When and What Fertilizer to Use for Chili Plants
The editor brings you the knowledge related to when and what fertilizer to use for chili plants. Let's explain in detail.
When and What Fertilizer to Use for Chili Plants
The fertilizing frequency of chili plants varies with the growth stage. Specifically, the closer to the full fruiting stage, the higher the fertilizing frequency, which means that the fertilizing frequency of chili plants is increasing. The base fertilizer for chili plants mainly consists of organic fertilizer and microbial agents. Organic fertilizers can be decomposed manure or finished organic fertilizers. Top dressing during the seedling stage requires a small amount, usually choosing a balanced water-soluble fertilizer.
Chili plant fertilizing can be broadly divided into two parts: base fertilizer and top dressing. Top dressing is further divided into seedling stage, flowering stage, and full fruiting stage. The type of fertilizer used for each top dressing varies and needs to be adjusted according to the growth stage of the chili plants.
How Often to Fertilize Chili Plants
The fertilizing frequency of chili plants varies with the growth stage, with the frequency increasing as it approaches the full fruiting stage.
If sufficient base fertilizer is applied during the chili seedling stage, no top dressing is necessary. If the base fertilizer is not sufficient, a single top dressing can be applied.
During the flowering stage, top dressing is essential because a lot of nutrients are needed before and after flowering. Therefore, top dressing should be done during, at the beginning, and after flowering to ensure bud differentiation and increase the fruit setting rate.
From the full fruiting stage to the harvest period, it is the most frequent period for top dressing chili plants, as chili is a multiple-harvest crop, so fertilizing should be done while harvesting.
It is generally recommended to apply top dressing after each harvest to ensure the normal growth of the later fruits until the chili harvest is complete.
In summary, the number of times chili plants are fertilized is not fixed but increases with the growth stage. The later the stage, the more fertilizations, but also note that the required nutrients for chili plants differ at each stage.
What Fertilizer to Use for High Chili Yield
Chili plants have a high demand for nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. It is necessary to control the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and fertilize reasonably according to the growth stage.
① Base FertilizerThe base fertilizer for chili plants mainly consists of organic fertilizer and microbial agents. Organic fertilizers can be decomposed manure or finished organic fertilizers, with about 5000 kilograms per mu, spread and followed by deep plowing.
This ensures an increase in the nutrient content of the soil while maintaining soil looseness.
Addition of microbial agents is primarily to activate the soil, increase the content of beneficial bacteria, suppress the development of harmful bacteria, promote the growth of chili plant roots, and reduce the occurrence of soil-borne diseases.
② Seedling Stage Top DressingTop dressing during the seedling stage requires a small amount, usually choosing a balanced water-soluble fertilizer. Although chili plants need nitrogen fertilizer, too much application in the early stage can cause excessive growth during the seedling stage, affecting bud differentiation.
③ Flowering Stage Top DressingTop dressing for chili plants during the flowering stage can generally use a combination of balanced water-soluble fertilizer and high-potassium water-soluble fertilizer. A phosphorus fertilizer can be applied beforehand to ensure the quality of chili flowering.
④ Fruit Stage Top DressingAfter chili plants enter the full fruiting stage, the application of potassium fertilizer should be gradually increased, which means gradually using high-potassium water-soluble fertilizer. Additionally, attention should be paid to the supplementation of medium and trace elements, and some chelated calcium can be sprayed to avoid physiological diseases.
Moreover, chili plants are solanaceous crops and chlorine-sensitive crops. There are certain considerations when fertilizing, such as chlorine-containing fertilizers like potassium chloride. Long-term use may affect the growth and yield of chili plants.
The above experience and knowledge about when and what fertilizer to use for chili plants are shared. I hope this article can provide you with some help!