By Ritah Mukasa
Green pepper farming can be lucrative if you do it the right way.
Ronald Musisi chose to grow them in a greenhouse and he is reaping big.
Musisi is the farm manager at Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) in Nkozi, Mpigi district.
He says, green pepper also called bell pepper or sweet pepper is easy to grow in a greenhouse.
Pests and diseases are minimized just like harsh weather conditions including torrential rains and scorching sun are managed. But ensure to give the plants support as they climb.
Just so you know; Red, yellow and green bell peppers, also known as sweet peppers, are all the same pepper.
Meanwhile, in the 100ftX50ft greenhouse, Musisi grows 1800 plants of starlet RZF1 on one side and tomatoes on the other.
He harvests every day. Instead of using soil as a planting medium, Musisi opted for bags with coconut husks, imported from the Netherlands at sh20, 000 each.
He says, each bag holds three plants and can last for two seasons if handled well.
“The bags mitigate diseases since they are treated and plants are off the ground. Besides, the bags are soilless,” he says.
Pests are also controlled because plants are not exposed to bad weather.
For this, Musisi takes long to spray. In fact, he uses less pesticides and more fertilizers.
Relatedly, in a greenhouse, you don’t worry about watering thanks to the irrigation system.
He says, the house costs about sh35m inclusive of the irrigation system and can last up to 20 years or more when well maintained.
Aside from tomatoes and green pepper, Alisen Nuwamanya, a gardener says, you can also grow carrots, spices and vegetables.
