To grow a good harvest of sweet salad peppers, you first need to get strong seedlings. In our climate, summer is short and such a heat-loving crop as pepper will have time to produce a rich harvest only if it is sown early.
Gardeners calculate when to plant pepper seedlings based on several factors:
1. Possibilities of planting seedlings in the ground . Pepper is demanding of heat; it will not survive even a short-term cold snap to zero degrees; at temperatures less than +13 degrees, plants stop growing, so it is too early to plant seedlings. open ground without shelter there is no point. In each region, spring comes differently; usually, pepper seedlings are planted in open ground without shelter from June 1 to June 10, when the threat of frost has passed. If it is possible to plant peppers under cover with a film that will protect the plants from short-term cold snaps at night, then seedlings can be planted two weeks earlier. Pepper seedlings are planted in the greenhouse from May 1 to May 15.
Of course, these dates may change depending on the time of arrival of spring and the weather forecast. In addition, not everyone has the opportunity to install additional heating in the greenhouse and control the temperature in it every day.
2. Pepper varieties are divided according to ripening time and, depending on this, pepper seedlings are planted at different ages.
- In our climate with a short summer, early varieties of pepper begin to sing 90-100 days after germination. This means that when sowing seeds in February, the first harvest can be obtained in June. Early pepper seedlings are grown for 55-60 days from sowing to planting in the ground.
- Pepper mid-season variety forms fruits ready for harvest in 110-120 days, i.e. when sown in mid-February, you will taste it in the first half of July.
- Late pepper gives harvest in 130-140 days, so the first harvest from it will only be harvested by August. Pepper seedlings late varieties Grow 75-80 days after germination before planting in the ground.
3. The last thing that needs to be taken into account when calculating the sowing of pepper for seedlings is that the seeds of this crop are slow to germinate and take a long time to germinate . At normal room temperature+20...+23 degrees pepper seedlings will have to wait 10-14 days, if the temperature for sowing is maintained at +24...+26 degrees, then the seeds will germinate in 8-10 days. Pre-soaking the seeds in a warm place for two to three days reduces the germination time to 5-7 days.
First of all, we sow seeds for seedlings for planting in a greenhouse, but for an accurate calculation you need to take into account the selected pepper variety. Let’s equate the time for emergence of seedlings to 10 days; if you pre-soak and germinate the seeds, you can change this indicator.
Early pepper seedlings can be planted in a greenhouse at the age of 55-60 days after germination + 10 days for seed germination, which means sowing the seeds must be done from February 20 to March 2.
Mid-season peppers in seedlings are grown for 65-70 days + 10, it turns out that you need to sow the seeds of these varieties from February 10 to 20.
Late varieties of pepper seedlings are grown for approximately 75 days from germination to planting in soil +10, which means that for planting in a greenhouse, sowing is carried out from February 5 to February 15.
Calculation: when to plant pepper seedlings for planting in open ground without shelter from June 1 to June 10.
Early pepper seedlings for planting in a bed without shelter 55-60 +10 will be ready if sowing is carried out from March 15 to 25.
Mid-season peppers for planting in a bed without shelter are grown for 65-70 days +10, so sowing is carried out from March 5 to March 15.
Late pepper 75 days + 10 must be sown for seedlings from February 23 to March 5, while the harvest of these varieties will begin to ripen only in August.
Hello, dear friends!
Today in our article we will talk about the timing of planting sweet pepper seeds. Although this crop is whimsical and very capricious, every self-respecting gardener must plant it. I think many of them are asking the question - how to grow a rich harvest? What varieties to choose and what rules of agricultural technology to apply so that a rather capricious crop bears fruit and provides vitamin reserves from June to October?
Many gardeners have already noticed that when planting plants according to the lunar calendar on favorable days, the seedlings grow much better and stronger, suffer less and, accordingly, produce a large and high-quality harvest.
I don’t argue that it is very difficult to maintain exact days and carry out work every day indicated on the calendar. Then, the main thing is not to sow on the days of the New Moon, Full Moon and in the sign of Aquarius.
Do I need to take the lunar calendar into account when planting pepper seeds for seedlings?
Every gardener wants to know whether the lunar calendar can be trusted. Some people believe unconditionally and even try to take a day off on a day that is considered favorable for planting a particular crop. Some people think that everything will grow anyway. And someone looks thoughtfully at several lunar calendars, each of which contains dates that are completely contradictory to each other.
Of course, it is necessary to believe in the influence of the earth’s satellite on the life processes occurring on Earth. But one should approach the bright magazines called “Lunar Calendar”, which have filled store shelves, with caution and a certain amount of skepticism.
The ancient Slavs knew about the dependence of the yield of vegetable crops on the influence of the Moon. The sayings have survived to this day: “When you walk on the moon, you will gather twice as much grain,” or “When the time is right, you will gather a mountain of grain.” But big doubts creep in—whether they knew about the movement of the Moon in the zodiac circle. There are a number of irrefutable rules that our great-grandfathers used:
- You should not plant, pick, or even hill up plants during the new moon.
- You should also not plant or replant vegetables during the full moon.
- During the waxing moon, plants are planted that bear fruit above the ground - the same applies to peppers.
- During the period when the moon is waning, root crop seeds are sown.
If the dates in the purchased magazine correspond to the above deadlines, then you can trust it. But this is unlikely.
Lunar calendar for planting peppers in 2019:
If we take the year 2019 and the calendar shown in the photo as an example, then
- According to the lunar calendar, you need to sow pepper seeds for seedlings in February on the 16th-17th, when the Moon is in the constellation Cancer, or on the 24th-27th, when the Moon passes through the constellations Scorpio and Sagittarius. But lunar cycle in February it starts on February 6th and ends on March 6th. This means that you can sow peppers for seedlings on February 16 and 17, but you should really think about the second date, because the period from February 19 to March 6 is considered unfavorable for sowing crops that produce fruits above ground level.
- Let's turn to the lunar calendar for the month of March. The cycle begins on March 7th and ends on April 4th. According to the calendar, the most favorable days are: 15-16, when the waxing Moon will be in the constellation Cancer, and March 23-27, when the satellite will pass through the favorable constellation Scorpio, but will be in the waning stage. Planting pepper seedlings these days is very doubtful.
- The same goes for April. 11-13 numbers - the waxing Moon will pass through the constellation Cancer, which guarantees a big harvest. But the timing of April 19-23 should be questioned. On April 19, the new moon and the satellite will be in an unfavorable position - in the constellation Libra. From April 20, the Moon, although it will move into the constellation Scorpio, will begin to decline.
Conclusion: most favorable days for planting peppers for seedlings will be:
- February 16-17;
- March 15-16;
- 11-13th and at a stretch April 19th.
Unfavorable days– all days when the Moon is waning, namely:
- period from February 20 to March 6;
- period from March 22 to April 5;
- period from April 20 to May 5.
If everything is more or less clear with the movement of the Moon, then it’s worth looking into the timing.
Favorable days for caring for pepper seedlings according to the lunar calendar
Unfavorable days according to the lunar calendar:
- February 4-5;
- March 17, 21;
- April 15, 16, 24-30.
If you take care of sweet pepper seedlings on favorable days, then high yield You're guaranteed!
Timing for planting pepper seedlings depending on the climate of the region
The optimal soil temperature for planting pepper seedlings is 16-18 degrees Celsius. In different regions this moment occurs at different times. By the time of transplantation, 60-65 days should have passed from the appearance of the first shoots. The latter appear 10-15 days after sowing the seeds. As a result of simple mathematical calculations, we can conclude that from the moment of sowing the seeds to planting the seedlings in the ground, 70 to 80 days should pass.
It remains to be seen when the soil in your region will warm up to required values and in reverse order count down two and a half months. It must be remembered that the soil temperature in greenhouses and greenhouses rises faster, and sowing dates are shifted by a couple of weeks.
Moscow region
Seeds are planted in the second half of March if you plan to grow peppers in open ground. Or in the first days of March, if the pepper grows in a greenhouse.
Siberia and the Urals
In Siberia and the Urals, work begins later. For planting seeds when growing peppers in open ground the beginning will do April, when grown in greenhouses - end of March.
Volga region
In the Volga region, the timing is similar to the sowing time in the Moscow region. And only for the southern regions they can be shifted a couple of weeks earlier.
What varieties of peppers should I sow? The best varieties for planting seedlings
Everyone chooses the varieties of peppers themselves, depending on their tastes, availability of space, growing conditions, and disease resistance.
In order for peppers to delight you all summer, you need to select several early, mid-season and late-ripening varieties. It is desirable that they be universal in agricultural technology, that is, suitable for growing in open and protected ground.
- Early ripening.
These include varieties with ripening periods that do not exceed four months from emergence. Among them, the most notable varieties are:
"Palanskaya Babura"
"Zhupskiy early"
"Winnie the Pooh".
- Mid-season.
They enter the fruiting stage 110-130 days after emergence. This:
"Belozerka"
"Boyarin F1".
- Late ripening.
It takes up to 150 days to reach full maturity. Suitable for growing in southern regions. In Siberia and the Urals they will not have time to harvest as much as possible. In the middle zone they can only be grown in protected soil. For example:
"Hercules"
Preparing seeds for sowing
Pepper seeds are difficult to germinate. Therefore, every gardener has his own secrets for preparing them for planting.
Many people advise soaking pepper seeds in water for an hour and a half and seeing what happens to them. If the seeds sink, they can be prepared for sowing. It is better to discard the floating seeds.
Next, the seeds are placed in a solution of a growth stimulator, such as Kornevin or Ecosil. The range of drugs is huge and may differ by region. There they are kept for about two hours and washed in water. At this point, the seed preparation process can be completed.
But to be more sure, the seeds should be wrapped in damp gauze and placed in a warm place for several days. The main thing is not to forget to periodically wet the gauze warm water. When most of the seeds have hatched, you can begin planting.
You should not wait for all seeds to sprout. It is better to plant them separately later. There will be no excess supply.
Rules for sowing seeds for seedlings
The seeds are sown either in purchased specialized soil, or you prepare it yourself as follows: two parts of compost, one part each of sand and soil, preferably from the area where peppers are expected to grow, a couple of pinches wood ash. Homemade soil should be disinfected in the oven or microwave. It is worth adding a little soil from the soil purchased in the store. garden plot. There is no need to give up disinfection.
Some gardeners do not like to dirty the oven and simply some time before sowing, preferably at night, generously pour boiling water over the prepared mixture with the addition of several crystals of potassium manganese.
The prepared soil is placed in seedling boxes and carefully compacted to prevent it from falling through. small seeds to the bottom. Furrows up to 1 cm deep are made on the surface. Seeds are planted in them in increments of about 3-4 cm. The width between the grooves is at least 5 cm. The top is mulched with soil. The soil is generously sprayed with water. Do not water - again due to the risk of seeds falling through. The boxes are covered with film or covered with glass and placed in a warm place.
Peppers are not tomatoes; they don't tolerate picking well. Therefore, if you have sprouted seeds, it is better to immediately plant them in peat containers. If in doubt, you can sow two seeds in one container. As germination progresses, one sprout is either removed or planted in another container. Further steps are similar: the containers are made into boxes or boxes, covered with glass on top and placed in a warm place. After germination, the seedlings are transferred to a well-lit place. Make sure that direct rays of the sun do not fall on the plants.
Picking sweet pepper seedlings
Picking is carried out at the stage of two true leaves. It is better in peat containers, so that when transplanting to permanent place do not disturb root system. The soil used is the same as for planting. Using a fork or small scoop, the sprouts are transferred with a root ball of soil into a container and buried down to the cotyledons. Water well.
How to grow pepper seedlings at home
To obtain strong and healthy seedlings, timely and sufficient watering, good lighting and several feedings are necessary.
Lighting for seedlings
In the shade, the peppers stretch out, the stem becomes weak and sluggish. If exposed to direct spring sunlight, the plant may get burned. Therefore, it is important to maintain light balance. If cloudy weather persists for a long time, especially when early boarding peppers, lighting with special lamps is recommended. Unfortunately the lamps are not cheap. Therefore, the seedlings should not be placed too densely, and the containers should be periodically swapped and turned towards the light source.
How and when to water pepper seedlings
Watering the seedlings is carried out every few days as needed. The soil should not dry out, but peppers do not tolerate waterlogged soil either. It is helpful to lightly mist the leaves with water once or twice a week. Spraying can be replaced with foliar feeding.
How to feed seedlings
The first root feeding is carried out at the stage of three to four leaves with potassium monophosphate at the rate of 1 gram per 1 liter of water. Feeding with the same composition is repeated 10-15 days after transplanting the plants into separate containers.
In order for the peppers to take root better after picking, you can spray the leaves with Zircon solution the next day - 4 drops of the drug per 1 liter of water.
If desired, you can use complex fertilizers “Malysh”, “Krepysh”, “Ecosil”, following the instructions. There is no need to overdo it with fertilizers.
Tips for caring for sweet pepper seedlings:
Planting peppers in the ground
Plants are planted in the ground approximately two and a half months after the first shoots appear. At the same time, the condition of the plants and weather.
Ideally, peppers should reach a height of 20 cm and have at least 12 true leaves. It’s good if by the time of transplantation the stem begins to become woody.
Planting peppers in a greenhouse or greenhouse
By this time, the earth should warm up to 15 degrees, and night temperatures should not fall below 10-13 degrees. In greenhouses and greenhouses, such conditions are established, as a rule, on the 10th of May.
Prepare the holes according to the scheme 35*35 cm, if the varieties are tall then 50*50 cm. A mixture of humus, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and wood ash is poured into the hole, you can add a little crushed eggshells. Everything is mixed. The pepper is lowered into the hole so that the root collar is underground. If the plant is overgrown, you can deepen it a little. The hole is filled with soil and compacted well. To better speed up the engraftment of the plant, the buds on it are cut off. Water generously. Ten days later, fertilizing is carried out with complex fertilizers.
Planting seedlings in open ground
The agricultural technology for planting peppers in open ground is approximately the same, but you just need to wait until the soil warms up to + 15 degrees and the soil should be no less than + 12 degrees. For most regions of Russia, such conditions develop between May 16 and May 31. The northern regions plant sweet pepper seedlings in early June.
Plants are ready for planting when they have 9-12 leaves and formed flower buds. In order for the seedlings to take root, they need to be hardened off within 2 weeks.
If a cold snap is predicted, it is better to postpone replanting. In hot weather, planting should be done in the evening.
Approximate dates for planting sweet pepper seedlings by region of Russia:
These tables are averaged, since it is also necessary to take into account weather conditions and the characteristics of the variety.
If you have your own secrets and tricks in growing seedlings from seeds, please share with me and my readers. We will be very interested to familiarize ourselves with and apply them.
I wish you strong and healthy seedlings!
If you have never dealt with peppers and are learning this topic for the first time, this article will be very useful, as it will give not only the basic information about all the steps required to obtain a harvest, methods, tricks and secrets. But even those experienced gardeners those who have their own skills or preferences when growing peppers will also be able to learn something new for themselves, and perhaps fundamentally change their approach to business.
A heat-loving vegetable that came to us from Central America - sweet pepper, which our gardeners often call Bulgarian, has more than 2 thousand varieties. And each of them is remarkable not only for its taste, the amount of vitamins and other useful substances, but also for the beauty of its bright, juicy fruits.
How to choose from a variety of enticing bags of varieties that you will not be disappointed with? Read the description on the packages and select based on the specific conditions in which you will grow peppers. So in small greenhouses it's better to take low growing plants, early varieties are more likely to ripen in open ground, and if you want not to spend money on the annual purchase of planting material, but to collect your own seeds from the harvest obtained in the garden, then heterozygous hybrids are not suitable for this. Although they are guaranteed to produce healthy plants that are maximally protected from diseases.
F1 Pinocchio:
The variety is very early, the fruit weight is about 100 g, the fruits are red, the walls are 5-6 mm thick and have an interesting shape - reminiscent of the elongated nose of a famous wooden doll. Bush up to 70 cm high. Resistant to traditional pepper diseases: blossom end rot and tobacco mosaic.
Atlantic F1: Also a very early variety, but these peppers are taller (up to 110 cm) and the fruits are much more massive (up to 450 g) and have a barrel-shaped appearance.
Gemini F1 is remarkable for its fleshy, bright yellow cube-shaped fruits and high fertility.
The Siberian format will please you with its juiciness and thickness.
Wonderful reviews about the varieties Bagration, Country, Big Red, Winnie the Pooh, Chardash, Yunga, Health, Maecenas, Barguzin. Popular varieties are Eroshka, Funtik, Californian Miracle, and Lastochka.
Video - sowing pepper seeds for seedlings
Determining the development period
Pepper is a plant with a fairly long development period, so seeds are planted for seedlings earlier than all other crops: in February-March. In more northern regions, where fruiting in open ground ends with the onset of cold weather (sometimes as early as September), it is good to have grown plants ready for planting by May. In a warmer climate (or relying on greenhouses and greenhouses), you can wait until the second half of March. The information on the seed bags will allow you to calculate the timing depending on the ripening time of a given variety.
It should be remembered: the daylight hours of February are not yet long enough for seedlings and you will definitely need additional lighting up to 12-14 hours a day. Ideal for this with a balanced spectrum of light.
In addition, more and more lovers of growing fruits and vegetables recognize that it is useful to check the planting day according to the lunar calendar. The second phase of our satellite is suitable for peppers.
Pre-planting seed preparation
Planting with dry and unprepared seeds means greatly complicating and lengthening the entire planting process. There are several well-proven methods of pre-sowing seed treatment to speed up their germination and obtain strong and disease-resistant seedlings. Of course, you should not expose the seeds to all possible methods, but choosing one of them is highly recommended:
- the seeds are kept in water at a temperature of 45-50 degrees for at least 4 hours, then placed on a damp hygroscopic cloth (gauze, cotton) and germinated at 25-27 degrees for another 2-3 days;
- for disinfection, the seeds are dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate (1%) and left there for 20 minutes;
- Keep for 10-15 minutes in a forty-degree solution of hydrogen peroxide (take 3 ml per 100 g of water), then dry without rinsing;
- to activate the vitality of the seeds, they are treated for 24 hours with a solution (1:1) of juice from aloe leaves, previously kept in the refrigerator for about a week;
- will fill you with health and give fast shoots special purchased products for soaking seeds (Energen, Baikal, Fitosporin, Ideal, Agricola-Start). Ash can also serve as a growth stimulant. Mix 20 g of ash in 1 liter of water and leave for 24 hours. Keep the seeds in this solution for 6 hours;
- alternate between heat and cold. With this method, the seeds are placed on damp gauze or a napkin, covered with two layers of film and kept for a day at a temperature of 24-28 degrees, then taken out into the cold (5-10 degrees) for 4 hours. Can be on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Then again for 20 hours in heat and 4 hours in cold. Repeat three times. This method allows the seedlings to harden and rapidly begin to grow.
IMPORTANT: when soaking seeds, do not allow them to be completely immersed in water. The seeds should be moist, but not drowned!
Usually, the seeds most suitable for seedlings are selected by appearance, that is, the largest and most undamaged, with a uniform color, but the method of weighing them in a saline solution can help in identifying viable seeds. Use a three percent solution. Those seeds that float to the surface when immersed are considered empty and it is useless to plant them.
Selection of soil, fertilizers
The prepared seeds are planted in the ground. Since peppers are afraid of picking, it is recommended to plant one or two seeds separately in their own container. The cups should be at least 200 g, since crowding will also hinder the development of plants in the future.
The soil for peppers should be light, loose, and non-acidified. You can buy ready-made soil, but it’s safer and sometimes cheaper to make it yourself:
Take one part of peat, garden soil and sand.
You can use humus, soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. Pepper really likes additives from finely crushed eggshells or wood ash. They are added one tablespoon per kilogram of the mixture. If you have the opportunity to dig up soil in a pine or spruce forest, then this is also an excellent option for pepper seedlings. But do not forget that earth excavated closer than 500 meters from highways may be filled with harmful and toxic substances.
The acidity of the soil for sweet peppers should not exceed pH 6–6.5. Seedlings are especially sensitive to this indicator, so it is useful to lime the soil.
NEVER add unrotted manure to the seedling substrate. The nitrogen released during the decomposition of this seemingly beneficial fertilizer will destroy your tender seedlings.
And like this modern materials chemical industry It will be useful to dilute the soil like vermiculite or perlite.
We apply fertilizer only after the seedlings produce 3-4 true leaves. Before this, there is a danger of overfeeding the plants.
Potassium humate is useful; in order to improve root formation, it is recommended to feed it with a solution (25 ml per 10 liters of water).
After the plant grows confidently, it is useful to water it with solutions containing microelements: boric acid(per 10 liters of water - 2 g), iron oxides and manganese sulfate - 1 g each. It’s a good idea to add biofertilizers.
Temperature, humidity, watering
Bell peppers love heat. After the sprouts have hatched, under no circumstances should the temperature drop below 13 degrees for a long time. The pepper will simply die. Optimal temperature –
25-27 degrees. Only in the phase of 7-8 true leaves can you begin to harden pepper seedlings. To do this, the temperature is gradually reduced over 7 days to 14-16 degrees, then brought back to conditions that are comfortable for him.
Humidity is not particularly important for peppers, but if they are too dry, they will not grow healthy. Therefore, it is necessary to either move the seedlings away from central heating radiators or shield them with heat-proof material.
It is recommended to water young bell pepper plants only with warm, settled water.
IMPORTANT: while the seeds are still sitting in the ground, you should only spray the substrate to avoid their displacement and damage to the resulting roots.
Step-by-step instructions for sowing
So, the seeds have been processed, the substrate is ready, we begin planting:
Never place seeds on top of each other when soaking. The biofield of the seed may be damaged. Place them so that the seeds do not touch each other.
If the variety of bell pepper you have chosen is early ripening, then you can increase its yield in this way: pinch the tops above the 6-7th leaf. The seedlings will lag a little behind in development, but subsequently several times more fruits will be formed from each side shoot formed.
It’s not difficult to get your own seeds from your peppers: select the largest and most beautiful fruits, leave them for a week or two in indoor conditions, then cut out the middle and separate the seeds. After 5-7 days of drying, they should be placed in glass jar. In this way, it will be possible to plant seeds for up to 5 years.
Video - instructions on how to sow bell peppers for seedlings
Whatever line of work you are involved in, it is important for everyone to achieve maximum success in it. IN last years often have to face various fields, including in gardening, with such a concept as favorable or unfavorable lunar days. It was introduced into our everyday life by astrologers, who claim that an enterprise started on a favorable day will be successful, and vice versa, if you start some process on an unfavorable day, the result will most likely be negative.
Recently, more and more people are turning to astrological predictions, and the point here is not in superstition, but in a scientific approach, because the influence of the phases of the Moon on all life on Earth has long been known. This also explains the reasons for the popularity of lunar sowing calendars among gardeners.
When to plant pepper seedlings in 2019
Thanks to sowing calendar you will be notified of the shifts lunar phases, which determine the size and quality of your harvest. An experienced vegetable grower or summer resident will never plant plants on a full or new moon, since during these periods all the juices collect either at the top or, respectively, in the roots or tubers, and this interferes with the normal development of plants. But if the pepper, the cultivation of seedlings of which will be discussed in our article, is planted during the waxing Moon, its growth activity will be much higher than when planting pepper during the waning Moon. So, when to sow pepper seedlings?
Favorable dates for sowing pepper seedlings in 2019 are:
- January: 9-15, 20, 24, 28, 29;
- February: 6, 7, 20-22, 25, 26;
- March: 5, 6, 10, 11, 20, 21, 24, 25;
- April: 20, 21, 27-29;
- May: 4-6, 18, 19, 27, 28.
When to plant pepper seedlings in open ground?
In June, favorable days for this: 15, 21-24; in July: 20-22, 25, 26th.
Peppers ripen 100-150 days after germination, but you can accurately calculate the timing of sowing pepper seedlings only if you know the characteristics of the variety. For example, early-ripening pepper is sown 65 days before planting seedlings in a permanent place, mid-ripening - 70 days, late - 75 days.
Planting pepper seedlings at home
Soil for pepper seedlings
The soil for seedlings of peppers must be loose, nutritious, neutral or slightly acidic (pH 6-6.5) and sterile. You can purchase ready-made soil at garden stores or prepare the necessary soil mixture yourself.
Here are some recipes for suitable soil for pepper seedlings:
- leaf soil, sand and high peat in equal parts. The acidity level of such soil is adjusted by applying lime fertilizers;
- turf soil, compost and river sand in a ratio of 2:1:1;
- two parts of humus are mixed with two parts of peat and one part of well-washed sand, after which the soil is sifted through a sieve;
- humus, sandy loam meadow soil and turf soil in a ratio of 1:2:2 with the addition of a matchbox of potassium sulfate and two matchboxes of superphosphate per 10 liters of the finished soil mixture.
Any soil mixture must be disinfected before adding fertilizers.
Preparing pepper seeds for sowing
Dried seeds enclosed in a capsule containing a growth stimulant and various fertilizers, preparation for sowing is unnecessary and even harmful, because soaking the seeds damages their capsule.
Ordinary seeds are first kept in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection: dilute one gram of the drug in 100 ml of water and dip the seeds in the solution for 20 minutes.
After disinfecting the seeds, to increase productivity, they are placed in a solution of a growth stimulant, for example, Epin, prepared in accordance with the instructions, or placed in a solution of mineral fertilizers for 4-5 hours. After such treatment, the seed is washed in clean water and sow wet.
Some gardeners prefer to bubble the seeds by placing them in a gauze bag and lowering them into water through which air is blown with a compressor. The duration of this procedure is 4-5 hours.
But most often they resort to germinating seeds. They are wrapped in wet gauze or cloth, placed in a warm place and made sure that the cloth does not dry out. To do this, it is better to place the wrapped seeds on a saucer and place it under plastic. Do not soak the seeds with water– for germination, in addition to water, they also need oxygen. Germination occurs best at a temperature of 20-23 ºC. However, sprouted seeds have a significant drawback - tender sprouts easily break off when sowing, so we recommend that you disinfect the seeds in potassium permanganate with their further processing in a growth stimulator.
Sowing pepper seedlings at home
Since pepper takes a very long time to recover after picking, sowing pepper seedlings is carried out in separate pots or cups with a diameter of 10 cm and a depth of 10-12 cm. But if you do not have this opportunity, take a spacious container for sowing, so that in the future it will be easier for you to replant the seedlings in pots with a large lump of earth. The depth of such a box should be at least 5-6 cm, and the soil level should not reach the edge of the container by 2 cm. Do not forget to rinse the dishes in a solution of potassium permanganate before sowing.
Pepper seeds are laid out with tweezers on the surface of the soil at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other, pressed to the substrate, moistened through a sieve or by bottom watering, after which they are sprinkled with a 1 cm thick layer of soil on top, which is then slightly compacted. Covering the crops plastic film or glass.
How to grow pepper seedlings in tablets
Good pepper seedlings are obtained when grown in peat tablets, since this crop does not tolerate picking very well - after transplantation, the seedlings do not begin to grow for a long time.
Sow seeds into tablets with a diameter of 3 cm: required amount tablets are placed in a transparent tray and filled with warm boiled water for swelling. As soon as the tablets stop absorbing water, pour out the excess water from the tray, make holes 1-1.5 cm deep in the upper part of the tablets, carefully place the seeds prepared in the described way into the holes and cover them with nutritious soil on top. Cover the tray with a transparent lid, glass or plastic wrap. Germinate seeds at a temperature of 25 ºC.
The first shoots appear within a week, and then the covering is removed from the crops, the tray is transferred to a bright place and kept at a temperature of 25-27 ºC during the day and 11-13 ºC at night. When the seedlings develop 2-4 leaves and the roots begin to grow through the mesh, the seedlings are planted directly in tablets in separate pots filled with one of the soil mixtures described above.
Growing pepper seedlings in cassettes
Now on sale big choice plastic cassettes in which it is very convenient to grow pepper seedlings - there are cassettes measuring 18x13.5x6 cm for four seedlings with cells 8x6 cm and a volume of 240 ml each. There are cassettes of the same size, but with six, nine and twelve cells. And there are cassettes in a box with a lid that allows light to pass through well, but does not allow moisture to evaporate - they can be used as mini-greenhouses.
A soil mixture suitable for peppers is placed in the cells or peat tablets, sow the seeds, then cover the crops with transparent material, place the cassette on a plastic tray and keep it at a temperature of about 25 ºC. Humidification is carried out using the bottom watering method - water is poured into a tray.
Is it worth it to buy pepper seedlings?
If you do not want or cannot grow seedlings, you will have to purchase them, and it is better to buy planting material in nurseries, specialized stores or garden pavilions - there you have a better chance than in the market to buy exactly what you want and get answers to questions about seedlings. But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to purchase seedlings from well-established sellers and you have to go to the market to buy them.
What do you need to know when buying seedlings? The leaves of the seedlings should be developed, green and evenly colored - without white spots or plaque. Seedlings should be strong and strong, and not elongated and drooping.
Unfortunately, unscrupulous sellers use various tricks to sell their goods, and as a result you may end up with seedlings overfed nitrogen fertilizers or vice versa, inhibitors that slow down growth. Such seedlings then bloom poorly, develop poorly and bear fruit poorly, but you are unlikely to be able to recognize this catch in the market. That is why it is better to buy good seeds from a trusted manufacturer and grow seedlings yourself.
Caring for pepper seedlings at home
Conditions for growing pepper seedlings
Maintain necessary for the development of pepper seedlings temperature regime in an apartment it’s not so simple, but you should know that under the ceiling the air temperature is a couple of degrees higher than at the average height, and at the baseboard it’s two to three degrees lower. The brightest place in the apartment is the window sill, but it is also the coldest, and seedlings need warmth.
If you can provide artificial lighting for the seedlings, you can grow them where they will be warmer.
At a temperature of 26-28 ºC, pepper seeds germinate on the eighth to twelfth day, at a temperature of 20-26 ºC, shoots can appear after 13-17 days, at 18-20 ºC - after 18-20 days, and at 14-15 ºC you can wait for the emergence of seedlings no earlier than in a month.
As soon as the shoots appear, the crops are moved as close to the light as possible, the temperature is lowered to 15-17 ºC for a week, and subsequently the seedlings are kept at 22-25 ºC in daytime and at 20 ºC at night.
Do not forget to regularly ventilate the room, but keep in mind that seedlings are afraid of drafts and cold air.
Watering pepper seedlings
For the first two or three days, the emerging seedlings are not watered, but if the soil requires moisture, it is carefully sprayed with a sprayer. As soon as the cotyledon leaves open, the seedlings are watered with thirty-degree water. Subsequently, the seedlings are moistened by rain or standing water for 24 hours. tap water room temperature.
The soil of the seedlings should not dry out - pepper does not tolerate drought, but excess moisture in the roots should not be allowed.
Please note that soil in a shallow container loses moisture faster than in a large container. Air humidity in the room is maintained at 60-70%.
Feeding pepper seedlings
To develop the root system of seedlings, they are fed with potassium humate, diluting 5 ml of the drug in two liters of water. Before bookmarking flower buds pepper seedlings develop very slowly, then their growth becomes more intense, and during the flowering period, pepper seedlings are fertilized with the following composition containing microelements: 1 g of manganese sulfate and iron sulfate or citrate are dissolved in 10 liters of water, 0.2 g of zinc sulfate is dissolved in 10 liters of water. and copper sulfate and 1.7 g of boric acid.
Pinching pepper seedlings
Homemade pepper seedlings require pinching, that is, removal of the growing point of the seedlings. This is done in order to stimulate the development of the root system in the peppers and the growth of stepsons from dormant buds in the internodes in which flowers are formed.
Pinching is done when the bell pepper seedlings begin to develop intensively - the part of the plant located above 4-6 internodes is removed with scissors. When, over time, the seedlings begin to grow stepchildren, the load on the bush is regulated, leaving 4-6 of the most developed stepchildren, and the rest are removed. There is no need to remove stepsons in the lower internodes.
Illumination of pepper seedlings
Because peppers have compared to others vegetable crops The growing season is longer; seedlings of this crop begin to be grown earlier than other plants, when daylight hours are still short. But due to the fact that pepper seedlings require lighting for 12-14 hours every day, it is necessary to organize artificial lighting for it, otherwise the seedlings will be thin and elongated, with sparse leaves due to too long internodes.
Natural light from February to March is only about 5,000 lux, but normal seedling development requires a light level of 20,000 lux. The process of photosynthesis requires not just light, but a certain spectrum of rays: red rays stimulate the process of seed germination and flowering of seedlings, violet and blue rays participate in the formation of cells, while yellow and green rays do not affect the development of plants. Namely, yellow light is emitted by ordinary incandescent lamps, and therefore it makes no sense to use them to illuminate seedlings. In addition, such lamps emit infrared rays, which cause the seedlings to stretch and overheat.
It is best to use phyto- or fluorescent lamps for artificial illumination of pepper seedlings, as well as LED lights, which are created precisely for such purposes. The seedlings are illuminated with 200 W lamps per 1 m² of crop area. The lighting is placed at a distance of 20 cm from the tops of the plants, and when the seedlings grow, the light source is raised.
In the development phase of cotyledon leaves, to stimulate rapid growth of seedlings, lamps should be operated for three days in a row. As soon as the seedlings have true leaves, the daylight hours should be 14-16 hours. In February, artificial lighting should work from the morning until 19-20 hours without interruption. In April, the lights are turned on only in the mornings from 6 to 12 hours and in the evenings from 16 to 19 hours.
Picking pepper seedlings
If the pepper grows in a common container, at the stage of development of the seedlings with two true leaves, the seedlings are picked, although some reference books recommend picking already in the cotyledon phase. The soil with seedlings is well moistened, after which excess water is allowed to drain. Seedlings are planted in separate pots with a capacity of 100-150 ml - the seedlings, together with a lump of earth, are transferred into holes made in the soil, which should accommodate the root system of the seedling with soil. The roots are placed freely in the soil, without bends. The hole is sprinkled with soil and lightly compacted.
When picking, the root collar of the seedlings is buried no more than 5 mm. After transplanting, the seedlings are watered and, if necessary, soil is added to the pots. At first, the seedlings are protected from direct sunlight, and the temperature should not be lower than 15 ºC - at 13 ºC, seedling growth stops.
Pepper seedling diseases and treatment
Sometimes, in the phase of cotyledon leaves, seedlings of sweet peppers begin to turn yellow, the subcotyledonous stem at the soil level darkens, then turns black, a constriction forms in this place, and the seedlings lie down. The cause of seedling death in this case is the fungal disease blackleg. Usually the causative agent of the disease is in the soil that you have not disinfected before sowing, but it happens that infection occurs through seeds or unsterile containers - this is why pre-sowing preparation and disinfection are so important. Blackleg progresses against the background of excessive or insufficient watering, dense sowing, too high or, conversely, too low temperature. Treatment of seedlings with copper-containing preparations and good lighting will help you fight the disease. Affected plants must be removed.
If your seedlings with two pairs of leaves suddenly begin to wither, without changing the color of the leaf blades, and lag behind in growth, most likely the seedlings are sick with the fungal disease fusarium. With fusarium wilt, the leaves begin to turn yellow from bottom to top, and in the section of the stem you can see a browned vascular ring.
The means to combat fusarium are the same as for blackleg, but it is better to prevent the disease from manifesting itself - sterilizing the soil and utensils for sowing seedlings, as well as disinfecting the seeds, will help you with this.
When gray fluff appears on the soil, the inner walls of the box and the base of the seedling stems, oppressing the seedlings, we can say that the crops have been affected by gray rot. For preventive purposes, once every 10 days, seedlings are sprayed with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate, and treatment is carried out with bacterial fungicides or copper-containing preparations, having previously removed the affected specimens.
Already adult seedlings can be affected by late blight: dark stripes appear on the stems, and lower leaves– light spots that gradually darken. The source of infection is usually soil. On early stage development of late blight, seedlings are sprayed with a solution of 5 ml of iodine in a liter of water; at a later stage, you will have to resort to fungicides, first culling the diseased plants.
White spots and plaque on the leaves and stems, from which the growth of seedlings slows down and the leaves turn yellow, are signs of powdery mildew, which affects not only adult plants, but also seedlings. The disease will have to be combated with bacterial fungicides or an iodine solution, as when seedlings are affected by late blight.
And sometimes there is a hurricane withering of seedlings: in the evening the seedlings were healthy, and in the morning they all lie as if they were scalded with boiling water. This disease is more common in southern regions and affects sunflower and nightshade crops. This disease cannot be treated, so you will have to replant the peppers.
When to plant pepper seedlings in the ground
With the development of 7-8 leaves in the seedlings and the formation of large buds, if at this moment the seedlings reach a height of 20-25 cm, you can begin to harden them. First, the seedlings are placed for 7-10 days at a temperature of 16-18 ºC, and then the temperature is lowered to 12-14 ºC. To do this, open the vents and windows in the room or take the plants out onto the balcony, loggia or veranda, exposing them to direct sunlight. The duration of such sessions is increased every day, and two or three days before planting in open ground, the seedlings are left to outdoors at night, protecting from too cold air. Hardening lasts approximately two weeks.
At the time of planting seedlings in the ground, the seedlings should already have 8-9 leaves and several formed buds, and the average daily temperature in the garden should not fall below 15-17 ºC. Before planting the seedlings, the area should be prepared: dug up with a shovel and leveled. Humus and peat are added to clay soil. The wells are placed at a distance of 50 cm from one another, maintaining row spacing of 60 cm wide. Place a tablespoon of full mineral fertilizer and mix it well with the soil. The depth of the hole should accommodate the roots of the seedling without bending, and the root collar after embedding should be flush with the surface of the area. The seedlings are transferred into the holes along with a lump of earth, the hole is filled halfway so that the bulk of the roots are covered with soil, then about a third of a bucket of water is poured into the hole, and when it is absorbed, the hole is filled to the top with soil.
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