Guide to growing exotichot peppers

This guide will become your best friend when growing exotic hot peppers at home, in your garden, or in a greenhouse. It will also answer questions such as:

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How to grow hot peppers?

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How should they be fertilized?

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Do they need sunlight?

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How much should you water them?

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What is the most favorable soil?

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Under what conditions and where do they thrive best?

Let's talk about exotic hot peppers first. Before we start doing anything, we need to familiarize ourselves with these plants:

  • Where do they come from?
  • What is their family like?
  • Under what conditions and where do they thrive best?

Let's explore their history, benefits, and specifics. We have devoted more than 10 years of our lives to learning about the world of hot peppers and adapting to these plants.

Exotic hot peppers come from other climatic zones, from countries where it is warm and sunny all year round. Our four seasons make growing hot peppers in Bulgaria not so easy, but by no means impossible. We need to know their botany, what they like, how they grow, and cultivate them with love and patience.

The environment in which hot peppers are grown is extremely important. Peppers are light-loving plants. Their development accelerates and yields increase when they grow in light and warm weather.

We need to prepare ourselves with knowledge to provide them with warmth, light, water, peat, manure, patience, and love.

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    When is the best time to plant hot peppers?

    Since exotic hot peppers develop more slowly and have a very long growing season, the most suitable time for sowing seeds in our climate zone is from December 20 to February 20.

    *Here we are talking about the most suitable period for sowing the hottest and most exotic peppers in the world, because they need time to develop. However, this can also be done until the end of March, bearing in mind that hot peppers will bear fruit later.

    How, where, and under what conditions are hot peppers planted?

    Like everything else, planting hot peppers has its own peculiarities and tricks.

    Preparation: It is good to soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours. We must also prepare the container in which we will plant them in advance. This can be: seedling trays, pots, buckets, flower pots, etc.
    It is extremely important to select and use a fine peat mixture for vegetables for the most favorable development of the plants. Once we have the peat, it is time to plant the seeds. Do not make the mistake of planting the seeds too deep. Press them three times the diameter of the seed or 0.5 cm into the peat mixture. After placing the seeds, cover them with peat, which you press down so that the seeds can settle. Then water them generously with lukewarm water and cover with a thin foil to create a greenhouse effect, which prevents the water from evaporating. Leave them in a warm place between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. Do not water them until they sprout.

    How, where, and under what conditions are hot peppers planted?

    Once the plants have sprouted (this takes about 15 days), reduce the temperature to 18 degrees, remove the foil, and expose them to light. *The optimal temperature for the development of hot pepper seedlings is between 18 and 25 degrees. Whenthe plant has 2 to 4 true leaves, it is good to transplant them into larger pots, one root per pot, and water them generously again. After about 15-20 days, it is good to apply a multi-component fertilizer.

    When are the seedlings ready for final sowing?

    After about 6-8 weeks, the hot pepper seedlings will be ready for transplanting to their permanent location – in containers, greenhouses, or in the garden.

    In the early stages, hot peppers draw fewer nutrients from the soil, but during flowering and at the beginning of fruit formation, the need for nutrients increases sharply. Plants use the most nutrients during the period of mass fruiting, and that is when they need fertilizer the most.

    What is technical and botanical maturity in hot peppers?

    When technically ripe, the fruits of hot peppers are green, but with well-defined taste qualities and the size, shape, and gloss typical of the variety. When botanically ripe, the fruits of hot peppers have the typical size and shape of the variety, but also different colors, gloss, taste, and pungency of ripe fruits.

    Diseases and pests

    Overwatering can lead to root rot, while lack of moisture can cause the leaves to dry out and fall off. The most dangerous pests are aphids and mites. You can get rid of them with insecticides.

    • Do not overwater your plants

      Hot peppers love water, but when we water them too often and too much, they stop developing properly. How can we tell when we are giving them too much water? When growing any plant, we must learn to observe and understand it, because plants show us what they need. When the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow and fall off, this is a sign that you are giving them more water than necessary.

    • Do not overdo the fertilization of your plants

      This may result in many leaves and flowers on the plant, but it will not produce fruit. Moderation is very important when growing these plants. The phrase "the more, the better" does not apply here, so be careful and patient.

    • Don't worry if you grow them on a balcony.

      Hot peppers are self-pollinating plants, so don't worry if you grow them on a balcony. They will bear fruit there just as they would in a garden or greenhouse. In dry and warm rooms, you can spray them with water to accelerate the transition from flower to fruit.

    • At temperatures below 13 degrees, the flowers may fall off.

    • Low air humidity accompanied by high temperatures can also cause flowers and buds to fall off.

    • Hot peppers are perennial plants and, when grown properly (in pots), can be preserved throughout the winter.