Why pepper does not turn red and what to do to speed up ripening

Pepper pods on the bushes do not always please with a quick ripening. Despite the fact that the time has come to harvest, the vegetables are still hanging in the stage of incomplete ripeness. In order for tasty, bright and juicy fruits on the table, you need to pay attention on varietal properties and features of culture care. Today we will tell you why pepper does not turn red and how to accelerate its ripening.

Pepper ripening stages

Considering the harvest of pepper a simple matter, many pluck the fruits at the stage of incomplete ripeness. This affects the palatability and further storage and preparation of vegetables. Agricultural technicians distinguish between 2 types of maturity:

1. Technical (harvesting). It occurs 40-45 days after the formation of the ovaries, when the pepper has not yet fully acquired its characteristic varietal properties, but is already suitable for consumption and processing.
2. Biological (natural). It begins when the seeds ripen and the culture acquires a bright varietal shade.

20-30 days pass between biological and technical maturity. During this time, vegetables accumulate the maximum amount of nutrients and vitamins, are saturated with sugars and trace elements.

Important! Fully ripe bell peppers have the best flavor and aroma. Therefore, it is recommended to collect them in this phase.

The pungency of hot peppers can be adjusted. Technically, a ripe crop still contains a small amount of a burning substance, so it is harvested for the preparation of mild dishes and marinades. If a long-term storage of the harvested crop is planned or processing into a powdery state, it must be plucked from the bushes at the stage of full biological maturity.

Reasons why pepper does not turn red

Every summer resident dreams of collecting large, fleshy and bright fruits on his site. However, why, having reached a large size, the peppers do not ripen? There may be several reasons.

Varietal features

One of the most common mistakes inexperienced gardeners make is trying to grow a high-quality crop from seeds collected from store-bought vegetables.... Beautiful and large fruits, which can be bought all year round in supermarkets, are imported from China, Turkey, Egypt or the southern regions of Russia. The climatic conditions of these regions are very different from the middle lane, where crops do not have enough heat and sunlight. Therefore, these varieties either do not ripen completely, or ripen several weeks later than the more adapted ones.

Reference. Some species should not turn red or yellow. Depending on the varietal properties, the pepper can have a shade from light green to bright purple and even chocolate. On the package with seeds, the instructions indicate the ripening time and color of vegetables at the stage of biological ripeness.

Unfavourable conditions

Growing conditions that are not suitable for peppers also affect their maturation and color:

1. Temperature conditions. When the thermometer drops to 12 ° C, the growth and development of pepper stops, and when the temperature rises to 35 ° C, the bushes quickly dry out. The optimum range is from 18 to 30 ° C.
2. Lack of lighting... Peppers need to spend at least 12 hours in the sun. Ripening and fruiting are also impaired with too long daylight hours - more than 14 hours.
3. Violation of watering technique. Cold, unsettled water is absolutely not suitable for this culture.
4. Thickened fit. Fruits on bushes blocking each other do not ripen well and do not turn red for a long time due to lack of nutrients.

The method of watering affects the development of the bushes. Water should not get on the stems and leaves, it is carefully poured into the root. The soil should not be overly moist - this will lead to the development of fungus and bacterial diseases.

Agrotechnical errors

Novice gardeners make mistakes even at the stage of planting seeds. They can be introduced into the soil when temperature fluctuations are not expected day and night.... Stably warm weather should be established, and the soil should warm up enough.

Pepper primer should be light, fertile and nutritious. The beds are fertilized with organic compounds, dolomite flour is added. This helps to normalize acidity. For the timely ripening of vegetables, neutral or slightly acidic soil is suitable.

One of the reasons why peppers don't ripen is the wrong feeding technique. The culture does not tolerate nitrogen in excess: instead of fruiting, green mass is actively developing, the bush is growing strongly. A lack of potassium negatively affects the plant, without which redness can not be expected at all. This problem is common in areas with a high content of peat or sand.

Attention! Compositions with nitrogen should not be applied during fruiting and flowering crops.

Peppers need calcium fertilization at any stage of maturation. Its deficiency is well replenished with wood ash. At the time of fruit formation, phosphorus is added, and calcium nitrate is added 2-3 times throughout the growing season, which prevents decay.

A plant that has too many ovaries also does not yield a good harvest. For this reason, the fruits do not have time to develop to large sizes and the desired color. Therefore, it is recommended to remove the first inflorescence in the place where the stems branch. Only one, the strongest bud is left in the internodes, otherwise, due to the growth of branches, the bush will not have enough strength to ripen.

Reference. A large number of ovaries on one bush (more than 25) slows down biological maturity, and the pepper grows small.

What to do to make the pepper turn red faster on the bush

Experienced gardeners know several tricks to accelerate the reddening of peppers. These tricks will help extend the bell pepper harvest until the very first frost:

• build an additional shelter made of non-woven materials or agrofibre (used for young seedlings and adult crops with the onset of autumn cold weather);
• use very warm, almost hot water (up to 60 ° C) for irrigation, pour strictly under the root;
• carry out foliar feeding 1 time in 10-12 days, spraying the bushes with phosphorus-potassium compounds or a solution of wood ash;
• remove some of the leaves, the peppers do not need them to ripen.

It is important to protect bell peppers from excess moisture during heavy rainstorms by building a shelter from low arcs and film.

Reference. Bell peppers and hot peppers respond well to yeast solutions. They are made from fresh bread, rusks and even moldy leftovers from buns. Yeast fungus saturates the soil with useful trace elements and vitamins, stimulates the ripening of fruits.

Unlike Bulgarian, hot peppers cannot ripen when they are already plucked from the bush. Therefore, a trick is used for him: if the peppercorns are not yet reddened enough and ripen too slowly, the bush is dug up and hung down with its top. The harvest ripens faster and turns out to be very hot.

Nuances for greenhouses

Since pepper belongs to heat-loving crops, it is recommended to close the vents and the door in the greenhouse at night. This will prevent freezing and protect against drafts.For additional heating, you can install heaters or place plastic hot water bottles between the beds.

Long shoots during the active growing season must be cut off in time to improve illumination and stimulate reddening of the fruit.

Important! Bushes that are unhealthy or weakened in appearance should not be pinched and pinched, otherwise the plant will completely die.

Light is added to the greenhouse using ultraviolet lamps. Even if there is enough sunlight, the blue spectrum will not be superfluous for peppers.

For open ground

In open areas, it is more difficult to protect the crop from hypothermia, so it requires shelter and heating, similar to a greenhouse (bottles between the beds or stones heated in the oven).

A prerequisite for fast ripening is regular molding... At the end of the summer period, all flowers are removed, and overgrowing shoots are plucked during the entire vegetative period.

Small peppercorns are also removed from the bush at the beginning of autumn, as they can no longer reach biological maturity. The rest of the fruits can be removed from the bush unripe in case of the onset of early cold weather and constant rainy weather. In conditions of increased dampness and coolness, the fruits quickly rot.

Tips from experienced summer residents

Most experienced summer residents agree that peppers are not at all necessary ripen completely in the beds. Shiny, weighty and juicy vegetables already contain a lot of vitamins, and they can also ripen on the windowsill.

After the first harvest is taken, the bushes will continue to bear fruit under favorable conditions. This process can be further stimulated by spreading banana peels on the ground under the plant.

If there is no well-lit place on the site and the culture has to be planted in the shade, you can add light using reflective screens.

Reference. You can accelerate redness by spreading ripe apples and tomatoes next to the bushes under the covering material. The ripening process of vegetables is accompanied by the release of ethylene, which will affect the peppers.

Conclusion

Obtaining a high-quality harvest is the result of constant plant care, adherence to the rules of planting, watering and feeding. If the variety is chosen correctly and all growing conditions are met, the pepper will certainly delight you with tasty and timely ripened fruits.