Keep hot pepper plants on the balcony

Requirements for the location

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 abundant harvest yields.

• a lot of sun
• no drafts
• warm outside temperature
• Protect from frost (bring it into the apartment 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 foil over the bucket. It is important that this also has a drainage system so that no waterlogging occurs. In addition, you should consider the following points:

Proper pouring

A hot pepper needs a lot of water. Depending on the season, you need to adjust the amount of liquid. Just orientate yourself on the moisture of the earth. This must never be dry but also not too wet. Technology is also of great importance. Only water the root ball, not the leaves.

The substrate

You can't go wrong with the hot peppers with conventional garden soil. Under no circumstances should you use pre-fertilized substrate. Better mix organic matter such as Horn meal into the earth. A pH value between 0.3 and 4.6 is optimal. Nutrients are also urgently needed for healthy growth.

Is it necessary to cut back?

It all depends on the type of pepper you have. Some species really skyrocket, while others show rather slow growth. In addition, there is the one-year or multi-year aspect. A pruning can inhibit growth, but primarily fulfills the benefit of a renewed harvest.

Advantages of cultivating on the balcony

In contrast to floor management, planting hot peppers on the balcony even has some advantages:

• easier hibernation because you don't have to dig up the plant
• Protection from wind and precipitation is usually given
• Keeping in a bucket protects the soil from contamination, for example from acid rain