This detailed guide shows you how to grow hydroponic peppers as a first time grower.
Firstly, I’ll show you a variety of peppers that you can grow in a hydroponic system.
Then I’ll provide you with what hydroponic systems are good for growing peppers.
Finally, provide you detailed steps which include information on how you can achieve the right conditions for growing peppers.
Sounds good! Let’s begin.
Variety of Peppers to Grow Hydroponically
1. Bell Pepper
The bell pepper species is known by numerous names like Green pepper, Red pepper, Sweet bell, and Capsicum. Compared to other species, the black pepper is large. The name originates from its appearance of the bell-shaped fruit.
The bell-shaped appearance is mainly observed in its immature state. At this stage, the fruit appears green with a slightly bitter flavor. So, you can easily identify the plant at the first glance.
Bell pepper hydroponics is one of the most commonly practiced hydroponic farming. Systems such as Deep Water Culture, Drift System, Ebb, and Flow, N.F.T are the supported hydroponic systems for pepper. Coming to the mature vegetative phase, the pepper fruit turns bright red, and turns to be much sweeter.
Don’t let the variety confuse you. There are numerable varieties of Yellow, Orange, White, Pink, and purple varieties. Besides adding taste, Bell peppers will add moisture to your dish.
Moreover, it is also used to improve the color of various Mexican cuisines. With such versatility, this vegetation deserves to be on your hydroponic system. Besides, the hydroponic Bell Pepper yield per plant is relatively higher than other species.
2. Poblano Pepper
Poblano Pepper, commonly known as Ancho Pepper is one of the most widely cultivated Hydroponic crops. Unlike the previous bell-shaped variant, Poblano has a heart-shaped appearance. This variant has a special place in the Mexican tradition.
Mexican Dishes such as Chiles Rellenos are completely dependent on Ancho Pepper. So, the question remains: ‘Are these peppers spicy?’ Yes, of course.
Ancho peppers are spicy, but not as the Bell or Black pepper. Due to the mild spicy flavor, it is used for aroma, and enhancing the taste to an extent. This specimen is quite easy to identify.
After achieving the mature vegetative stage, the Ancho peppers change their color to dark red-brown. These peppers are mainly cultivated in deep water culture and drip systems. It requires high humidity during the vegetative stage.
Coming to its applications, you can use it in Raw or dry form. The dry form is good for seasoning numerous Mexican and Indian cuisines. Scoville heat for the Ancho Pepper lies between 1000-2000 units.
3. Anaheim Pepper
Just like the previous variants, Anaheim pepper is commonly known by many names. It is native to California, and hence known as California green chili. This pepper cum Chili is also native to New Mexico.
Hence, it is also called as New Mexican chili. The Anaheim pepper can be easily distinguished from the heap of other Chilies. In its immature stage, the Anaheim pepper appears to be long and green.
In its mature stage, the fruit appears to be deep red. Just like the above pepper, Anaheim Pepper has a mild spicy taste. Also, the Anaheim pepper is a very versatile pepper used in Mexican salsas and dishes.
If you can’t bear the spiciest chilies, Anaheim is a good option for your Hydroponic system. It requires moderate Humidity and can be cultivated in all Hydroponic systems. Its Scoville heat units range from 500 to 2000 units.
Choosing Seeds or Germinate To Grow Hydroponic Peppers
Choosing the right quality is very important for optimum yield. When it comes to the best hydroponic system for peppers, you’ll need to take extra precautions. Let’s see how you can actually begin growing peppers.
1. Growing by seeds
The most authentic and traditional way to grow any crop is by seeds. We’re all familiar with this process. If you are thinking about growing hydroponic Chilies to be anyone’s cup of tea, you’re wrong.
Especially, growing seeds might seem simple, but that isn’t the reality. The entire process of seed cultivation starts with a proper selection. There are tons of pepper seeds available for your Hydroponic system.
However, not all of them make optimum yield with quality. The texture of the seed reveals the quality of the crop it produces. Many of it is in a state of dormancy and can appear wrinkled.
Many novice gardeners think the wrinkled seeds are of foul quality. However, it is not the case every time. In many cases, wrinkled seeds are the best you can sow.
You are highly recommended to select wrinkled seeds from your nearby nursery or retailer store. For more rapid outcomes, you can use a rapid rooter. Pepper GROWS in hot climates like Southern India or Mexico.
Therefore, keeping your growing environment under the same condition is a must. To be more precise, peppers grow at their full potential around 80°F. If you reside in a cold climate, it would be better if you use a heat mat.
Now, all you have to do is wait until the seeds germinate. The waiting period for germination is dependent on the seed variant. Bell and Ancho peppers take a minimum of 7 days to germinate.
2. Growing by Cloning
Don’t regularly consider peppers as yearly plants. The plantings should begin from seeds each spring. However, peppers are perennials that are woody and bramble like plants.
They can thrive in ice-free atmospheres where they can endure the winter. Gardeners clone various species to increase the versatility of the output. Cloning pepper from hydroponic Pepper nutrient is a complex yet fun thing to do.
The first step is to choose a stem around 3 to 5 inches long. Remember that the stem must be from a healthy plant. The plant must not have any ice harm, staining, or hindered development.
A woody stem will have a possibility of engrossing sufficient measures of dampness. This helps to keep the leaves from withering during the establishing time frame. If you pick a stem with at least two little branches, it will make bushier clones.
On establishing peppers from two transplants, take additional stems. This is because some issues don’t root. Take a sharp dissecting blade, and cut the stem at a 45-degree slant.
Cut straightforwardly underneath one of the little hubs where the leaves develop. The plant tissue around there is bound to produce roots. Eliminate any peppers, buds, or blossoms.
Establishing a pepper slicing requires the plant to place its vitality into making roots. This act has no contribution to evolving genetics. It would be best if you add the hydroponic pepper nutrient formula in the fresh-cut.
3. Growing by Transplantation
Transplantation is the most easily understood method in growing hydroponic pepper. However, the method is not as easy as it seems. Beginner gardeners think that all they have to do is pluck the plant from the soil and grow in the medium.
This misunderstood concept about transplantation in hydroponics makes them report failure. At last, they feel guilty about doing the entire process wrong. Before you start transplantation, you must consider a few aspects.
First, you must know how to extract the plant from the soil. Don’t be like a noob who plucks the plant body from the soil by holding the stem. Roots of plants in their initial stage don’t go deep down the soil.
So, it would be wise to evacuate the plant by digging some amount of soil with it. Then, you can wash the soil away with hydroponic pepper nutrient formula. After rinsing it with Hydroponic nutrient formula, it’s time to put the plant in the chamber.
Insert a plant carefully into your hydroponic pod chamber. Don’t try to congest the roots altogether. Make sure that the roots are well elongated without any tension at their body.
Some gardeners make their transplantation very congested. Doing this will restrict the potential growth of your plants. Now, it is time to insert your growing medium of choice.
Depending on your plants, you must select your growing medium. For pepper, you can choose any vermiculite or perlite medium for better water retention. Don’t try to stuff the medium-hard in the pod.
Best Hydroponic System For Peppers
1. Drip System Hydroponics
To know how to grow hydroponic Peppers, you must know the right hydroponic system. The drip system framework is a kind of aqua-farming cultivation most suitable to grow peppers. In this framework, a siphon discharges all the fundamental supplements to the water dissolvable.
The launch of the nutrient solution is finished by sprinkling the supplement arrangement straightforwardly over the pepper plants. This natural development framework isn’t pristine for any gardener.
If you are enthusiastic about planting, you’ve done this without a doubt. Humidity for pepper seed germination must be between 50% to 70% which is fulfilled in the drip system.
If you are new to hydroponic farming buy a kit like Viagrow VDIY Deep Water Hydroponic 4 Plant System ( Buy now from Amazon)
2. Ebb and Flow
Ebb and flow is another kind of basic yet solid aqua-farming framework to grow hydroponic Pepper. This framework is preferred by many hydroponic enthusiasts because of its ease of use and low cost. In contrast to other cultivating methods, this system uses a dormant substance as the developing medium.
The growing medium isn’t soil, yet it gives appropriate anchorage to the saplings. At that point, the supplement arrangement floods the pepper roots and ebbs away.
One of the best ebb and flow hydroponic system is Greentree Hydroponics. You can buy the complete kit from GrowAce.
If you want other options to check out our article on best indoor hydroponic systems (Click here to read now)
How to Grow Hydroponic Peppers?
Besides the installation procedure, it is important to take care of certain natural aspects. Below mentioned are a few naturals expected to be taken care of.
1. Propagation
Once you’ve selected the best quality breed, propagation becomes important. The most simple way to propagate your pepper plants is by seedlings. However, it is important to select the seeds of your first generation pepper plants.
2. Light conditions
As mentioned above, pepper plants grow in hot areas like Mexico, and Western Africa. Therefore, it is obvious that pepper plants need a lot of sunlight for germination. To be more precise, the general sunlight requirement of pepper plants is 6-8 hours per day.
So, don’t plant your growing environment in a damp area. Place your system facing east where it receives sunlight for the day.
3. Temperature
There is a temperature gradient throughout the day. Moreover, different pepper species support different temperatures. For bell peppers, the temperature in your growing environment must be between 70°F to 80°F.
Hotel varieties of pepper need more optimum temperature to grow. Therefore, the temperature range for hotter variants must be between 80°F to 85°F.
4. pH of the Water
Pepper is very different from green vegetables. It increases the spiciness of your dish, therefore requires a different pH level. For all pepper variants, the optimum pH range of your nutrient solution must be between 6-8.
You can use ph meter or even a conductivity meter.
5. Nutrients Required
The nutrient requirement for pepper is quite different from other green vegetables. Unlike green vegetables, the nutrient medium for pepper requires high phosphorus content. Other elements like nitrogen, potassium with some trace minerals are necessary for optimum growth.
FAQs
1. Pollination of Green Peppers in Hydroponics
In general, green peppers are self-pollinating. Therefore, their seeds are produced by the same reproductive organs. Foreign agents such as bees and insects are also active participants in pollination.
Bees are not usually familiar with the pepper plant. This is because their flowers don’t have a scent, but produce nectar.
2. When Can you harvest hydroponic Peppers?
The harvesting period for peppers isn’t specific. For instance, the Bell peppers in hydroponics are ready to harvest after 2 months from germination. However, you can harvest anytime during their vegetative phase. The longer you wait, the sweeter they are.
Final Thought
Pepper is an essential commodity in many cultures, as it adds a sizzling taste to your dish. Hydroponics is a great way to produce pepper commercially and personally. I hope you have understood how to grow hydroponic Peppers.
