When to plant peppers in open ground: at what temperature

Most vegetable growers grow peppers in their summer cottage. Pepper has beneficial properties that persist even after defrosting. This vegetable crop loves heat very much and therefore it is recommended to determine in advance when it is necessary to plant pepper in open ground for its best growth. After all, if you plant it too early, and the minimum temperature outside drops below 0-5 degrees, then the frozen seedlings will die.

When to plant pepper seedlings in open ground

Before planting pepper in open ground, it is necessary to determine the timing of its landing. The period for planting seedlings depends on two main factors.

Weather conditions

It's no secret that the optimal temperature plays a very important role during planting pepper in the garden. The quality of the seedlings depends on the temperature at which pepper seedlings are grown. Therefore, you should know in advance what minimum temperature the seedlings can withstand. The temperature outside should be at least 15-18 degrees Celsius. This is enough to grow a good crop. The critical temperature for planting a crop is 0-10 degrees. With such indicators, freezing of seedlings may begin.

Optimal temperatures in different parts of the country occur at different times. Residents living in the southern regions are recommended to plant bell peppers no earlier than May. This month, even a strong drop in temperature will not affect the planted seedlings. If seedlings are planted in April or March, then night frosts can destroy all the bushes.

In more northern regions, it gets warmer a little later and, therefore, so that the bushes do not freeze at night, they are planted no earlier than the second half of May. Some gardeners from the northern regions of the country prefer to grow peppers in a greenhouse. At the same time, in the greenhouse during the day and in the evening, the temperature is kept at 20 degrees.

Lunar calendar

A large part of vegetable growers determine favorable planting days for pepper using a special lunar calendar.

It is known that the phases of the moon can affect the timing of the landing of the pepper. With an increase in the size of the Moon, all the power of plants is directed upwards, and with a decrease, downwards, closer to the roots. Peppers have above-ground fruits and therefore their planting in the spring should be carried out during the growing month. This year, the size of the moon will increase during such spring days - from April 25 to May 10. People living in the northern regions must wait for the next phase of the moon, which will begin on May 29 and last until June 10.It is in these numbers that it is better to plant peppers in the shade or in the sun in order to achieve good yields.

Planting seedlings

Having determined the optimal planting date for peppers after frost, you can start transplanting. Planting vegetables in open ground is quite difficult and therefore it is better to familiarize yourself with the features of this process.

Select site

Before carrying out spring transplants, it is necessary to choose the most suitable site in the garden. The quality and quantity of the crop depends on where the pepper is planted. So that the planted seedlings do not freeze during cultivation, they should be planted only in sunny areas that are constantly warming up.

Also, when choosing, you should take into account the crops that were planted on the site earlier. You can plant this vegetable crop where cabbage, cucumbers, legumes and zucchini were grown.However, sweet peppers will not grow well after potatoes, tomatoes, physalis and eggplant.

Besides this, it is necessary to determine which soil is best suited for this vegetable crop. Pepper is recommended to be grown in light and loose soil. In it, they grow best, and their root system almost never freezes. Pepper is afraid of clay and sandy soils located in wet lowland areas. Such soil freezes quickly during a cold snap, so a lower night temperature can harm the bushes. Some gardeners still grow peppers in clay and sandy soils. However, so that the seedlings do not freeze during the day or at night, it is better to plant them in a greenhouse.

Soil preparation

Having determined where the pepper will be planted, you should start preparing the soil.First you need to treat the area with fertilizers that will help normalize the acidity of the earth. To do this, the entire area should be sprayed with a mixture prepared from overripe sawdust and humus. Then a bucket of coarse sand mixed with peat is added to the soil.

So that the earth does not freeze at night and the frost does not catch it, it needs to be warmed up a little.

This procedure should be carried out 5-10 days before planting. The soil should be treated with warm overripe manure, which will help not only increase the temperature of the soil, but also restore its fertility. Before spraying the ground with fertilizers, it is necessary to determine the amount of top dressing added to the soil. Spray a square meter of the plot with a bucket of fresh humus mixed with a glass of ash.

Landing

The planting of any crop begins with the preparation of the beds. Make two or three small beds on the site. Before that, it is desirable to determine what sizes they will have. The length of one bed should be about three meters, and the width should be 80-90 cm.

You should also decide on the distance between the rows. In this case, it all depends on the planted varieties. If you prefer low varieties, then the row spacing is at least 30 cm. For tall varieties, the distance between rows increases to 60 cm. The beds should be made higher so that not a single root begins to freeze in severe frosts.

When all the ridges are created, you can plant the grown seedlings in them. In this case, it should be ensured that only the root of the bushes fits into the ground, and their stem remains above the ground. After planting, you can take care of protection from possible night frosts. To do this, it is recommended to cover all seedlings with a film at night. The film is opened only after the temperature rises to 15-18 degrees.

Care

Many gardeners are interested in whether it is possible to get a quality crop without proper care of vegetables. Definitely not, as competent care helps to increase the yield of pepper.

Irrigation

Not everyone knows what to do so that the pepper does not begin to dry and burn, and how to save it from this. If, in the absence of rain, sweet pepper burns, then it does not have enough moisture. This vegetable is afraid of the drying of the soil and therefore the bushes will not withstand dry soil for a long time.

After planting the seedlings, you need to carefully consider the irrigation regime and determine what temperature the water will be. I'm afraid that too cold liquid will damage the stems of the peppers. Therefore, I will remain unconvinced and advise you to warm the water to 20-25 degrees before watering. Moisten the soil 2-3 times a week on cloudy days. In the summer, it is recommended to do this daily.

Feeding

After planting the seedlings, you need to take care of regular fertilizing. For the first time, it is necessary to restore the nutrients in the soil after the formation of two true leaves on the bushes.During this period, mineral dressing will fade into the background, since only organic matter should be added to the ground. Humus with peat and sawdust is added to the soil. Feeding should be repeated two weeks after the first. During the second top dressing, mineral fertilizers such as superphosphate, ammonium nitrate and potassium are added to the soil.

Conclusion

Pepper planting is a rather difficult job that is not easy to handle without experience. To do everything right, you need to determine the optimal sowing time and familiarize yourself with the features of planting this crop.