We grow bitter or hot peppers in an apartment: on a windowsill or balcony

In the cold season, you want to create a special comfort in your home, and edible and ornamental plants grown on the windowsill at home are ideal for this. Indoor pepper is no exception, it not only adds originality to the interior, but also enables spicy food lovers to spice up their dishes.

How to plant and grow hot peppers at home on the windowsill will be discussed further.

Features of growing hot peppers in an apartment on a windowsill

Growing pepper on a windowsill is quite an exciting experience. As for the purpose of such an unusual landing, heo can be a big plus for room interior decoration, posKolku, the plant, densely covered with bright ripe fruits, looks very decorative.

And, of course, it will not be superfluous when consumed.

Advice! You can use hot peppers for pickling, pickling and canning, as well as a spicy addition to first (soups) and second courses (especially meat).

To successfully grow pepper on a windowsill, you need to create optimal conditions for its growth and development, because this culture is quite capricious. Therefore, it is required to familiarize yourself in advance with the features and preferences of the plant, as well as with the rules of planting and further care.

By the way! With proper care and regular feeding, indoor peppers are able to grow fully and give a stable harvest for 5-10 years, because it is a perennial plant.

To grow hot peppers at home, you need to consider the following factors:

• seeds of a suitable variety from a trusted manufacturer or freshly cut cuttings;
• selection of the optimal place for plant growth, its lighting, the need for additional lighting;
• selection of planting containers and suitable substrate;
• features of watering and dressing;
• knowledge of diseases and pests of pepper.

Important! Observing all the rules of care, from one plant you can get 10-20 or more fruits at the same time.

Choosing a variety of bitter for planting in an apartment

Before planting pepper, it is recommended to decide on its variety. Having picked up several different types of plants, you can create a multi-colored vegetable garden on the windowsill, which will delight with its bright fruits.

The following varieties of ornamental peppers are ideal for growing on a windowsill in an apartment:

1. Light. This variety has long been popular for its compact bush, which grows to a height of 40 cm. It was developed by crossing chili and cayenne pepper. Forms fruits up to 5 cm, which at the base have a diameter of 1-1.2 cm. As they grow, they change their color: green, yellow, red. The fruits ripen within 120 days.
2. Aladdin. Ultra-early compact variety, the height of the bush reaches 35-40 cm at home. Forms cone-shaped multi-colored fruits, the length of which does not exceed 3 cm. In the process of growth, the shade of the fruit changes: green, purple, red. Fruit ripening occurs within 105 days.
3. Garda Firewoks. One of the new indoor varieties. Forms compact bushes 30 cm high. The length of the pods is 5 cm. The peculiarity of the pepper is that the fruits stick out with their tips up. As they ripen, they change their color, so the plant can simultaneously have fruits of green, lilac, orange and red. Pods ripen within 115 days.
4. Explosive Amber. The peculiarity of the variety is that the foliage of the plant has a dark purple color. Forms cone-shaped small fruits 2.5 cm long. As they grow, the shade of the fruits also changes: purple, pink, scarlet. The bush is compact, 30 cm high. The variety is considered early ripening, the fruits ripen in 115 days.

Also suitable for growing at home are such varieties of hot pepper as Black Prince, Five-color, Medusa, Ornament, Orange round, Phoenix, Fakir, Falcon's Beak, Queen of Spades, Salute.

Depending on individual preferences, you can pick up one or more varieties at the same time.

Peppers are generally the most popular varieties to grow on a windowsill. Ogonek and Chile.

Important! You cannot use seeds from a store-bought pod to grow pepper on a windowsill, since it is an industrial variety and needs completely different conditions.

Features of planting hot pepper at home - step by step instructions

To grow Spark pepper on the windowsill, you need to prepare for the procedure by studying the preferences and characteristics of growing this culture in room conditions. Only by observing all the stages of planting can you achieve the desired result in the end.

Sowing dates: when to sow seeds

It should be understood that bitter pepper grows for a very long time, like any pepper, for example,sweet peppers are sown on seedlings one of the very first, back in late February and early March.

In the case of growing indoor hot peppers, you can start sowing it at any time, that is, all year round. For example, if you sow in winter, in December-January, then you can get a crop in summer - in June-July.

Choosing a suitable place and creating optimal conditions for growing

Hot peppers are very picky about light and heat, therefore, for its full growth and development, it is necessary to choose southern or southeastern (or western) window sill. During the period of active sun in spring, the plant needs light shading. In the summer, the plant should be taken out to a balcony or loggia, but it is recommended to exclude drafts.

Important! Pepper does not tolerate cold drafts, therefore, when ventilating the room, it is best to keep it away from the open window. You should also patch up (glue) all holes if you have old window frames.

For full growth and development, the plant needs 12-16 - hour daylight hours. During the short days from early October to March, bitter peppers especially need in additional lighting with phytolamps or full-spectrum LED lamps in the morning and evening, as well as on cloudy days.

Important! Lack of light is manifested by a light shade of foliage, which can eventually lead to leaf fall. In this case, the duration of artificial lighting should be increased.

For normal plant growth in winter air temperature should not fall below +18 degrees, and starting from spring, the optimal temperature is + 20-24 degrees.

Do not forget! In the summer, pots with indoor peppers can, and even need to, be taken outside.

Planting capacity

Hot peppers form a relatively compact root system that is closer to the soil surface. It is recommended to select pots for growing indoor peppers volume of at least 3 liters, and preferably 4-5 liters.

Important! Peppers are usually grown with a pick, therefore, for the initial sowing, very shallow wide (rectangular) containers (4-5 centimeters in height) are first prepared. Of these, the grown plants are later transplanted into more voluminous individual containers, and then to a permanent place (in large pots).

A prerequisite is the presence of drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, which helps to remove excess moisture. Before planting on the bottom, it is necessary to fill the drainage with a layer of 2-3 cm, which will exclude stagnation of water in the pot.

Suitable substrate

For sowing hot pepper seeds, you can purchase Seedling substrate in a specialist store. But you can prepare a nutrient mixture for planting yourself. This will require the following components:

• 2 parts of peat;
• 1 part river sand, perlite or vermiculite.

Immediately before planting hot pepper seeds, it is necessary to disinfect the soil by spilling it with bio-fungicide Fitosporin or potassium permanganate, which will prevent the development of fungal diseases. Or you can disinfect the soil in advance by heating it in the oven.

Presowing seed preparation

Pepper seeds are recommended before planting germinate in a humid environment. To do this, spread the seeds in damp gauze (or use cotton pads) and carefully wrap the cloth. And then put them in a container and close with a lid so that the moisture remains longer.

For germination, place in a dark and warm place (+ 25-27 degrees) for several days (1-2 days will be quite enough), periodically opening, moisturizing and examining for sprouts. Once most of the seeds have hatched, they will need to be planted in prepared soil.

Important! Seeds should not be allowed to dry out during the germination period, otherwise they will die.

Although, in principle, you can sow dry seeds.

Growing hot pepper from cuttings indoors

In some cases, to preserve all view properties it is recommended to carry out cuttings of pepper. Cuttings must be cut from green young shoots without fruits, 7-8 cm long. Each of them should preferably have at least a leaflet, but not necessarily.

Before planting in the ground, they must be soaked in advance in a solution of zircon (3 drops per 100 ml of water) for 12-24 hours or powder the lower cut with root powder.

More about growing indoor hot peppers from cuttings see the video below.

Video: growing hot peppers on a windowsill from cuttings - pruning and reproduction

Step-by-step instructions for sowing seeds

Step-by-step instructions for sowing pepper seeds at home:

• Prepare the seeds.
• Fill containers (pots) with the required substrate and level the surface.
• Moisten the soil abundantly with water and allow it to fully absorb.
• Make small grooves (rows) up to 1 centimeter deep.
• Place the seeds at a distance of 0.5-1 cm from each other.
• Sprinkle with earth.
• Moisten the top layer with a spray bottle.
• Cover containers with glass or foil to maintain high humidity inside the planting container (to create greenhouse conditions).
• Place containers in a dark and warm place (22-26 degrees) until shoots appear.

Video: how to grow bitter indoor pepper - correct sowing and further care

Features of further care for hot pepper in the apartment

After the appearance of pepper sprouts, it is recommended to rearrange the container with seeds on the windowsill and lower the temperature to + 20-22 degrees. Glass or film should be removed completely and must begin to illuminate up to 12-16 hour daylight hours with the help of lamps.

To exclude warm air from heating devices, cover the pepper sprouts with a layer of foam or a blanket.

Pepper cuttings take root within 2-3 weeks.

Picking

When 2-3 true sheets appear it is necessary to plant (dive) the peppers in separate containers.

It is not recommended to pinch the main root during transplantation, as the plant painfully tolerates this procedure and significantly slows down growth.

The first planting should be carried out in pots (it is optimal to take cups) with a diameter of no more than 5 cm, up to 10 cm high.

Advice!

• Before diving, spill a container of seedlings so that you can carry the seedlings with an earthen ball.
• The new soil should be even more airy and fertile, so prepare a substrate based on peat, humus and river sand (perlite), taking the components in approximately equal parts.
• After picking, spill the transplanted seedlings with water (preferably with the addition of root for better rooting).

Further it is necessary to transplant young seedlings as they grow. As soon as the roots begin to get crowded in the pot, it is recommended to transfer the plant by increasing the diameter of the pot. A container for an adult plant should be about 10-15 cm high and about 20-30 cm in diameter.

By the way! The site has a separate detailed article on picking pepper seedlings.

Watering

Hot peppers are very picky about soil moisture and does not tolerate watering with cold water. It is necessary to water the plant in moderation, with water at room temperature, as the top layer in the pot dries, but allowing it to saturate moisture from the pan. If there is still water in the pan 30 minutes after watering, it should be completely discarded.

Important! The higher the air temperature, the more often the soil should be moistened.

In conditions of low air humidity it is worthwhile to carry out additional spraying of the foliage using a spray bottle.

Top dressing

For the full growth of hot pepper on the windowsill, it is requiredcarry out regular feeding. During the active growing season (green mass gain), preference should be given to mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content or organic fertilizers. And when forming buds and fruits, it is worth using fertilizers with a large amount of potassium. It is even better if you use complex mineral supplements, which also contain phosphorus. It is required to feed the plant 1 time in 7-14 days.

Shaping (pinching) and pinching

As a rule, indoor bitter peppers grown on a windowsill are not stepchildren.

And to make the bush branch better, you can pinch its top.

Major diseases and pests

Pepper, including indoor pepper, is susceptible to fungal diseases and various pests. Therefore, you should know in advance what problems may arise and how to deal with them.

• Aphid. This pest loves to feast on young shoots of pepper, so it is on them that a large accumulation of pests is formed. To combat them, it is necessary to treat the plant with a biological product phytoverm or bitoxibacillin.

By the way! A folk remedy for combating aphids isammonia. You need to prepare a solution (dissolve 5-10 ml of ammonia in 1 liter of water) and just pour it under the root.

• Spider mite. It is characterized by a stop of plant growth and curliness of young leaves, on which a small cobweb appears later. To combat the pest, it is necessary to spray with actellik, although at home it is still better to use biological products (fitoverm, bitoxibacillin).

Advice! Another popular way of pest control is tobacco. You just need to sprinkle the tobacco from the cigarette on top of the soil in the pot.

• Blackleg. It affects the seedlings of pepper in the initial period of germination. The stem at the base of the seedlings becomes thin and blackens. It appears as a result of overflow of a plant, which leads to its death. It will no longer be possible to save the plant. For the prevention of the disease, it is recommended to shed soil with a biological product. Fitosporin.

The timing of germination and the first harvest of homemade hot pepper

Hot pepper seeds take a long time to germinate, which is why this feature must be taken into account when planting. Seedlings appear within 14-21 days, subject to all recommendations for their sowing.

The first crop of pepper on the windowsill ripens in 105-150 days from the moment the first sprouts appear, depending on the variety chosen.

As soon as the pepper turns red (ripe), the fruits should be removed promptly from the bush along with the stalk. Then at the same place after a whilewill appear a flower, in other words, the plant will continue to bear fruit - to set new fruits.

What to do with indoor hot peppers after harvesting in the fall, when foliage begins to fall

Since indoor hot pepper is a perennial plant, when its leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off, and as a rule, this happens in late autumn-early winter (November-December), you will need to cut the pepper, leaving only 8-10 centimeters ...

Interesting! From dormant axillary buds and dormant branches, new shoots will begin to develop. The cycle will be repeated, by March the plant will bloom, and in May you will receive the first fruits.

If all the recommendations are followed, growing hot peppers on the windowsill will not be particularly difficult.But it is necessary to understand that further care of the plant must meet all of its requests, since the pepper will grow and bear fruit only taking into account all the required conditions.

Video: detailed instructions (master class) on growing over hot peppers on a windowsill in 2 parts