An apartment on the first floor is by no means a reason to let your green fingers rest. Turn your balcony into a small vegetable garden. Numerous plants such as the pepperoni are ideal for growing in buckets, are undemanding and space-saving. Give it a try - with the following tips, cultivation will be a success.
Hot pepper plants need a lot of sun
Location requirements
Hot peppers are very robust plants. If you consider a few aspects when choosing a location, your crop will reward you with healthy growth and a plentiful harvest.
- a lot of sun
- no draft
- warm outside temperature
- protect from frost (bring indoors from 5°C)
- sheltered from the wind
- no precipitation
Requirements for the bucket
Since hot peppers love warmth, encourage their growth by placing a small greenhouse on your balcony. You can also easily build this yourself by putting a film over the bucket. It is important that this also has drainage so that no waterlogging forms. In addition, you should note the following points:
Proper casting
A hot pepper needs a lot of water. Depending on the season, you need to adjust the amount of liquid. Just use the moisture in the soil as a guide. This must never be dry but also not too wet. Technology is also important. Only water the root ball, not the leaves.
The substrate
You can't go wrong with the pepperoni with conventional garden soil. Under no circumstances should you use pre-fertilized substrate. It is better to mix organic substances such as horn meal into the soil. A pH value between 0.3 and 4.6 is ideal. Nutrients are also urgently needed for healthy growth.
Is a pruning necessary?
It all depends on the variety of your peppers. Some species really shoot up, while others show quite little growth. In addition, there is the aspect of one or more years. A pruning can stunt growth, but primarily fulfills the benefit of a new harvest.
Advantages of cultivation on the balcony
In contrast to soil husbandry, there are even some advantages when planting pepperoni on the balcony:
- easier wintering as you don't have to dig up the plant
- Protection from wind and precipitation is usually given
- Keeping the soil in buckets protects it from soil contamination, for example from acid rain