When to plant peppers for seedlings. Growing Healthy Bell Peppers When to Plant Peppers

Before the start of the new vegetable season, the question of when to sow pepper comes to the fore for gardeners. Peppers and eggplants are crops that are picky enough at the stage of sowing seeds, demanding for watering and choosing a place. At the same time, they are less susceptible to diseases and are responsive to proper care.

If you create favorable conditions for sowing seeds and further growth, then the harvest will be plentiful.

Why do some crops only need to be grown through seedlings?

Solanaceous plants, peppers, eggplant are vegetable crops with a long growing season. They need from 90 to 180 days for successful development and biological maturity, and weather conditions do not allow sowing them in open ground in early spring in most regions of Russia, because these crops are very thermophilic.

Long vegetation, slow development in the first month and thermophilicity are the main factors forcing the use of seedling technology. Both eggplant and pepper gratefully respond to this method. Sowing seeds for seedlings, when to sow hot and sweet peppers, and when eggplants - this is worth paying special attention to when planning garden work in the spring-summer period. This is especially important if you plan to get the first ripe fruits as early as possible and extend the fruiting period for several months.

Subsequent planting of seedlings is carried out in the ground, if weather conditions permit, in greenhouses, hotbeds, under high shelters, which allow maintaining optimal temperature, lighting and humidity.

Is the sowing time for sweet and hot pepper seeds different?

The taste qualities of pepper have led to the division of this vegetable crop into two groups:

• sweet;
• spicy.

The second name for the sweet variety is bell pepper. This vegetable is valued not only for its richness and specific aroma, but also for the content of a whole complex of vitamins, microelements and compounds necessary for the human body.

The period when sowing bell peppers for seedlings is determined by the time required for the vegetable to reach technical and biological maturity. Fresh ripe vegetable is used for making salads and vegetable vitamin cuts. It is stewed, pickled, fermented, stuffed with vegetables, cereals, meat.

Hot peppers are called bitter or spicy. It has a pungent taste, which is due to the presence of the alkaloid capsaicin, and is used as a pungent condiment in food. Hot peppers can be grown in an apartment on a windowsill throughout the year. If this type of pepper is planned to be grown outdoors, then the question arises when to sow hot peppers for seedlings.

Despite such a clear difference in the taste qualities of hot and sweet peppers, the technology of their cultivation, the determination of the timing of sowing seeds and planting seedlings in the ground for both varieties are exactly the same.

How to calculate sowing dates?

Peppers and eggplants for seedlings must be sown when a decision is made about where exactly the crops will be grown. This is due to the fact that the timing of sowing seeds is counted in the opposite direction from the moment the seedlings are planted:

• for pepper, which will be grown in the open field - in 60-80 days;
• for growing in a greenhouse - in 43-46 days.

To these terms, another 10 days should be added, during which shoots will appear. In addition, it should be borne in mind that seed germination time can be up to 2-4 weeks.

There is no universal advice on which month to sow pepper for seedlings. In each specific case, it is necessary to take into account the climatic characteristics of the region, the varietal characteristics of the culture. It is important to remember the main thing: planting in open ground can only be carried out at stable positive night temperatures of 15-17 degrees and there is no frost. Lowering the temperature even to 13 ° C will cause stress in an unhardened young plant and slow down its development.

In central Russia, warm weather comes by mid-May, which means that during this period you can plant seedlings under the open sky or in greenhouses. Having made simple calculations, subtracting 70-90 days in the opposite direction (taking into account the time of emergence of the sprouted shoots), we will see that in this case the seed sowing period is mid-March or the last decade of February. The grown plants planted in the ground will give the first harvest in mid-June.

Sowing the seeds later, in April, will shorten the period of active fruiting.

If you sow earlier, then the seedlings developing in a warm room will not have enough lighting, you need to think about an alternative light source. There are peppers that are less demanding on lighting.

It should be borne in mind that this is generalized information that requires adjustment in each climatic zone. So, in the southern regions, the period when sowing pepper can be shifted by two weeks - to the beginning of February.

Sowing pepper seeds: Siberia is making adjustments

Breeders have developed varieties that are not so demanding on lighting, have an early and medium ripening period and are suitable for growing in colder regions where the weather makes special demands on the cultivation of thermophilic crops.

In harsh climatic conditions, it is necessary to calculate the sowing time so that the period of maturation of a thermophilic culture in the open field falls on July and early August - the warmest months of the Siberian summer. By the time of transplantation to a permanent place, the seedlings should be strong, healthy, not overgrown.

A number of questions arise from this: when to sow pepper for seedlings in Siberia and the Urals, how to provide the grown plants with the necessary lighting, heat, watering. For Siberian regions, two basic conditions must be observed:

• sowing seeds after February 20;
• select varieties that are most suitable for growing in short summer conditions.

Reliable assistants at the stage of transplanting young plants into open ground are modern covering materials that can protect peppers from an unexpected cold snap.

How to choose the right type of pepper

The best guideline to help determine when to sow sweet peppers for seedlings is the cultivar of this crop. All varieties are divided into three groups:

1. Early, with a ripening period of seedlings 100-120 days. Seedlings of these varieties are transplanted into open ground at the age of 50-60 days, the seeds are sown in mid-March.
2. Mid-ripening, with seedlings ripening 120-135 days. Seedlings of these varieties are transplanted into open ground at the age of 60 days, the seeds are sown in the third decade of February.
3. Late, with a seedling ripening period of 136-150 days. Seedlings of these varieties are transplanted into open ground at the age of 60-75 days, the seeds are sown in early February.

The use of purchased seeds allows you to obtain disease-resistant vegetables of various shapes and colors, as well as with excellent taste.

Siberian pepper: the best varieties

In Siberia, not only is the question of when to sow peppers comes to the fore, but also which varieties are better. You should choose from hybrid zoned varieties suitable for growing in short summer conditions, resistant to drops in air temperature, while having high yields. Let's consider several varieties.

Siberian prince. Cone-shaped large red fruits reach full ripeness 114 days after seed germination. The variety belongs to the early maturing, intended for open ground and greenhouses. Productivity - up to 4 kg per m2.

Siberian format. Mid-season variety with thick-walled, cube-shaped red fruits. The weight of each fruit can reach 450 g. The yield is up to 3.5 kg per m2.

Siberian felt boot. This high-yielding variety is grown outdoors and in greenhouses. Full technical ripeness occurs in 120 days. Fruits weighing 170 g reach a length of 13-14 cm.

Siberian bonus. On low bushes, thick-walled cuboid fruits weighing up to 100 g ripen. The yield is average. The variety is mid-season.

East market. The bright red fruits have the shape of a prism, their weight reaches 160 g. The yield is average. Compact bushes: no more than 70 cm in height. The variety is mid-season.

Tusk. The bushes reach a height of 1.4 m. The fruits are cylindrical, thick-walled and bright red in color. Their weight is 150 g. The yield of this early maturing variety is high.

How to choose seeds

An important component of successful cultivation is not only the correct choice of when to sow peppers, but also a responsible attitude to the choice of seeds. When purchasing them, you need to pay attention to two factors:

• grade;
• quality control.

The choice of a variety is determined not only by preferences regarding the shape, size and color of the fruit, ripening time and yield, but also, first of all, by the climatic conditions of the region where this vegetable crop will be grown.

The need for quality control is due to the shelf life of the seeds. The period of potential activity of pepper seeds does not exceed three years. This is the maximum shelf life for seeds. The seeds have the best germination in the year of harvest.

If the seeds purchased or harvested with their own hands are more than two years old, they should be selected and pre-sown with a test batch before sowing bell peppers for seedlings. This will test the seeds for germination.

Culling of seeds is carried out in 3-4% saline solution (2 tablespoons of salt / 1 liter of water). The finished solution is poured into a low wide container, the seeds are poured into the solution. After 5-7 minutes, all the seeds that have floated to the surface of the solution are collected and discarded. The solution is carefully drained from the container through a sieve, in which potentially active seeds remain. They need to be rinsed and then dried at room temperature.

Seed treatment before sowing: disinfection

One of the elements included in the system of how to sow pepper correctly is pre-sowing treatment, which accelerates the emergence of sprouts, puts health and strength in future plants.

Purchased seeds do not need to be disinfected, as this is usually done by growers to prevent seed loss. If there are doubts about the quality of such pre-treatment, you can disinfect the seeds in one of the following ways:

• fungicides (Fitosporin-m, Vitaros) in accordance with the instructions on the package with a disinfectant;
• potassium permanganate (you need to make a pink solution).

In both the first and second cases, you need to prepare a solution, put a bag of seeds in it and keep it in the solution for the required time, usually 30 minutes.

Such disinfection treatment helps to protect future seedlings from various diseases, including fungal ones.

Seed treatment before sowing: hardening

The next stage is seed hardening, which is carried out in one of the following ways:

1. Disinfected seeds should be placed in warm water and left in a warm place until they swell. After that, the swollen seeds should be left at a temperature of 1-2 ° C for 36 hours.
2. Within 12 hours, every 2 hours, the temperature regime should change: 25 ° C / 3-4 ° C. The next 12 hours the seeds are kept at a temperature of 25 ° C, the next 12 hours - at a temperature of 3-4 ° C. In total the whole hardening process takes 36 hours.

Any of the hardening methods has a positive effect on the growth rate of plants, their resistance to adverse weather conditions and an increase in yields.

Seed treatment before sowing: stimulation

By the time when it is better to sow pepper for seedlings, it is recommended to stimulate the seeds to germinate, accelerating the process of the appearance of the first shoots. If the seeds are placed in an environment containing a large amount of microelements, the time for spitting seeds will be significantly reduced.

Soaking technology is used to stimulate the emergence of seedlings

The biostimulator can be Energen biostimulator, beaten chicken egg, aloe juice, ash solution.

For soaking, you can alternate any two stimulants, taking into account the fact that the total time the seeds are in the warm stimulating substance should not exceed eight hours.

The ash solution is prepared as follows: wood ash (50 g) must be poured with hot water, let it brew for two days with periodic stirring. Such a solution contains about 30 different microelements, is stored for a long time and can later be used for the first feeding of the first shoots of seedlings.

The seeds are spread on cotton pads, soft cloth or thick soft toilet paper, moistened with warm water or stimulating solution. Seeds are laid out on a prepared wet base, which are covered with the same material: a cotton pad, cloth, toilet paper. The resulting "sandwich" is placed on a tray in a warm place (25 ° C). An important condition: the material in which the seeds are placed should not dry out for a minute. To avoid this, you can slightly cover the resulting "seed den" with a film, providing fresh air.

Stimulation is carried out two days before sowing seeds. After the procedure, the seeds are not washed.

It is important not only to determine when to sow peppers, but also to properly prepare the soil. For delicate and thin sucking threads of a young root system, heavy, dense soil is contraindicated: it is difficult to extract nutrients from it, moisture that lingers during watering can cause the formation of a "black leg" and putrefactive processes. The prepared soil should ensure the rapid germination of the hatched seeds and the trouble-free development of the sprouts that have appeared.

If ready-made soil intended for seedlings is used, thoroughly washed sand is added to it: 0.5 parts of sand / 3 parts of ready-made soil.

You can prepare the ground yourself. There are several different compositions of the components:

• peat - 2 parts + earth - 1 part + sand - 1 part;
• forest turf + land from the garden + compost + sand (1 part each);
• low-lying peat (1 part) + humus (1 part) + potassium sulfate and superphosphate;
• compost (1 part) + sand or perlite (1 part) turf (2 parts);
• sawdust and sand mixed equally (1 part) + turf (3 parts);

The addition of ash (1 glass per 10 kg of soil composition) helps to cleanse the soil, enrich it with microelements.

When the time comes to sow sweet peppers for seedlings, the soil should be ready. The hallmarks of land suitable for sowing pepper seeds are:

• looseness, lightness, porosity, providing access to the roots of water and air;
• the content of life-giving microflora and organic matter;
• proportional ratio of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc;
• water permeability, preventing the appearance of a surface crust;
• neutral acidity index.

At first, you can replace the soil with sawdust, which must be scalded with boiling water. Sawdust is convenient because the thin roots will push the substrate apart, and not grow into it. This method is very convenient for further picking of seedlings: there will be no breakage of roots, which weakens the young plant and takes energy and strength for recovery. You can add sand, coconut substrate, peat to sawdust.

The finished soil composition is poured into seedling containers, spilled with a pale pink manganese solution, ash and fertilizers are added.

Preparing sowing containers

When it's time to sow peppers for seedlings, you need to prepare the appropriate containers. It can be:

• individual containers, from which the seedlings are subsequently transplanted into larger containers by transshipment;
• a common sowing box from which the seedlings will be transplanted by diving in the phase of 3 true leaves.

In the second case, there is a danger of damaging the roots of the seedlings when diving. This can lead to a shift in the fruiting period to a later date and a decrease in yield.

The most important conditions for such containers:

• good drainage;
• sufficient depth and volume;
• dense opaque walls.

The best options for sowing pepper seeds are individual containers, plastic cups and bags, peat or coconut tablets, reusable cassettes, comfortable and fashionable diapers, snails (rolled up into a 15 cm high roll laminate support).

Sowing seeds

If all the nuances of preliminary preparation are followed, it remains to clarify how to sow sweet pepper correctly.

The planting containers are filled with prepared soil, slightly compacted, moistened. On the top layer of the soil in individual cups, 3 hatched seeds are placed in such a way that later only one of them, the strongest and healthiest, is left, and the other two are removed.

In the general planting box, the seeds that have hatched are laid out on the surface of the earth according to the scheme: 5 cm x 5 cm.

After spreading over the soil surface, the seeds are sprinkled with a loose layer of soil 1.5 cm thick, slightly compacted.

Containers with sown seeds are placed in a warm place (25 ° C), covered with a double layer of newspaper, which is able to provide air access, but prevent moisture evaporation.

After the emergence of seedlings, you need to transfer the seedlings to a less warm room (20 ° C), at night the temperature should be reduced by several degrees (up to 15-17 ° C). The total daily illumination of seedlings should be 10-12 hours. Direct exposure to sunlight must be avoided. Watering should be regular, but not excessive.

At the age of 1 month, when peppers are sown for seedlings, young seedlings have:

• 1 pair of cotyledon leaves + 3-4 pairs of true leaves;
• bright green juicy stem;
• height from 4 to 6 cm.

After 55-90 days, the seedlings are transferred to the beds, which can be pre-treated with epin. The most suitable moment for planting in the ground is the appearance of the first flower. Seedlings are planted according to the scheme 50 cm x 50 cm.

A windless place with fertile soil is an ideal option for pepper. Seedling, growing, when to sow - all these features are important. Following the basic rules will help healthy plants to produce rich crops.

Whatever kind of activity you are engaged in, it is important for everyone to achieve maximum success in it. In recent years, one has often come across in various fields, including 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 an auspicious day will be successful and vice versa, if you start some process on an unfavorable day, the result is likely to be negative.

Recently, more and more people are turning to astrological predictions, and the point 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 peppers for seedlings in 2019

Thanks to the sowing calendar, you will become aware of the changes in the lunar phases, on which the size and quality of your crop depend. An experienced vegetable grower or summer resident will never plant plants on a full moon or new moon, since during these periods all juices are collected 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 with the growing moon, the activity of its growth will be much higher than when planting pepper during the waning moon. So when to sow peppers for 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 outdoors?
In June, favorable days for this: 15, 21-24; in July: 20-22, 25, 26.

Pepper ripens in 100-150 days from the moment of germination, but it is possible to accurately calculate the timing of sowing pepper for seedlings only if you know the characteristics of the variety. For example, early ripe peppers are sown 65 days before planting seedlings in a permanent place, mid-ripening peppers are sown in 70 days, and late peppers are sown in 75 days.

Planting pepper seedlings at home

Soil for pepper seedlings

The soil for pepper seedlings should be loose, nutritious, neutral or slightly acidic (pH 6-6.5) and sterile. You can buy ready-made soil in garden stores or prepare the necessary soil mixture yourself.

Here are some recipes for soil suitable for seedlings of peppers:

• leaf land, sand and high moor peat in equal parts. The acidity level of such soil is adjusted by the introduction of lime fertilizers;
• sod land, 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 sieved through a sieve;
• humus, sandy loam meadow soil and sod land 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 ready-made soil mixture.

Any soil mixture must be decontaminated before fertilizing it.

Preparing pepper seeds for sowing

Pelleted seeds, enclosed in a capsule containing a growth stimulator and various fertilizers, preparation for sowing is unnecessary and even harmful, because when the seeds are soaked, their capsule is damaged.

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 immerse the seeds in the solution for 20 minutes.

After disinfection of seeds, to increase productivity, they are placed in a solution of a growth stimulator, for example, Epin, prepared in accordance with the instructions, or put in a solution of mineral fertilizers for 4-5 hours. After this treatment, the seed is washed in clean water and sown wet.

Some gardeners prefer to bubble the seeds by placing them in a cheesecloth bag and dipping them into water, through which air is passed by a compressor. The duration of this procedure is 4-5 hours.

But most often they resort to seed germination. 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 put the wrapped seeds on a saucer and place it under the plastic. Do not flood the seeds with water- they also need oxygen for germination, in addition to water. Germination occurs best at a temperature of 20-23 ºC. However, germinated seeds have a significant drawback - delicate sprouts break off easily during sowing, so we recommend you a method of disinfecting seeds in potassium permanganate with further processing in a growth stimulator.

Sowing pepper seedlings at home

Since the pepper recovers for a very long time after the pick, the sowing of pepper for 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 transplant seedlings in pots with a large clod 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 against the substrate, moistened through a sieve or by the method of bottom watering, after which they are sprinkled on top with a layer of soil 1 cm thick, which is then slightly compacted. Cover crops with plastic wrap or glass.

How to grow pepper seedlings in tablets

A good seedling of peppers is obtained when grown in peat tablets, since this culture does not tolerate picking very well - after transplanting, the seedlings do not start growing for a long time.

Seeds are sown in tablets with a diameter of 3 cm: the required number of tablets is placed in a transparent tray and poured with warm boiled water to swell. As soon as the tablets stop absorbing water, pour out the excess 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 grooves and cover them with nutritious soil on top. Cover the tray with a transparent lid, glass or plastic wrap. Seeds are germinated at a temperature of 25 ºC.

The first shoots appear in a week, and then the cover 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 sprout through the net, the seedlings are planted directly in tablets in separate pots filled with one of the soil mixture described above.

Growing pepper seedlings in cassettes

Now on sale there is a large selection of plastic cassettes in which it is very convenient to grow pepper seedlings - there are cassettes 18x13.5x6 cm in size for four seedlings with 8x6 cm cells and a volume of 240 ml each. There are cassettes of the same size, but for six, nine and twelve. And there are cassettes in a box with a lid that transmits light well, but does not allow moisture to evaporate - they can be used as mini greenhouses.

A soil mixture or peat tablets suitable for peppers is placed in the cells, the seeds are sown, then the crops are covered with transparent material, the cassette is placed on a plastic tray and kept at a temperature of about 25 ºC. Humidification is carried out by the method of bottom irrigation - water is poured into a sump.

Buy pepper seedlings - is it worth it?

If you do not want or cannot engage in growing seedlings, you will have to purchase it, and it is better to buy planting material in nurseries, specialized stores or garden pavilions - there you have more chances 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 for them.

What you need to know when buying seedlings? The leaves of the seedlings should be developed, green and evenly colored - without white spots or bloom. Seedlings should be strong and strong, not elongated and drooping.

Unfortunately, unscrupulous sellers use different tricks to sell their goods, and as a result, you can get seedlings. overfed with nitrogen fertilizers or vice versa, growth inhibitors. Such seedlings then bloom poorly, develop poorly and bear fruit unimportantly, 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

It is not so easy to maintain the temperature regime necessary for the development of pepper seedlings in an apartment, but you should know that the air temperature under the ceiling is a couple of degrees higher than at an average height, and at the baseboard it is two to three degrees lower. The lightest place in the apartment is the windowsill, but it is also the coldest, and the seedlings need warmth.

If you can arrange 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, seedlings may appear in 13-17 days, at 18-20 ºC in 18-20 days, and at 14-15 ºC you can wait for the emergence of seedlings not earlier than in a month.

As soon as shoots appear, the crops are moved as close to the light as possible, the temperature is lowered for a week to 15-17 ºC, and subsequently the seedlings are kept at 22-25 ºC in the daytime and at 20 ºC at night.

Remember to regularly ventilate the room, but keep in mind that the seedlings are afraid of drafts and cold air.

Watering pepper seedlings

For the first two to three days, the emerging seedlings are not watered, but if the soil requires moistening, it is carefully sprayed from a sprayer. As soon as the cotyledon leaves open, the seedlings are watered with thirty-degree water. In the future, the seedlings are moistened with rain or tap water at room temperature that has been settled during the day.

The soil of the seedlings should not dry out - the pepper is hard to tolerate drought, but excess moisture in the roots should not be allowed.

Please note that in a shallow container, soil loses moisture faster than in a large one. Room humidity is maintained at 60-70%.

Top dressing of pepper seedlings

For the development of the root system of seedlings, they are fed with potassium humate, diluting 5 ml of the drug in two liters of water. Before flower buds are laid, pepper seedlings develop very slowly, then their growth becomes more intense, and during the flowering period, pepper seedlings are fertilized with such a composition containing trace elements: 1 g of manganese sulfate and iron sulfate or citric acid are dissolved in 10 liters of water, 0 each, 2 g of zinc sulfate and copper sulfate and 1.7 g of boric acid.

Pinching pepper seedlings

Home seedling of peppers requires pinching, that is, removing the growing point from the seedlings. This is done in order to stimulate the development of the root system in peppers and the growth in the internodes of stepchildren from dormant buds, in which flowers are formed.

Pinching is done when the bell pepper seedlings begin to develop intensively - the part of the plant that is above 4-6 internodes is removed with scissors. When, after a while, the stepchildren begin to grow in the seedlings, the load on the bush is regulated, leaving 4-6 of the most developed stepchildren, and the rest are removed. In the lower internodes, stepchildren do not need to be removed.

Highlighting pepper seedlings

Since peppers have a longer vegetation period compared to other vegetable crops, seedlings of this culture begin to grow earlier than other plants, when the daylight hours are still short. But due to the fact that pepper seedlings need lighting for 12-14 hours daily, artificial lighting has to be organized 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, and the normal development of seedlings requires an illumination level of 20,000 lux. For the process of photosynthesis, not just light is needed, but a certain spectrum of rays: red rays stimulate the process of seed germination and flowering of seedlings, violet and blue are involved 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 is pointless to use them to illuminate seedlings. In addition, these lamps emit infrared rays, from which the seedlings stretch and overheat.

It is best to use phyto or fluorescent lamps, as well as LED lamps, which are created for such purposes, for artificial lighting of pepper seedlings. Seedlings are illuminated with 200 W lamps per 1 m² of crop area. The backlight 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 a sharp growth of seedlings, the lamps must work for three days in a row. As soon as the seedlings have true leaves, the length of daylight hours should be 14-16 hours. In February, artificial lighting should work from morning until 19-20 hours without a break. In April, the lights are turned on only in the mornings from 6:00 to 12:00 and in the evening from 16:00 to 19:00.

Pickling pepper seedlings

If the pepper grows in a common container, at the stage of development in seedlings of two true leaves, picking of seedlings is carried out, although some reference books recommend picking already in the phase of cotyledons. The soil with seedlings is well moistened, after which excess water is allowed to drain. Seedlings are dived into separate pots with a capacity of 100-150 ml - the seedlings, along with an earthen lump, are transferred into holes made in the soil, which should accommodate the root system of the seedling with the earth. The roots are placed in the soil freely, without bends. The hole is sprinkled with soil and slightly compacted

When picking, the root collar of the seedlings is deepened by no more than 5 mm. After transplanting, the seedlings are watered and, if necessary, add soil to the pots. At first, the seedlings are protected from direct sunlight, and the temperature of the content should be at least 15 ºC - at 13 ºC the growth of seedlings stops.

Pepper seedling diseases and treatment

Sometimes, in the phase of cotyledonous leaves, the seedlings of sweet peppers begin to turn yellow, the hypocotyl stalk darkens at the soil level, then blackens, a constriction forms in this place, and the seedlings lie down. In this case, the cause of the death of seedlings is a fungal disease of the black leg. Usually, the causative agent of the disease is in soil that you did not disinfect before sowing, but it happens that infection occurs through seeds or non-sterile containers - this is why pre-sowing preparation and disinfection are so important. The black leg is progressing against the background of excessive or insufficient watering, dense sowing, too high or, conversely, too low temperatures. Treating 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 plates, and lag behind in growth, most likely, the seedlings are sick with the fungal disease Fusarium. With fusarium wilting, the leaves begin to turn yellow from the bottom up, and in the section of the stem, you can see the brown vascular ring.

The means of combating fusarium are the same as with blackleg, but it is better to prevent the manifestation of the disease - sterilization of the soil and utensils for sowing seedlings, as well as disinfection of 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 stalks, oppressing the seedlings, we can say that the crops are 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, removing previously affected specimens.

Already adult seedlings can be affected by late blight: dark stripes appear on the stems, and light spots appear on the lower leaves, which gradually darken. The soil is usually the source of infection. At an early stage of late blight, seedlings are sprayed with a solution of 5 ml of iodine in a liter of water; at a later stage, they will have to resort to fungicides, first culling diseased plants.

White spots and plaque on the leaves and stems, from which the growth of seedlings slows down, and the leaves turn yellow - these are signs of powdery mildew, which affects not only adult plants, but also seedlings. You will have to fight the disease with bacterial fungicides or iodine solution, as in the case of late blight of seedlings.

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 had been scalded with boiling water. This disease is more common in the southern regions and affects sunflowers and nightshade crops. This disease does not lend itself to treatment, so the pepper will have to be sown.

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 start hardening it. 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, windows in the room or take out the plants to 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 outdoors overnight, protected from too cold air. Hardening takes about 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 seedlings, the site should be prepared: dig it up on a shovel bayonet and level it. Humus and peat are introduced into clay soil. The holes are placed at a distance of 50 cm from one another, keeping the row spacing of 60 cm. A tablespoon of complete mineral fertilizer is placed in each hole and mixed well with the soil. The depth of the hole should accommodate the roots of the seedling without bends, and the root collar, after embedding, should be flush with the surface of the site. The seedlings are transferred into the holes along with an earthen clod, the hole is filled in half so that the bulk of the roots is covered with earth, then about a third of a bucket of water is poured into the hole, and when it is absorbed, the hole is filled with soil to the top.

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Pepper is a thermophilic culture native to warm Central America. To maximize the yield of sweet or hot peppers in less warm climates, these crops must be grown through seedlings. It is not difficult to make high-quality seedlings of pepper, the main thing is to sow on time. When to plant peppers for seedlings in 2019 according to the lunar calendar and how exactly to do this will be described in this article.

What peppers to plant for seedlings in 2019

The quality of the seeds directly affects what kind of harvest they will bring. If the seeds are bad, they may not sprout at all, so the choice should be approached carefully. Seeds purchased on the market are usually cheaper, but there is no exact guarantee that this is the exact variety you need. In the store, seeds are more expensive, but there are more guarantees.

You can harvest pepper seeds for future use, which were grown last year. However, only varietal species are suitable for this. If seeds are harvested from a hybrid, they will not yield, no matter how good the care is.

There are quite a few seeds of bell pepper and bitter pepper. When choosing, you need to know exactly what kind of crop and for what purposes you need to get it. For young gardeners who have not previously grown this crop, below is a list of the best varieties recommended in 2019.

• Varieties of sweet peppers for unprotected ground: "Golden Key", "Yellow Chanterelle", "Solntsedar", "Von Baron Red".
• Bell peppers for indoor use: Red Bison, Yellow Bison, Admiral Kolchak, Californian Miracle, Belogor, Admiral Ushakov, Be Healthy.
• Sweet pepper varieties for the Moscow region: Agapovsky, Zaznayka, Darina, Peresvet F1, Rodnik.

Interesting!

If you have doubts about the sowing time of certain pepper seeds, you can pay attention to the recommendations that are usually given on the back of the package. There it is indicated when to make seedlings, dive seedlings, and even by what month to wait for the harvest.

• Bell pepper varieties for the Urals and Siberia: Yantar, Winnie the Pooh, Edino, Montero, Vityaz, Dobrynya Nikitich.
• The best sorts of hot pepper: "Gorgon", "Superchili", "Lightning red", "For the mother-in-law", "Chinese fire".
• New varieties of sweet peppers for 2019: Ginger Cat, Fantastic F1, Glass, Hero's Gold, Greta F1.

When to plant peppers in 2019 according to the lunar calendar

Check out these articles as well

Experienced gardeners usually focus on the lunar cycles when carrying out a variety of garden work and planting certain crops so that they develop quickly and give an early harvest. So, when to plant sweet and bitter peppers for seedlings according to the lunar calendar.

• February - 6, 11, 12, 17;
• March - 7, 12, 15;
• April - 7, 12, 18;
• May - 8, 15, 17;
• June - 5, 12, 14, 16.

At the same time, there are days on which you shouldn't do anything at all in the garden or with seedlings. Namely:

• February - 5, 19;
• March - 6, 21;
• April - 5, 19;
• May - 5, 19;
• June - 3, 17.

When to plant peppers for open field seedlings

It is not easy to cultivate bell peppers in the open field, but it is possible, but bitter peppers, even without protection, can give a high-quality harvest if they are properly cared for. But a timely harvest can only be harvested if the plants are planted on time, and for this it is important to know when in general it is possible to start sowing seeds for seedlings.

Sweet and bitter pepper seeds germinate for a long time. To speed up the process, it is worth treating them in advance with a growth stimulant and germinating them in a cotton cloth dipped in water.

According to experienced gardeners, pepper should be planted in unprotected soil only after the first flower appears. This can be observed approximately 2-2.5 months after the emergence of sprouts. It may seem that this is very late, but the pepper develops in the open air for a very long time, and in order to shorten this time, it is simply transplanted late into the open ground. Plus, by this time, warm weather will set in the street, and the plants will definitely not freeze.

Thus, you can start sowing seeds in 2019 from February 20 to March 5. In 2 weeks at most, the sprouts will sprout, and they will have enough time to develop normally. And from May 10, they can already be transplanted to a permanent place.

When to plant peppers for greenhouse seedlings

Indoors, a culture such as pepper, sweet or hot, develops most favorably. But even in protected ground, you may not get the desired harvest if you do not plant seedlings on time. When to plant peppers for greenhouse seedlings? It is important here which variety is chosen, and what kind of climate. And yet there are general tips for harvesting seedlings that will be transplanted into the greenhouse.

In the last month of winter, when seedlings of pepper for greenhouses are made, the daylight hours are very short. In order for the pepper to hatch and begin to develop, they arrange backlighting with a simple lamp.

In order for crops to germinate and grow stronger, they are sown from February 15 or a little later. If the greenhouse is insulated and warms up early, then sowing can be done earlier. Thus, it will be possible to plant young shoots indoors before the end of April and the pepper will have enough time to develop.

When to plant peppers for seedlings in the suburbs

In the Moscow region and throughout the Central region, pepper seeds are grown in a greenhouse or in unprotected soil. Each gardener has his own preferences in this regard. The approximate timing of harvesting seedlings in this region depends on the ripening period of the culture.

So, for early species, seedlings are sown from March 15, not earlier. If you prepare the seedlings earlier, they can stretch out a lot by the time of transplantation. Late types of sweet and bitter peppers can be sown from February 15th.

When to plant peppers for seedlings in the Urals and Siberia

In cold areas, like the Urals, Siberia, planting seeds for seedlings early is pointless. Winter in such areas is usually long and it gets late warm. Early types of pepper can be planted for seedlings from the last days of March or early April. If the pepper is late, then it is sown from March 1, so that it has time to develop.

Pepper seedlings are afraid of drafts and strong temperature fluctuations, therefore it is necessary to cover it with a film when airing the room.

Seed preparation and sowing of pepper

Sowing hot or sweet peppers for seedlings is carried out in a common tray or in separate cups. The second option simplifies future care, because the seedlings do not dive into separate containers, but initially there will be more work.

To make the seeds germinate faster, they are dipped in warm water for 15 minutes, and then put in the refrigerator for 24 hours. You can also soak them in growth stimulants such as Zircon, Epin, Energen or the like. The processing time in a particular product is indicated on the package. When the seeds are ready, sowing can be carried out.

The pepper planting dish is filled with seedling soil. So that it is not dry, it is moistened with water from a spray bottle. If there is only one container for seeds, then you need to spread the seeds on the ground with a distance of 2 cm.A gap of 3-5 cm is made between the rows.Now you need to sprinkle the seeds with soil no more than 1 cm and slightly compact. The container with the seedlings is covered with foil and placed on a warm windowsill for germination.

How to grow pepper seedlings

When pepper sprouts appear from under the ground, you can remove the film. From this time on, the seedlings need a lot of light and heat. It is recommended to put it on the south window, but if the days are short, highlight it.

Watering is carried out every 2 days. But, if it is noticeable that the earth does not have time to dry out, you can water it a little less often. For irrigation, settled water at room temperature is used. If the soil is taken with a dense crust, you can fluff it up a little with a thin pencil, fork or something similar. This is done carefully so as not to hurt the plants.

Cold water for young shoots is a lot of stress. Due to watering with such water, plants can stop growing or die altogether!

A pick on individual containers is carried out after the appearance of 4 real leaves. The diameter of the pots for such plants should be from 7 cm. When picking, the seedlings do not go deeply, otherwise the root and stem will begin to rot.

Top dressing for young seedlings of Bulgarian or hot peppers is carried out 2 times before transplanting to a permanent place. For the first time, this is necessary when two full-fledged leaves appear on the seedlings. Re-feeding is done 10 days after picking the seedlings in separate cups. And if they initially grew alone, then you can repeat the procedure 1.5-2 weeks after the first. It is recommended to buy special fertilizers for seedlings and use according to the instructions. Pepper is a delicate crop, so untested feeding can harm it.

It is sometimes difficult for a novice gardener to determine the timing of sowing pepper seeds for growing seedlings. The information on the seed bags is usually not enough. We will teach the reader to correctly calculate these terms, depending on all influencing factors.

Method for determining the timing of sowing sweet pepper for seedlings

To get strong and not overgrown pepper seedlings, you need to determine the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings as accurately as possible. We will need the initial data required for the calculation.

The timing of the emergence of seedlings

Sown pepper seeds, depending on their quality, age and degree of preparation, usually begin to sprout on the fifth or seventh day. Full shoots (when a couple of cotyledon leaves are formed from each seed) usually appear 10-15 days after sowing. We will rely on these terms in further calculations.

The optimal age of seedlings for planting in the ground

Seedlings for planting in the ground should have strong thick stems and 6-8 true leaves. Usually, the seed producers on the packages provide information about the age at which the seedlings will be ready for transplanting. But if there is no such information, then they are guided by the ripening time of a particular variety.

Table: the optimal age of seedlings for planting, depending on the ripening time of the variety

Dates of planting seedlings, depending on the region

Pepper is a heat-loving plant. It can be planted in open ground only when the average daily air temperature is at least +15 ° C. When grown under film shelters and in spring unheated greenhouses, this can be done 3-5 weeks earlier. Of course, these terms depend on the climatic conditions of the region. Below they are averaged and they should be clarified for a specific area, based on the data obtained empirically by practicing gardeners and agronomists.

Middle zone of Russia, including the Moscow region

This territory is quite large and therefore we will consider it in parts. In the southern latitudes at the level of Voronezh - Saratov, pepper is planted in open ground on May holidays - 5-15 days, and in unheated film and polycarbonate greenhouses - April 10-20. In more northern regions, including the Moscow region, the dates for disembarkation in open ground are June 10-15, and in closed - May 1-5.

Siberia and the Urals

These regions are characterized by short summers and variable weather in spring and autumn. The dates for planting in open ground are late - June 15-20, and in greenhouses - May 5-10. At the same time, it is not always and not always possible to have time to harvest before the onset of cold weather, so peppers planted in open ground will most likely have to be covered in arcs.

Southern regions

In the Rostov Region, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, and the Crimea, peppers are planted in open ground already in mid-April - 15-20, and in greenhouses - on March 1-5.

Calculation of sowing dates

With the above initial data, it is easy to calculate the timing of sowing pepper seeds for seedlings in a specific region and for a specific variety. As an example, we will calculate the timing of sowing the Volovye Ukho pepper variety in open ground for the Moscow region.

Cow's ear is a popular mid-season large-fruited sweet pepper variety

As you can see, there is not enough information on the seed packaging to accurately determine the sowing time. Based on the fact that the variety is mid-season, we determine the optimal age of the seedlings from the table above. In our case, it will be 55-65 days. To this time, you need to add 10-15 days required to obtain full shoots. Therefore, it will be necessary to start sowing seeds 65-80 days before the planned planting of seedlings in the ground. In our case, this is done on June 10-15, which means that a suitable date for sowing will be between March 20 and April 15. Similarly, you can calculate the sowing time for any region, variety and growing conditions.

Table: sowing dates for medium and medium late varieties of pepper seeds for seedlings, depending on the region and growing conditions

In order not to clutter the table, we have given the estimated sowing dates only for medium and medium late varieties. If the gardener chooses sowing dates for early varieties, then they should be shifted 5-10 days forward, for later ones - 5-10 days ago.

Favorable sowing days according to the lunar calendar 2019

When the optimal ranges of sowing dates have been determined, you can additionally adjust them according to the lunar calendar. In 2019, the following days are favorable:

1. January - 10, 11, 18, 31.
2. February - 1, 2, 8-12, 15, 24.
3. March - 3, 4, 10-14, 17, 26.
4. April - 2-4, 9, 13, 16, 25.

What are the latest sowing dates for seedlings

This question is of interest to some gardeners who, for whatever reason, missed the dates for sowing pepper for seedlings. Above, we showed how to determine the optimal timing, while a fairly wide range is obtained. It is extremely undesirable to delay sowing, since the growing season of even early varieties lasts quite a long time and they simply may not have time to ripen. The maximum can be tightened with sowing for 7-10 days. Further, it will be a waste of time and seeds. In this case, it is wiser to purchase ready-made seedlings on the market.

Video: about the timing of sowing pepper for seedlings

When sowing pepper seeds outdoors in southern regions

Even in the southern regions, they try to grow pepper in seedlings, but if desired, it can be sown directly into open ground. To do this, it is better to choose early ripening varieties, the ripening period of which is 100-130 days from full shoots. Sowing dates are chosen 10-15 days earlier than the seedlings are planted in open ground. That is, if they fall in the southern regions on April 15-20, then the seeds are sown on April 1-10. In this case, the harvest can be expected in mid - late August.

The described technique helps to quite accurately calculate the optimal timing of sowing sweet pepper seeds for seedlings. Its use will allow you to avoid gross mistakes, but at the same time, you should not neglect the advice of experienced gardeners who have been growing peppers in your area for more than one year.

You can get strong, healthy pepper seedlings if you grow them yourself. Novice gardeners often wonder how to grow pepper seedlings at home. Before planting, it is important to understand all the nuances: planting timing, features of seed preparation, selection of soil by the rules of care.

Optimal planting times

When planning to grow pepper seedlings on your own, first of all, you need to decide when to plant pepper for seedlings. The sowing date of seeds for each variety is determined individually. It depends on:

• planned growing conditions (open ground, greenhouse);
• early maturity;
• the age at which the pepper is moved into the ground;
• preparation of seeds.

The duration of the vegetative development of peppers depends on the early maturity of the variety. If early ripening varieties ripen 100–120 days from the moment of seed germination, then late ripening peppers need about 150 days before the start of fruiting. Accordingly, early varieties should be planted a little later.

The seedlings are transferred to the main place at the age of 60–80 days. When calculating the timing of sowing seeds, add another 7-10 days for their hatching. If you plan to grow peppers in unprotected soil, then you need to wait until the earth warms up to +10 .. + 15 ° С. An earlier planting will cause a delay in the vegetative development of the plant.

The optimal planting time is considered to be the period between February 20 and March 10. If the summer resident plans to plant plants in early June, then March will be the optimal time for sowing seeds. If you plan to plant peppers in a greenhouse at the end of April, then seedlings at home can be planted in early February.

In the southern regions, agronomists advise planting seeds during 2-3 ten days of February, and in the northern regions - in March.

When choosing a landing day, you should be guided by the lunar calendar. The most favorable period is considered to be the presence of the moon in the constellation Cancer, Pisces or Scorpio. If you pre-soak the seeds, then the optimal day is selected for their first contact with water.

The following dates are considered favorable according to the lunar calendar in 2018:

• January 1, 20, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30;
• 14, 18, 21-22, 25-26 February;
• 1, 8-11, 20-21, 24-26, 29-31 March;
• April 9, 11, 18, 25-29.

Pros and cons of planting seeds directly in open ground

Some homeowners do not want to grow seedlings at home. They are waiting for the warmer to sow seeds in open ground right away. But this growing method is considered risky, because pepper is a heat-loving culture. Plants can die in case of sudden spring frosts.

Residents of the southern regions and the middle lane can try to grow pepper by planting seeds immediately in open ground. In the northern regions and zones related to risky farming, such an experiment is unlikely to end well.

You can use only early-ripening varieties, the rest will not have time to start bearing fruit before the cold snap. It is advised to plant seeds in the ground not earlier than mid-May - early June. The likelihood of frost must be minimized.

The advantages of this method of planting include the absence of the need to grow seedlings at home. Outdoor cultivation minimizes labor costs.

But this method also has disadvantages:

• the ability to grow only early ripening varieties;
• there is a high probability of plant death or developmental delay due to an unplanned cold snap;
• the probability of full ripening of the crop before a cold snap is low even in the south.

Gardeners are forced to constantly monitor the temperature and cover crops with agrofibre, if they transmit a decrease in temperature at night.

Preparing seeds for sowing at home

Having decided on the preliminary sowing date, it is necessary to reject the seeds. They should be examined first. All puny, damaged specimens are selected. The rest of the seeds must be pickled in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes and rinsed in cold water. Instead of potassium permanganate, some choose antifungal agents for treatment. The following fungicides are used:

• Fitosporin-M;
• Maksim;
• Vitaros.

After etching, they can be soaked in a solution of Epin or Zircon. These are plant growth stimulants that contribute to the accelerated germination of seeds, the activation of their defenses. 2 drops of Epin are added to 100 ml of water. When using Zircon, dissolve 1 drop in 300 ml of water. The seeds are soaked for 12-18 hours at room temperature.

When processing several varieties of pepper, which are planned to be planted separately in the future, the seeds of each type are tied in a separate gauze bag.

After the completion of the treatment with growth stimulants, the seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and film for 2–7 days. Do not allow the tissue and seeds to dry out. They should be kept at a temperature of + 22 ... + 24 ° С. The hatched seeds are transplanted into the ground. When planting, care should be taken, the slightest damage to the roots will cause the death of the plant.

Rules for the selection and preparation of soil for seeds

Home gardeners who want strong, healthy seedlings should take a responsible approach to soil preparation. He must meet the following requirements:

• absence of pests and pathogens;
• neutral or slightly acidic reaction, the optimal pH level is considered to be 6–6.5;
• high nutrient content;
• sufficient moisture capacity;
• looseness.

You can buy ready-made soil in a specialized store or prepare it yourself. For cooking you will need:

• garden land (2 parts);
• humus, rotted manure (1 part);
• wood ash (the amount is determined based on the fact that a large handful of ash is required for 1 bucket of humus);
• sawdust (1 part);
• peat (1 part).

If there is no sawdust, they are replaced with coarse sand. Garden land should be collected where no solanaceous crops (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers) have grown over the past 3-4 years.

Also summer residents can prepare a substrate from:

• humus (3 parts);
• peat / turf (3 parts);
• river sand (1 part);
• ash (250 g per 5 liters of prepared soil).

When self-preparing the soil mixture, it must be calcined in the oven or steamed in a double boiler for an hour. This is required to kill bacteria pathogens and destroy weeds.

If it is not possible to use humus and find ash, add mineral fertilizers: ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, potassium nitrate. Potassium chloride or potassium salt should not be used, these fertilizers contain a large amount of chlorine, which is harmful to the roots of young plants.

The day before planting, you can additionally disinfect the soil by watering it with boiling water.

Sowing pepper seeds for seedlings step by step

2.5 months before the planned date of planting seedlings, the process of sowing seeds begins. This can be done according to the following scheme.

1. Drainage (expanded clay, pebbles) with a height of 1–2 cm is laid on the bottom of the previously prepared containers, soil is poured on top. It is best to plant seeds in separate pots or cups, 10–12 cm deep and 8–10 cm in diameter. In the absence of cups, planting in a common container is allowed.
2. Seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil with tweezers or by hand. If they are planted in a common container, then the optimal distance will be 1.5–2 cm. 3 cm are left between the grooves. You can put 2 seeds in separate cups.
3. After the completion of the process of laying out the seeds, the soil is poured on top with a layer of 1–2 cm. It is not necessary to tamp it thoroughly, otherwise it will be difficult for the sprouts to germinate. After completion, the soil is carefully watered; care must be taken that the seeds do not wash out to the surface.
4. Top containers with soil are covered with transparent material: glass, plastic wrap. This is necessary to create a greenhouse effect. When the first shoots appear, the lid is removed, the plants need air.

Many have appreciated the benefits of growing seeds in peat cups. When using them, there is no need to worry about possible damage to the roots during transplantation. The seedlings are sent to the ground directly in the cups.

Seedling care

In the conditions of an ordinary city apartment, not everyone succeeds in growing strong, unstretched seedlings. In the brightest place in the apartment - the windowsill - it is traditionally cold, and there is not enough light in the warm corners. When growing, the following nuances must be taken into account.

• After sowing the seeds, the boxes or pots are placed in a warm place. They must not be placed on a battery. The optimum temperature for germination is +24 .. + 26 ° С. After the first shoots appear, the containers are moved to a bright, cool place. The optimum temperature is +15 .. + 17 ° С. After a few days, the temperature must be gradually increased, bringing it to +22 .. + 25 ° С during the day and +20 ° С at night.

Suitable conditions can be created on the windowsill of a city apartment. To do this, the window is fenced off from the heat coming from the battery and from the apartment with heat-insulating material (a semblance of a box with one wall for the entire window sill is made). The insulation is gradually removed and the air temperature on the windowsill rises.

• The emerging seedlings must be carefully watered with warm water (the optimum temperature is +30 ° C). The root system of germinated plants is weak, so they can be simply washed out of the soil with a strong pressure. Excess moisture for seedlings is also harmful, as well as its deficiency. With insufficient watering, the seedlings will begin to wilt, and with excessive watering, a black leg appears. You can save the plants if you sprinkle the soil with calcined sand on top or dust it with ash.
• If the daylight hours are short or the weather is cloudy outside, the seedlings will have to be illuminated. Otherwise, it will begin to stretch.
• It is important to ensure good ventilation of the plants, but they do not like drafts.
• To get strong seedlings, you need to fertilize them. The development of the root system is facilitated by feeding with sodium humate: 25 ml of the drug is diluted in 10 liters of water. When 2-4 true leaves appear, the pepper is fertilized with a mixture of potassium sulfate, urea (10 g each), superphosphate (30 g). This amount is dissolved in 5 l of water. A solution is prepared on the basis that 1 liter of the mixture is needed for watering 10 plants.

The second feeding is carried out 2-3 weeks after the first. The seedlings should have at least 5 leaves. The same fertilizers are used, only their concentration is doubled.

You can use ready-made fertilizers: Krepysh, Agricola, Solution, Fertika Lux.

Only proper care will make it possible to get healthy seedlings that will bear fruit well.

Picking - is it necessary or not, how to do without it, how to carry it out correctly

Peppers dive when 2 true leaves are formed. This usually occurs 3-4 weeks after germination. When transplanting, young plants can be buried no more than 0.5 cm.

Many agronomists advise to immediately plant seeds in large pots in order to do without picking peppers. The plant does not tolerate this procedure well. If the roots are damaged, the period of vegetative development is lengthened by 1–2 weeks.

But if the seeds were planted in a common container, then picking is indispensable. Plants begin to shade each other, and this negatively affects their growth and development. Also, a pick is needed to reduce the risk of developing root rot.

You can minimize the likelihood of root damage by removing several plants at the same time with a clod of earth. This must be done after abundant watering of the soil. The gardener places a lump of earth with plants on a horizontal surface and carefully separates each plant.

Peppers dive into pots with a volume of about 150 ml. It will be easier for seedlings to take root in them. The hole in the pots is made so that the roots can fit freely. After moving the plants, they are sprinkled with earth, slightly compacted and watered.

Planting peppers in open ground

After 60–80 days of vegetative development, you can transplant seedlings into open ground. The transplanting process begins at the stage of the first buds and 7–8 true leaves, while the height of the plants should be at least 20–25 cm. Only hardened seedlings are allowed to be transplanted into open ground. She should be used to cold temperatures, direct sunlight and wind.

When transplanting into open ground, pay attention to the temperature of the soil and air. The earth should be warmed up to + 10 ° С. It is unacceptable that the air temperature at night falls below +12 .. + 14 ° С.

• choose a sunny place, protected from drafts;
• the soil is pre-dug to the depth of the shovel, fertilized with humus or peat;
• for each seedling, holes are dug at a distance of 0.3-0.5 m from each other, the exact distance depends on the variety of pepper (0.25-0.3 m can be left between low-growing determinant species, and for tall indeterminate crops 0.5 –0.6 m);
• leave at least 0.5 m between the rows;
• mineral fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) are added to each hole, the holes are spilled with boiling water;
• seedlings move into the ground together with the soil in which they grew, and are sprinkled with earth on top;
• the seedlings are watered abundantly, after absorbing moisture, the soil is poured so that the surface becomes even;
• bushes can be mulched with peat.

Subject to all the rules for planting, the seedlings should take root.

Video: a proven growing method

Having decided to start growing seedlings on your own, you will have to deal with many nuances. It is important to properly prepare the soil, process the seeds before planting. You can grow strong seedlings, if you follow the rules of watering, create optimal conditions for growth. Air temperature, lighting, humidity are important. It should also be remembered that timely fertilization stimulates the growth and development of plants.