Worth knowing:
Pepper grows naturally as a climbing plant on trees, and in cultivation it is provided with beanstalks as climbing aid. From the inconspicuous flowers spring after about three years, in full maturity, red-shelled and 5 mm big pepper fruits. The unripe fruits make the green pepper, the fully matured and dried fruits make the black pepper, and by removing the outer husk you can get the white pepper. The appetizing and digestive spiciness of the Pepper Plant comes from the alkaloid piperine that activates the heat and pain receptors and causes salivation and the release of digestive enzymes. The Pepper Plant can easily be cultivated indoors throughout the year.
Natural Location:
The Pepper Plant originally comes from the coastal area of the Indian Subcontinent, particularly from the Malabar Coast in Southwest India. With the spreading of the Indian culture it became domestic in Indonesia and Malaysia. The largest cultivation areas today are in Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Brazil and Malaysia.
Cultivation:
Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. To increase the germinability, you should initially place the seeds for about 12 hours in a bowl with lukewarm water for priming. Press the seeds gently into moist potting compost mixed to one quarter with sand, put a layer of compost earth on top, and cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out. Don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and very warm with a temperature between 25° C and 30° Celsius and keep the earth moist, but not wet. Depending on the propagation temperature, the first seedlings will come up after two to six weeks.
Place:
The Pepper Plant prefers a warm and bright place, but doesn’t want to be constantly in the full sun. Since it likes a humid climate, you should regularly spray the plant with lime-deficient water.
Care:
Start with the cultivation in a smaller pot with about 12 cm diameter and shift the plant up step by step around every three years. Provide your Pepper Plant with a climbing aid right from the beginning. Due to its thick and fleshy leaves, the water requirements of the plant are rather limited. You should, however, water it regularly and avoid waterlogging through excessive water in the saucer. From April until September you may also give fertilizer for tub plants every two weeks.
During the winter:
The Piper nigrum also wants to be kept in a bright and warm place during winter, with a temperature of at least 15° Celsius. Keep watering moderately and without waterlogging. Deciduous leafage will be replaced by new buds during spring.
Picture credits:
- © © J.M.Garg - CC-BY-SA-2.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Sabine Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Sabine Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Sabine Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Sabine Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Sabine Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Sabine Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
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