Peppers come from the subtropical regions of Central and South America. The he althy vegetables are served raw, fried, steamed or sweet and sour pickled. More and more hobby gardeners are trying their hand at growing peppers themselves. Anyone who knows the needs of the plant and follows the instructions of the lunar calendar will be rewarded with a rich harvest. We have put together the most important information for you.
Pepper variety
Peppers (Capsicum), like tomatoes, belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Depending on their spiciness, the vegetables are divided into mild sweet peppers, hot peppers, chili peppers and chili. All variants contain capsaicin, the substance responsible for spiciness. The most common variant in Germany is Capsicum annuum.
Sowing
You can purchase pepper plants from garden stores. However, it is a lot of fun to grow your own plants from pepper seeds. The selection of varieties is huge. You will be surprised by the variety of shapes, colors and different flavors. So that the seeds can develop into robust plants, we use the lunar calendar and the knowledge of previous generations.
Site conditions
Pepper plants thrive in the greenhouse. The warm temperatures of past summers make it possible to grow peppers outdoors in sunny regions. For everyone else there is an optimal location on the protected balcony.
Sowing Capsicum
To sow the pepper seeds you will need
- a plant bowl
- Sowing soil
- possibly a mini greenhouse for the windowsill
Fill the soil into the planting bowl. Space the pepper seeds two inches apart. Add a layer of soil about 1 centimeter thick on top. Gently water the seeds with room temperature water. Cover the seed tray with foil. Ventilate the cover daily to prevent mold growth. The first seedlings can be seen after two weeks. Then the foil can be removed. When the small plants have four cotyledons, they can be planted in pots.
Attention:
Pepper plants need warmth and light to develop well. The optimal temperature is 20 to 22 degrees Celsius.
The point in time
In the lunar calendar, fruiting days are marked as suitable times for sowing pepper seeds. They correspond with the fire signs Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. The element of fire brings warmth to the earth and supports heat-loving plants such as capsicum, cucumber, zucchini and pumpkin. Sowing in the windowsill and planting in the bed should take place on fruiting days. Fruiting days are also suitable for obtaining new seeds or cutting cuttings.
The 2023 lunar calendar shows the dates for sowing the pepper seeds:
February
- 06. – 02/08/2023
- 17. – 02/18/2023
- 25. – 02/26/2023
March
- 05. – 03/08/2023
- 16. – 03/17/2023
- 24. – 03/25/2023
April
- 02. – 04.04.2023
- 12. – 04/13/2023
- 04/21/2023
- 29. – April 30, 2023
May
- 05/01/2023
- 10. – 05/11/2023
- 05/18/2023
- 25. – 05/29/2023
By the way, it won't always be possible to base your garden activities exclusively on the moon. Finally, the weather also has a decisive influence. However, if you have internalized the change between fruit, leaf, flower and root days and plan your gardening accordingly, you will soon notice success.
The lunar calendar
The moon affects many things that happen on Earth. It influences the weather, the changing tides and the development of plants. Maria Thun (1922 – 2012) is considered the founder of the lunar or lunar calendar. She studied the effect of the moon on plant growth. She discovered that the four elements fire, air, earth and water have an effect on the organs of plants.
She identified directconnections between
- Fire and Fruit
- Air and blossom
- Earth and roots
- Water and leaf
More and more farmers, allotment gardeners and self-sufficiency farmers are turning to the lunar calendar when looking for the best time for sowing, planting, fertilizing and harvesting. The calendar distinguishes thelunar periods
- New Moon
- waxing moon
- Full Moon
- waning moon
In addition to the phases of the moon, theposition of the moon in the twelve signs of the zodiac also has a meaning. Each zodiac sign is assigned to a phase of the moon.
- Fire: Sagittarius, Leo, Aries
- Earth: Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo
- Air: Aquarius, Gemini, Libra
- Water: Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio
The lunar calendar shows favorable and unfavorable days for all gardening activities independing on the position of the moon and marks them as
- Fruitdays
- Blossom Days
- Root Days
- Leaf Days
Note:
Before the Gregorian calendar, which is used worldwide today, was introduced, many cultures were based on the moon. Each of the twelve months represents a change in the moon.
