- Location and requirements when planting pepperoni
- Planting pepperoni: instructions on how to do it
- Caring for peppers after planting
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More and more people are growing their own hot peppers. Everything you need to know about planting the chili, from location to care, can be found here.
Hot peppers, like chili, belong to the paprika plant genus (Capsicum) and thus also belong to the large family of nightshade plants (Solanaceae ). Basically, hot peppers are just hot varieties of sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum). The many different varieties differ mainly in fruit size, shape, color and degree of spiciness. The actual hot peppers are in the seeds. We explain how you can grow the delicious and he althy vegetables and what you need to consider.
Hot peppers originally come from Southeast Asia and therefore only tolerate the cool weather conditions here to a limited extent. If you pay attention to the special requirements of the pepperoni in terms of location and soil, you can even grow the spicy fruits outdoors.
Location and requirements when planting pepperoni
Hot peppers prefer a warm, sunny spot. Good light conditions ensure that the plant develops many flowers. You can plant the peppers in a bucket or in a garden bed. A well-ventilated greenhouse offers ideal growth conditions. But the plants also do well outdoors. A place on a warm house wall protects the peppers from rain and wind.
Special soil for pepperoni
Peperoni prefer nutrient-rich, well-drained soil with even moisture. The pH should be in the slightly acidic to neutral range (6.5 to 7). Poor soil can be enriched with natural fertilizers, such as compost or rotted manure. Commercially available substrates for growing vegetables are suitable for pot culture. Our peat-free Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil is also ideal for growing pepperoni.
Planting pepperoni: instructions on how to do it
Hot peppers are relatively easy to grow from seeds. UnderUnder optimal conditions, the seeds germinate after 1 to 2 weeks, after another 2 to 4 weeks the small plants can then be pricked out. But you can also buy pre-grown young plants in the garden center. When grafting, tasty, high-yielding varieties with a high resistance to leaf diseases are planted on rootstocks that are less susceptible to or even resistant to soil-borne diseases or have particularly good root development and vigour. In this way, positive properties of two plants can be combined in one pepper plant.
Hot peppers should not be planted out too early, preferably from the end of May, as they do not tolerate cool temperatures below 5 °C. To protect the plants, you can plant the peppers in the greenhouse in cooler locations from the end of April. The pepper plants can grow up to 80 cm high. Smaller varieties are also suitable for cultivation in tubs or large pots. Plant the peppers in a suitable substrate as far as they were in the pot before. Then water the plant little by little. A support provides the plants with additional support. You can later tie the side shoots here so that the shoots do not break off due to the heavy weight of the fruit.
This is the best way to plant pepperoni:
- Loosen the soil
- Dig Planting Hole
- Insert plant and fill with soil
- Water enough
- Provided with a support
Tip: You will receive complete equipment including a mini greenhouse when you purchase our Plantura chili growing set. With this you can easily grow the hot pods on the window sill.
Planting pepperoni in the bed
If cool night temperatures are no longer to be expected, hot peppers can be planted in the garden bed from the end of May. A sheltered location is important because hot peppers do not tolerate drafts or rain. The best place is on a warm south wall of a house. The bed can be prepared as early as autumn. Loosen the soil well and work in some manure or compost if necessary. When planting in spring, care should be taken to ensure a sufficient distance of about 40 to 50 centimeters between the individual plants. A mulch film can be used to cover the soil. This warms the soil and reduces the effort when weeding.
You should pay attention to this when planting pepperoni in the bed:
- Don't plant too early
- Select a protected location
- Loosen the soil and work in the compost
- Keep a planting distance of about 40 to 50 cm
- Mulch film protects against weeds
Planting hot peppers in pots
Narrow-growing peppers can also be cultivated in pots on the balcony or terrace. The best location is a sunny spot on a south-facing wall. A protective eaves or canopy also protects the plant from rain. The bucket should be big enough and excess water should be able to drain off easily so that there is no waterlogging. It is best to place only one plant per pot so that it has enough space to grow. It is best to fill the planter with a suitable substrate such as our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil.
These points should be considered when planting peppers in pots:
- Use a sufficiently large planter
- Excess irrigation water should be able to drain off
- Put one plant per pot
- Use suitable substrate
- Select a sheltered, sunny location
Caring for peppers after planting
In order for peppers to thrive and produce lots of fruit, they need to be cared for properly. Below we have summarized the most important information on caring for pepperoni for you.
Pour the peppers
Regular watering is important, especially before and during fruit set, as peppers require a lot of water. Too little water can cause flowers and buds to fall off. The root ball should only be slightly damp, because hot peppers also do not tolerate waterlogging very well. Also, when watering, make sure that as little water as possible gets on the leaves to prevent diseases.
Fertilize pepperoni
Especially in the early days, the peppers need a lot of nutrients. It is best to work some fertilizer into the soil when planting. Organic long-term fertilizers, such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer, are particularly suitable. This gradually releases the nutrients, making them continuously available to the plant. Also favororganic long-term fertilizers protect the soil life and thus improve the soil structure in the long term. When the first fruits are visible, fertilizing should be stopped.
Winter pepperoni
Due to their sensitivity to low temperatures (below 5 °C), chili peppers are usually only cultivated once a year, but they can also be overwintered without any problems. Bring the peppers inside in good time in autumn. Pepperoni that have been planted out must first be relocated to planters. A bright, not too warm room is suitable for hibernation - temperatures around 10 °C are ideal. Ventilate regularly and do not water too much in winter, the root ball should not be too damp so that the roots do not rot. In February you can cut back the peppers and repot them. After new shoots, the plant can go outside again from the end of May.
Further care tips for hot peppers
If you are not using mulch film, you should regularly remove the weeds when cultivating in the bed. If necessary, side shoots can be cut back to about three centimeters so that the plant can put all its strength into the fruit shoots. Pests, such as aphids, can sometimes cause problems for the peppers. Therefore, as a preventive measure, ensure sufficient planting distance. Regular ventilation in the greenhouse also reduces the risk of fungal diseases.
Once they have reached their final colour, the peppers can be harvested between August and October. The riper the fruits are, the sharper they are and the more intense their taste. In some years it takes a little longer to ripen, so you can either harvest the fruits when they are unripe or you can bring the peppers indoors early enough in autumn to continue cultivating them there.
Here we give you more tips on how to get your chillies really hot.