Capsicums are commonly known as Pili Pili Hoho. They grow in most regions in Kenya. Capsicums have a high demand and a 50 Kg bag fetches between Ksh 2500 - 3500. These prices depend on market forces so it's always good to plan yourself well before embarking on this journey.
Capsicums are profitable and easy crops to manage on the main field but they have one huge challenge. They are stubborn when it comes to germination! It doesn't matter if you buy normal seeds or Hybrid seeds (F1). If you do not sow them in the nursery correctly they will refuse to germinate. Some seeds even mock you by taking a whole month to sprout :D.
So how do you get Capsicum seeds to germinate faster?
Capsicums require warmer conditions than tomatoes and are more sensitive to cold and frost. That means you need to provide the RIGHT CONDITIONS in your nursery for them to listen. To prove this we did the following;
Set up a small experiment by setting up a small 3m x 3m greenhouse on our farm. We regulated our greenhouse temperature by installing ventilation.
Made a regularly raised seedbed and mixed it with manure.
Scrapped the top of the seedbed lightly with a 30cm ruler at a depth of 1 cm. We then scattered Capsicum seeds on top and covered them lightly. Don't cover them excessively.
We then watered the seeds with sprinkler misters installed on top of the greenhouse and waited. You can use a watering can if you don't have misters. Make sure you water the seeds every day.
7 days later 90% of the seeds had germinated.
Demo GreenhouseOur Capsicum Nursery
Conclusion: Capsicum Seedlings will emerge faster if the temperature is suitable. The temperature needs to be within 20°C and 35°C. At temperatures of 15°C, emergence may be delayed by two weeks or longer. Germination is poor at temperatures below 15°C or above 35°C.
It’s always nice to hear success stories from fellow farmers. The really awesome thing, however, is to see the success with your own eyes. This is what I saw when I visited Ken Lagat’s Capsicum farm in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County. Well, success is not the best word to describe the things that happen on farms. Most farmers will tell you of the challenges they go through every day to grow crops and success is not a word to throw around easily. A lot of aargh and err… They are usually the norm but when things start going okay then “Progress” is the real word to use, and Ken knows this best. Ken grows 1 acre of capsicums under drip irrigationwhich he harvests 20 (50 Kg) weekly. His main market is in Nairobi. He gets estimated weekly earnings of Ksh 35,000. Whoa. I know, that’s a lot of money.
When I got to the farm I counted 16 bags already packed....and counting.
So what are Capsicums? Are they legit? What are the important things you need to know before starting?
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Capsicums, also called Pilipili Hoho in Kenya, grow well in altitudes of up to 2,000 meters above sea level. If you live in Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret, Narok or areas that have similar soils then capsicums can grow well. They like well-drained loamy soils with a PH range between 6.0 – 6.5.
Now the tricky thing about Capsicums is to get the seeds to germinate. They are stubborn fellows. That’s the only thing that will give you a headache. If you hack the germination step, the rest comes in easy. They grow quite well once they have been transplanted and have enough water.
In a fair world, the capsicum seeds are supposed to take 7- 12 to germinate. If done right. If they don’t then you will have to wait for a whopping 20 days to get germination. Ken Lagat does not face these problems apparently. His seeds germinate within 7 days like bosses. He tells me it’s all about the seed type, temperature and how you put them on the seedbed. He grows 150g of seed per acre.
Seedling emergence will accelerate when the temperature increases to between 24 ºC and 30ºC, with the optimum temperature being 29°C. To control your environment, you can grow your seeds in a greenhouse or make a small Kibanda-sized greenhouse just for the purpose of germinating the seeds. This will help you save the costs of building a fully-fledged greenhouse structure.
According to Ken, seedlings will last 45 days in the nursery bed before transplanting. He transplants them at a spacing of 40cm x 40cm. Harvesting starts 11 weeks after transplanting and can last for 24 weeks under good agronomy practices.
Always ensure your farm is free of weeds.
Ken Capsicum Farm Timeline
Has been growing capsicums for 3 years now. He has been growing 1 acre for some time and expanded to 1.75 acres this year.
This year his one-acre lasted for 6 months. During this time he got an average of 20 bags (50 Kg) weekly. He has suppliers from Nairobi and the local market. He sells his capsicums between Ksh 35 and Ksh 40 bob. He used to get an estimate earning of Ksh 35,000 weekly. With 6 months of sales, he got an estimated final earning of Ksh 840,000.
The 1-acre capsicum farm started having low yields as the crops neared their end. He expanded 0.5 acres immediately to keep the revenue flow stable. This is done under drip irrigation.
He added an extra 0.25 acres of capsicum to cushion him during the dry season. This group is still young and will mature next month. Ken says it’s important to grow your crops in stages to keep the cash flowing. This portion is also done under drip irrigation.
Tips from Ken
Water and fertilizer feeding is important. When you give this to your crop without bias, success will follow you.
Commitment and determination are key.
Farming is just like any other business. Run your farm like a business.
Random Observations from Ken's farm
Harvesting will cost you Ksh 100 per person. You need 10 people to harvest 1-acre.
Small capsicums are on-demand with the local mama mbogas while the large ones go to Nairobi.
Capsicums are packed in excess of 5 Kg to cater for breakages when being transported.
Seed brand: Superbell F.
You will earn more if you grow your crops under drip irrigation.
