How to Grow Peppers in a Greenhouse? The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial

Pepper, also known as bull horn pepper, long pepper, sweet pepper, etc., is an annual or limited perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Capsicum in the Solanaceae family, native to the tropical regions of Central and Latin America, and now widely cultivated around the world. It is an important vegetable and condiment, its seed oil is edible, and its fruit also has deworming and diaphoretic medicinal effects, giving it extremely high cultivation value. Now let us take a look at greenhouse pepper cultivation techniques!

Temperature Conditions

The suitable temperature requirements of pepper for growth and development vary with the growth stage. The suitable temperature during the germination stage is 25-30°C; during the seedling stage, 25-30°C during the day and 20-25°C at night; during the fruiting stage, 25-30°C during the day and 16-20°C at night. Below 15°C or above 35°C easily causes flower drop. The suitable soil temperature during the growing period is 17-22°C. High temperatures above 35°C plus high humidity will cause excessive vegetative growth of stems and leaves. During the fruit development and color-turning stage, the daytime temperature is required to be 25-30°C and the nighttime temperature 18-20°C.

Light Conditions

Pepper is a vegetable relatively tolerant of weak light and has low requirements for light intensity. However, if grown under insufficient light intensity for a long time, the plant's leaves become lighter in color, internodes elongate, and yield decreases. Excessive light is also unfavorable for growth and development, manifesting as sparse foliage, with fruits exposed outside the leaf canopy and prone to sunscald. In greenhouse pepper cultivation, the plastic greenhouse has a shading effect, which is also the reason why greenhouse cultivation more easily achieves high yields than open-field cultivation.

Moisture Conditions

Pepper has strict requirements for moisture and is neither drought-tolerant nor waterlogging-tolerant. The plant itself does not need a large amount of water, but because its root system is not well developed and its ability to absorb soil moisture is relatively weak, its drought tolerance is poor. Air humidity that is too high or too low greatly affects seedling growth and flowering and fruit setting. Generally, the relative air humidity should be 60-80%. During the seedling stage, relatively high air humidity easily triggers disease outbreaks. During the early flowering stage, excessive humidity causes flower drop. During the full flowering stage, air that is too dry also causes flower and fruit drop.

Soil Conditions

Pepper is not very strict about soil requirements and can be planted in neutral and slightly acidic soils with a pH of 6.2-8.5. However, because pepper has a weak root system, shallow root penetration, a long growing period, and bears many fruits, it is best to choose loam or sandy loam with high, dry terrain, deep soil layers, good drainage, and medium or above fertility.

Nutritional Conditions

Pepper has relatively high requirements for the three major fertilizer elements of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. During the seedling stage, appropriate phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are needed. The flower bud differentiation stage is extremely significantly affected by the level of fertilization. Appropriate greater use of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can promote flowering. Nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied in a one-sided way. Especially during the early flowering stage, excessive nitrogen fertilizer will cause severe flower and fruit drop.

The growing environment conditions required for greenhouse pepper cultivation have been introduced to you here. Next, let us continue to look at greenhouse pepper seedling-raising techniques!