What are the correct methods for growing and fertilizing chili peppers?
Chili peppers are now already one of the indispensable vegetables throughout the year. With the continuous improvement of chili pepper varieties, the benefits of growing chili peppers are becoming more and more considerable. So how do you grow chili peppers? How should you fertilize them?
1. How do you grow chili peppers?
1. Choose excellent chili pepper varieties
For example, there are Korean Beauty peppers, line peppers (Erjingtiao), facing heaven peppers (Bencao, Yanhong, Jiaozhongyu), dried peppers (Kuntai), and so on.
2. Seedbed preparation
For open-field seedling raising, choose a plot that is sheltered from the wind and faces the sun, with loose and fertile soil, convenient drainage and irrigation, and where no solanaceous vegetables have been planted in the previous crop. First deep plow and sun the soil clods, break the soil into fine particles, and make a seedbed according to the standard of a bed width of 1 m and a length of 8-10 m, and apply 50 kg of decomposed fine manure and 40 kg of ordinary calcium superphosphate per mu as base fertilizer.
3. Sow at the right time
Depending on the variety chosen and the region, the sowing time for chili peppers also differs. If chili peppers are cultivated in spring in protected facilities, sowing and seedling raising are generally done from January to February.
To prevent the common and frequently occurring chili pepper anthracnose, viral disease, and bacterial spot disease, choose high-quality, high-yield varieties. First pre-soak the seeds in clean water for 5 hours, then remove them in batches, drain them, and soak them separately in 1% copper sulfate solution, 10% trisodium phosphate solution, and 2% sodium hydroxide solution for 10 minutes each to disinfect and sterilize them. Then remove them, wash them clean with water, and carry out germination.
4. Seedling raising and transplanting
When the chili pepper seedlings grow to 5-6 true leaves, choose the cooler times in the morning and evening to gradually remove the arch film and harden the seedlings. Once the seedlings are strong and ready, they can be transplanted. Before transplanting, a fungicide for disease prevention must be sprayed once.
When transplanting, try to transplant with soil. The planting depth of the seedlings should be based on not burying the cotyledons. The roots should not directly contact the fertilizer to prevent root burn. Water thoroughly to settle the roots and spray an insecticide once, then cover with plastic film, then break the film to guide the seedlings out and cover the openings with soil. The planting density is generally no fewer than 1800 holes per mu, and single-row single-plant transplanting or double-row single-plant transplanting can be used.
2. How should you fertilize when growing chili peppers?
On the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer, according to the different growth stages, achieve “light application of seedling fertilizer, steady application of flower bud fertilizer, and heavy application of fruit-promoting fertilizer.”
Light application of seedling fertilizer means that after the chili peppers have survived transplanting, apply seedling fertilizer in combination with intertillage and irrigation. About 15 d after transplanting and survival, apply 1000 kg of human manure and urine per mu or 5-6 kg of urea as a seedling-promoting fertilizer; when the chili peppers begin to form buds, it marks the beginning of reproductive growth. Generally, apply 1000-1500 kg of human manure and urine per mu or 15-20 kg of compound fertilizer to promote more branching and more fruiting; heavy application of fruit fertilizer is based on the growth of the chili peppers. In the early fruit-picking stage, apply 1000-1500 kg of human manure and urine per mu or 15-20 kg of compound fertilizer, and 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate can also be used for foliar spraying.
Topdressing adopts hole application. Break the film and apply fertilizer 8-10 cm away from the roots, then cover with soil and water to prevent seedling burn; it can also be applied diagonally at each hole, requiring uniform fertilization.
Warm reminder: After transplanting and survival, carry out intertillage and weeding, loosen the soil, and promote the growth of lateral roots. To prevent lodging, appropriate hilling should be carried out along with weeding. After transplanting, the temperature begins to rise, so irrigate in a timely manner to supply sufficient water.