How to Plant五彩 Pepper
An introduction to planting and cultivation methods and timing for colorful peppers, here are the details explained by the editor:
For people from Hunan who love spicy food, chili peppers are essential for every meal. If a dish lacks chili peppers, it seems tasteless. Nowadays, there are many types of chili peppers, and among them, colorful peppers are unique because they grow upwards and each pepper has vibrant colors. On the same plant, you can get red, yellow, green, white, and purple peppers. What's even more remarkable is that the capsaicin content in colorful peppers is ten times higher than that of ordinary peppers, making them a珍品 among chili peppers. So how do you plant colorful peppers? It only takes 50 days from seeding to harvest.
Growth Habits of Colorful Peppers
Colorful peppers originate from the tropical regions of America and are short-day plants. They do not require high light and soil conditions, prefer warm temperatures but are not heat-resistant, and are also afraid of frost. They grow best in an environment of 18-30℃. Although colorful peppers are not strict about soil, it is best to plant them in fertile, moist, and well-drained sandy loam. It is important to note that while colorful peppers are drought-resistant, they are not flood-resistant. If the planting site is too wet, excessive moisture can lead to poor pollination, delay fruiting, and in severe cases, cause root rot or even plant death. If you plan to grow colorful peppers in pots, do not overwater; just keep the soil moist.
Planting Methods for Colorful Peppers
① Planting Time. In southern regions, colorful peppers are suitable for planting in spring, summer, and autumn, with April to September being the best time for planting. It is generally seeded first and then transplanted after seedlings are grown. Before planting, seeds need to be germinated. First, soak the seeds in warm water at about 50℃ for half an hour, then rinse and soak in clear water for 3-4 hours. Wrap them in a damp cloth and place them in an environment of 25-30℃ to germinate. Rinse them with clear water every day and continue to germinate in the cloth until the seeds sprout, then proceed with planting.
② Seedling Raising. Prepare the seedbed in advance, preferably using seedling cups. Place one-third of the nutrient soil in the seedling cups and water it to moisten the soil, then put two seeds in each cup and cover them with a little nutrient soil. Maintain the seedbed at a temperature of 25-30℃. If the temperature is low, cover the seedbed with plastic film. After 5-7 days, the chili seedlings will sprout. Once they sprout, just water regularly to keep the soil moist. Since the nutrient soil contains nutrients and the seedlings do not require much fertilizer, there is no need for top-dressing.
③ Planting Seedlings. When the chili seedlings have grown 5-6 true leaves, they can be transplanted. It is best to do this in the late afternoon on a sunny day. If using seedling cups, directly transplant the cups into prepared planting trenches and then press the soil down. The depth of planting should be level with the seedling plug, and remember to water the roots thoroughly.
Field Management for Colorful Peppers
After the chili seedlings are transplanted, field management must also be carried out, which mainly includes watering, fertilizing, weeding, and pruning.
① After transplanting colorful peppers, water them to help the seedlings adapt, but do not overwater, just keep the soil moist. While watering, remember to remove weeds and loosen the soil promptly. When the peppers bloom, strictly control the water to prevent excessive growth of the plant, which can lead to blossom and fruit drop. During the fruit development and ripening stage, you can water a bit more, but stop watering once the soil is wet and do not let it dry out completely, as this helps the colorful peppers color better.
② Fertilizing. Colorful peppers like fertilizer but are not heat-resistant and do not tolerate heavy fertilization. If the soil has enough base fertilizer, there is no need to fertilize much later. After transplanting, you can apply diluted sesame cake fertilizer every half month. During the peak growth period, you can apply 1-2 times of decomposed manure or commercial flower fertilizer. During the flowering stage of colorful peppers, you can apply 1-2 times of wood ash, which can increase fruiting and make the fruits more glossy and vibrant.
③ Pruning. Pruning involves pinching the top and removing dead and diseased branches. Colorful pepper plants are tall, and when they grow to a height of 15-20 centimeters, pruning and topping should be done. Later, remove the lower dead branches, lateral branches, and diseased branches. This not only increases ventilation and light between the plants but also avoids excessive nutrient consumption. It also helps prevent blossom and fruit drop and diseases, thus improving fruit setting rate and yield.
The above is the complete content on how to plant colorful peppers and the methods and timing for planting, have green plant enthusiasts understood?