Pepper balcony growing method: grow vegetables easily at home

Peppers are an important vegetable and seasoning; the seed oil is edible, and the fruit also has deworming and diaphoretic medicinal effects.

Key points of balcony pepper cultivation techniques

1. Variety selection

Choose pepper varieties with strong resistance to pests and diseases and strong stress resistance, high quality, high yield, good marketability, compact plant type and tolerance to weak light.

2. Cultivation environment

A balcony with good light, especially a south-facing balcony, is ideal, with plenty of sunlight.

3. Cultivation season

It can be cultivated in spring, summer and autumn, but for a home balcony spring planting is better.

4. Sowing

(1) Substrate treatment before sowing

1-2 days before planting, keep the potting substrate in its original state without turning it, and use clean water to moisten the substrate until it reaches the bottom, so that the substrate is just moist. Substrate treatment can also be done at the same time as sowing, but avoid over-wet substrate causing seed rot and over-dry substrate causing uneven germination and emergence.

(2) Seed treatment

Seed soaking: soak the seeds in 5-6 times their volume of warm water at 50-55°C for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly until the water temperature drops to 30°C, then continue soaking for 4-6 hours.

Germination promotion: place the treated seeds at 25-30°C with warmth and moisture retained to promote germination. The seeds can be put into a small bottle with ventilation holes and placed in a carry bag, using human body temperature to promote germination.

(3) Sowing time: late February to early March, for raising spring seedlings, generally using seedling raising and transplanting. Plant 1-2 plants per pot.

5. Management

(1) Water management: peppers have a long growth period; the substrate should be allowed to dry between waterings and watered again once dry. Watering in the morning is better, keep the soil moist all day, avoid overwatering, and keep the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot unobstructed without water accumulation.

(2) Nutrient management

(3) Staking: after 35-40 days, prune and remove side shoots in time, pinch off small side buds at the base, remove dead, yellow and diseased leaves, and set up stakes to prevent the plants from lodging.

(4) Peppers like light, so the growing pot should be placed in a sunny spot on the balcony.

(5) Pest and disease control. Choose disease-resistant varieties. In principle, do not use pesticides; when yellow leaves, diseased leaves or curled leaves are found, remove them in time. When aphids are found, a diluted juice of crushed garlic, onion, etc. can be sprayed.

6. Harvesting

Harvest in batches and in time according to the commercial maturity of the peppers.