Tips for growing chili peppers!

Pepper is one of people's favorite vegetables, which contains high vitamin C and capsaicin, which can remove dampness and cold, promote blood circulation and enhance resistance. Its spicy and spicy flavor can also stimulate taste buds and increase appetite. It has been widely cultivated since it was introduced into China 300 years ago.

In recent years, with the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the demand for the quality of hot pepper is getting higher and higher. Of course, if you want to grow chili peppers well, it is essential to understand some of their growth characteristics.

Biological characteristics of Pepper

Root system: the root system of pepper is underdeveloped and the main root is stout, and the number of root is less, so the root growth rate is not fast. Most of the root groups are distributed in the plough layer of 20 cm to 25 cm, and the ability of root regeneration is weak.

Stem: erect, axillary bud shade stress is weak, plant crown is small, suitable for close planting, after the emergence of flower buds at the top of the stem, the lateral buds germinate, forming two-or three-branched branches, and the fruit is planted in the branches. After that, these branches branched again, so continuously, the branches continued to increase.

Leaves: simple leaves alternate, ovoid or long ovoid. 4-13 cm long, 1.5-4 cm wide, entire, apex shortly acuminate or acute, base narrowly cuneate, petiole 4-7 cm long.

Flowers: mostly white, pilose pepper flowers are purple. Pepper flowers are monoecious and can achieve self-pollination, while the chance of natural hybridization of pepper is more than 10%.

Fruit: there is a large cavity in the fruit, and the next door formed by the protruding pericarp is divided into 2-4 chambers, which is also called "fruit tendon", which is the most spicy part of hot pepper.

Seeds: light yellow or milky white flat, kidney-shaped, 1000-grain weight 3 to 6 grams. The life span of seeds is usually between 5 and 7 years, but the actual service life is only 2 to 3 years.

The growth cycle of Pepper

The growth cycle of pepper includes four stages: germination stage, seedling stage, flowering and fruiting stage.

Germination period: from seed germination to the emergence of the first true leaf is the germination period, usually about 10 days. The nutrients in the germination stage are mainly supplied by seeds, and the absorption capacity of young roots is very weak.

Seedling stage: from the appearance of the first true leaf to the appearance of the first bud is the seedling stage. It takes 50 to 60 days. The seedling stage can be divided into two stages: 2-3 true leaves are the basic vegetative growth stage, and after 4 true leaves, vegetative growth and reproductive growth take place at the same time.

Flowering and fruiting period: from the budding of the first flower to the fruit setting of the first flower is the flowering and fruiting period, usually 10 to 15 days. In this period, the contradiction between vegetative growth and reproductive growth is prominent, mainly through the control of water and fertilizer, hoe and other measures to regulate growth and development, the relationship between vegetative growth and reproductive growth, aboveground and underground growth, to achieve balanced growth and development.

Fruiting period: from the first fruit setting to the end of harvest belongs to the fruiting period, which takes a long time, usually about 50-120 days. The fruit period is mainly reproductive growth, and continues to carry out vegetative growth, which requires a large amount of water and fertilizer. In this period, it is necessary to strengthen the management of water and fertilizer, create good cultivation conditions, promote the prosperity of seedlings and fruits, and bear fruit continuously, so as to achieve the purpose of bumper harvest.

The Environmental demand of Pepper

Temperature: the optimum temperature for pepper germination is 25 ℃, but it is difficult to germinate below 15 ℃. During the plant growth period, the optimum temperature was 22: 28 ℃ in daytime and 15: 20 ℃ at night. When the temperature was lower than 15 ℃ or higher than 35 ℃, the flowering and pollination was abnormal, which often resulted in flower and fruit drop.

Lighting: pepper is a short-day crop. Under the condition of 10-12 hours of light every day, it blossoms early and bears fruit normally, but it can also adapt to longer sunshine. If medium intensity light is required, insufficient light will reduce the fruit setting rate, and the plant growth will slow down when the strong light is directed.

Moisture: the root system of hot pepper is weak, neither drought nor waterlogging, so it needs to supply water regularly to grow well. But the field can not accumulate water, the plant will wilt when there is little water in the field, and die in serious cases.

Soil: chili pepper is not very strict on soil conditions, so we can choose soil with high topography, good air permeability, fertile soil and convenient drainage and irrigation, avoid low-lying water plots and avoid continuous cropping with Solanaceae crops.

Key points of cultivation techniques of Pepper

Seed treatment

Seed drying: it can promote seed ripening, reduce seed water content, and improve the aeration and permeability of seed coat, which is generally chosen from 9: 00 a.m. to 3: 00 p.m. When the weather is fine.

Seed soaking: first soak the seeds in normal temperature water for 1 hour, then rub the mucus off the seed epidermis with hands, and then soak the seeds in 55 ℃ warm water for 30 minutes. Then soak the seeds in clean water for 4 hours, remove the unreal seeds, soak them in 10% trisodium phosphate solution or 0.3% potassium permanganate solution for about 20 minutes, then soak the seeds in 30 ℃ warm water for 9 hours, scrub, clean, fish out, dry and sprout.

Sprouting: the temperature should be kept at 25: 30 ℃. When 80% of the seeds are white, they can be sown.

Nursery bed making

The choice of seedbed should pay attention to the sun and leeward to ensure the temperature of seed growth. Generally choose the land that has not planted Solanaceae crops as the seedbed.

Generally choose mature farm manure, calcium superphosphate and potassium sulfate, mix evenly according to a certain proportion, and then add 50% carbendazim wettable powder to mix with seedbed soil. The soil of the seedling bed is leveled, then watered and watered thoroughly at one time.

Sowing management

The sowing time of chili peppers usually depends on the local weather conditions. After sowing the seeds, cover them with fine soil, no more than 1 cm thick, and then cover them with plastic film.

At the initial stage, it is necessary to ensure the appropriate temperature of the seeds and improve the seedling emergence rate. After all the seedlings come out, the growth temperature should be adjusted flexibly to avoid the phenomenon of burning seedlings.

Strengthen seedling exercise in the later stage to prevent the seedlings from growing too fast. when the external temperature rises, the seedlings should be ventilated in time.

The nursery bed should be based on base fertilizer and topdressing should be controlled. If the bed soil is not fertile enough, the symptoms of fertilizer deficiency can be relieved by 500 times of the sea elves biological stimulant (root application type), which can be carried out at 10: 12 am on a sunny day without wind.

In general, most of the diseases that often occur in seedling stage are quenching disease, blight disease and so on, which can be controlled by spraying methyl topiramate.

The standard of strong pepper seedling: the root color of the strong seedling is white, the main root is stout, the whisker root is many, the stem is short and thick. The seedlings with 12 true leaves are about 2 cm from the cotyledons to the base of the stem, the height of the whole plant is 18 cm to 20 cm, the stem diameter of the cotyledons is 0.3 cm and 0.4 cm, the stem surface is green, the cotyledons are tough, the cotyledons remain green, the leaves are large and thick, the color is dark green, the petiole length is moderate, the stems, leaves and roots are free of diseases and insect pests, no disease spots, no scars.

Land preparation and transplanting

Generally choose the land that has not been planted in Solanaceae for cultivation, which requires loose fertility and convenient drainage and irrigation, preferably cornfields or paddy fields.

15 days before transplanting, late-acting fertilizer should be used when applying base fertilizer to pepper, mainly organic fertilizer, 5000kg / mu rotten organic fertilizer, 25kg / mu calcium superphosphate, 25kg / kg potassium sulfate, or 30kg / 40kg balanced compound fertilizer, as well as boron, zinc and other trace fertilizers to ensure adequate nutrition of pepper seedlings.