Red chili is a very spectacular plant that is a shrub native to the American tropics. Not everyone can enjoy a dish in which this vegetable culture is added in high concentration. But chili is of interest to gardeners who want to know more about its cultivation.
As a result of the research, it was determined the usefulness of hot chili peppers for the human body:
- It contains a large number of macro-and micronutrients.
- Consumption of hot peppers in moderate amounts improves appetite, speeds up metabolism and normalizes the digestive tract.
- It has a positive effect on brain activity and liver function.
- It helps with allergies, relieves insomnia, relieves cold symptoms, suppresses epilepsy and asthma attacks.
- Slows the progression of cancer and diabetes.
- Stimulates the production of endorphins, thereby increasing the stress resistance and pain threshold. Improves the circulatory system and strengthens the immune system.
Did you know? Chili is the second most common spice in the world after salt.
Growing Hot Chilli Seedlings
According to the agrotechnology of growing chili, it is similar to a bell pepper, but still there are some nuances and rules of planting.
Seed preparation for planting
Before sowing chili seeds, they need to be well treated with a growth stimulator or a solution of potassium permanganate. Immerse in one of these solutions all the seeds that will be planted for 20 minutes. After pouring the water through a fine sieve. Immediately it is better not to sow the planting material, but to wrap them in a damp rag napkin and leave until germination in a warm place for a week. The cloth will need to be regularly moistened so that the seeds do not dry out. Only the first shoots will appear, the seeds should be sown immediately.
Important! In no case do not unfold a napkin for airing future peppers. Earlier than seven days later, the seeds will not sprout, and opening, you will only overcool them.But how will things be if you plant chili seeds in unprotected soil without sprouting them? Only the term of their spelling will last. In addition, certain types of hot peppers are distinguished by individual germination periods. Sometimes it can even take a month.
Capacity and soil for seedlings
Immediately it should be determined whether it is planned to pick a seedling or not. If so, then the seeds can be sown in one large capacity. The red pepper root system is very painful about the deformation, which is inevitable when picking. This procedure is tolerated by plants very painfully for five days, and some may even die. Such growing hot pepper is justified only if, as a result, instead of a few dozen, you want to get a couple hundred bushes. It is much easier to germinate the seeds, and then plant them in separate containers.
Important! If you plan to sow the seeds in the same capacity several times in a row, then before each sowing you should carry out its complete disinfection. To do this, you can use both boiling water and bleach solution.
The seedlings of hot chili peppers feel most comfortable in fertile soils, where there is a large amount of humus, good drainage and a pH level of 6.0-6.5. The soil mixture is prepared from humus, sand and clay earth in the ratio of 2: 1: 1. It is recommended to add a little more vermiculite, which will provide a stable soil moisture and additional loosening. If you buy ready-made soil in the store, before sowing seeds into it, hold it in the room for several days to warm it up and oxygenate it.Did you know? In Mexico, cooked soup based on hot chili peppers. It is called "Ladin" and is used as a good remedy for hangover.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
To properly sow hot pepper seeds on seedlings, you need to be guided by the following:
- Seeds should be planted at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Otherwise, the plants will suffer from a lack of light and therefore will lag behind in growth.
- The soil should be as fertile with the addition of vermiculite.
- Immersing the seeds in the soil mixture should be 5 mm.
- At the end of planting the soil is recommended to irrigate.
In addition to all of the above, follow the level of moisture in the soil and the access of heat to it. Each type of chili fits its specific temperature conditions, but the average is still reduced to marks of 22-25 degrees. This temperature must be maintained constantly. The rate of seed growth depends not only on the temperature conditions created, but also on the variety of the plant itself.
Did you know? The fruits of red chilli peppers contain a huge amount of vitamin A, even more than in carrots. Its use also increases libido due to aphrodisiacs contained in the seeds. Green chili has more vitamin C than citrus.
Care and conditions for growing seedlings
The growing conditions for chili pepper imply a complex of agrotechnical measures. In order for the growth of hot pepper sprouts to occur in the most comfortable conditions, daylight hours should be at least 12 hours. Therefore, winter cultivation requires additional lighting with special fitolamps. Seed containers should be placed in a bright place that will not be exposed to sunlight.
When the first true leaflets appear, you can pick a pickup at a distance of 10-12 cm. At the same time, pinch the main root to ¼. In this way, you contribute to the formation of a powerful root system for each chili pepper. Dive plants should not be dived until at least two leaves have been formed on them, as they will not be able to transfer the transplant. Tightening with a dive of plants also should not be, because from a lack of light peppers are too drawn out and weakened.
Important! When diving chili, do not deepen it below the level seen during sprouting. Hot pepper does not form side roots, unlike its fellow tomato, therefore, deeply buried roots will suffer from oxygen deficiency.Place the seedlings of pepper in the southeast or southwest windows, thus ensuring the most comfortable lighting of the hot pepper. If the pepper does not get enough light, the foliage will fade and brighten. If it is dark green, then the seedlings get enough sunlight.
Since chili comes from a warm or even hot climate, water such hot peppers need distilled water at room temperature. Do not over-wet the soil, as this can lead to black leg disease. If the humidity in the room is less than 50%, spray the leaves with warm water.
Important! If the seedlings suddenly start to fall off the foliage, you need to rearrange the containers in a more illuminated place or arrange additional lighting. Mount the blue-violet lamps at a height of 30 cm from the top of the seedling.
Hardening seedlings
A week before planting chili seedlings in greenhouses, preparatory activities should be carried out in the form of hardening. Seedlings should be accustomed to daily temperature and humidity differences. The easiest and most effective way is to take out the pallet with plants on the balcony and leave them for 2 hours. Every day, the time spent in the fresh air will need to increase. Remember: when the lowest daily temperature of the soil reaches 12-13 ° C, then it will be possible to plant chili peppers in unprotected soil.
It is especially important to harden the seedlings that are planned to be planted not in greenhouses or greenhouses, but immediately under the open sky. When hardening pepper gets used not only to changes in temperature, but also to the light, which is many times brighter than at home on the windowsill. In order not to shock young plants, they should be darkened, gradually gradually accustomed to full sunlight every day.
Did you know? Maya Indians rubbed hot peppers in their gums to stop a strong toothache.
Planting chili seedlings at a permanent place
If chili pepper received proper care, then by the time of planting it will be strong bushes about 20 cm high. Each of them should have at least 10 leaves and, possibly, even buds. The seedlings that bloom or set fruit are wrong. Such overgrowths require special care in planting and only in greenhouses or greenhouses. The place allotted for planting hot peppers must be sunny and not blown by the winds.
Important! It is worth remembering the predecessors. Chili can be planted on the beds where cucumbers, legumes or greens used to grow. It is forbidden to plant after potatoes or tomatoes!Before planting seedlings of hot peppers, make sure how warm the earth is at the depth of the root system. At 12 cm below the ground level should be a temperature not lower than 15 ° C.
Hot pepper in open ground should be planted in rows with a step of 25 cm between the bushes and with a distance of 50 cm between the rows. Pre-prepared wells fill with boiling water and level the beds. Carefully remove the peppers from the tank (or individual containers, if the picking was done). Plant not deep to shorten the duration of ripening of the crop and increase its quantity. It is not recommended to plant sweet and hot peppers in one greenhouse, as they are pereopylyaemy. The most convenient neighborhood will be with coriander, marigold, basil, parsley and calendula, no matter what sort of chili pepper you planted.Did you know? The first resident of Europe who tasted chili was Christopher Columbus. It happened in America in 1493. After that, a hundred years later, the hot pepper spread throughout the world.
Care and secrets of growing spicy chili pepper
Once you create optimal conditions, it will not be difficult to grow hot chili peppers even in the conditions of our country. In this case, the bushes plants will be strong and healthy. If you want to see more stocky plants on your plot, then you can regularly pinch their tops. If your goal is large and high-quality fruits in small quantities, then you should remove some of the flowers and stems growing inside the bush.
According to experts, red spicy chili is undemanding to make additional fertilizers, except for those that are already contained in the soil. But you can help the plant grow strong, making complex fertilizer twice a month.
Do not pour peppers and do not let the ground crack, allowing it to dry too deeply. Water the plants with warm water but not at the peak of solar activity, so as not to burn the root system.
Did you know? The smaller the size of the hot pepper, the sharper it is. The most "nuclear" chili - up to 5 cm in length.
Harvest
Harvest spicy pepper can be from July to October. Fruits are torn down along with the stem as they mature, reaching the desired size and crispy structure. The final unsurpassed taste qualities burning pepper gains only after reddening.
Like many vegetable or berry crops, chili pepper should be stored and allowed to ripen safely at a temperature of 18-20 ° C. So its taste finds its saturation and zhguchest. So that it lasts much longer, it is dried, strung on a thread behind the stem. Dried chili weekly at sunny temperatures. Spicy pepper pods can also be frozen. 
Did you know? Capsaicin is present in chili peppers. It has no color, with a crystalline structure, and a sharp taste. It is this that gives such a burning sensation of chili.
Choosing and planting a hot pepper variety that is right for your taste and climatic conditions, and applying effective agricultural techniques is what will help you grow a decent crop of chili peppers.
