (chalk is more durable), which is done with a conventional sprayer . Such whitening is done after laying the film, but before planting. On peppers of other varieties, such an operation may be necessary only when very later dates planting seedlings.

Several times in the text of this article, "the formation of a powerful leaf apparatus" is mentioned. This is indeed a very important task of agricultural technology in the initial period of vegetation. And to a large extent, its solution is determined by proper mineral nutrition. I understand that many, reading this material, expect from me a clear statement of "how many of which nutrients to give to achieve this goal?". I'd be happy to answer, but it's impossible. For each field, this decision will be different, taking into account what is already contained in the soil of each a separate section. Therefore, for those who want to properly schedule the nutrition of pepper (as well as any crop), I can offer only one thing - soil analysis and calculation of mineral nutrition based on it.