How to Grow Green Bell Peppers: A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Management Techniques

Green bell peppers are a warm-loving vegetable that does not tolerate waterlogging. Because of their high nutritional value and wide range of culinary uses, they are increasingly favored by consumers, and in some places the price of green bell peppers keeps rising. So many people want to grow green bell peppers, and there are many techniques for growing them.

How to Grow Green Bell Peppers

1. Raising seedlings. Generally, seedlings are raised in advance before planting, about 1 to 2 months earlier. When raising seedlings, for the treatment of the green bell pepper seeds, you can choose chemical seed soaking or conventional warm-water seed soaking. There is no real difference in merit between these two methods. Chemical seed soaking is mostly for preventing and controlling the common pepper anthracnose, viral diseases and bacterial spot disease, while warm-water seed soaking is for sterilization to prevent pepper scab and sclerotinia.

2. Sowing and thinning. When growing green bell peppers, the seedbed soil is best taken from soil that has not grown solanaceous fruit vegetables for three years. The seedbed soil should be sieved, and each square meter of seedbed should be given 10 kg of high-quality organic fertilizer. The seedbed should be 10 cm high and leveled. Before sowing, water thoroughly, and after the water has completely seeped down, cover with a layer of fine soil, spread the germinated seeds evenly on top, cover with 5 mm of soil after sowing, and promptly cover with plastic film and set up a small arch shed to increase temperature and retain moisture and promote early emergence. When the cotyledons of the seedlings have flattened out, thin them in time, pulling out the overcrowded, diseased, deformed and poorly growing weak seedlings, and after thinning cover with soil again to protect the roots.

3. Transplanting and dividing seedlings. When the green bell pepper seedlings grow to 4-5 true leaves, they should be divided and transplanted. They can be transplanted at a hole spacing of 7*7 cm, with about 2 plants per hole, and then covered with the prepared fine seedbed soil and firmed in.

Growing Conditions for Green Bell Peppers

1. Temperature. The adaptable temperature range is 15-35°C, the suitable temperature range is 25-28°C, and the germination temperature is 28-30°C. They like moisture and fear drought and waterlogging, requiring moist soil without water accumulation.

2. Light. They are not strict about light, requiring moderate light intensity; 10-12 hours of light per day is favorable for flowering and fruiting. The growth and development of green bell peppers require sufficient nutritional conditions. For every 1000 kg of green bell peppers produced, 2 kg of nitrogen, 1 kg of phosphorus and 1.45 kg of potassium are needed, along with an appropriate amount of calcium fertilizer.

3. Soil. As for soil requirements, moist sandy loam that drains easily is best, and the soil pH should preferably be neutral; slightly acidic is also acceptable.

Fertilizer and Water Techniques for Green Bell Peppers

1. Topdressing. In the middle and late stages of pepper growth, the plants bear many fruits and need a large amount of fertilizer. For plots with good soil fertility and sufficient base fertilizer, you can apply 10 kg of water-soluble fertilizer (nitrogen:phosphorus:potassium = 2:1:2) per mu with irrigation, or 10 kg of urea plus 7.5 kg of potassium sulfate. For plots where no organic fertilizer was applied as base fertilizer, where topdressing is insufficient, and where there are signs of premature aging, after each harvest, apply 10 kg of water-soluble fertilizer (nitrogen:phosphorus:potassium = 2:1:2) per mu with irrigation, or 10 kg of urea plus 7.5 kg of potassium sulfate, for 2-3 consecutive applications.

2. Supplementary foliar fertilizer. During the full fruiting period and after each harvest, spray a 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution, or a 1% superphosphate extract, or a 1-2% potassium nitrate solution, once every 7-10 days, for a total of 2-3 sprays. This can increase single fruit weight, make the fruit color brighter, and raise the grade of the peppers.

3. Water management. For pepper fields mainly harvested as fresh peppers, after each harvest, water appropriately according to soil moisture, generally once every 7-10 days. For plots mainly harvested as dried peppers, control water appropriately in the later stage and stop watering 15-20 days before harvest. Peppers are not tolerant of drought and are even more afraid of waterlogging. If there is little rain, watering should be done in small amounts and more frequently. If there is water accumulation, it should be drained promptly, otherwise it will cause large areas of leaf drop and death.

Pest and Disease Control for Green Bell Peppers

1. Green bell pepper Fusarium wilt. Control measures: you can use 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution, 14% copper ammonia complex aqueous solution at 300 times dilution, or 50% copper succinate (DT) wettable powder at 400 times dilution for root drenching, using about 500 grams of solution per hole. When drenching roots, dig the soil around the base of the diseased plant's stem into a shallow dish-shaped pit, pour about 0.5 liters of solution per plant, and cover with soil after the solution seeps down, taking care not to damage the roots. You can also use 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution, or 40% sulfur-multiplex suspension concentrate at 600 times dilution for spraying control. Apply once every 6-7 days, for 2-3 consecutive applications.

2. Green bell pepper viral disease. Control measures: it is advisable to choose disease-resistant varieties such as Tianza No. 2 and Zhongjiao No. 2. Disinfect the seeds, that is, soak the seeds in 10% trisodium phosphate for 30 minutes. Clean the field, avoid continuous cropping, and rotate for 3-4 years with alliums, legumes and cruciferous vegetables. Cultivate strong seedlings, plant at a reasonable density, choose a suitable sowing period, and cover with plastic film. Strengthen field management, control aphids in time, and prevent high temperature and drought: reform the planting pattern, adopt ridge planting, or interplant or relay crop with tall-stemmed crops. When carrying out field management such as pruning and removing side shoots, wash hands and tools with soapy water to prevent wound infection. Use silver-gray film to repel aphids and yellow boards to trap aphids. Chemical control: spray 20% virus A wettable powder at 500 times dilution, or spray 1.5% zhibingling emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution, or spray antidote No. 1 at 200 times dilution, using about 50 kg of solution per mu.

When growing green bell peppers, you must first choose a good variety, then raise seedlings, and select seeds of excellent quality and good variety. After planting, field management is also very important; weeding, fertilizing, watering and pest control are all indispensable. Only after doing this work well will green bell peppers grow vigorously and have excellent quality.