Gardening wisdom: Boosting your pepper harvest naturally

Peppers are a frequently grown vegetable in gardens. Their diverse varieties and culinary versatility make them a popular choice for gardeners. However, to achieve bountiful yields, understanding the tactics of their cultivation and fertilisation is essential. Find out what to use for fertilising peppers.

Peppers are heat-loving plants that thrive best in sunny and sheltered locations protected from the wind. Ideal conditions involve daytime temperatures ranging from 19-27°C and nighttime temperatures of 16-18°C. Peppers grow best in tunnels, but there are also more resistant varieties that can be cultivated outdoors.

It's important to remember that when planting peppers outdoors, they should be sheltered from direct sunlight during the summer, as it can scorch the leaves. Additionally, practising crop rotation and choosing suitable neighbouring plants is important. Peppers have preferences for garden neighbours, and some plants can adversely affect their growth and health. It's best to avoid planting cruciferous vegetables near peppers, such as white, red, Brussels, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale, as they compete with peppers for soil nutrients.

Fennel can also negatively impact their growth. Beans, especially when growing hot pepper varieties, and potatoes, which are susceptible to the same diseases as peppers, are also not ideal neighbours. Steering clear of these plants near peppers will help ensure healthy growth and abundant crops.

Peppers favour rich, humus-rich soil, but to truly thrive and produce abundant fruit, they require additional support. Fortunately, there's no need to resort to chemical fertilisers – simple, homemade methods are effective.

One effective homemade fertiliser is an onion peel preparation. To prepare it, gather the peels from several onions and place them in boiling water (about 1 litre of water). Boil the peels for about 5 minutes, then allow the mixture to cool. Once cooled, strain out the peels and pour the decoction into a jar. Add about 3-5 tablespoons of wood ash, e.g., from a fireplace or grill. This prepared fertiliser can be stored in the fridge. It's ideal for nourishing pepper seedlings and also tomatoes. Fertilising every 10 days is recommended to provide plants with the necessary nutrients and support their healthy growth.

Another homemade vegetable fertiliser is a yeast solution. However, it's important to note that not all vegetables can be fertilised with this method. Can you water peppers with yeast? Yes, peppers are among the vegetables that can be fertilised with yeast. How do you do it?

To prepare it, you need 100 grams of fresh yeast and approximately 10 litres of warm water. Dissolve the yeast in the water, mixing thoroughly until completely dissolved. Then let the solution sit for a few hours to allow the yeast to ferment. After this time, the fertiliser is ready to use. Water the peppers with it every 2-3 weeks.