A Complete Guide to Sweet Pepper Planting Time and Methods
Sweet peppers have high nutritional value and are used very widely in our daily lives, and many of the bell peppers we usually see in vegetable markets are also derived from sweet peppers. Sweet peppers are very attractive in both color and shape and are often used as a side dish, while many people also eat them raw directly, as they have an extremely high vitamin content. Today, the editor of Qinnong.com brings you the planting methods for sweet peppers; those who need them can follow us.
Planting Time
The best temperature for sweet pepper seeds to germinate is around 15 to 30 degrees, so the planting time for sweet peppers can be chosen according to temperature. Secondly, there are certain differences in climate and temperature among the regions of our country, so there is no clearly defined planting time for sweet peppers. For early-maturing sweet peppers, we can plant from late December each winter to January of the following year; in addition, we can also plant in August each year, all of which are fine, because planting can be carried out as long as the temperature is suitable.
Planting Methods
1. Land preparation and fertilization
Before sowing, we need to first prepare the land. Sweet peppers are more suitable for planting in fertile sandy soil rich in organic matter; of course, loess or black soil can also be chosen. Secondly, the soil viscosity must not be too high, especially soil that cannot drain water when it rains must absolutely not be used for planting. When preparing the land, we should first evenly spread a layer of livestock manure, then fill in and level any hollows in the field, and break up the soil clods finely. Finally, make ridges and ditches at a width of 60 cm and a height of 30 cm, and then wait for sowing.
2. Sowing and raising seedlings
For sweet peppers, we generally need to sow and raise seedlings first, and then transplant them, because the growth rate of sweet peppers varies, so raising seedlings uniformly is beneficial for our later field management. Before raising seedlings, we need to first soak the seeds in warm water to promote germination. The water temperature must not be higher than 50 degrees. Soak for about one day, then remove them and rinse them clean with clear water, and place them in a suitable environment to promote germination. Generally, sowing can be carried out after about three to five days. When sowing, first wet the seedbed, then evenly scatter the seeds, then cover them with a layer of organic decomposed fertilizer, and finally cover them with a layer of plastic film to keep them warm and moist.
3. Reasonable planting
Under normal conditions, seedlings will emerge in about five days, and then when the sweet pepper seedlings grow to about 15 cm, we can transplant them. We dig out the cultivated sweet pepper seedlings together with the soil, which can improve the survival rate, and then plant them at a spacing of 30 cm between each row and about 25 to 30 cm between each plant. After planting, if the temperature is low, plastic film can also be used to keep them warm. Secondly, after planting, watering is needed, as this is beneficial for root growth.
4. Field management
About one week after planting, we should observe the growth of the sweet peppers in the field. If there are missing or dead seedlings, we should promptly replant and set them in place. About seven to ten days after setting them in place, we need to carry out the first intertillage and weeding together with fertilization. This fertilization is to promote the growth of the sweet pepper seedlings, so we generally use manure and urine water with an appropriate amount of urea added for irrigation. Before the sweet peppers enter the flowering stage, one more loosening of the soil and weeding is needed. After they enter the flowering stage, carry out the second fertilization, mainly with potassium fertilizer and phosphorus fertilizer, applied by spraying. Finally, when the sweet peppers are about the size of a thumb, we need to spray an appropriate amount of foliar fertilizer. Each fertilization must be carried out together with watering, as this is beneficial for the absorption of nutrients and dilutes the concentration of nutrients, allowing the sweet peppers to grow better.