When Do Peppers Flower and Fruit? Three Tricks for Continuous Fruit Set Throughout the Fruiting Period

Pepper, also known as horn pepper, long pepper, sweet pepper, bell pepper, is an annual or limited perennial herbaceous plant of the Solanaceae family, Capsicum genus. So when do pepper trees flower and fruit? Here are “three tricks” to keep fruit setting continuously through the fruiting period.

From sowing to the first flower, peppers take about 60~70 days!

The growth cycle of pepper cultivation includes four stages: the germination stage, the seedling stage, the flowering and fruit-setting stage, and the fruiting stage.

① Germination stage, from seed germination to the appearance of the first true leaf, is the germination stage, generally about 10 days. During the germination stage, nutrients mainly come from the seed, and the young roots have very weak absorption capacity.

② Seedling stage, from the appearance of the first true leaf to the appearance of the first flower bud, is the seedling stage. It takes 50~60 days. The seedling stage is divided into two phases: before 2~3 true leaves is the basic vegetative growth phase; after 4 true leaves, vegetative growth and reproductive growth proceed simultaneously.

③ Flowering and fruit-setting stage, from the first flower bud to the first flower setting fruit, is the flowering and fruit-setting stage, generally 10~15 days. During this period, the contradiction between vegetative growth and reproductive growth is particularly prominent. Mainly through water and fertilizer measures and other means, the relationships between growth and development, vegetative growth and reproductive growth, and aboveground and underground growth are regulated to achieve a balance between growth and development.

④ Fruiting stage, from the first pepper setting fruit to the end of harvest, is the fruiting stage. This period lasts relatively long, generally about 50~120 days. The fruiting stage is dominated by reproductive growth while continuing vegetative growth, and the demand for water and fertilizer is very high. During this period, water and fertilizer management should be strengthened, good cultivation conditions should be created, and both vines and fruits should be promoted to thrive and set fruit continuously, so as to achieve a bumper harvest.

“Three tricks” to keep peppers setting fruit continuously through the fruiting period

Temperature management

In winter facility vegetable management, temperature management is the most important. The daytime temperature should be 28-32°C, and the morning temperature should be 14-16°C. When the daytime temperature is above 32°C, the vents should be opened; when it is below 28°C, the vents should be closed or narrowed according to weather conditions. The vents should not be closed too late in the afternoon. You can adopt the method of closing the vents appropriately early, and then opening them once more before lowering the shed cover in the afternoon. This can both ensure the high-temperature period during the day and reduce humidity inside the shed, thereby reducing the occurrence of diseases.

Proper fruit thinning and timely harvesting

One very important reason for pepper flower and fruit drop is that nutrition cannot keep up. When the fruits below need nutrients for expansion, flower and fruit drop occurs above, and the state of continuous fruit setting cannot be achieved. Therefore, we need to decide how many fruits to keep according to the growth vigor of the plant, and carry out proper fruit thinning. Keep fruits according to whether the plant is vigorous or weak, and also harvest promptly.

Reasonable watering and fertilizing

In winter, watering should be done in the morning, and the interval between waterings begins to lengthen, generally watering once about every 20 days. For clayey soil, the interval may need to be even longer. Watering must be done lightly. Because the interval is long, watering and fertilizing become especially critical. At this time, inappropriate fertilizer use can lead to weak plants, which in turn leads to flower and fruit drop.

At present, many farmers have a misunderstanding: when they see fruit expansion, they use high-potassium fertilizer. Applying only high-potassium fertilizer may make this round of fruits expand quickly, but after this round ends, the plant will only bloom and set fruit again above, causing a gap in production and failing to achieve continuous fruit setting. According to Siyuan standardized management requirements, we must determine fertilizer use comprehensively according to the growth vigor of the plant and various factors: first, at each watering, add peptide or plant growth revitalizing agent or Wodi Junfeng, focusing on root nourishment; second, combine it with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers. The application plan for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers should be determined according to the growth vigor of the plant. If the pepper plant has many fruits set, apply the Shulefeng series as a drench.