How to Grow Peppers in a Greenhouse: Growing Tips and Helpful Advice from Professionals

Gardeners in Russia's temperate climate prefer to grow sweet bell peppers in polycarbonate greenhouses. Growing this heat-loving vegetable in the climate of the Moscow region, the Volga region, the Urals, and Siberia requires special conditions. Peppers can be grown in permanent greenhouses or in hotbeds under covering material. Experienced gardeners can achieve good harvests even from open beds, but this is virtually impossible in rainy and cold summers. The peppers don't receive enough warmth and don't have time to fully ripen by the end of the season.

Greenhouse cultivation: advantages

Prefabricated frame greenhouses covered with polycarbonate sheets are the most practical, affordable, and easy-to-assemble structures. Gardeners use them to grow heat-loving plants, including peppers. Compared to open ground, planting peppers in a polycarbonate greenhouse offers many advantages:

• you can sow seeds and plant seedlings 1-2 months earlier;
• the growing season is shortened and the fruiting period comes sooner;
• greenhouses have a more favorable microclimate for growing seedlings;
• provides maximum protection for plants from weather disasters: cold rains, hail, strong winds;
• care of plantings is simplified: watering, spraying, fertilizing;
• guaranteed preservation and increase of harvest;
• the costs of installing a drip irrigation system are reduced;
• the fight against harmful insects has been made easier;
• It is easier to treat plants against diseases.

The benefits of growing peppers in greenhouses have been appreciated by many gardeners, so the popularity of such profitable structures is growing every year.

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The best varieties of peppers for greenhouses

Choosing seeds is no easy task. There's a wide variety, and they vary widely in characteristics, fruit color, shape, and ripening time.

How to grow seedlings in a greenhouse

Agricultural technology for growing sweet peppers in a greenhouse (step by step):

1. Selecting, preparing, and sowing seeds in containers. The deadline is the end of March. Before sowing, the soil and seeds are disinfected. The soil is calcined or treated with special preparations. The seeds are soaked for 30 minutes in solutions of potassium permanganate, soda, or furatsilin.
2. Picking seedlings into separate containers - 15-20 days after sowing, when cotyledon leaves appear.
3. Care for young seedlings for 1.5-2 months. Water every 2-3 days. After a month, add a drop of growth stimulant to the water.
4. Transplanting seedlings into greenhouse beds – end of May, beginning of June.
5. Care for seedlings until the end of fruiting - September-October.
6. Harvesting time depends on the plant variety (early, mid-season, or late). The earliest harvest time is late July, and the latest is October.

Before planting seedlings in a greenhouse, you need to prepare the soil and consider all the nuances of compatibility between plants that will be planted in the same room.

Fussy peppers choose their neighbors

Greenhouse sizes don't always accommodate our desire to house as many heat-loving plants as possible under one roof. Capricious peppers fall into the category of plants that shouldn't be planted next to:

• dill and fennel, which grow strongly, suppress the development of peppers, shade them, and take away a significant portion of the nutrients;
• beans and peas - tall plants cling to the stems of bushes with their tendrils, preventing growth;
• Nightshade vegetables: potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes can infect peppers with the same diseases and attract the same pests;
• hot peppers planted next to sweet varieties cross-pollinate with them, the fruits of the latter become bitter and lose their sweetness;
• Cucumbers don't negatively affect pepper growth, but a major reason for incompatibility lies in the growing conditions of these two crops. Cucumbers prefer humid climates, but peppers don't tolerate excessive humidity.

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Certain plants planted in a greenhouse next to pepper bushes protect them from pests, enrich the soil, and don't inhibit growth and fruit formation. They can be safely placed under the same roof; peppers will be happy to have these neighbors:

• onions and garlic;
• herbs and ornamental plants: basil, coriander, parsley, tansy, thyme;
• greens and early vegetables: lettuce, spinach, radish;
• cauliflower and white cabbage, zucchini and celery;
• Single plantings of chamomile, nettle, and dandelion nourish pepper bushes and accelerate the ripening of fruits.

Soil preparation

In the spring, 2-3 weeks before planting seedlings in the greenhouse, carefully dig up the soil, add organic matter (if it was not added in the fall) at a rate of 5 kg per 1 m2 and mineral fertilizers:

• phosphorus and potassium mixtures - 40 g/m2;
• nitrogen fertilizers - 25 g/m2.

Dolomite flour, chalk, or lime are scattered over acidic areas. The soil is loosened until a uniform structure is achieved, and beds are formed.

Peppers prefer loose, well-drained soil that allows moisture and air to pass through. Last year's plant debris and small stones are removed from the beds.

Timing of seedling planting

Planting pepper seedlings in a polycarbonate greenhouse begins in early May. Late-ripening varieties should be planted first, followed by mid-season and early-ripening varieties. This period continues until the first ten days of June.

Planting diagram

Pepper seedlings are planted in a single row along the greenhouse walls or in two rows down the center. The optimal width for single-row beds is 45-50 cm, and for double-row beds, 90 cm. The distance between plants depends on the variety's characteristics. The taller and denser the plant, the greater this distance (see graphic diagrams for pepper planting in a greenhouse).

• low bushes should be separated by a gap of 15-20 cm, between rows - 50 cm;
• for seedlings of medium height, respectively 25-30 and also 50 cm;
• for tall plants - 35-45 and 50 cm.

Paths between beds should be no wider than 70 cm, with a minimum distance of 55 cm. Avoid reducing the optimal planting spacing. Seedlings planted too close together will interfere with each other. Reduced path widths will create maintenance problems.

Features of bush formation

After planting the pepper seedlings in their permanent location, begin shaping the bushes. Low-growing varieties (up to 70 cm tall) do not require shaping. Staking the main stem to prevent it from breaking under the weight of the fruit is sufficient. Medium-sized and tall plants are tied to tall supports or trellises.

Proper formation of bushes when growing peppers in greenhouses allows you to:

• remove unnecessary shoots, reduce the amount of green mass, thereby reducing the expenditure of plant vital energy and nutrients on their reproduction;
• speed up the ripening of peppers in a greenhouse, since on thinned bushes, not shaded from sunlight, the fruits grow and develop faster;
• Increase the yield of the harvest. If seedlings receive more ultraviolet rays, photosynthesis improves and more fruit ovaries are formed. Fruit size increases by 2-3 times.

Basic rules for pruning:

1. Remove excess shoots, stems, and leaves from the bush that are not essential for harvesting—overgrown or crooked shoots, dried, damaged leaves.
2. Tools for cutting branches must be cleaned of dirt and rust and disinfected in an antiseptic alcohol solution.
3. It is better to begin pruning work immediately after planting the seedlings and their establishment in a permanent location.
4. At least twice a week, you need to strengthen the grown shoots on the trellis and remove damaged leaves.
5. Avoid pruning diseased or weakened bushes to avoid further damage. They should be treated immediately with appropriate products. If the bushes do not recover after 7 days of treatment, remove the plants from the garden bed; otherwise, healthy bushes will be at risk of disease.
6. Infected bushes are dug up and burned; they are not used in compost heaps.

Pollination

Peppers are a plant that can be pollinated without the help of insects. Their flowers are small and don't attract large pollinators like bees and bumblebees. They are mainly visited by ants and thrips. Even these are rarely seen in greenhouses. If the plant fails to produce fruit, it needs help and manual pollination.

This is easy to do with a cotton swab. It collects pollen well on male flowers and adheres to the female stamens. Repeating this procedure 2-3 times will suffice, and the peppers will begin to produce fruit.

Subtleties of care

Caring for sweet peppers In a greenhouse, care must be taken continuously, from planting the seedlings to harvesting the crop. Proper care means maintaining the correct temperature in the greenhouse, monitoring humidity levels, preventing drafts, and regularly watering and fertilizing the plants (see video).

Optimal temperature

In a greenhouse where these heat-loving plants grow, the air temperature should be maintained at 24-26°C, but peppers can even tolerate temperatures as low as 28°C for short periods. In such heat, the greenhouse should be ventilated for 2-3 hours daily during the day.

Watering

Humidity in the confined space of small greenhouses must be constantly monitored; peppers don't tolerate excessive moisture, and insufficient moisture also leads to negative consequences. The only solution is to maintain a watering schedule:

1. Time: daily in the morning hours, when the sun is not yet “baking” with full strength, and in the evening - during the dry period.
2. Quality: Water for irrigation should be the same temperature as the air, or warm if it's cool outside or there's cold rain. It's best to use water from the water supply system after it's settled, the gas vapors have evaporated, and heavy metal impurities have settled to the bottom of the tank.
3. Watering frequency and volume: Peppers should be watered every other day, and 2-3 times a week during the fruiting season. A liter of water per plant should be sufficient, or up to 10 liters per 15-20 plants.

Water the plant carefully; it's best to use a watering can with fine holes or a drip irrigation system. This method is effective because it prevents a crust from forming around the plant's roots, ensuring the moisture reaches them fully and doesn't spread across the entire surface.

Top dressing

The main fertilizer is applied in the spring when peppers are planted in the greenhouse. It consists of organic matter (manure, bird droppings, compost) at a rate of 1 bucket per 1 m². Subsequently, peppers in the greenhouse are fertilized 2-3 times throughout the growing season, at intervals of 2-3 weeks.

For this purpose, they use remedies prepared according to traditional recipes: manure and herbal extracts, solutions, and infusions of plant components. They also use complex mineral macro- and micronutrient fertilizers that contain all the necessary substances for the growth, development, and fruiting of peppers.

Loosening and mulching

If a crust of soil forms around the main stem during watering, loosen the soil and then apply mulch. Mulch options include compost, peat, sawdust, straw, and shredded pine bark. After mulching, the soil stays moist for a long time, slowing down water evaporation from the surface.

Diseases and pests

Greenhouses maintain a constantly humid and warm microclimate—a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria and viruses. Harmful insects also prefer these comfortable conditions. To protect greenhouse plants from pests and diseases, disinfect the premises and treat plantings for disease.

The main measure of plant protection is prevention:

1. Pest control. Plant garlic, calendula, and other plants with a strong odor near pepper bushes to repel insects. Remove weeds promptly and loosen the soil.
2. Disease prevention. Avoid dense plantings and regularly ventilate the greenhouse. Fertilize and feed the plant with products containing micro and macronutrients: potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, selenium, copper, and iron.

Harvesting

There are two stages of pepper ripeness: technical and biological. These are distinguished by the fruit's appearance. At full ripeness (biological), the peppers become vibrant and acquire a specific (varietal) color: orange, red, yellow, or chocolate.

One to two months before this, preparatory (technical) ripeness occurs; at this time, the fruits take on unevenly pale reddish, yellowish, and brownish hues. These peppers are said to have "reached commercial maturity." They can be safely harvested, transported, and sold to customers.

Storing peppers

Peppers can be stored fresh, frozen, or canned. Naturally, shelf life varies for these products:

• fresh peppers - up to 10 days, in the refrigerator or cellar - up to 30 days;
• frozen whole or chopped vegetables - up to 6 months;
• Canned foods - 1-2 years.

Growing and caring for pepper plants is a labor-intensive process, but thrifty gardeners spare no time and effort to produce substantial harvests of organic produce from their gardens. It's fun, profitable, and delicious. All you need is a small greenhouse and a genuine passion for gardening.