Pepper
Family. Solanaceae.
Homeland of the plant. South and Central America.
Description. The genus consists of 700 annual or perennial shrubs with erect, branched stems that become woody with age and are covered with light brown bark. The leaves of decorative pepper or capsicum are oval or lanceolate, simple, dark green, up to 10 cm long. During the summer, small, white, star-shaped, single flowers appear on the tips of the shoots, in the axils of the leaves. The plant acquires its main attractiveness with the appearance of fruits - yellow, orange or red. At the same time, the bush can contain buds, flowers and ripe fruits. Variegated varieties look very attractive.
Height. When grown indoors, this plant reaches a height of 30 - 60 cm.
Care at home
Reproduction
It reproduces successfully using seeds sown in the spring. The seedlings are placed in a warm place with a temperature of about 20 ° C under a cover made of a transparent plastic cap. Germination occurs within 2 months. Sometimes propagated using stem cuttings.
How to grow
Home decorative peppers are unpretentious and at the same time very attractive. In the warm season, the bush can be taken outside to protect it from direct sunlight, strong wind and rain. The stems of young seedlings are regularly pinched so that the plant becomes thicker and more branched. With the help of pruning, you can give it the desired shape, but modern varieties remain compact even without pruning.
How to replant
If necessary, replanting is carried out in the spring, before flowering, approximately every 2 years.
What and how to feed
From spring to autumn, feed with fertilizers specially designed for peppers or tomatoes - they contain an increased amount of phosphorus. During the dormant period, do not feed.
How to water
Watering should be regular and abundant during the period of active growth. Excess moisture accumulated in the pan after watering should be removed after a few minutes. The soil should be evenly moist throughout the growing season. In autumn, watering is reduced and in the winter months the soil is dried to half its depth.
Diseases and pests
With excessive watering, the pepper becomes loose and less dense. The leaves turn yellow and fall off when the temperature is too low. With insufficient lighting, the bush loses its lower leaves, blooms and bears fruit less abundantly. Of the harmful insects, leaves and shoots can be favored by wood flies, aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, nematodes and whiteflies. When grown in open ground, plants can be attacked by slugs and snails, mole crickets, cutworms and wireworms.
When it blooms
Flowering time is summer.
Soil
Nutritious soil with a high content of organic matter in the form of peat, leaf humus and rotted manure. The substrate must have good drainage - add coarse river sand to the mixture.
Containment temperature
In spring and summer, the temperature is close to room temperature - from 18 to 22 ° C. If you lower the temperature during the fruiting period to 16 ° C, the pepper will slow down its development and remain attractive longer. During the rest period, the temperature should be 13 - 16 ° C, but not lower than this range.
Lighting
Abundant flowering and, accordingly, fruiting depend on the amount of sunlight. Plants should be kept in a place where they will receive direct sunlight in the morning and evening; shade from the sun during hot daylight hours in spring and summer. In autumn and winter, maximum possible lighting.
Spraying
It tolerates the atmosphere of living spaces well. You can spray the leaves in the morning only if the air becomes too dry. Provide the flower with a well-ventilated room with good air circulation.
Purpose
Decorative hot pepper is a very impressive indoor plant that decorates itself with white flowers, green, yellow, orange, red and even black fruits.
Note
The fruit is edible but has a very pungent taste. The juice can cause irritation of the mucous membranes and contact dermatitis. In most cases, peppers are grown as an annual plant, but if you can provide the bush with a cool dormant period during the winter months, you can keep the plant for several years.
Hydroponics
Grows well in hydroponics.