A Detailed Explanation of Chili Pepper Cultivation Techniques and Management Key Points
The chili pepper is a very common type of pepper in our lives. Because it grows pointing upward toward the sky, it is called "facing-heaven pepper" (chaotianjiao), and because of its small size it is also called small chili. It is an indispensable important condiment in our lives. So how should chili peppers be planted and managed?
Chili Pepper Cultivation Techniques
Chili peppers are best planted as large seedlings, with a seedling age of 60 to 70 days being suitable. To ensure strong seedlings, sunken beds or small arched sheds should be used for raising seedlings. Spring peppers can begin seedling raising in late February, while wheat-stubble peppers should be raised in late March. The seedbed soil should be loose, crumbly and fertile, which is the key to cultivating strong seedlings. If chemical fertilizer is applied, for every 15 cm thick layer of seedbed soil per square meter, mix in 0.2 kg of NPK three-element compound fertilizer (each containing 16%), 5 g of boron and zinc fertilizer, plus 0.5 kg of plant ash. After the seedbed soil is prepared, disinfect it: for every 15 cm thick layer of seedbed soil per square meter, mix in 20 g of 50% carbendazim wettable powder, or 20 g of 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder, which can prevent and control damping-off and anthracnose.
To prevent and control underground pests, for every 15 cm thick layer of seedbed soil per square meter, mix in 100 g of 2.5% trichlorfon wettable powder, which can kill mole crickets, white grubs and others. Before sowing, sun the seeds for 2 to 3 days, then soak them in a 10% potassium permanganate aqueous solution for 15 minutes, remove and rinse them clean, and they are ready for sowing. After sowing, the seedbed should be warmed, that is, the plastic film should be sealed tightly to raise the soil temperature, with the daytime temperature controlled at 20°C and the nighttime temperature controlled at 10°C; seedlings will emerge in about 10 days. Sufficient seedlings should be raised: for each 1 mu of spring peppers planted, 20 square meters of seedlings should be raised, requiring 150 g of seeds; for each 1 mu of wheat-stubble peppers planted, 25 square meters of seedlings should be raised, requiring 250 g of seeds. After the seedlings emerge, ventilation should be provided promptly to remove moisture and prevent excessive seedling growth. Inside the seedling shed, the daytime temperature should be controlled at 25°C to 30°C, and the nighttime temperature at 15°C to 20°C. Because natural light is weak in early spring, light inside the seedling shed is generally insufficient, so the film should be uncovered around noon on clear days to increase light intensity and inhibit spindly growth of the seedlings. In addition, 15 days before transplanting, fertilizer and water should be controlled and ventilation increased to harden and squat the seedlings, preventing tall, leggy seedlings and excessively vigorous seedlings.
Planting Techniques
Chili peppers like moisture but fear waterlogging, so loam, sandy loam or clay loam that retains fertilizer and is loose and airy should be chosen. The soil pH should be 6.5 to 8. Per mu, apply 3 to 5 cubic meters of fully decomposed high-quality farmyard manure, or 50 to 80 kg of NPK three-element compound fertilizer (each containing 16%), which can be adjusted appropriately according to soil fertility. To facilitate irrigation and drainage, high-ridge cultivation should be used, with a ridge width of 0.6 to 1 m (planting 2 to 3 rows), a ditch width of 0.2 m between ridges, and a vertical ridge height of 0.2 m. This way, water can be drained promptly during heavy rain, and during drought only the ditches are watered, keeping the ridge surface loose and airy, which benefits seedling growth and development. For ventilation and light penetration, ridges should run north-south. Before planting, water the seedbed thoroughly once to promote new root growth in the seedlings and make it easier to lift them. The lifted seedlings should be lifted, planted and given their establishment water all in sequence. To promote early and rapid growth of the seedlings, quick-acting chemical fertilizer can be added to the establishment water: per mu, use 4 kg of urea and 2 kg of potassium dihydrogen phosphate dissolved in 1500 kg of water.
Chili Pepper Planting Time
Generally around mid-March, choose consecutive sunny, windless days and sow in the morning. In North China, spring direct seeding is generally done around Grain Rain (Guyu), choosing warm, sunny weather for sowing. The row spacing is about 40 cm, and the sowing depth is 2 cm. The sowing depth should be consistent and the seeds distributed evenly. Cover the sowing furrow with soil, taking care to preserve soil moisture.
Low-Toxicity Biological Pesticides for Pest and Disease Control
At present, people are paying increasing attention to health preservation and generally prefer green, organic food, which makes it higher-priced and quick-selling. Therefore, for the prevention and control of pepper pests and diseases, low-toxicity biological pesticides should be used as much as possible to ensure product quality and safety. For diseases, antibiotic-type pesticides such as Paenibacillus polymyxa, Caifengning, agricultural streptomycin, new phytomycin and Wuyi mycin can be used in alternating control. For insect pests, biological insecticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis, nuclear polyhedrosis virus, abamectin, vegetable-fruit cleaner and matrine, as well as traditional methods like plant ash, garlic juice and chili water, can be used for control, consistently achieving early prevention and early treatment, controlling pests and diseases at the initial stage to reduce harm and lower losses.
As stated above, as more and more people eat spicy food, many specialty snacks and delicious dishes gradually favor stronger flavors, and all of these cannot do without the presence of the facing-heaven pepper. Therefore, the market demand for the relatively spicy chili pepper is growing, and growing chili peppers has become a hot planting project, but it should not be planted blindly.