Detailed Explanation of Key Points on Pepper Cultivation Techniques with Plastic Mulch

Pepper is a commonly used ingredient in everyday stir-fries, and can also be eaten directly as a dish. People in the Sichuan, Chongqing and Hunan regions especially love peppers, so what are the pepper cultivation techniques with plastic mulch?

I. Basic Introduction to Pepper

Pepper is an annual or limited perennial plant of the Solanaceae family and the Capsicum genus. The plant is 40-80 cm tall, and the flowering and fruiting period is from May to November.

Pepper originated in the tropical regions of Central and Latin America, and its country of origin is Mexico. In China, it is mainly distributed in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Henan (Xichuan County), Jize County in Hebei Province and Togtoh County in Inner Mongolia.

The initial growth of pepper is the germination stage. After sprouting and sowing, seedlings generally emerge in about 5-8 days, the first true leaf appears in about 15 days, and the period until flower buds become visible is the seedling stage.

From the first flower cluster to the setting of the first pepper, it is the flowering stage. From fruit set to uprooting the plants, it is the fruiting stage. The suitable temperature for pepper is between 15-34 degrees. The suitable temperature for seed germination is 25-30 degrees, germination takes 5-7 days, and seeds do not germinate below 15 degrees or above 35 degrees.

Pepper has strict requirements for moisture conditions; it is neither drought-tolerant nor waterlogging-tolerant. It prefers relatively dry air conditions.

II. Pepper Cultivation Techniques with Plastic Mulch

1. Select suitable varieties, time and temperature for raising seedlings.

Variety: generally the Bianjiao series is mainly used;

Sowing time: generally sow and raise seedlings in late December, transplant in mid-to-late April of the following year, and continue until uprooting the plants in late October, with a growing period of 10 months;

Suitable temperature: after sowing, keep the seedbed temperature at 25-30°C during the day and 18-20°C at night. After the seedlings emerge completely, lower the daytime temperature to 20-25°C and keep it at 15-18°C at night.

2. After successful seedling raising, carry out seedling separation, and promptly cover with a small arched shed after seedling separation is completed. Generally, cover with film about 7 days before transplanting.

Seedling separation: generally in early-to-mid March. One day before seedling separation, water the sowing seedbed appropriately to reduce root damage when lifting seedlings. The spacing for separated seedlings should preferably be 8-10 cm square, with two plants per hole. At the same time, separate large and small seedlings. If the nighttime temperature is relatively low, also cover with straw mats.

3. After film covering is completed, transplant according to a certain density, then carry out reasonable fertilization and watering.

Density: dig holes at a row spacing of 40 cm and a plant spacing of 33 cm. The triangular seedling arrangement method is most suitable, with 4000 holes and 8000 plants per mu. If water and fertilizer conditions are relatively poor, the planting density can be appropriately increased;

Watering: water frequently with a small amount; never use flood irrigation. When rainfall is excessive, drain water promptly;

Fertilization: when the first pepper grows to about 3 cm, combine with watering and apply a heavy supplementary fertilizer, with 15-20 kg of urea and 10 kg of potassium fertilizer per mu.