How to Grow Black Pepper from Seed? A Detailed Guide to the Planting Method

Pepper is a common seasoning, often used for grilling meat and making soup, and is a fairly popular crop. So do you know how to grow pepper from seed? Let's take a look below.

1. Raising seedlings

Using pepper seeds, the plants grow fast, bear fruit early, have high yields and a long lifespan. Soak them in warm water, sow them after they germinate, cover with a thin layer of soil, and then keep them moist.

2. Planting

Pepper is afraid of waterlogging, so choose gentle slopes, level ground with good drainage, and soil with good permeability for planting. Place the seedlings facing the support pole; when planting two seedlings, place them facing the pole in a “V” shape. Leave the top 1-2 nodes of each seedling exposed above the soil surface, with the seedling roots pressed close to the slope, evenly distributed and naturally spread out, then cover with soil and press firm. Apply 5 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer on both sides of the seedlings, then backfill soil to form a mound with a pot-bottom shape in the middle, cover with grass, shade, and water thoroughly to settle the roots. A shade level of 80%%-90%% is appropriate. Water once every 1-2 days after planting, and gradually reduce watering after the plants survive. Keep them shaded throughout the first year after planting, and never let the sun scorch the pepper base and cause the seedlings to die. If any plants die after planting, replant them promptly. When the pepper vines put out new growth, set up support poles in time. In addition, pay attention to loosening the soil, weeding, fertilizing and tying the vines.

3. Fertilizing

1. For young pepper plants, fertilization should focus mainly on water-soluble fertilizer rich in nitrogen, combined with organic fertilizer and a small amount of chemical fertilizer, following the principle of frequent light applications and more applications during the peak growing season. In spring, apply organic fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer. Apply 30 kg of decomposed cow manure compost and 0.5 kg of superphosphate per plant, and carry out hole expansion and soil improvement together with fertilization. Apply alternately in holes on both sides of the plant and in front of the pepper base. The first fertilizer hole should be on one side of the pepper base, with the inner wall of the hole 60 cm from the pepper base, so that the fertilizer hole connects with the planting hole. The fertilizer hole should be 30 cm wide, 80-100 cm long, and 70 cm deep. When fertilizing, first return topsoil to half the depth of the hole, then add the fertilizer, mix the topsoil and fertilizer thoroughly, and when backfilling, press firmly and leave it slightly above the ground surface to prevent water accumulation in the fertilizer hole. Hole expansion and soil improvement should be completed before the plant stops growing at the top and begins to flower.

2. During normal growth, apply water-soluble fertilizer once every 20-30 days. The water-soluble fertilizer is made by composting human and livestock manure and urine with green leaves. For one-year-old pepper plants, apply 2-3 kg per plant each time. If the water-soluble fertilizer is low in concentration, add 0.2 kg of compound fertilizer per bucket. Water-soluble fertilizer is generally applied alternately in trenches in front of and on both sides of the plant. Before each vine cutting, apply a good-quality water-soluble fertilizer once and strengthen each plant with 0.1 kg of compound fertilizer to promote plant growth. In winter, quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer is generally not suitable. Apply potassium fertilizer and compound fertilizer instead. Apply 0.1 kg per plant, or apply burnt soil at 10-15 kg per plant, to improve the plant's cold resistance.

4. Flower removal

Pepper can flower and bear fruit all year round. Small and medium pepper plants must have their flowers removed so that the plants can grow normally. For two-year-old plants, when the crown width reaches more than 120 cm, the lower flower spikes of the plant can be retained to let them bear fruit, but fertilization management must be strengthened to ensure normal plant growth. For fruiting pepper plants, in Hainan Province, spring flowers are generally retained, and in areas with lower humidity, spring flowers and summer flowers are generally retained. Flower spikes that emerge in other seasons should all be removed.

Pepper is very afraid of waterlogging, so watering and drainage must be done well to maintain healthy growth; otherwise, diseases will occur and affect the harvest.