Growing peppers in a greenhouse allows you to extend the growing season and produce higher yields of peppers compared to growing them outdoors. With the controlled environment of a greenhouse, you can grow peppers nearly year-round in many climates. Follow these tips for successfully cultivating greenhouse peppers
Getting Started with Greenhouse Peppers
When growing peppers in a greenhouse, start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before transplanting into the greenhouse. Maintain a soil temperature of 80-90°F while seeds germinate. Once seedlings emerge, transplant into 2-4 inch containers or blocks. Grow transplants at 70-74°F during the day and 68°F at night.
Provide adequate lighting, ventilation humidity control and fertigation to produce strong, healthy transplants. Harden off plants for 7-10 days before transplanting into the greenhouse by reducing temperature and water.
Space plants 12-16 inches apart in rows 2-3 feet apart. Prune plants to 2-4 main stems and trellis vertically. Remove flowers up to the second or third node to allow plants to reach a sufficient size before fruiting.
Climate Control
Aim to maintain greenhouse temperatures of 70-75°F during the day and 64-68°F at night. Providing adequate ventilation and horizontal airflow will help prevent disease.
Use retractable shade cloth or whitewash on sunny days to prevent overheating Maintain relative humidity around 65% during the day and 75% at night,
Soil and Fertilization
Peppers grow best in well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5. Before planting, incorporate compost or other organic matter to enrich the soil.
Apply a balanced fertilizer when transplanting and side dress every 2-3 weeks thereafter. Monitor soil fertility and supplement with calcium and magnesium as needed. Use a complete hydroponic nutrient solution for container production.
Pollination
Pepper flowers are mostly self-pollinating but benefit from some vibration. Gently shaking plants or using a small fan to circulate air will promote pollination and fruit set indoors. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization which encourages foliage over flowers and fruit.
Pest and Disease Control
Scout regularly for common greenhouse pests like aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and pepper maggots. Release beneficial insects or use organic sprays when needed.
Prevent diseases like anthracnose, Phytophthora blight, powdery mildew, and viruses with good sanitation and environmental controls. Allow greenhouse to fully dry between crops and disinfect tools and surfaces.
Harvesting Peppers
Begin harvesting peppers once they reach full size and start to change color. Use sharp shears or pruners to cut peppers from plants while leaving the calyx intact. This will allow continued ripening off the vine.
Pick peppers regularly as fruits mature to encourage further production. Store freshly harvested peppers at 45-55°F and 95% humidity. With optimum care, greenhouse pepper plants can remain productive for 6-8 months.
Growing sweet bell peppers, hot peppers, poblanos, and other varieties in a greenhouse provides many advantages over field production. With close monitoring and preventative care, greenhouse peppers will reward you with early yields and premium quality fruit. Follow these tips to successfully cultivate greenhouse-grown peppers.
Frequency of Entities:
greenhouse: 18
peppers: 18
plants: 7
growing: 5
seeds: 4
transplanting: 4
temperatures: 4
fruit: 3
soil: 3
flowers: 3
fertilizer: 3
pollination: 3
pests: 2
diseases: 2
fruiting: 2
harvesting: 2
Grow Peppers from Seed
Plant the seeds in containers, about half an inch below the surface. Pepper plants like organic soil rich in calcium and phosphorous. As soon as eight days, but it could take up to three weeks, so be patient. Hop peppers tend to sprout more slowly than other types, so be persistent.
If you want to move them to a bigger pot, leave about an inch of space between each seed to keep the roots from getting tangled. Wrap them up in a transparent cover. This will give them a warmer environment as they germinate. You can put the seedlings in the greenhouse or on a windowsill in bright sunlight once they start to grow above the soil. Ensure you keep up with the watering.
Plants that are fully grown should have about 18 inches of space between them, or a nine-inch-diameter circle around each plant. This gives the roots room to grow and take in water and nutrients without other plants getting in the way.
As soon as the plants get their first true leaves, you should feed them at least once every two weeks, but no more than once a week. Now is the time to move your plants from their small starter pots to their permanent homes in bigger pots of beds.
Weeds steal resources from around your pepper plants and will drop the production levels of your plants. They will also lower the soil’s moisture level, which could stress the pepper plant and lower the quality and quantity of the harvest.
To lower weed pressure, shutter ventilators can be used in greenhouses to keep wind-borne weeds from getting to the soil. Cover fabric will also do a good job of stopping weeds from growing and stealing from your plants. On the other hand, you could check the soil around your plants every day and pull out anything that doesn’t belong there. If you do this often, it won’t take long and will give you a chance to check the soil’s moisture, look for pests, see how healthy and good the plants are, and so on.
Watch Out for Pests/Diseases
The biggest predators of your pepper plants will likely be snails and slugs. It’s best to just pick them off and throw them into a new home, but you can also get rid of them permanently if you’d rather. A strong hose can be used (on adult plants only) to wash away other pests, such as aphids. Avoid over-soaking the soil around your plants though, or damaging leaves with the water pressure. In general, crop rotation also prevents pests such as insects and tinier, microscopic plant diseases.
The flea beetles may eat your plants’ new leaves and will hide under them so you can’t find them. Damage is minimal though, and they are usually easily dealt with. These bugs show up in the middle of the day. Since they don’t like getting wet, a light spray around noon can help them move along.
A fungus called anthracnose can spread from plant to plant and makes spots show up on pepper leaves and fruit. The spots can grow into a pinkish mass and cause rot. Copper-based fungicides like Bonide-811-Copper-Fungiside will get rid of them.
Dark, wet spots can show up on the blossom end of the fruit if your plants aren’t getting enough calcium. The fruit can enlarge, then become sunken and rotten. To prevent it, maintain soil pH, use mulch, and make sure you provide proper and adequate feed/fertiliser.
Peppers are a crisp, vibrant vegetable and they need a lot of water to get that way. It is important to keep the soil moist all the time. During the long, hot summer days, it is best to water every day. An inch or so of water every four days is the general rule.
Peppers LOVE This GREENHOUSE! | Pepper Harvest | Greenhouse Tour
FAQ
Do peppers grow well in greenhouses?
How long does it take to grow peppers in a greenhouse?
How to grow peppers in an unheated greenhouse?
How often do you water peppers in a greenhouse?
Can you grow peppers in a greenhouse?
If you live in an area with a short growing season or notoriously cold spring nights, it might be a challenge to grow pepper plants outdoors. Luckily, you can grow peppers successfully in a greenhouse in almost any climate! The key to growing peppers in a greenhouse is providing them with the essentials: light, heat, space, nutrients, and water.
What temperature should a pepper plant grow in a greenhouse?
Pepper plants grow best with a daytime temperature of at least 65°F to 70°F and 60°F to 65°F at night. Do your best to maintain these temperatures in your greenhouse, especially if your climate is much cooler. You can keep your greenhouse warm with these greenhouse heaters.
How do you pick pepper plants for a greenhouse?
When picking pepper plants for your greenhouse, think about these things: Warmth: Peppers need it warm, so make sure your greenhouse is cozy. Room to Grow: Some pepper plants can get big. Pick ones that will fit in your space. How They Grow: Some peppers need more cutting and help standing up. Bell Peppers: Try ‘California Wonder’ or ‘Bell Boy’.
How do you grow greenhouse bell peppers?
Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep. Start transplanting the peppers in the Greenhouse bell peppers bed. Make sure to use ground cover fabric for weed control. Space them 18 to 24 inches apart. Maintain soil temperature and soil pH. Meet all the requirements of the ideal soil. It should be well-drained. There should be an adequate amount of moisture.