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Peppers need enough nutrients to develop a full aroma. We show what you should consider when fertilizing peppers in beds and pots.
Peppers (Capsicum annuum) should not be missing in any vegetable patch. We owe it to the Italian sailor Christopher Columbus that the plant from the nightshade family (Solanaceae) is now also widespread in Europe. The pepper originally comes from America. So that your pepper plants produce lots of fruit and bring you a rich harvest, fertile soil is important in addition to sufficient light, warmth and water. You can also support your peppers in their development with needs-based fertilization.
The nutritional requirements of peppers are in the medium to high range compared to other vegetables. In this article, we will explain when it is best to fertilize your pepper plants and how to do it ideally.
When to fertilize peppers?
Peppers grow very slowly at the beginning of the growing season. However, an adequate supply of water and nutrients can promote the development of the plant. If you grow your peppers yourself from seed, the nutrients in a commercial growing medium are perfectly sufficient for the first few weeks. Finally, the seedlings feed themselves from their reserves in the seeds. When the first real leaves have developed after the cotyledons, the seedlings can be pricked out and planted in a larger pot. Then the right time has come for the first fertilization.
At the beginning of the growing season, the main thing you should do is provide your peppers with enough nitrogen so that they can grow well. During the formation of the flower buds, the supply of potassium and phosphorus is also important. In this phase you should therefore fertilize again so that the plants set many flowers and fruits. Special paprika fertilizers are hard to find in specialist shops. However, the nutritional requirements of peppers are the same as those of tomatoes(Solanum lycopersicum) very similar. Therefore, you can also use tomato fertilizer to fertilize peppers. Organic long-term fertilizers are particularly gentle on the plants, the soil and the animals in the garden. Although mineral fertilizers provide a quick nutrient boost, they also harbor some risks if used incorrectly.
Fertilize the peppers in the pot
If you are not using an already pre-fertilized substrate, you can simply work a long-term fertilizer in granular form - such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer - into the substrate when potting your peppers. Then water the young plants well so that the granules can dissolve. Under humid conditions, the microorganisms in the substrate begin to convert the fertilizer and gradually release the nutrients for the plant. In order to avoid over-fertilization and not to damage the potted plant, it is better to fertilize more often during fruit formation, but in smaller quantities.
Summary: when to fertilize peppers in the pot?
- Incorporate some slow-release fertilizer when planting
- Keep the substrate moist so that the granulate can dissolve
- It is better to fertilize in smaller amounts during the flowering period
Fertilize peppers in the bed
The cold-sensitive peppers can be planted out in the garden bed from the end of May. Add some fertilizer in granular form, such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer, to the planting hole. Don't forget to water afterwards. You can also improve poor soil with some compost or rotted manure beforehand. These natural fertilizers not only provide your peppers with extra nutrients, but also help to improve soil structure and activate soil life. After about two months, you can work some more long-acting fertilizer into the soil to provide your peppers with the best nutrients. However, be careful not to damage the roots of the peppers.
Summary: When to fertilize peppers in the bed?
- Incorporate compost or rotted manure into the soil
- Provide with long-term fertilizer when planting out
- Water well so that the granules can loosen
- Fertilize after about two months
How and with what to fertilize peppers?
Which fertilizer is used for your peppers is of course up to you. Finally thereThere are many different ways you can optimally supply your peppers with nutrients. To help you make your decision, we have summarized a few aspects that you should consider when choosing a fertilizer.
Fertilize paprika organically
Basically, you don't necessarily have to use a special fertilizer to fertilize your peppers. Commercially available tomato fertilizers with a suitable composition for nightshade plants are completely sufficient for the nutrient supply of peppers. It is best to use an organic fertilizer with a long-term effect, as this offers many advantages:
- Long-term supply of nutrients to the pepper plant through ongoing decomposition via microorganisms in the soil
- Promotion of he althy, active soil life (good for earthworms, microorganisms etc.) and sustainable improvement of the soil structure
- Particularly gentle on the environment by not using chemicals
Organic Long-Term Fertilization: Instructions & Dosage Amounts for Peppers
Our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer consists mainly of organic, plant-based raw materials. The composition of the fertilizer, with sufficient potassium for the best fruit quality, is ideal for your peppers. Our fertilizer in granular form is also easy to dose and easy to use, so there is hardly any risk of over-fertilization.
In order to provide your peppers with the right amount of nutrients, we have prepared detailed instructions for you below:
- Before planting: work about 60 - 110 g/m² (5 - 9 tablespoons) of our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer into the soil.
- Water well so that the granulate can loosen.
- After 2 months you should fertilize again with about 50 - 70 g/m² (4 - 6 tablespoons).
- A small dose of fertilizer about 3 - 4 weeks before harvest provides your peppers with optimal support.
Fertilize peppers with minerals
Liquid fertiliser, blue grain and Co. are often added to the pot or bed when planting peppers in order to ensure that the plant has a basic supply. However, the first complete fertilizer from the garden center is not always the best choice. Although mineral fertilizers provide an initial, rapid nutrient boost, the high s alt concentrations can damage the sensitive roots of the peppers if used improperly. The leaching of the fertilizer into deeper soil layers can also increaselead to increased nitrate concentrations in groundwater. Organic fertilizers are much more environmentally friendly than mineral fertilizers. In addition, by introducing organic material, you promote soil life and the soil structure in your garden is sustainably improved.
Fertilize peppers with home remedies
If you want to fertilize your peppers naturally, you can also use compost from your own garden or well-rotted stable manure as fertilizer for the nutrient supply. Regular watering with diluted stinging nettle manure, which has previously been diluted with water at a ratio of 1:10, is also recommended for flower and fruit formation. You can easily make plant manure yourself and thus provide your plants with additional minerals, which also promote the plants' resistance to diseases.
Another home remedy for fertilizing peppers that is found in almost every household is coffee grounds. You can sprinkle the actual waste product on the ground around the plant or add it to the irrigation water. Coffee grounds fertilizer contains important nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. It is also very popular with earthworms, which help to break down organic matter and loosen the soil in the garden. However, coffee grounds should only be used in moderation as fertilizer so that the pH value of the garden soil does not drop into the acidic range over the long term.
You always wanted to cultivate your own peppers in the garden? In our special article, we explain the best way to proceed when planting peppers.