When to plant peppers in winter?

Pepper is a thermophilic crop, and the suitable growth temperature is usually between 15-34 degrees. Although it likes light, strong light is not conducive to its growth. It can tolerate up to 45% shade. So when should peppers be planted in winter?

When to plant peppers in winter?

The sowing time for winter peppers is generally in mid-to-late October. This period of time is suitable for planting in the greenhouse, and the temperature in the greenhouse should be adjusted to between 20 and 25°C, not lower than 10°C, especially at night, to avoid the low temperature affecting the growth of peppers.

Methods and techniques for growing peppers in greenhouses

1. Preparation before sowing and planting management

1. Seed selection

Choose pepper varieties that are disease-resistant, high-quality, high-yielding, and resistant to adversity and that are adaptable to local cultivation conditions and have good commercial value.

2. Germination

Soak the seeds in 55°C warm water for 30 minutes, then move them to cold water to cool, and then carry out germination treatment.

2. Cultivate strong seedlings

Seedling raising location: Choose a location isolated from the production field and raise seedlings in a greenhouse, a sunny bed in a shed, or a hotbed.

Preparation of seedling soil: Use garden soil that has not been used to grow Solanaceae vegetables within 3-5 years and mix it with high-quality decomposed organic fertilizer , with the proportion of organic fertilizer not less than 30%.

Disinfection of bed soil: Use 50% carbendazim powder, mix it with fine soil in a ratio of 1:100, and sprinkle it into the seedbed before and after sowing to effectively prevent diseases such as damping-off and deadheading in the seedling stage.

3. Land preparation and fertilization

When preparing the land, apply 2000 kg/mu of decomposed farmyard manure and 240 kg/mu of commercial organic fertilizer as base fertilizer.

4. Seeding and Seedling Raising

Sowing: Arrange sowing time according to variety characteristics and market demand. Sow seeds in time when the germination rate reaches 50%-60%. Water thoroughly before sowing and cover with 1-1.5 cm of soil after sowing. The sowing amount per mu is about 150 grams, and the sowing amount per square meter is 15-20 grams.

Temperature management: After sowing and before germination, maintain 25-30℃ during the day and 15-18℃ at night. After transplanting and before acclimatization, maintain 25-30℃ during the day and 15-20℃ at night. After the seedlings have grown, the temperature should be lowered appropriately to about 25℃ during the day and about 15℃ at night. Carry out low temperature training about 10 days before transplanting, about 20℃ during the day and 8-10℃ at night.

Seedling separation: Transplant seedlings in time when they have three leaves and one heart, using double-plant separation with a spacing of 7.5-9 cm. After transplanting, keep the soil temperature at 18-20℃. If the temperature is below 16℃, rooting will be slow, and if the temperature is below 13℃, growth will stop or even die. The seedling age is controlled at 90-100 days, and the seedlings are cut into clumps 4-6 days before transplanting.

5. Field Management

Planting: row spacing is 50 cm, hole spacing is 30 cm, about 4,000 holes per mu, with two plants in each hole. Use nylon mesh to seal greenhouse vents to prevent pests from entering. Lay silver-gray ground film or hang silver-gray film strips, 5 kg per mu, or hang the silver-gray film strips around the greenhouse with a spacing of about 10 cm. Before planting, remove the stumps, rotten leaves, diseased and insect remains of the previous crop, deep plow the soil and cover it with a shed, use solar energy for high-temperature disinfection for 7 days, and disinfect the farm tools at the same time.

Management after transplanting: Water the soil 3-5 days after transplanting to help the seedlings grow, then till the soil as soon as possible. Water for the second time about 10 days after transplanting, with a moderate amount of water, and hoe to a depth of 7 cm in time. Stop watering after hoeing and implement the "seedling squatting" policy. When the plants begin to sprout, add soil to prevent them from falling over. Water the plants every 7-10 days during the peak fruit-bearing period, and apply 100 kg/mu of commercial organic fertilizer after the plants bloom and before the fruits swell.

VI. Pest and disease control

Agricultural prevention and control: promptly remove diseased plants, pick off diseased leaves and fruits, take them out of the orchard and burn or bury them.

Physical control: Use yellow boards to lure and kill pests such as aphids, hanging 30-40 pieces per 667 square meters, and adjust according to the severity of the pest.

Chemical control: For pepper anthracnose, spray 200 g/mu of 70% mancozeb wettable powder ; for pepper blight, spray 140 g/mu of 72% cymoxanil·mancozeb wettable powder.

7. Harvest at the right time

Stop applying fertilizers and using chemical pesticides 7-15 days before harvest. Peppers are generally picked when the fruit color becomes darker and the skin becomes firm.

The above is an introduction to the suitable planting time for peppers in winter. When planting peppers, you need to pay attention to many details in order to increase the yield.