Why do the ovaries of peppers fall in a greenhouse and what to do to save your crop

At first glance, growing pepper is not difficult. But sometimes the vegetable can be capricious - for example, shedding flowers and ovaries. This happens even in greenhouse conditions. And no ovaries - no harvest.

Why do the ovaries of peppers fall in the greenhouse, what are the reasons for this and how to avoid the death of the crop - we will tell in the article.

The first signs of a problem

If a plant suffers from unfavorable environmental factors, this is manifested in its appearance - in the state of roots, shoots, leaves, flowers, fruits.

But also the presence of healthy foliage and flowers in seedlings is not a reason to stop monitoring the plantings... After planting in a permanent place, the seedlings can shed the fruit that has set.

The harbingers of this can be:

• overdeveloped green or, conversely, weak and pale leaf mass in the bushes;
• the presence of a transparent web on the leaves;
• weak root system in seedlings;
• other signs depending on the stress factor.

The reasons for the falling of flowers and ovaries of peppers in the greenhouse

Shedding flowers and ovaries is an acquired plant reaction to unfavorable influence of the external environment.

The reasons for the dropping of buds and ovaries in peppers are conventionally divided into four groups:

• natural causes (light, heat, humidity);
• improper nutrition (excess or lack of any nutrients);
• diseases and pests;
• agrotechnical mistakes.

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Lack of light, water, air humidity

Lack of lighting, heat and moisture - a common cause of dropping flowers and ovaries the peppers.

It is believed that the optimal daylight hours for them are 12 hours. Insufficient lighting affects already at the seedling stage - seedlings in such conditions poorly absorb nutrients and grow weak, elongated.

Further with a lack of light in plants, reproductive organs may not formand pollinating insects are reluctant to visit shaded areas. Non-pollinated flowers fall off, no ovaries are formed.

Important! Excessive lighting creates overheating of plants in the greenhouse, which also adversely affects their growth and development.

The optimum humidity for the culture is 60-80%... With a lack of moisture, it is more difficult for plants to assimilate nutrients, they dry out and the ovaries fall off.

Soil moisture should also be sufficient, especially during the period of formation and ripening of fruits, since the root system of peppers is not so extensive, it is located only in the upper layers of the soil.

Important! Peppers react negatively to both lack and excess of moisture. In the first case, the growth stops due to the accumulation of salts in the soil layer, in the second - from the lack of oxygen in it. To avoid waterlogging of the air and soil, the greenhouse is regularly ventilated.

Temperature differences

Sharp temperature fluctuations reduce the adaptive capacity of plants and disrupt the processes of vegetative growth, including flowering and fruit formation.

The favorable temperature for pepper seedlings is + 20-22 ° C.Adult plants are already more resistant - for successful growth, a decrease in air temperature to + 15 ° C is permissible, but a further decrease increases the risk of fruit loss.

An excessive rise in temperature (more than + 35 ° C) can lead to the fall of flowers and ovaries, and even the death of the plant.

Important! It is believed that heating the air above + 30 ° C is harmful for pepper pollen and for the formation of ovaries.

Poor soil composition

With a nutritional deficiency, the plant weakens, its growth slows down, immunity decreases and metabolism is disturbed. This is manifested in the collapse of the reproductive organs of the plant organism - this is how the natural mechanism of self-preservation works.

By shedding formed flowers and ovaries, pepper gets rid of unnecessary stress in a stressful situation.

Reference. Of the macronutrients for plants, nitrogen is the most important - for the formation of stems and leaf mass, phosphorus - for the development of strong roots and the formation of ovaries, potassium - promotes fruit ripening and increases the endurance of plants during temperature fluctuations.

Excess fertilizer

A similar error - overfeeding with fertilizers - gardeners allow much more often than underfeeding.

An excess of nitrogen is especially undesirable, since it stimulates the active growth of stems and leaves - pepper actively builds up powerful greens to the detriment of flowers and fruits.

With an excessive amount of phosphorus and a lack of potassium, many ovaries are formed, which are likely to fall off. In a similar way, the plant protects itself from a bountiful harvest, which will become a burden.

Planting density

You should not plant peppers close to each other in the hope of getting a bigger crop.

Reference. In laboratory conditions, the dependence of the fruiting of pepper on the density of planting was determined: first there is an increase, then a decrease in yield per unit area.

Dense planting increases the competition of plants for nutrients and light... In such conditions, some specimens do not receive the necessary nutrition. The stress factor causes the ovaries to fall off.

Important! The optimum planting density of peppers per 1 sq. m greenhouses - 3-6 pieces, depending on the size. The correct planting distance creates conditions for good air circulation and better protects plants from diseases.

Pests and diseases

Damage by pests and diseases - a rare cause of peppers dropping ovaries... This usually happens in especially advanced cases.

Harmful organisms weaken the plant, all of which is spent on fighting infection and resisting insect pests. A weak plant loses its ability to reproduce and bear fruit, and gets rid of "ballast".

The most common pests of peppers are spider mites and greenhouse whiteflies. Of the diseases, bacterial and fungal infections are common: late blight, spotting, verticillosis.

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What to do to save the harvest

For a good harvest of peppers it is necessary to ensure their needs for food, lighting, temperature and humidity, to be able to correct the excess or lack of these factors in the greenhouse climate.

Organization of proper care and correction of agricultural mistakes

There are proven techniques that can be used to correct undesirable natural or agronomic factors in the area where peppers are grown.

Providing lighting and heat:

• the planting method (ordinary or checkerboard) ensures the optimum density and the need for light of the peppers. Most often this is a planting pattern of 30x30 cm or 40x60 cm, depending on the variety;
• when hot weather sets in, different shading and ventilation options are used, taking into account the intensity of solar radiation, night and day temperatures;
• in case of prolonged cloudy and rainy weather, devices for additional lighting - phytolamps are installed in greenhouses.

Ensuring optimal humidity:

• the frequency of watering peppers on hot days is once a week, but abundantly, after which the soil must be loosened;
• in prolonged dry weather, to ensure suitable humidity in the greenhouse, they arrange water spraying devices or shed paths between the beds daily;
• mulching the soil also protects it from drying out and overheating;
• in the morning (to avoid sunburn) plants are sprayed or watered from a watering can over the leaves.

Nutrient input:

• the need for fertilization is assessed by the condition of the bushes. The optimal feeding regime is once every two weeks, with alternating organic and mineral compositions;
• during the budding period, pepper requires mainly nitrogen fertilizers, during the formation and ripening of fruits - phosphorus and potassium;
• if, with abundant healthy foliage, the pepper begins to shed the ovaries, feeding is stopped for two weeks;
• for effective assimilation of nutrients, plants are provided with optimal temperature and light conditions.

Pest control

The fight against pests and diseases is carried out not only to prevent the fall of flowers and ovaries, but in general to preserve healthy plants.

For this there are various chemical and biological drugs: "Kleschevit" - from a spider mite, "Aktara", "Aktellik" - from a whitefly, and others.

Important! The use of strong preparations for plant rescue is justified only in the case of significant plant damage.

Most often gardeners use more sustainable methods: spraying with infusions of garlic, yarrow, chamomile, laundry soap.

Stimulating pollination

Pepper is a self-pollinating crop, but sometimes it needs help... In order to form full-fledged ovaries, it is recommended to stimulate pollination by periodically gently shaking the bushes in the greenhouse. You can transfer pollen from one plant to another with a cotton swab or brush.

The most suitable temperature for pollination stimulation is + 23-25 ​​° C.

Important! Remember that pollen remains viable at an air temperature of no more than + 30 ° C.

Preventive measures

Prevention of probable problems starts with greenhouse cleaning, disinfection and proper soil preparation.

With annual use, greenhouse soil is depleted, pathogens appear in it. In cold climates, the soil in the greenhouse is frozen in winter, thereby getting rid of pathogens naturally.

In warm climates, chemicals are used to cultivate the soil... It is better to use less toxic chemical or biological preparations: a solution of potassium permanganate, a solution of soda, salt and iodine (1: 1: 1).

In the spring, in advance, before planting the plants, the soil is warmed up in a closed greenhouse within two weeks, after which it is filled with humus, complex mineral fertilizers. Manure is best applied in the fall.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Summer residents and gardeners with experience share such recommendations:

• marigolds, nasturtium, and onions planted in aisles protect peppers from pests;
• pepper does not tolerate transplantation, therefore, sowing seeds for seedlings is best done immediately in separate containers;
• in conditions of excessive illumination, shading is provided by planting peppers surrounded by larger plants - for example, tomatoes;
• top dressing with ash is best done not during planting, but during the formation of ovaries;
• different methods of forming bushes affect the number or size of pepper fruits;
• for better fruiting, unnecessary shoots and leaves below the first branch are removed;
• About a month and a half before the end of the season, pinch points of growth (the tips of skeletal branches) so that the plant stops growing, and the formed fruits have time to ripen.

Conclusion

The massive fall of the formed peppers' ovaries is a real threat to the future harvest.So that the work on growing the crop is not in vain, you should provide the plant with optimal growing conditions in the greenhouse and in the future monitor all changes in the condition of the seedlings.

A timely and comprehensive response to problems will help achieve the desired result.