PEPPERS AND TOMATOES IN THE SPOTLIGHT: TIPS FOR A GREAT HARVEST

It's suitable to transplant seedlings from mid-May onwards. Haven't finished yet? Don't worry and get started! Free soil in beds and planters can't wait for tomatoes and peppers any longer! Pestik will advise you not only on proper planting, but also on how to best care for your seedlings so they thrive.

TRANSPLANT, PLANT - IT'S TIME

For both tomatoes and peppers, the most important thing is choosing a suitable location. Both fruiting vegetables need sufficient sunlight - light and warmth simply do them good! In the case of tomatoes, you'll do best if you plant them in soil enriched with fertilizer and compost.

Tip: Peppers and tomatoes are quite demanding - not only do they need plenty of sunlight, but they also require quality soil conditions. Due to their high nutrient requirements, it's not recommended to plant peppers in the same location for up to 5 years! Tomatoes won't thrive either if you plant them in soil that was previously used for potatoes or nightshade vegetables. Try to take this into account before it's too late.

LIVING WATER

Water is simply essential. Your beloved peppers and tomatoes can't do without sufficient and regular watering either. Therefore, don't forget to regularly water your precious vegetables so they have what they need to grow. Water peppers deeper but less frequently.

Tip: To prevent unnecessary drying of roots, try covering them with mulch - you can nicely use mown grass for this! Another good tip is to focus watering only on the roots of plants. Avoiding leaf irrigation has its justification - dry leaves are less susceptible to mould!

YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH FERTILIZER

On the contrary, fruiting vegetables need nutrients. Give them fertilizer appropriately so they'll soon produce healthy vegetables! You can choose organic fertilizers (ground horn meal, cow manure, etc.) or mineral ones. In the latter case, pay particular attention to dosage. Large amounts could burn the root system of plants.

Tip: If you're struggling with fertilizing, try fertilizers designed specifically for tomatoes and peppers - you definitely can't go wrong with these!

WEEDS MUST GO

Neither peppers nor tomatoes get along well with weeds. After all, they're competitors that steal water and nutrients and contribute to the development of unwanted mold. There's no way around it, so they must go! Get after them with vigor before they cause damage.

SUPPORT IS SUPPORT

Especially for indeterminate tomatoes, it's doubly true that support is essential for growth. Make sure the plants are tied up regularly. The ideal solution is tying them to stakes approximately 1.5 m high. You can drive the stakes into the soil immediately after planting and tie the plants to them once they reach a height of approximately 1 m. As for peppers, they're rather independent ladies. However, it can still happen that they start breaking under their own weight. You can easily prevent this with strings run at a height of approximately 30 cm, which they can lean on if necessary.

PINCH AND PRUNE

Taller tomato varieties need special interventions unlike others. To prevent them from spreading too wide at the expense of quality harvest and to ensure they get sufficient light, you need to pinch. It's recommended to grow tomatoes on 1 main stem. This means you need to regularly remove side shoots so that only the main, strongest one remains. For peppers, it's advisable to pinch only the terminal tip so they branch out nicely and produce more fruit, otherwise they can pretty much take care of themselves.

Tip: When pinching, you won't need any special tools, just remove the shoots by hand - quickly and simply! Plus, tools like knives could cause disease transmission from plant to plant, and you don't want that.