Pepper Tsitsak: cultivation and taste of the variety
Pepper Tsitsak is becoming increasingly popular among modern farmers. In order to grow this variety, you need to know the rules for growing this crop and caring for it. You will learn more about the basic characteristics and subtleties of Tsitsak's agricultural technology from our article.
Description and characteristics of the variety
The Tsitsak pepper variety appeared due to folk selection. Most often it is used in Georgia and Armenia: in these countries it is fermented and salted. This is a thermophilic plant - in northern regions with a low temperature it requires cultivation in greenhouses. Tsitsak should be placed on the sunny side of the site so that the rest of the plants do not create shadows for him.
The main characteristics of this variety are:
- 95% keeping time;
- high productivity;
- resistance to fungal diseases;
- withstands frost up to –20 ° С;
- the fruits contain many beneficial substances.
Did you know? “Tsitsak” in Georgian means “pepper”.
Description of the bushes
Bushes of the considered variety of medium leafy, with a strong stem 60–70 cm high. Green leaves, oblong, elongated, pointed at the edges. The height of the bush is from 80 cm to 1 m.
Description of the fetus
In appearance, Tsitsak’s fruits resemble chili peppers. The described variety is characterized by a conical shape, the fruit has fleshy walls and flesh. The weight of the fruit varies from 30 to 50 g. Peppers reach a length of 15–20 cm.
Pros and cons of growing
- Like any culture, Tsitsak pepper has certain advantages:
- not demanding in care;
- resistant to fungal diseases;
- has a high yield.
Pepper Growing Rules
To get Tsitsak's rich harvest, you must follow the basic rules of cultivation. First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the recommendations on the selection of seeds and their processing, the timing of their sowing, as well as prepare the soil for seedlings, learn how to care for the bush after sowing. You will learn about these details below.
Did you know? In Europe, pepper appeared more than 600 years ago.
Seed selection and processing
Before sowing seeds for seedlings, they must be correctly selected and processed. To determine suitable specimens, the following procedure can be carried out: lower them into water, after which empty seeds will emerge. For seed treatment, you will need wood ash, water and gauze. Of the first two components, you need to make a solution - insist 2 grams of wood ash in a liter of water for 24 hours, stir occasionally.
Then you should put the seeds in gauze and leave for 3 hours in solution. When the specified time has passed, they need to be removed, washed and dried. You can also place the seeds in a 2% potassium permanganate solution. To do this, dilute 10 g of potassium permanganate in 1.5 liters of water. Next, the material is dipped in gauze in a solution for 20 minutes, then the seeds should be removed, washed and dried.
Preparing land for seedlings
The soil for growing Tsitsak pepper can be purchased in specialized stores or prepared independently.
There are several ways to make soil for seedlings:
- Sand, peat, humus, land taken in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1.
- Sand, humus, turf and earth are connected to one part of each component. For 10 kg of this mixture, 500 g of ash is required. After that, the nutrient soil is mixed with drainage in a ratio of 1: 2. Then, fresh turf and rotted compost are added to the mixture.
- Peat and humus are mixed in equal amounts with the addition of potassium sulfate and superphosphate.
Important! After fertilizing, you need to water the bush in order to wash off the remaining fertilizing. This is necessary because substances in fertilizers can cause chemical burns to young shoots.
Dates and features of sowing seeds
Sowing of seeds is carried out in February - March. A box is prepared with pre-prepared soil, then 0.5 cm indentations are made - seeds are placed in them, which are then sprinkled with soil on top. In order to accelerate the germination of seeds, it is necessary to cover the container with agrofabric or film, and also provide a suitable temperature regime. During the day, the temperature should be +23 ... + 25 ° С, and at night - +13 ... + 15 ° С.
Seedling Care
The seedling care procedure includes several important points, which we will consider in detail. When the first shoots appear, the dive process is carried out. Peppers need to be dived very carefully so as not to affect the fragile unformed root system. Then the specimens are placed in cups mixed with peat and soil.
The soil in which the seedlings are located must be moist. Watering must be done once every 2-3 days. When the seedlings germinate, the procedure is carried out daily. Water temperature for irrigation should be +20 ... + 25 ° С. After watering, the soil must be mulched with dry sand. To avoid the appearance of fungal diseases, you need to water the plants under the root of biofungicides once every 14 days.
You will be interested to learn how to speed up the ripening process of peppers.
Dressing seedlings takes place in two stages. The first stage is carried out when the plant already has two or three leaves. For this, mineral fertilizers are used, which should consist of the following components: granular superphosphate (50 g), ammonia (30 g) and chlorine-free potassium (20 g). The indicated quantity is calculated per 1 m² in dry or dissolved form (10 l of water).
Planting seedlings in the soil
The plot where you will grow seedlings must be prepared. It is best to prepare the beds in the fall, after harvesting. To do this, scatter rotten humus on it and dig the soil.
Rules for care after planting in the soil
Planting seedlings in a permanent place is carried out 2–2.5 months after sowing seeds. 14 days before planting, seedlings need to be hardened. To do this, watering is reduced, drying of the soil is allowed until a crust appears. Then, the temperature of the seedlings is reduced to the level of outdoor air - first it is placed in such an environment for 4-6 hours, then gradually the time increases until it is constantly in the natural environment. Dig holes with a depth and width of 5 cm on the bed. Young plants are transplanted into the hole by transshipment, along with a lump of earth, then sprinkled with soil and watered.
Tsitsak pepper can be planted in two ways:
- square-nested, landing pattern - 50 × 50 cm;
- ordinary, landing scheme - 25 × 50 cm.
Video: planting hot pepper seedlings
Watering and feeding
Watering should be carried out regularly, given the weather conditions. The soil should not be too wet or dry. Peppers should be watered 2-3 times a week: 0.7 m² of water per 1 m². The procedure is best done in the morning or evening. In this case, you need to feed the plant with nitrogen fertilizers.
Read also how to properly water pepper in a greenhouse.
When 3 leaves appear on the stems, it is necessary to introduce phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and for the active growth of pepper, it is fed with organic fertilizers using a solution of wood ash. Such top dressing should be carried out 1-2 times in 7 days.
Hilling and loosening the soil
No matter where you grow the plant, you need to loosen the soil. The procedure is carried out along with hilling. During the period of active growth, it is necessary to loosen the soil about 5 times.
In this case, you should adhere to some rules:
- during flowering, the depth of cultivation should be 10-12 cm;
- when the ovaries form, the depth increases by 3 cm;
- during fruiting, the depth is 20–25 cm;
Important! If plants are planted close to each other, during flowering, the soil does not need to be loosened.
The rules of bush formation
To get a rich harvest, you need to properly form a bush. If you are going to grow pepper from seedlings, you can form the appearance of the bush after it grows by 15–20 cm. Please note that plants of this height are divided into separate branches. If a bud appears in the fork of such branches even before transplanting, it must be removed, otherwise it will prevent the plant from developing new branches. Branching leads to a high yield, as vegetables grow on each individual stem.
Diseases and Pests
Tsitsak is resistant to certain diseases, but if the plant is not properly looked after, then problems such as fusarium and columnar will appear .
It can also be affected by the following pests:
- Aphid is an insect that feeds on the sap of the plant, while the leaves lose their color, dry, then turn yellow. Most often, in the presence of aphids, Tsitsak dies. To get rid of this parasite, it is necessary to make a solution of 30 g of wood ash and 15 l of water, then 100 g of liquid soap is added to this mixture. This solution processes the leaves and stem of pepper.
- Spider mite - it develops on the wrong side of the leaf. A white spider web appears on the leaves. You can get rid of the pest with the help of insecticides.
- Slugs are the most common pests that affect not only peppers, but also other crops. They feed on leaves, after which holes form on them. Also, these pests affect the fruits. To get rid of them, apply drugs such as Keltan and Karbofos.
Harvesting and Harvesting
Harvesting is carried out as soon as the fruits ripen. You can collect green, yellow and red peppers. Then they can be salted, fermented, dried, and then crushed to a state of spices, as well as canned. Tsitsak is also used for cooking meat, since it is moderately sharp, which goes well with the taste of hearty meat dishes.
We recommend that you learn about the benefits and harms of green hot pepper.
Knowing how to grow Tsitsak pepper and take care of it, you can get a rich harvest, and by familiarizing yourself with possible diseases and methods of dealing with them, you will prevent fruit loss.
