When the first fruits finally ripen after a plant has been lovingly cared for, every gardener's heart warms. A hot pepper is a very popular plant in this regard. Not only that, with a bit of luck, you can harvest twice a year. The spicy fruits have a very tasty culinary aroma. If you prefer mild food, you will simply enjoy the bright, colorful colors of the fruits. In addition, the pepper is very undemanding, does not grow too high and is available in perennial varieties.
How do I properly care for hot peppers in the garden?
To grow hot peppers in the garden, choose a sunny, wind-protected location, use moist, nutrient-rich soil and avoid waterlogging. Plant the peppers 40-50 cm apart and water them regularly without wetting the leaves.
Growing hot peppers
Location
The following aspects should be taken into account when choosing a location for a pepperoni:
- sunny, bright place
- warm outside temperature
- sheltered from the wind
- no precipitation
- no drafts
- can also be used in groups (plant spacing 40-50 cm)
Ideal storage places are wall or building ledges, window sills or greenhouses.
Floor
For your pepperoni to develop well, the substrate should have the following properties:
- moist earth
- no pre-fertilized soil from the market
- don’t plant too deep
- Avoid waterlogging
- Cover the ground with mulching film (retains heat)
- no ground frost
Care
Regular watering is probably the most important thing for a pepperoni. You should only water the ball, not the leaves. Overwintering is a special feature. Pepperoni plants are very sensitive to frost and must be moved to a warm place at temperatures below 5°C. You can find out more about this in the next paragraph.
Garden or balcony?
You can keep your hot peppers outdoors either in a pot or in the ground. Use the following information to decide for yourself which variant you like better.
Advantages and disadvantages of keeping it in the garden
Garden soil automatically supplies your peppers with nutrients, so you can skip fertilizing if the soil conditions are good. However, you must dig up your peppers at the end of autumn to prevent them from dying due to frost.
Advantages and disadvantages of balcony keeping
Your pepperoni can even be placed in the bucket on the balcony. However, there is an increased risk of waterlogging forming because the irrigation water cannot drain away properly. Too little light also damages the peppers in the long term. However, the plant is much more mobile in the pot, which makes overwintering much easier.
