If you like spicy flavors, you will surely love paprika , which is a word that designates the plants of the genus Capsicum, which is that of chili peppers.
Its cultivation is simple , since they are herbaceous plants that grow very quickly and also produce an interesting amount of fruit.
Index
- 1 Paprika cultivation
- 1.1 Hotbed
- 1.2 Planting in the orchard and subsequent care
- 1.3 Tips for growing peppers in a pot
- 2 How is paprika made?
Paprika cultivation
When you want to grow paprika, the first thing you have to do is buy seeds of the Capsicum annuum species, which gives red peppers. Once you have them, you have to proceed as follows:
Hotbed
- Sowing: Early spring is the best time to sow chili seeds, either in seedbeds or pots. Use a substrate that has good drainage, such as vermiculite or peat mixed with perlite in equal parts.
- Location: place the seedbed in an area where it gets direct sunlight, to be throughout the day.
- Irrigation: frequent, it is necessary to prevent the substrate from drying out.
Planting in the garden and subsequent care
- Planting time: in spring, when the seedlings are at least 5cm tall.
- Distance between plants: 30cm minimum.
- Location: full sun.
- Soil: it is recommended that it has good drainage.
- Irrigation: frequent, preventing the soil from drying out.
- Fertilizer: during the spring and summer they should be fertilized with organic fertilizers, such as manure or earthworm humus.
- Other essential tasks: for the plants to grow properly they need to have tutors, and wild weeds must be removed to prevent the proliferation of pests.
Tips for growing peppers in a pot
If you don’t have a garden, you can still have your chili plants. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that the bigger the pot, the better, since they will grow more and, therefore, produce more fruits . Thus, the ideal is to plant them in pots of at least 35-40cm in diameter, placing a stake in the center.
How is paprika made?
If you want to make homemade paprika salt, follow this step by step:
- Pick the bell peppers when they are ripe (early summer or so).
- Let them dry in a cool, semi-shaded area for 8 to 10 days.
- Afterwards, you just have to grind them well.
- And that’s it, you’ll have your paprika salt that you can use to season various recipes, such as garlic prawns, for example.
