The Latest Planting Time and Methods for Facing Heaven Chili Peppers
The Facing Heaven chili pepper is a type of chili that sells very well on the market today. It is smaller than ordinary chili peppers and much spicier as well. It can be said that its capsaicin content rivals that of the millet chili, yet its price is cheaper than the millet chili, so it is deeply favored by the vast number of chili eaters. So do you know when its planting time is? And how is it planted? Now let Qinnong Web tell everyone.
Planting Time
The growth cycle of chili peppers is relatively long, lasting from February all the way to August and September. Let us take planting in the Hunan region as an example. Generally, the time for raising chili seedlings is in mid-to-late February, and the time for transplanting is from late March to early April, at the latest as late as early May. Why wait until this time? That is because in a warmer environment the Facing Heaven chili pepper grows faster, and at the same time its yield is higher than when planted in a low-temperature environment. The most suitable temperature for its growth is 25 to 28°C.
Planting Methods
1. Seed selection and land preparation
There are now quite a few varieties of Facing Heaven chili peppers, which can be classified according to capsaicin content, yield, quality, and so on. We generally choose varieties with strong resistance, high yield, full color, fast fruiting, strong spiciness, and high cost-effectiveness for planting. The Facing Heaven chili pepper needs sufficient nutrients, so the land should preferably be chosen with relatively rich fertility. At the same time, it is seriously affected by moisture, so when preparing the land, a drainage system should be set up in advance. Generally, a drainage ditch is made every one meter, which can effectively prevent some diseases caused by moisture. Finally, when preparing the land, try to break the soil clods into fine pieces and make the land look relatively flat, then evenly spread farmyard manure according to the average fertilizer requirement of three thousand kilograms per mu.
2. Sowing and raising seedlings
If the seeds are bought already packaged by others, they can generally be sown directly, because the seeds have already been treated, so there is no need to worry about germination and resistance issues. But if the seeds are collected by yourself, we first need to pour the seeds out of the chili peppers, then after three days put them in the sun to dry for a few days, then take them and soak them in warm water for eighteen minutes before removing them. In order to enhance their resistance, we can soak them in a chemical agent for fifteen minutes, then remove them, rinse them clean with water, and place them in an environment sufficient to make the seeds germinate quickly for sprouting. After about five days, they can be sown to raise seedlings.
3. Transplanting density
When the Facing Heaven chili seedlings on the seedbed have grown to about ten centimeters, they can be pulled up for transplanting. When transplanting, we generally plant them at a spacing of thirty to thirty-five centimeters between each plant and forty to forty-five centimeters between each row. First, we make small holes in the prepared land according to this spacing, each small hole needing to be about five to eight centimeters deep, then place one seedling in each and plant it.
4. Field management
After planting, we need to water immediately once so that it can adapt to the new environment more quickly, grow new roots, and improve the survival rate. Five to ten days after transplanting, some in the field may not have survived, so timely replanting is needed to ensure a full stand of seedlings in the field. Because their growth and speed of adapting to the environment differ, after transplanting and survival we need to carry out the first fertilization, spreading urea and compound fertilizer according to different growth levels, so that the slower-growing plants can keep up with the general growth rhythm. When the Facing Heaven chili seedlings grow to twenty to twenty-five centimeters, we need to carry out the first intertillage and weeding, accompanied by the second topdressing, to improve the soil's absorption capacity and permeability as well as increase its growth speed. If the weather is relatively dry and there is no rain, then artificial irrigation is also needed. When the chili peppers are flowering and setting fruit, the soil moisture needs to be maintained, and 50 kilograms of boron fertilizer and potassium fertilizer should be applied as topdressing. Finally, each time a batch of Facing Heaven chili peppers is harvested, the field needs one topdressing.
5. Pest and disease control
The pests and diseases affecting the growth and yield of Facing Heaven chili peppers are mainly anthracnose, viral diseases, leaf roller worms, and some vegetable worms that live by eating chili pepper fruits. There are two control methods. One is an environmentally friendly method, which is to carry out control through daily management, that is, controlling the moisture in the field well and removing insects manually. The second is chemical control, which is to use chemical agents targeting specific diseases for control. At the same time, when choosing chemical agents, try to choose pesticides with relatively low toxicity, so as to reduce as much as possible the degree of harm to the human body.