Decorative Pepper: description, planting and care when growing

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Pepper (Capsicum armuum) belongs to the Solanaceae family. Homeland – Central and South America, as well as Asia. At this time, culture is common on all continents.

A flower like ornamental pepper is a small perennial ornamental plant up to 30-40 cm high.

In an apartment, it can grow well and bear fruit for 4 to 5 years. However, it is often used as an annual. Its leaves are simple, can be single, or can be collected in a rosette. They have an oblong, lanceolate or ovoid shape with solid edges. Their color varies from green to black-olive.
The leaves are slightly folded along the central relief vein. Petioles vary in size. The crown is quite branched. As a houseplant, ornamental pepper is not much inferior in beauty to other domestic flowers, especially when it comes to flowering and subsequent fruiting.
Varieties of this pepper differ among themselves in the size of the fruit, their color and shape. Pepper flowers are yellowish white. They are located in the axils of the leaves. Sometimes they grow singly, and sometimes they gather in inflorescences.
The corolla may be yellow or greenish with purple inclusions. Sometimes there is also a solid purple color. This culture is self-pollinating. Flowers bloom in late June – early July.

As you can see from the photo , the main decoration of decorative pepper is pods, which, depending on the variety, are painted in bright red, orange or purple, ranging in size from 2.5 to 5 cm. They are hollow, have many seeds inside. Their weight can vary from 0.25 to 190 g. One of the features of the plant is the placement of flowers and fruits of varying degrees of maturity on one bush.

In addition to the capsicum form, there are also spherical, oval peppers. It bears fruit in August – October, and is very plentiful. The fruits of domestic ornamental peppers contain the alkaloid capsaicin, which is why they are very hot, bitter and spicy at the same time. At the same time, the leaves and stems of the flower are poisonous.

Types and varieties of bitter and sweet ornamental peppers (with photo)

A plant such as ornamental pepper is represented by species that can completely differ in shape, color and taste of fruits (bitter and sweet), flowering time, etc.

Popular varieties:
Decorative pepper “Christmas Candel” (C. “Christmas Candle”);

Decorative pepper “Festival” (C. “Festival”);

Decorative pepper “Orange Wyler” (C. “Orange Wonder”);

Decorative pepper “Apache” (S. “Apache”).

Berry. This type of pepper got its name because of the fruits, which are not cone-shaped, but flattened.

Bishop’s crown. One of the most interesting varieties of the plant is ornamental pepper, its fruits are somewhat reminiscent of unfolded bluebell flowers. Its yield is average. The growth is quite large, it can reach 80 cm, so it is better to choose the most practical place for it instead of a window sill.

Chinese. This species is represented by low plants – up to 50 cm. The ovoid, slightly wrinkled leaves have a light green color. The flowers are white, sometimes with a green tint. This flower grows very slowly, but bears fruit well.

You can see in the photo the varieties of this bitter decorative pepper, the fruits of which are particularly hot and pungent.

The most popular among them are:
“Santa Lucia”;

“The language of the devil”;

“Devil’s Yellow”

Cayenne, or Bush Pepper. These representatives of ornamental peppers are especially well suited for growing on windowsills or loggias. With proper care, these perennial flowers can grow and bear fruit for 5 to 6 years. Their height usually reaches 15 – 45 cm, and the bushes themselves are very dense and branched. Because of this, they are abundantly covered with fruits.

The species is represented by the following varieties:
Pepper “Salute”;

Pepper “Carmen”;

Pepper “Queen of Spades”;

Pepper “Spark”.

The following is a description of some of them.

“Salute” . This ornamental pepper feels good as a houseplant, the growth of its rounded bushes does not reach more than 20 cm, so it fits on any windowsill. Cone-shaped peppers have a slightly ribbed surface. At first, their color is dark green, but as they mature, they turn into orange. The plant is often used in culture as an ornamental due to the correct shape of the crown, it does not need to be cut. The fruits are used to make spices or canned.

“The Queen of Spades”. Low rounded bush – 25 cm tall. It has purple fruits.

“Spark”. Bright red fruits weighing up to 45 g. Begins to bear fruit 115 – 120 days after sowing. The bush is not very large, branched.

“Annual”. These plants are distinguished by the fact that after harvesting the fruits and shedding, they can very dry out. These are not very tall bushes – from 35 to 55 cm in height. Depending on the variety, the fruits may be different in color and shape.

The most famous varieties:
Pepper “Tepin”;

Pepper “Redskin”;

Pepper “Siberian Prince”;

Pepper “Cherry bomb”.

Pepper “Tepin”. Small-fruited pepper with incredibly sharp fruits. The leaves are small, not reaching more than 1 cm in length.

Microclimate for the care of decorative peppers in a pot on the windowsill

When growing an ornamental pepper plant, you should especially carefully consider the microclimate conditions in the room, since this is one of the main factors for successful fruiting.
The flower needs a very bright place. The decorative pepper, placed on the windowsill on the south side of the house, feels great, where there is always a lot of light and direct sunlight enters the room for several hours a day.
In very hot weather, it is still better to cover the plant from the sun. If the weather is good, pepper can be taken out to the balcony, veranda or even to the garden. But it is worth remembering that he does not like wind and cold. The plant must also be protected from drafts. In the winter season, when the daylight hours become much shorter, you can install fluorescent lamps near the pot. Thus, the pepper will bear fruit and bloom throughout the year. With a lack of light, the plant branches poorly and blooms, and the fruits almost do not appear.
When caring for ornamental peppers that grow in a pot, it is important to take care of the air temperature and humidity in the room. In spring and summer, the optimum air temperature for this plant should remain within 24 – 26 degrees, in winter 15 – 18 degrees. The flower is useful for day-night temperature changes, so in the warm season it is better to keep it in the fresh air. Stale air is also harmful to the plant, so it is advisable to ventilate the room well from time to time.
Humidity in the room should be moderate. In hot weather, it is advisable to spray with water. On average, spraying is carried out at least once a week – this contributes to fruit set. The optimum humidity ranges from 65 – 78%.
Any soil will do, as long as it is not too heavy. The soil should be as loose and breathable as possible. Substrate: sod and clay soil, peat (2:1:1). Some growers use nutritious greenhouse soil by adding some sand to it.

How to care for ornamental peppers

One of the answers to how to properly care for ornamental peppers so that they consistently bear fruit is timely and sufficient watering. During the growth period, watering is plentiful, as the top layer of the earthen clod dries. If the apartment is very hot, then you need to water every day. It is also possible that you will have to do this procedure in the morning and evening. In no case should the soil be allowed to dry out completely, especially if the flower is in the bright sun. Especially carefully you need to monitor the humidity during fruit set.
At home, an important part of caring for ornamental peppers is regular top dressing, which will saturate the soil with nutrients. This is done about once every two weeks with liquid fertilizers. The most effective influence will be exerted by the successive change of fertilizers from mineral to organic. Superphosphate, potassium sulfide or ammonium nitrate can be used as mineral.

Formation and transplantation of decorative pepper

Sometimes the plant is used as an annual, after fruiting it loses its decorative effect, and it is thrown away. However, there are many perennial varieties that look good for several years. Often, to maintain a neat appearance, the formation of a decorative pepper bush is carried out by cutting off old and too powerful shoots. In addition, this procedure helps to increase the number of flowers and fruits. This should be done in early spring every two to three years. First of all, shoots directed inward are cut, as well as those that bear fruit. It is also important to remove the crown bud, the first in the branching of the stem, at the beginning of each flowering. Pinching of each shoot is carried out immediately before fruiting. It is also recommended to cut off all branches that stand out from the crown.
When caring for ornamental peppers, it is important to plant the plant in a new pot with fresh substrate every year, while getting rid of part of the old earthy coma. Since the root system of the flower is very fragile, the best option is to carefully transfer the plant to a new pot. The pot for transplanting is selected a little more than before. Drainage is poured at the bottom. The place remaining after the transplant is covered with fresh soil. From time to time, you can do without a transplant, carrying out a partial replacement of the substrate. This will help to avoid injury to the root system of the flower, which then will have to be restored for a long time after such stress.

How to plant seeds to grow ornamental peppers at home

Propagation of this plant is usually carried out by seeds.
In order to grow decorative peppers using seeds, you need to be as careful as possible about the sowing process, because this is the key to healthy growing seedlings. The time for this procedure depends on the variety. Early spring varieties are sown from early November to late December. Summer crops are best sown from April to May. Autumn – in July-August.
First you need to prepare pots with a capacity of 0.2 liters. Put a drainage 2-3 cm thick on the bottom, then fill the container with a substrate. The seeds should be soaked for several hours in a potassium humate solution, after which they are placed in the soil to a depth of 1 cm. It is necessary to sprinkle them with soil from above and compact it slightly. Containers are covered with glass or transparent film. The temperature in the room should be kept within 23 – 25 degrees. After 7 – 12 days shoots should appear. After that, the shelter is removed.
After 5 days, the air temperature is reduced to 16 – 18 degrees. From time to time, the soil needs to be moistened with warm settled water. After the appearance of 2 – 3 full-fledged leaves on shoots, it is necessary to plant decorative pepper, trying to handle fragile roots as carefully as possible. When the plants are fully strengthened, and at least six leaves appear on the shoots, you can place the flower in a pot 3-5 liters deep. Growing ornamental peppers at home after planting in a permanent pot has already been carried out is not difficult – you just need to choose a good place for the plant and establish proper care for it.

Diseases and pests of ornamental pepper

Due to waterlogging of the soil, diseases of the ornamental pepper plant such as root rot or phytophthora are often found. When brown spots appear on the leaves, the flower is treated with preparations containing copper. The appearance of root rot is indicated by the wilting of pepper leaves. In this case, the plant is removed from the soil and completely replaced. A pest such as a spider mite appears on pepper when the recommendations for the moisture content in the air are violated.
A pest such as a spider mite appears on pepper when the recommendations for the moisture content in the air are violated. You can get rid of the tick with the help of fungicides. Sometimes peppers are infected with a mealybug that affects the root system. To prevent the appearance of this pest, the soil should be disinfected before planting. Get rid of it by treating the earthen ball with fungicides.

You can learn more about growing ornamental peppers by watching this video:

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