Hwasun-gun Urges Field Chili Pepper Transplanting After Late Frost

Published 24 Apr.2023 16:58(KST)

Updated 15 Aug.2025 16:45(KST)

The Proper Time to Plant is Early May, Beware of Late Frost Damage

Hwasun-gun has urged timely planting and post-planting management to ensure stable production of open-field chili peppers as the planting season approaches.

According to the county on the 24th, the proper planting time for open-field chili peppers is in early May, when there is no risk of late frost damage.

Since late frost occurred in the Hwasun-gun area on May 3, 2022, causing significant damage to open-field chili peppers, it is important to adjust the planting time to avoid late frost damage.

Hwasun-gun Urges Field Chili Pepper Transplanting After Late Frost

Seedlings used should be healthy and free from virus and pest damage.

It is also recommended to use seedlings with no root aging and well-developed thick white roots.

Seedlings should undergo a hardening process starting 5 to 7 days before planting, gradually adapting to outdoor temperatures, which is effective in promoting growth after planting.

Chili peppers should be planted on clear, windless mornings when the minimum temperature is above 15℃ to ensure good root establishment.

Digging holes and filling them with water before planting, and irrigating the planting holes, is also effective.

In this regard, the Hwasun-gun Agricultural Technology Center plans to supply complex disease-resistant varieties to 40 farms through the ‘Chili Pepper Superior New Variety Cultivation Demonstration Project’ and will strive for stable open-field chili pepper production by providing cultivation technique guidance according to the season.

An official from the county’s Agricultural Technology Center said, “If the soil temperature is lower than the optimal growth temperature for chili peppers, root establishment will be delayed and growth damage is expected, so planting should be done after the late frost period.”

Meanwhile, chili peppers suffer cold damage at minimum temperatures below 0℃, and since recovery takes a long time and weakened plants are more vulnerable to viruses and anthracnose, caution is necessary.