When to harvest peppers in a greenhouse: determine the degree of maturity of the crop and harvest it correctly and on time

Many farmers are concerned about the question of when and how to properly harvest peppers in a greenhouse. To do this, it is necessary to understand the degree of ripeness of the fruit, since a vegetable cut at the wrong time will not be stored for long. You also need to know the basic rules for collecting vegetables so as not to damage the bush and give it the opportunity to bear fruit.

We will talk about this and much more in our article.

When to pick peppers in a greenhouse

Pepper is a heat-loving plant. For high-quality growth and fruit formation, the plant is provided with a temperature of +20°C...+28°C. At +13°C...+15°C the plant stops developing; with a further decrease in temperature, the bush dies. Therefore, harvesting in greenhouses begins in July and ends before the air temperature drops to +15°C.

Collection times and what they depend on

The final harvesting of peppers is carried out in the fall, before the onset of frost. Harvest time depends on the ripening period.

Early ripening varieties begin to be cut 3 months after planting. The ripening period for mid-season varieties occurs at 110-130 days. Late-ripening varieties ripen for more than 130 days.

The harvest time depends on the purpose for which were grown vegetables.

Attention! If the fruits are intended for long-term storage, they are collected at the technical stage of ripeness.

Fully ripened vegetables can be stored for no more than 7-10 days in the refrigerator. They are eaten during this time.

Collection according to the lunar calendar

Gardeners who adhere to the rules for planting and harvesting vegetables according to the lunar calendar know that certain phases of the Moon affect different plant organs.

Reference. Peppers are harvested on the day of the zodiac sign that affects the fruit.

If remove pepper on the waxing Moon, it is recommended to eat it immediately. The harvest collected at this time will not be stored for long.

The lunar calendar indicates “fruit days” - the time when the Moon is in the signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. This is a favorable period for collecting pepper. It is not recommended to harvest on days when the Moon is in the signs of Capricorn, Pisces, Cancer and Virgo.

How to determine the degree of maturity

Farmers distinguish between technical and biological degrees of pepper maturity. The first, called removable, harvesting, occurs 1-1.5 months after the formation of the ovaries. At this time, the fruits are fully formed, but have not reached the color characteristic of the variety. The second degree is physiological, when the vegetables have acquired the color corresponding to the variety.

External signs and method of verification

Unripe vegetables are distinguished by a pale green or dark green color and insufficient fruit length and diameter. The walls of unripe vegetables are thin - 0.3-0.4 cm. The seeds of such peppers are undeveloped and are in a state of milky ripeness.

In the harvesting, removable stage, the pepper corresponds to the varietal characteristics, but its color is not yet bright enough, and the seeds are not ripe. These fruits are suitable for consumption, long-term storage and sale. At home, in sunlight, they ripen quickly.

At the onset of true ripeness, the pepper has a bright color characteristic of the variety: rich green, yellow, orange, red, purple.The seeds are fully ripe and ready for planting.

A sign of complete ripeness is the wall thickness of the pepper is 0.6-1.3 cm.

Ripe vegetables acquire juiciness, taste corresponding to the variety, they contain the maximum amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements, and nutrients.

Reference. The main indicator of pepper ripeness is a characteristic crunch when lightly pressing on the walls.

What are the degrees of maturity?

Peppers have two degrees of ripeness.

Technical – characterizes the end of fruit formation, occurring on average 60 days after the start of the growing season. The fruits do not ripen completely, have a greenish color, from pale to dark green, depending on the variety. At this stage of ripening, vegetables are harvested for long-term storage and transportation over many hours.

Biological – physiological (complete, real) ripeness. The fruit has achieved all the characteristics characteristic of the variety: color, taste, size, appearance. The color of pepper at biological maturity becomes rich and bright: red, orange, yellow, yellow-green, purple. The fruits acquire taste qualities characteristic of a particular variety.

Reference. The ripening period for pepper from technical ripeness to biological ripeness is 23-30 days.

How to speed up maturation

The question of how to speed up the ripening of peppers in a greenhouse worries gardeners at the beginning of autumn, as cold nights approach. Different methods are used for this:

1. To ensure that the fruits ripen on time, during the entire growing season, empty flowers are removed and excess shoots are pinched.
2. At the end of August, all flowers and small peppercorns that do not have time to ripen are removed. This will allow the bush to concentrate all its forces on the formation of the remaining vegetables.
3. To make the fruits ripen faster, the top of the bush is cut off.
4. When cold weather approaches, the bushes are covered with agrofibre at night.
5. To speed up the ripening of fruits, they watered warm water heated to +40°C.
6. Good results are achieved by foliar feeding phosphorus and potassium, ash infusion.
7. To prevent the bush from wasting energy on ripening ripened vegetables, they are cut off at the onset of technical ripeness.

How to harvest correctly

During harvesting, if moved carelessly, the bush easily breaks; it has very fragile branches. Therefore, follow the rules:

1. The fruits are cut together with the stalk with pruning shears, while holding the stem with your hands. The absence of a stalk shortens the shelf life of the fruit.
2. From the end of July, vegetables are cut as they ripen every 3 days.
3. At the stage of technical ripeness, vegetables become elastic, dense, and acquire a glossy shine. Such fruits are cut - they are considered ready for harvesting.
4. After each cutting of vegetables tear off the lower leaves on the stem. This stimulates the ripening of the pepper.

Preparing the harvest for storage

To preserve the harvest as long as possible, the fruits are prepared for storage. In order not to damage the vegetables when harvesting, they are not torn off, but carefully cut from the bush with pruning shears.

Peppers intended for long-term storage do not have the stem removed.

After harvesting, the peppers are sorted. Ripe fruits are used for food immediately; they are not stored for a long time. Cracked, dented, pest-damaged vegetables are washed, damaged areas are cut off and used first. They are also cut into pieces, placed in bags and stored in the freezer.

Healthy, undamaged specimens selected for storage are wiped with a damp cloth and laid out on a dry surface to dry completely. Before storing, the stalk is shortened, but not completely cut off.

If the harvest volume is large, peppers are sprayed with a 1% solution of copper sulfate, dried, and stored.

Storage methods

For long-term storage of technically ripe peppers, small containers are used, in which vegetables are placed in 2-3 layers. They are transferred to a room with an air temperature of +1°C...+3°C and a humidity of 80–85%. If these conditions are met, the pepper can be stored for 2 months.

Fully ripened vegetables retain their taste for three weeks at +10°C...+13°C and high humidity 85-90%. The best place to store such fruits would be a basement or cellar.

Attention! No light should enter the room, otherwise the fruits will begin to ripen and the shelf life will be shortened.

Green bell peppers that have not reached true ripeness, if the recommended storage conditions are observed, retain their fresh appearance and elasticity until the new year.

Cardboard boxes or wooden boxes are used to store unripe peppers. All containers must have side holes to prevent the fruits from “suffocating.” Thick paper is placed on the bottom of the container. Vegetables are laid out in 2-3 layers, sprinkled with dry sand and sawdust. Wrapping each vegetable in clean paper gives good results.

When storing ripe peppers in the refrigerator, the fruits are packaged in plastic bags or wrapped in cling film. To extend shelf life, the peel is lubricated with sunflower oil, resulting in the formation of a protective film. It allows you to maintain the freshness of fruits during storage.

When the pepper begins to rot, the damaged areas are removed and cored and pitted. Then the walls of the fruit are cut into pieces, small portions are wrapped in cling film.In this form, peppers are stored in the freezer for 5-6 months. Over a longer period of time, pepper loses its taste, aroma and beneficial properties.

Bell peppers dried in the oven have a long shelf life. Sliced ​​peppers without cores are laid out on a baking sheet and dried for 7-9 hours at a temperature of +50°C..+55°C. Dried peppers are stored in a dry place in hermetically sealed containers and jars.

Bitter varieties of pepper have thin walls; they are dried in the sun, strung by the tail on a rope, for 6-8 days.

Attention! Only fully ripened red pods are suitable for drying.

After drying, hot peppers are stored in a dry place in sealed containers or hung in the kitchen on ropes.

Conclusion

Harvesting peppers in a greenhouse is a simple process. It is important to correctly determine the degree of maturity of the crop and know the technology for harvesting it. From the fact grown Whether the pepper is stored or consumed immediately depends on the harvesting time. Timely collection of ripened fruits will help preserve the bush’s strength for ripening the green vegetables remaining on the branches.