When is the pepper planting season?

Chili pepper , as an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Capsicum in the Solanaceae family, is widely distributed in many regions, especially in provinces such as Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan and Yunnan. This plant is widely cultivated throughout China due to its excellent adaptability and long growing period. Chili peppers not only contain high amounts of vitamin C and unique capsaicin, but also have the benefits of increasing appetite and aiding digestion. Given these characteristics, growing peppers can bring considerable economic benefits. Let’s find out what is the pepper planting season?

Pepper Planting Season

The suitable sowing time for planting dry peppers is from late January to early February each year, while the sowing and seedling raising of green peppers is arranged from November to early January of the following year.

Key points of pepper planting technology

1. Sowing and seedling raising

Cultivating strong seedlings is the key to high pepper yields. Seedlings can be raised in a hotbed or a seedbed covered with plastic film, with a sowing rate of about 200-250 grams per mu. After sowing, keep the seedbed temperature at 25-28℃ during the day and 20-22℃ at night, and the soil moisture at about 90%. After germination, lower the temperature of the seedbed appropriately to 20-25℃ during the day and 15-16℃ at night, and gradually reduce the covering when the seedlings have 4-5 true leaves to allow the seedlings to gradually adapt to the external environment. During the seedling stage, fertilizer and water should be added regularly, and attention should be paid to the prevention and control of diseases and pests.

2. Land preparation, basal fertilizer application and planting

When cultivating the land , apply 4000 kg of compost, 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 10-15 kg of potash fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer. The row spacing for planting should be kept at 33-50 cm, the plant spacing at 33 cm, and 2-3 plants should be planted in each hole. When transplanting, choose strong seedlings that are 110-120 days old, preferably seedlings with 8-13 true leaves. The number of plants planted per acre for harvesting green peppers is 5000-7000.

3. Field management

Fertilizer and water management: After planting, apply 1,000 kg of decomposed human and animal manure per mu as seedling-raising fertilizer. After the first layer of peppers sets fruit, apply 3,000 kg of human and animal manure and urine plus 3-5 kg ​​of urea per mu as fruit-stabilizing fertilizer. Subsequently, top dressing should be carried out in due course according to the harvest situation.

Watering: Combine watering with topdressing. Replenish water in time when the temperature is high and drought occurs, keep the soil moist, and pay attention to drainage after rain.

Prevent and control flower and fruit drop: control the appropriate temperature, avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer and over-dense planting, and ensure sufficient light. During the flowering period, parachlorophenoxyacetic acid (PCPA) solution (concentration of 25-30ppm) can be sprayed to reduce flower drop.

4. Harvest

Fresh peppers are harvested 20-25 days after the flowers wither, when the fruits are fully grown, the color deepens and the surface becomes shiny. Dried chili peppers need to be harvested after the fruits are fully ripe and turn red.

In summary, understanding the correct planting season for peppers and then following the above steps can effectively improve the yield and quality of peppers and ensure the economic benefits of planting.