Peppers
Pepper fruits are characterized by high nutritional value, mainly due to the high content of vitamins A and C. (This vitamin contains the most vegetables grown in our country). Peppers also contain sugars and mineral salts (calcium, iron and phosphorus) and capsaicin, a compound that gives the peppers a pungent taste. There are two groups of peppers; hot and sweet. Hot pepper contains large amounts of capsaicin, on the other hand, sweet has smaller amounts of this compound and therefore has a milder taste. As a thermophilic plant, pepper has high demands on the air temperature (optimum 23-27 ° C during the day, 16-18° C at night) and soil, which should be close to the outside temperature (below 15 ° C in the soil, plants shed flowers and buds). Therefore, sheltered places should be selected for its cultivation, well sunlit.
Peppers require fertile soil, carious, non-acidic. It is not grown on manure. Compost can be used on low humus soil. Mineral fertilizers should be given before planting in amounts per 1 m2: 15-20 g of calcium ammonium nitrate, 30-40 g superfosfatu i 25-45 g of potassium sulfate.
Peppers are grown from seedlings. The seeds are sown in a warm inspection or in a box in an apartment at the end of March. WITH 0,1 g of seeds we get approx 10 plants. When the seedlings have cotyledons and one proper leaf, they are quilted in the inspection at a distance of 10X10 cm or planted in pots with a diameter 10 cm. Throughout the production of seedlings, it should be watered moderately.
On 7-10 days before planting, harden the seedlings, limiting watering and increasing airing until the inspection windows are removed. The seedlings produced in the apartment are gradually put outside. Plant the peppers in the ground at a distance of 30X50 cm or 40X40 cm. During the growing season, the soil should be weeded, and in the event of drought – water the plants. About a month after planting, and the second time after 3-4 weeks, plants are fed with saltpetre, giving each time 10-15 g/m2. Peppers do not need to be cut or staked.
Harvesting is carried out as the fruit matures, because left on the plant for too long, they inhibit the growth and ripening of the next fruit. The fruits of sweet pepper are harvested, when they are grown up, but not quite mature yet, while the fruits of hot peppers are harvested when ripe, i.e.. when they are red, then dry them, by threading on a string or wire and hanging in a ventilated place.
There are varieties for field cultivation: Poznańska Sweet, Shumen Ratund and Remi, Dluga semi-sweet from Mor and spicy Bronowicka Ostra. Poznańska Sweet, as the name suggests, is a variety bred in Poland. It is a sweet variety, early, fertile, allowing you to get from one plant 15-25 conical, quite large (time ok. 50 g) 2-, 3-chambered fruit. The length of the fruit is approx 10 cm, diameter approx 5,3 cm. The fleshy walls of the fruit are approx 3,4 mm, light green color in the period of useable maturity, then red. Suitable for stuffing and marinades. Shumenski Ratund is a sweet variety, medium early, it bears fruit which is usually pendulous, almost spherical, slightly flattened, length approx 5 cm, diameter approx 6,7 cm. The fruit is sunken at the base, clearly ribbed, slightly pointed at the top, green, then green-red, when it's quite mature. The fruit is usually three-chambered, with fleshy thick walls 4 mm. There may be 11-15 fruits per plant. Suitable for salads and stuffing. Remi, also of Polish breeding, is a sweet variety, medium early, of good quality fruit. Its fruit is spherical with a tendency to flatten, slightly notched, creamy yellow then red, with a wall thickness 5-7 mm. Suitable for salads, for stuffing and marinades. The semi-sharp variety Długa z Mor is the oldest Polish variety, early, good for field cultivation. The fruits are long 12 cm, dangling, not very juicy, red-green and red. They are suitable for marinades and for drying. The only acute variety is Bronowicka Ostra, bred in Poland. It is medium early. It has hanging fruit, short (7 cm in length), conical, red-green and red.