All about decorative peppers: creating a bright mini-vegetable garden at home

Popular types

Decorative peppers have several types and varieties. Colombian (conical), angular (Peruvian), cayenne, pubescent, Chinese, annual, long (pod-shaped). Capsicum peppers are most often hidden under the name decorative.

According to the ripening period there are:

1. Early ripening . The fruits ripen 65-100 days after germination.
2. Mid-season . The harvest is obtained in 100-120 days.
3. Late ripening . Peppers of this variety ripen after 120-150 days.

The optimal height of an ornamental pepper bush intended for home growing is considered to be 30 cm, but you can also choose very miniature bushes 15 cm high.

Pepper varieties are sweet, bitter, spicy and very hot.

There are not only bitter, hot, spicy varieties. There are sweet indoor peppers. It all depends on the amount of capsaicin alkaloid contained in their placentas. It is this alkaloid that causes the burning and bitter taste of the fruit.

Annual

Annual capsicum grows to an average height of 35-55 cm. At the base the trunk is woody, and above it becomes herbaceous. Inflorescences and fruits are formed in stem branches. Flowers can be single, collected in inflorescences or paired. They can self-pollinate or cross-pollinate. The root is branched, taproot.

Representatives of annual peppers

The fruit is a berry, false polyspermous. It can be two to four-locular, has a different shape (narrow, long or spherical flattened). The size can be different, weight up to 200 g, the color is very diverse, yellow or red are more common. The fruits can be directed up or down. Peppers with fruits directed upwards look more original.

The annual pepper, which is called red, as well as paprika, vegetable, capsicum, is a variety with a sweetish taste, but it also contains spicy representatives (subspecies of chili peppers, read about their benefits here). The peculiarity is that after fruiting the plant dries out. The most famous representatives of the species are Tipin, Cherry Bomb, Siberian Prince, Redskin.

Shrubby

Shrub pepper (cayenne, chili) is a perennial hot variety. The plant has leaves in the shape of an ellipse, they taper on both sides. The color is rich green, glossy with pronounced veins. The fruit is a narrow, blunt-ended pod that turns bright red when ripe.

• Cayenne

• 
  Carmen

Shrub peppers
An excellent type of ornamental peppers, suitable for growing on window sills or enclosed balconies. Height - 15-45 cm, bushes are distinguished by dense foliage and a large number of branches. During fruiting it is covered with a large number of burning fruits. Up to 50 pieces can grow on one bush at the same time. The best varieties are considered to be Queen of Spades, Salute, Carmen, Ogonyok.

Chinese

Peppers of this species are not taller than 50 cm. The leaves are pistachio-colored, ovoid, slightly wrinkled. It blooms with white flowers with a slight greenish tint. It grows slowly, but has good fruiting.

Devil's tongue

The fruits are very pungent and pungent. The most popular representatives are the Devil's Tongue, Santa Lucia.

Berry-bearing

Berry-bearing pepper with a spicy taste. Received its name for the unusual shape of the fruit. Bush up to 80 cm long.

Lemon candy - berry-bearing pepper

pubescent

Hairy (aka fluffy) pepper. The leaf blades are covered with villi. It is recommended for open ground, as it can reach a height of 4 m; at home, with timely pruning, you can form a compact bush.

pubescent pepper

Suitable for consumption raw, although it tastes quite sharp.

Cordara

An early-ripening type of pepper, the “Cordara” variety is devoted to its bright yellow color; its golden fruits also grow upward. The plant itself is low and suitable for growing both in the garden and on the windowsill in pots. The fruit sizes are about 2-3 x 5-7 cm. Many peppercorns ripen on the bush at once, which gives the plant a refined appearance.

Hot peppers are very well used in cooking, both fresh and for preservation. The fruits of this variety are very well stored whole, dried, especially together with peppers of other colors.

When growing hot peppers in pots, you need to take into account that the bitterness is caused by light. The more light, the hotter the peppers become!

The best varieties of decorative peppers

It should be said right away that not all peppers can be grown at home. Special varietal seeds will be required. Several dozen varieties of compact peppers are known, most of them can be eaten.

Phoenix

The most popular varieties of decorative pepper are shown in the table:

What difficulties arise when growing peppers on a windowsill?

If you have disinfected both the soil and the seeds according to my instructions, your homemade peppers will not be susceptible to disease or pest infestation. I’ll tell you how to cope with other possible difficulties:

1. The foliage becomes variegated and marbled. The plant lacks magnesium. Buy and dilute an aqueous solution of magnesium sulfate according to the instructions.
2. The greenery curls up and takes on a dried out edge. A sign of potassium starvation. Feed the plantings with potassium sulfate or potassium nitrate.
3. The lower leaves take on a purple hue and begin to “hug” towards the main shoot. The plant can stretch upward. “Symptom” of phosphorus deficiency. The problem is eliminated by feeding with a 16-18% solution of phosphoric acid.
4. Small leaves develop, the tops become dull and take on a grayish color. A sign of nitrogen deficiency. The problem will be corrected by fertilizing with ammonium nitrate.

You now know that you can definitely grow hot and bell peppers on a windowsill or balcony. The main thing is not to make a mistake with the variety: it should be low-growing, self-pollinating, and early ripening. Don’t forget to follow my advice to prepare both the seeds and the soil. Then all that remains is to provide the plantings with simple care and wait for a delicious home harvest.

Growing and care

You can achieve beautiful flowering and numerous harvests if you provide the plant with an optimal indoor microclimate.

Selection and preparation of soil, containers, seeds

First of all, they determine the variety that they plan to grow (spicy, sweet, with fruits of what color and shape). It is better to buy seeds from trusted suppliers or exchange them with other pepper lovers. Seeds of ornamental peppers retain their germination capacity for 5 years, but this ability drops every year, so fresh seeds collected at most last season are best suited.

The selected specimens must not have damage, specks, signs of rotting or other flaws. Seeds of good quality, pale yellowish in color. First, the empty seeds are separated by placing them in a saturated saline solution. Those that float up are thrown away, the rest are disinfected with potassium permanganate, then soaked in potassium humate. After this, they put the grains in a damp cloth and wait for the root to appear, transplant them into the desired container and germinate at a temperature of +25 ℃. You can plant it in the soil immediately after soaking.

Seedlings in cups

To grow seedlings, select low containers or peat tablets. As they grow, the peppers are transplanted first into small cups or pots, and then into larger containers.

Neutral soil is suitable for planting peppers. They are planted in as loose soil as possible, into which air and moisture easily penetrate. You can take soil from a greenhouse and add some clean, fine sand to it. If garden or other soil is taken from open areas, it is first calcined or disinfected by spilling it with a solution of potassium permanganate. Ready-made soil for peppers mixed with vermiculite and sand is suitable.

When and how to sow

Ornamental peppers are usually propagated using seeds. The planting time for early spring varieties is from early November to late December. Autumn ones are planted in July or August, summer ones - in April and May. The seeds are planted in small pots with a capacity of 200 ml, placing them in a layer of fertile soil to a depth of 1 cm. Sprinkle a little soil on top or lightly “sink” into it. Cover with glass or film. Place in a warm room ( +23 to +25°C ). The cover is removed daily to remove condensation and check the soil for moisture. If necessary, moisten the soil with a spray bottle.

After 10 days, shoots will appear. The seedlings are transferred to a well-lit windowsill. The glass (film) is removed. After another 5 days, the ambient temperature is reduced to +18°C. The soil is moistened as necessary with warm, settled water.

Strong and friendly seedlings

When 2-3 full leaves are formed, the seedlings are removed with a clod of earth using a special spatula or fork. Transplant each into a separate container. Water and keep in partial shade for the first 3 days.

To grow peppers, it is not necessary to pick, but if this is assumed, plants are picked when they have 1-2 pairs of true leaf blades. When picking, the prepared container is filled with substrate, compacted, a depression is made and the seedling is placed in it. It is important to ensure that the root fits completely into the hole and does not bend. Otherwise, pinch it and press it tightly into the hole with a peg. Leave the container with seedlings under fluorescent lights.

When 5 true leaves appear, decorative peppers are transplanted into 3-5 liter pots. This is a permanent place for home beauties. A layer (3-4 cm) of drainage is placed in the pot, for which expanded clay, pebbles, and broken slate are used.

Advice! Several peppers should not be left to grow together. In this case, the weak ones will be stunted in growth and will not bloom or bear fruit.

Every year you should replant into a pot with new soil, transferring the plants into a new container so as not to damage the fragile roots. If you don’t want to injure the plant, you can replace part of the substrate with fresh one, if the volume of the pot allows. This way the plant will not experience stress, as during transplantation, and will begin to bear fruit faster.

When planting, do not use pots that are too bulky. A large amount of unnecessary soil will lead to its souring from moisture. It is better to gradually move the plant when the roots appear from the drainage holes. During the season, 2-3 transshipments will be required.

Young seedlings bloom about a month after germination. The primrose often turns out to be empty and falls off, but over time stronger buds, inflorescences, ovaries and fruits will appear.

Selecting a location, lighting and temperature conditions

Capsicum ornamental peppers prefer intense but diffused light. With a lack of lighting, it produces few leaves, flowers and fruits. But in intense direct light, the plant should be shaded so that it does not get burned. In winter, when daylight hours decrease, peppers must be illuminated with phytoluminescent lamps. This will ensure year-round fruiting.

Peppers are placed on a windowsill with intense but diffused light

In spring and summer, peppers need moderate temperatures. It must be maintained at a level of +20 to +25 degrees. In autumn and winter (especially if there is no additional lighting), the temperature is lowered to +15°C and watering is limited.

Pepper benefits from temperature changes that occur during the change of day and night, so during the warm season it can be kept in the fresh air. Ventilation is also useful, since stagnant air in the room harms the plant.

Watering and fertilizing

The optimal humidity for ornamental peppers is considered to be 65-78% . It is provided by timely watering and spraying of the plant. Focus on the drying of the top clod of earth. During hot weather, peppers are watered daily, in some cases in the morning and evening. Watering is carried out with settled warm water. Cold water causes stress in the plant, causing its leaves and buds to fall off. After watering, in half an hour, inspect the tray under the pot. Drain off excess water, otherwise the roots will begin to rot. In hot weather, plants are sprayed with water at least once a week to ensure fruit set.

Peppers definitely need feeding

Caring for peppers includes mandatory feeding. Plants respond to alternate application of mineral and organic fertilizers. In the spring, nitrogenous fertilizers are applied, and in the summer, once a decade, complex phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied, which are necessary for the formation of inflorescences. In the fall, feeding is reduced, and in winter they either do not feed at all (if there is no supplementary lighting), or do this once every 21 days.

Important! The peppers themselves give a signal about the need for fertilizing. If the leaf blades turn purple, the plant needs phosphorus; if they become lighter, the plant needs nitrogen. It is better not to wait for such signs, but to fertilize every 2 weeks.

Bush formation and pollination

Bushes of perennial domestic peppers are regularly removed from old, dried branches and leaves so that the bush is renewed, beautiful, fluffy, and tidy. Pruning is carried out in the spring every two years. First, remove the shoots from which the fruits have recently been removed, and those that are directed inward. Cut the shoots by half or more, but it is important not to overdo it. Pruning is necessary for perennial peppers to enhance the growth of young branches.

For tillering, pinch the top. With each flowering, the very first bud in the branching of the stem and branch is removed.

Trimming a bush helps make it neat and beautiful.

In the first year, pepper does not require the formation of a bush. It will grow to a certain height, which is determined by the varietal characteristics, bloom itself and produce the required number of fruits. It is only important to provide him with comfortable conditions for this.

The plant is self-pollinating, so you don’t have to interfere with the pollination process. If you want more ovaries to form, you can lightly tap the stem during flowering or shake it a little so that pollen falls from the upper flowers to the lower ones. You can use a soft brush to move inside the flowers of decorative peppers.

Prevention of diseases and pests

It is necessary to protect ornamental peppers from diseases. Most often, these plants are damaged by late blight and root rot. Late blight appears as brown spots on leaf blades. It develops due to waterlogging of the soil. As soon as the first signs of the disease appear, it is necessary to treat the plant with preparations containing copper.

Improper watering leads to the development of pepper diseases

Wilted leaf blades of peppers indicate damage by root rot. The solution to the problem is to transplant the plant into new soil. Another dangerous disease of peppers is spider mites. The disease occurs due to violations of air humidity rules, since peppers must be regularly sprayed to keep the air around them moist. Get rid of spider mites using fungicides.

To prevent diseases, it is important to disinfect the soil mixture and provide the peppers with optimal air and soil humidity.

Harvesting

Peppers can be picked as soon as they acquire the color of ripe fruit characteristic of the variety. It can be red, orange, purple.

Important! Timely collection of peppers stimulates the formation of new buds, flowers and fruits. Then flowering and fruiting will be continuous.

Some varieties have fruits that are harvested unripe (they taste better this way). These peppers include Jalapeño.

The joy of a home gardener is a rich harvest!

Fruits grown for seed planting material must be fully ripened. It is better to wait until the stalk dries and the pepper itself can easily be removed from the branch.

Preparing seeds for sowing

It takes a relatively long and difficult time for pepper to hatch from seeds; for better germination, it is recommended to prepare the planting material. Mandatory operations:

• warming up;
• pickling;
• soak.

Additional (optional):

• culling;
• stimulation;
• bubbling;
• saturation of the seed with useful elements;
• hardening or germination (one of the operations).

Encrusted and coated seeds do not require preparation; they are sown dry.

Caring for perennial peppers in winter

Pepper is a perennial plant, so it must be properly preserved during the winter dormancy period. Some people don’t want to bother with their homemade beauty and simply throw it away after the fruiting season. If you want to grow indoor peppers all year round and get a harvest, you need additional lighting, timely watering and fertilizing, as in the summer.

Even in winter, peppers can bloom and bear fruit at home

More practical pepper growers send their green pet for the winter. After harvesting, reduce the number of waterings, irrigating the plant once every 3 days. Gradually, the leaves will partially or completely fall off. Long branches are pruned. Leave the plant to overwinter in a dark, cool room, not forgetting to moisten the soil, but without fertilizing or spraying. With a minimum of care, it enters a phase of forced rest. In early March, cut the stems in half and transplant the plant into a larger pot, partially replacing the soil.

Illumination

Organizing proper lighting is an important point in caring for indoor peppers at home. In order for the bush to grow normally, it is better to place the pot with it on a window facing west or south. The southwest direction is also suitable.

The shrub needs to be provided with as much light as possible. Moreover, the lighting should be diffused - direct sunlight has a negative impact on its health. Insufficient lighting can lead to a lack of harvest, reduced decorativeness and leaf fall.

Can decorative peppers be eaten?

Almost all ornamental peppers are edible. But they have different tastes. They are so spicy or bitter that they are impossible to eat. And there are varieties that are not spicy at all, but rather sweetish.

Speaking about whether decorative peppers can be eaten, it is worth mentioning that there are very beautiful, but inedible and even dangerous varieties for humans (Clown, Goldfinger, Red Rocket, Solyanum). They cannot be eaten, and information about inedibility must be present on the seed packages.

How to grow indoor peppers

Description of the plant

Perennial shrubs or subshrubs of capsicum belong to the Solanaceae family. They constitute a separate genus, which includes another well-known vegetable, which we call bell pepper. The place of origin of the plant is considered to be the tropics of Central America, from where it spread throughout the globe. Its cultivation began in ancient times.

Currently, only a few of the plant species are grown artificially. The most famous among them is capsicum, which grows in garden beds in the warm southern regions of our country. Capsicum fruits are bitter or sweet berries that are used as food, although in everyday life they are called peppers.

The soil

The soil for sowing seeds must be loose and fertile. You can buy it or prepare it yourself from turf soil, river sand and humus. The mixture must be thoroughly mixed and two teaspoons of wood ash with superphosphate added. Before starting planting work, the prepared composition must be disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate.