Sweet pepper is a thermophilic culture. Growing a full-fledged pepper by sowing seeds immediately in open ground is problematic even in the southern regions. The plant has a long growing season, so seedlings must be grown to harvest a good harvest.
We cannot control the weather outside the window, but everyone can create optimal conditions for growing seedlings. After transplantation, peppers successfully take root in open ground, fruiting begins a month earlier - you are guaranteed to have time to harvest.
How to choose a variety of sweet pepper
When choosing a variety, consider a number of parameters:
- The length of summer in your area. Choose early and medium varieties if the summer is short. If warm weather is guaranteed for 2-2.5 months, varieties with an average ripening period will do. In the southern regions, it is possible to grow late-ripening varieties.
- The shape of the fruit is also important. Cylindrical and cone-shaped peppers with thick walls are good for salads, cubic peppers are best for stuffing, small peppers are best for pickling.
- Fruit Color: The darker, the sweeter the taste.
- Bush height. Low-growing and medium-sized plants are planted on beds under film shelter, tall ones are usually grown in greenhouses.
Terms of planting sweet pepper for seedlings
To obtain good planting material, timely is necessary. If sown too early, young peppers will overgrow in pots, then the lower fruits will begin to set. This takes strength from the plant, they may not take root in the open field, normal fruiting will be delayed.
How to calculate the time of planting sweet pepper seedlings:
- Varieties of early ripening should be sown 60 days before the intended transplantation into open ground,
- later - for 70-75 days.
- The best time for sowing sweet pepper for seedlings is the end of February-beginning of March, if you plan to plant immediately in open ground.
Take into account the subsequent place of growth. In a heated greenhouse, young seedlings are planted by the end of April, in greenhouses and film greenhouses - throughout May, and planting in open ground should be carried out in the first decade of June.
Also note that without a pick, the peppers will be ready for planting two weeks earlier.
It can be carried out in early February, but sweet pepper seedlings will need additional lighting. Use LED or phytolamps. Daylight hours should be 12 hours.
Preparing sweet pepper seeds for seedlings
To soak or not to soak, to process or not to process sweet pepper seeds before planting, everyone decides for himself. But experienced vegetable growers recommend showing a little patience in order to speed up germination and choose the highest quality seed. Alas, to increase the shelf life, sweet pepper seeds are often dried out - but this must be indicated on the packaging.
To get friendly shoots, it is necessary to carry out the selection and processing of seeds.
How to select the best seeds
Prepare a brine solution (30 g of table salt per 1 liter of water), immerse the seeds in it and stir well. See what happens in 5-10 minutes. Weak seeds will float to the surface, and high-quality, healthy ones will sink to the bottom. The latter should be washed well with water, laid out on paper and allowed to dry.
Disinfection from pathogens
The next step is disinfection. You will need a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of powder per 1 liter of water), in which you should hold the seeds for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse and dry slightly.
Strengthening germination
You can use folk remedies: take 2 g of wood ash for 1 liter of water. Infuse the solution for a day, then keep a bag of seeds in it for about 3 hours.
Soaking can be replaced by bubbling - seed treatment in oxygenated water. To do this, you will need an aquarium compressor. You need to take a large glass container, fill it 2/3 with water (temperature about 20 ° C). Lower the compressor so that its tip is at the bottom and turn on the appliance. When bubbles appear, lower the bag of seeds there and let it stand for a day.
seed hardening
Seedlings should have good immunity. Resistance to changeable weather conditions, diseases will help increase the hardening of seeds. Hold the seeds in warm water until swelling, then move them to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and stand for a day, then proceed to sowing.
Soil preparation for sowing sweet pepper
The soil needs to be nutritious.
The following options will work:
- The most reliable option is a special mixture for growing pepper seedlings. Such soil has already been treated against diseases and pests.
- You can prepare the soil mixture yourself. Take 4 parts of peat, 2 parts of sod land, 1 part of humus and rotted sawdust, 0.5 parts of river sand and add 2-3 tbsp. spoons of wood ash.
- Coconut substrate - can be easily found in flower shops.
- Soil with hydrogel. Hydrogel balls are great for retaining moisture in the soil. Lay them already swollen.
- Peat tablets are a very convenient option. For subsequent transplants, simply transfer the seedling with it to a container of a larger diameter.
It is recommended to add a little soil to the soil from the area where pepper will grow in the future. This contributes to the successful adaptation of seedlings after transplanting into open ground. Before entering into the soil mixture, this earth must be shed with a solution of potassium permanganate or calcined in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
What container is best to plant
As a container, it is best to use individual cups with a volume of about 100 ml. It is desirable that they are not transparent - exposure to sunlight negatively affects the development of the root system. You can make homemade cups, as shown in the video above.
Growing sweet pepper seedlings at home
How to sow sweet pepper for seedlings?
- The main condition is to plant immediately in separate cups so as not to disturb the fragile root system with a pick. Peppers after picking are very sick and stunted, fruiting is delayed.
- Planting depth 0.5-1 cm.
Preparing containers and soil for seedlings
Lay a drainage layer at the bottom of the tank (pieces of polystyrene foam, broken bricks, expanded clay).
Fill the cups with soil ¾, compact a little, pour. Make a groove about 1 cm deep, place 1 seed in each cup. Lightly cover with soil.
Lighting and heat
For healthy growth, it is necessary to provide an optimal microclimate: cover the crops with glass or film. To protect the seedlings from drafts as much as possible, place the containers in a box, install a dense wire along its edges, stretch the plastic film on top so that it completely covers the ground with crops.
The cold will destroy the plants, direct sunlight is vital for them. Southern window sills, bathed in sunlight, are an ideal place for growing bell pepper seedlings. When the days are warm, you can take out the seedlings to the insulated balcony, loggia. Be sure to place a heater under the cups with seedlings.
How many days does sweet pepper germinate for seedlings? We maintain the correct temperature
Compliance with the correct temperature regime is an important condition for growing seedlings:
- Until the first shoots appear, it is necessary to maintain the air temperature within 25-27 ° C.
- Sprouts will appear in 7-14 days (depending on the variety). During this time, ventilate the greenhouse every 2 days and spray the soil with a fine sprayer.
- The cover can then be removed. Maintain daytime air temperature at 23-25 °C, nighttime - 16-18 °C.
- The air temperature should not fall below 12 ° C, otherwise the plants will lose their leaves and may die.
From the lack of lighting, seedlings begin to reach out to look for a source of light. Older specimens stop growth, the root system may begin to rot. The optimal length of daylight hours for pepper is 9-10 hours. Light up during the daytime (from 8.00 to 20.00).
How to water
Abundant, but not often. The soil should be slightly moist, do not allow stagnant water. Watering is best done in the morning. Use softened water (thawed water, rainwater, or tap water that has been standing for a day), warm it up to room temperature.
The roots need to receive oxygen - after each watering, loosen the soil with a carnation or a match, only slightly breaking the crust on the surface. Do this very carefully, since damage to the root system leads to inhibition of growth, fruiting may not occur.
How to prepare sweet pepper seedlings for planting in the ground
Seedlings that have grown strong need to be hardened off. 10-12 days before transplanting into open ground, take it out for some time to fresh air or leave a window open in the room.
It is useful to spray seedlings with herbal infusion (use onions, garlic, pine needles, marigolds, calendula flowers for infusion).
Thus, the seedlings will become more resistant to diseases and pests.
Immediately after spraying, seedlings should not be taken out under the sun, let the leaves dry. Droplets of water on the leaves can cause sunburn.
top dressing
Sweet peppers need to be fed. Do this twice: apply the first top dressing at the stage of appearance of 3-4 true leaves, the second - with the appearance of 5-6 leaves.
Organics can be added under the root: a solution of mullein (1 part of humus to 10 parts of water) or an infusion of chicken manure (1 part of dry manure to 20 parts of water). For foliar top dressing, use complex mineral fertilizers.
How to sow sweet pepper seedlings video
Disease protection
A slowdown in growth is a phenomenon that is possible for 2 reasons:
- The roots are damaged after picking. If you are a beginner gardener, it is better to refuse this procedure.
- Lack of fertilizer. In addition to stopping growth, in this case, pallor of the leaves is observed. It is important to feed the seedlings so as not to destroy them.
The plant loves moisture, but do not overdo it with watering. Excessive watering leads to black leg infection: the root neck becomes soft, darkens, the sprout withers and falls. The causative agent of the disease can be initially infected soil.
To prevent this from happening, you need to ensure proper care:
- When watering, water should not fall on the stems. While they are very tiny, apply water through a pipette or syringe into the aisles.
- Do not keep under cover for long. Ventilate the greenhouse regularly until seedlings emerge. Make sure that there is no dampness near the stems.
- Provide warmth: spores of a harmful fungus become active in cold, damp soil.
- There should be no sudden changes in temperature, so as not to weaken the immunity of seedlings.
External characteristics of good seedlings of sweet pepper
Young peppers are ready for transplantation to a permanent place of growth in 60-80 days. Their height should be 17-20 cm. The thickness of a strong stem at the root should be 3-4 mm. A healthy plant should have 7-10 well-developed leaves, buds may be present.
Transplant in open ground with the establishment of real heat (late May-early June).
Stick to a 40x50 cm planting pattern, you can plant seedlings two plants in one hole if you want to use a piece of land more economically.
When and how to plant sweet pepper seedlings in the ground, we look at the planting patterns in the video:
As we already know, it is a very heat-loving crop and also has a long growing season.
And therefore, in order to get a good harvest, and even as early as possible, it is necessary to grow this crop using seedlings.
Pepper grows well and, and, but we won’t be able to sow it directly into the ground either in the north or even in the south. So we will master all the wisdom of planting sweet peppers through seedlings.
How to grow seedlings of pepper? This is the question we will try to answer in this article. We cannot regulate the weather outside the window, but we will successfully create the right microclimate at home.
Attached to cozy pots on the southern, warm windowsill, peppers grow well and, transplanted then into the garden, turn into strong plants and give a good harvest.
In addition, growing pepper seedlings has the following advantages. For a vegetable grown by seedling method:
- The fruiting period is increased.
- The fruits begin to ripen earlier by 2.5-3 weeks.
But before you start sowing seeds, you need to choose the right pepper varieties that we will grow.
I advise you to pay attention to such basic parameters:
- Length of summer in your area. If it is short, then choose early and mid-early varieties. If you have enough warm days for 2-2.5 months, then you can plant mid-season peppers. Well, if you are lucky and you live in the southern regions, then late varieties will also ripen perfectly.
- The shape of the fetus is also important. Cone-shaped and cylindrical peppers with thick walls are good for salads, diced peppers are great for stuffing, and medium-sized peppers are better for pickling.
- Color of bell peppers: dark-colored, for example, sweeter.
- Bush growth. Tall varieties are usually planted in greenhouses, while low- and medium-sized varieties are planted in beds under film shelters.
Now, directly, let's start answering the main question - how to grow seedlings of sweet pepper.
Step 1. Determine the sowing time
It is necessary to plant pepper for seedlings in a timely manner in order to get good planting material.
This is a very important point in the cultivation of sweet pepper - determining the correct sowing time for seedlings. After all, if we plant the seeds too early, the plants will outgrow in pots.
The timing of sowing pepper seeds depends on several factors:
- Features of the variety. Peppers of early varieties are best sown 60 days before planting it in the garden, and later varieties - 70-75 days before.
- Place of future cultivation. Keep in mind that young seedlings of pepper should appear in a heated greenhouse at the end of April, in film greenhouses, hotbeds - from mid-May to its end, and seedlings are planted under the open sky in the first decade of June.
- Growing seedlings with or without picking. Peppers grown without a pick will be ready for planting a week earlier.
- climate conditions in your region.
Many gardeners have a simple answer - to start growing seedlings in early February, but, given the short daylight hours, the young pepper in this case needs additional illumination.
If desired, you can use LED, phytolamps, including them for 12 hours.
But most experienced gardeners plan to sow seeds for seedlings in late February or early March.
- If the seeds are sown early, you may encounter some troubles: the plants will set the lower fruits, this leads the peppers to depletion. Such seedlings can get sick, it will become worse to take root and delay fruiting.
Pay attention to the quality of the seeds themselves! Many growers dry the seeds to increase shelf life. This feature is usually written on the packaging.
Step 2. Cooking the seeds
Sweet pepper is a capricious plant, its seeds can quickly lose their germination. To avoid this, they should be well prepared for sowing.
♦ Seed selection. Prepare a saline solution (30 g of table salt per liter of water). Dip the pepper seeds in and stir well.
After 5-10 minutes, strong, high-quality seeds will be at the bottom, and weak ones will float. We need healthy seeds - we will wash them well and let them dry, spreading them out on a paper leaf.
♦ Etching. How to grow pepper seedlings and get strong seedlings? Etching is required.
This method will disinfect the seeds and give them the first hardening against diseases.
A weak solution of manganese will help us (a gram of potassium permanganate per liter of water). Hold the seeds there for 15-20 minutes, rinse and dry.
♦ Processing. In order for our pepper to grow strong, the seeds must be treated with microelements 2 days before sowing.
Spread the seeds in gauze bags and place them in a solution with trace elements (you can use "Ideal" or "Epin").
We keep the seeds there for about a day, after which we take them out and dry them (no need to rinse).
- You can use for processing and folk remedies. Soak the seeds in a solution of ash (2 g of wood ash per liter of water) - insist the mixture for a day. And we keep the bags with our seeds in the solution for 3 hours.
Advice. You can do without soaking the seeds at all. Bubbling (processing seeds in oxygenated water) is considered a very effective method of preparation.
This method dramatically enhances the germination of pepper. For sparging, use a regular aquarium compressor. Seeds should be treated in this way 2 weeks before sowing.
- Take a large glass jar, fill the container 2/3 with water (at the same time, the water should be about + 20 ° C). Lower the compressor there so that its tip is located at the bottom, and turn on the device. As soon as bubbles begin to appear in the water, immerse a bag of seeds in it for a day.
♦ Seed hardening. Sweet pepper seedlings should have good immunity.
Hardening will help the pepper adequately cope with weather troubles and any diseases. Seed hardening is carried out immediately before sowing.
Soak the planting material in slightly warmed water, wait for the seeds to swell and immediately put them in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf. Keep them there overnight. Then immediately start seeding.
Step 3. Getting ready to sow
Our pepper does not tolerate picking well - therefore, it is better not to plant seeds in a common large container. Individual cups with a volume of 100 ml are ideal.
As the pepper grows, we will simply “transfer” it into larger containers.
♦ Soil for seedlings. The land for our seeds must be nourished and insulated.
To warm the soil, first pour hot water into the soil containers, and stretch the film over it (evaporations will collect there).
The soil for sweet pepper can be in several variations:
- Ready soil. On sale there are special, already prepared mixtures for growing pepper seedlings. This is the most reliable option for sowing. Such land is already cultivated and protected from diseases and pests.
- Soil prepared by yourself. To do this, mix a bucket of seedling soil with peat (4 parts), soddy soil (2 parts), old sawdust (1 part), humus (1 part), river sand (0.5 l) and wood ash (2-3 tbsp. l.).
- coco substrate. It can also be found in stores, such a substrate is also great for growing young peppers.
- Earth with hydrogel. Adding hydrogel to the soil perfectly allows you to maintain soil moisture. But you should add gel balls already swollen in water. If you lay dry granules in the soil, when swelling, the balls will displace the earth from the pots.
- Peat tablets. One of the best options for growing seedlings in terms of convenience. In the future, the plants (when picking or transplanting) are simply transferred along with the tablet to other, larger containers.
Advice on how to grow seedlings of pepper. In order for the pepper to better adapt to its permanent place in the garden, add some soil to the soil from the area where you plan to plant the plant. Do not forget to process it with potassium permanganate or steam it in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
Lay a drainage layer on the bottom of the cups; small pieces of foam plastic, broken particles of red brick or expanded clay can be taken as drainage.
The cups themselves are better to take opaque - the sun negatively affects the healthy formation of the root system.
♦ Choose a place. Bulgarian pepper does not like the cold very much; direct rays of the sun are vital to it.
The ideal place for seedlings will be the southern window sills, all the time flooded with light. On very warm days, seedlings can be placed on insulated balconies / loggias (place insulated material under the cups with seedlings).
Step 4. Sowing seeds
♦ Sowing pepper seedlings. Fill the cups ¾ full with potting mix, lightly compacting the soil with your hand.
Then we water the soil a little and make grooves 1 cm deep. In each cup we put two pepper seeds at a distance of about 2-3 cm from each other, sprinkling them with soil (it will be convenient to use a toothpick).
We cover the cups with seeds with polyethylene and put them on the windowsill.
- Instead of a film, you can use a glass cover over the cups. This method will provide our plants with an optimal microclimate, which is very important for the healthy growth of seedlings. In order to protect sweet pepper seeds as much as possible from possible drafts, seedlings can be equipped with mini-greenhouses - install a dense, reliable wire along the edges of the boxes and stretch a plastic film over it, completely covering the ground with seeds.
Experienced gardeners advise placing pots with seedlings at a distance from each other. It has been noticed that bell pepper does not like to touch the leaves and immediately begins to stretch at the same time. The neighbors are bothering him!
Step 5. Competent care of crops
It is very important to observe the correct conditions for growing pepper seedlings. As soon as we planted the seeds, they should be kept until the first shoots appear at a temperature of + 25 ° C to + 27 ° C.
The first sprouts may appear after 7-15 days (depending on the type of vegetable). Spray the soil in the boxes every two days with water from a spray bottle.
Advice. As soon as the pepper makes itself felt with the first shoots, we remove the film coating. At this time, it is necessary to organize additional illumination of the plant with fitolamps - this will accelerate the growth of seedlings and strengthen them.
- Lack of light provokes elongation and deformation of seedlings. At the same time, adult peppers can suddenly stop growing, their roots begin to rot and die.
The optimal daylight hours for sweet peppers are 9-10 hours. We will illuminate the pepper during the day (from 8 am to 20 pm).
♦ Temperature conditions. An important factor in obtaining healthy seedlings is the temperature regime. The best for seedlings is a daytime temperature of + 23 ° -25 ° C, a night temperature of + 16 ° -18 ° C.
If at night the temperature drops below + 12 ° C, the plants will begin to lose leaves and may die.
♦ Watering. Young seedlings should be watered only with warm water, best in the morning. Water the peppers not often, but abundantly enough - look after the condition of the soil!
After watering, do not forget to loosen the soil. For water, use rain or melt water. If you take the usual, from the tap - be sure to let it settle first.
Advice on how to grow seedlings of pepper. Loosen the ground more often - it is vital for pepper roots to receive oxygen. The roots of this plant are the most "sore" place. They categorically cannot be damaged - deformation leads to inhibition in growth and the cessation of further fruiting.
♦ Hardening. Seedlings that have already grown stronger (10-12 days before planting in the garden) should be hardened - taken out for a short time outside or open windows.
For hardening, spraying seedlings with herbal infusion will be useful (for infusion, you can use garlic, onions, needles, marigolds or calendula flowers).
Hardened seedlings will gain resistance from pests.
Important! If you sprayed the seedlings - outside, under the sun it cannot be taken out with wet leaves! Droplets of water on the leaves can cause them to burn.
♦ Top dressing. How to grow healthy pepper seedlings? Feed the young vegetables! For the entire period of growing seedlings, peppers need to be fed 2 times:
- When 3-4 true leaves appear.
- With the growth of 5-6 true leaves.
The ideal would be the introduction of a solution of mullein (1 part of manure for 10 parts of water) or dry bird droppings (it must be poured with hot water at + 80 ° -90 ° C, based on 20 parts of water per part of the litter, it should be insisted for about 2 hours).
In order for the fruits of the pepper to become large and juicy, it is useful for seedlings to carry out foliar feeding by spraying the young plant with a solution of complex, mineral fertilizers.
♦ To dive or not? Although many gardeners do not recommend diving peppers (seedlings are reluctant to take root in a new place when transplanted), many successfully grow seedlings using diving.
- Pick. Do not miss the moment when it is worth planting the grown peppers (ideal time for diving: 15-20 days after germination, when 2 leaves appear on the sprouts). During the dive process, you can not pinch the main root of the plant. Picking is recommended if sweet pepper seeds are sown in particularly nutritious soil with a high nitrogen content. After picking, young seedlings fall into conditions close to garden ones.
- No diving. This method is simpler and safer. The grown plants are carefully rolled over with an earthen clod in larger containers. At the same time, the root system is not damaged and the pepper is more likely to grow into a healthy culture.
Problems and troubles
When growing seedling peppers, any gardener can face problems. There are not as many troubles in young seedlings as in an adult plant, but they can be:
♦ Seedlings have drastically slowed down. This can occur in peppers after a dive, when the roots were accidentally damaged during the transplantation. Therefore, if you are a beginner gardener, try to do without picking seedlings.
- Sometimes pepper can slow down growth with a lack of fertilizer. Its "hunger" is indicated by the light green color of the leaves, which are paler in comparison with the rest of the seedlings. Don't forget to feed your pets!
♦ Black leg. How to grow pepper seedlings without disease. Pepper loves moisture and watering very much, but in no case should you water it too actively and diligently.
Excess water in the soil can lead to the appearance of a dangerous seedling disease - black leg. The soil initially infected with spores of the fungus, which has not undergone preliminary disinfection, can also lead to infection.
- In case of disease, the root neck of the plant becomes soft, the pepper wilts, thins out and “lays on its side”. It can be very easily pulled out of the ground, as diseased roots die and become thinner.
The causative agents of the disease are pathogenic fungi that are activated when the soil is too wet and its high acidity.
Densely planted peppers can also suffer from the disease.
To prevent the disease, pour calcined sand on the surface of the soil and do not allow waterlogging of the soil!
Carry out competent care of pepper seedlings, adhering to the following tips:
- Water the seedlings very carefully, trying not to get on the stems. The tiniest sprouts are best watered from a pipette between the rows.
- Do not keep seedlings under cover for a long time! Ventilate them more often and make sure that water does not accumulate on the ground, there is no dampness near the stems. You can even periodically blow on the plants to prevent stagnation of air.
- Avoid cold window sills! The cold ground dries out very slowly, and this is what the spores of the fungus need to activate.
- Do not thicken the crops! Cold air accumulates in the "more often" seedlings - a real paradise for the disease.
- Do not allow sudden changes in temperature for your pets - their immunity may suffer and decrease.
Qualities of "adult" seedlings
Knowing how to grow pepper seedlings, what competent agrotechnical measures are necessary, taking care of our young pets, we will be able to grow strong seedlings that will successfully turn into adult, healthy plants.
And for a successful transplant into the garden, they must meet the following characteristics:
- The age of seedlings is 60-80 days.
- The height of young peppers should reach 17-20 cm.
- Healthy plants must have 7-10 well-developed leaves.
- They may have small buds and a strong stem 3-4 mm thick at the roots.
Our seedlings will be ready to move to their permanent place of residence when the soil in the garden warms up to + 14 ° -16 ° C (in the root layers, this is a depth of 10-15 cm).
And when there is no longer a threat of sudden frosts (as a rule, this period falls on the end of May-beginning and mid-June).
Before planting, young seedlings should be well watered to reduce possible root injury.
We got acquainted with the traditional method of growing sweet pepper seedlings.
But I want to invite you to watch a few videos by Yulia Minyaeva about another way of growing seedlings - "in a snail". I really liked him. I will try to plant some seedlings with this method.
See you soon, dear readers, and success in growing strong and healthy seedlings!
Planting a plant in the garden should begin with planning. This is due to the fact that getting a good harvest depends not only on providing optimal conditions for growing a crop, but also on the right planting period. This also applies to such a useful garden crop as pepper. Read more about when to sow pepper seedlings in February will be discussed in this article.
The phase of the growing moon is considered the most suitable and necessary phase for gardeners, because it is recommended to plant crops growing above ground level on these days. Immediately, we note that sowing seeds can be started as early as February. Only observance of the optimum temperature in combination with regular irrigation will allow you to get full and strong sprouts.
The most suitable days of February for sowing peppers include:
- The 14th of February– for sowing varieties of sweet pepper;
- February 16- for sowing sweet and bitter peppers;
- February 23- for sowing sweet peppers. This date is considered the most favorable for obtaining a rich harvest of pepper in 2-3 months.
It is believed that the most unfavorable time period for this crop is February 17-22. During this period, the phase of the waning moon begins. At a minimum, you will waste your time and effort, so it is recommended to wait for the right time to sow the seeds. Especially since it's only a few days, so you'd better be patient.
To select the right variety, you must first decide on the desired result and what you want to grow. If your goal is large fruits of pepper with tender and thick pulp, then varieties such as California Miracle, Winnie the Pooh and others are suitable for this. If you are growing peppers for canning, then it is better to sow Topolin or Merchant.
On a note! Always read the information on the packaging of seeds and pay attention to their expiration date. It is advisable to choose as fresh as possible, otherwise the seedlings, despite proper care, will grow weak and frail.
To check the quality of the seed, you need to pour the seeds with a warm saline solution (1/2 teaspoon of salt per 200 g of water). After mixing thoroughly, wait 5-7 minutes: if the seeds float to the surface, then they are unsuitable for planting. Leave only sunken pepper seeds.
Growing seedlings of pepper
This process is a bit like planting and caring for tomatoes, because these crops have one thing in common - they belong to the Solanaceae family. The plant does not require special care, so even a novice gardener can handle the cultivation. Of course, there are still certain nuances in this matter that need to be taken into account. We are talking about the preparation of seeds and soil, proper watering, transplanting into open ground, and so on. Let's consider each of the stages separately.
Seed preparation
Having decided on the variety of pepper, spread the seeds on a piece of paper for inspection. All damaged or insufficiently large seeds must be removed. For sowing, leave only high-quality full-weight material. Then treat the seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate to prevent fungal diseases. Of course, store-bought preparations can also be used instead of potassium permanganate, but experienced gardeners prefer this old proven method.
After you disinfect the seeds in the solution, the material must be soaked for a day in warm water, after decomposing them into gauze and folding them in half. Gauze is required so that after soaking the seeds can be collected without problems. Otherwise, you will have to catch them one by one with tweezers.
Soil preparation
After leaving the seeds in the water for germination, you can start preparing the soil mixture for seedlings. You can not bother and buy the finished mixture in the store, mixing it with a small amount of washed and sifted sand.
But you can use the soil mixture of your own preparation. To do this, mix the washed sand with peat in equal proportions. Don't forget to add some humus as well. The resulting mixture must be sieved and calcined in a double boiler or oven for 40 minutes. This will disinfect the soil and protect future seedlings from weeds and various diseases.
Sowing
This process is actually simple and not much different from sowing other garden plants. But at the same time, you should follow the clear instructions, which are presented below.
Table. Sowing pepper seeds with boiling water.
| Steps, photo | Description of actions |
|---|---|
| Fill the container with soil mixture. At the same time, fill it up to about 80%. Be sure to make small holes in the bottom of the container. |
| Place pepper seeds in the palm of your hand for convenience. If you decide to sow the seeds immediately from the pack without pre-soaking, then you will not need to collect them with gauze tweezers. It is enough to open the package and pour the contents into your hand. |
| Spread all the seeds evenly over the surface of the soil and lightly tamp them down with your fingers or palm. Since this instruction describes the method of planting pepper seedlings with boiling water, it is not necessary to cover the seeds with a layer of soil. |
| Gently pour boiling water over the seeds, being careful not to miss a single section. You can water directly from the kettle. Do not pour a lot of boiling water so that the soil does not turn out to be waterlogged. |
| Close the container tightly with a lid. If not, use cling film. Cover immediately after watering with boiling water. After that, you will see steam coming from the ground. Move the container to a warm place. |
| After 5-6 days, you will be able to see the first shoots of pepper. Sprinkle them with a small amount of soil, and after 1.5 weeks the seedlings will be ready for transplanting. |
Aftercare
The recommended temperature regime that must be observed before germination is + 25-27 ° C. After 4 days from the moment of sowing, the soil must be sprinkled with water from a spray bottle. As noted earlier, after about 6 days the first shoots will appear. When they appear, the container must be moved to a cooler place, having removed the lid or polyethylene before that. Now the temperature needs to be lowered to + 22-24 ° C.
For the seed container, you need to find the most illuminated place in the house, and the seedlings should be regularly rotated relative to the light source. As a rule, you need to turn the container at least 2 times a week. Use if possible.
Important! Protect seedlings of young peppers from drafts, as they negatively affect the plant.
After 20-27 days from the moment of emergence of shoots, real leaves should grow. Watering during this period should be carried out no more than once a week, and the first watering should be carried out only a week after the emergence of sprouts. The soil must be sufficiently moist during the growing process, so water the plants regularly. To do this, use warm water (not lower than +25°C). Otherwise, you risk exposing the plant to blackleg infection. Experienced summer residents recommend watering seedlings with settled water, but this is not necessary.
picking
For those who do not know, seedling picking is the process of planting seedlings in individual containers or other containers. This accelerates the growth of the root system, which is associated with the appearance of adventitious and lateral roots. You need to start picking when the plant is at the stage of 2 leaves. In this way, the plants will be much easier to transplant, because they are already quite large compared to the cotyledon leaf phase. But just as in the case of sowing, picking is carried out taking into account some features.
Approximately 2-3 hours before the start of the process, the plants must be watered abundantly, because picking from dry soil is highly discouraged. After waiting until the excess water flows out of the containers, you can proceed. For picking, plastic cups are most often taken, but peat cups can also be taken instead - they will cost an order of magnitude more expensive, but they are much more useful.
Pour into each of the cups a little of the soil mixture that you used when sowing the seeds. Sprinkle the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and make small holes in the middle of the container to fit the size of the seedling root system. During picking, try not to damage the plants, so the seedlings must be taken by the "ears". After placing the pepper in the prepared hole, gently sprinkle it with earth and lightly tamp the soil. The root neck should be 5 mm deep into the ground. Pour water over each seedling, gently holding it with your fingers. After all the liquid is absorbed, you can add a little soil.
Pests and diseases
Most often, pepper suffers from thrips (small insects that infect plant leaves). Even if you grow seedlings at home, this does not protect them from pest attack. To combat thrips, you need to prepare an infusion of tobacco, which later spray the seedlings from a spray bottle. Among all home remedies for cleansing peppers, this one is considered the most effective. To prepare the infusion, pour 5 liters of water into 500 g of tobacco and cook the product over low heat for 20-30 minutes. If you have few plants, then the amount of ingredients can be reduced. Infuse for 12 hours, after which the infusion should be filtered through several layers of gauze and mixed with a small amount of laundry soap. The prepared product is quite poisonous, so it should be handled with care.
On a note! If you do not like folk recipes for pest control, then you can buy ready-made in the store. The most common are "Inta-vir", "Zircon", "Barrier" and others. The same goes for various pepper diseases such as blackleg, mosaic disease, leaf mold, bronze and late blight. To prevent these ailments, you need to regularly loosen the earth, as well as treat the plants with special preparations.
Planting pepper seedlings
When 12-17 leaves or single buds appear on seedlings, you can start planting in open ground. The recommended age of seedlings for planting is 50-60 days, while the height of the plant should be more than 20 cm.
If you miss the deadline for planting seedlings in the soil, then the plants will most likely get sick very often. The first ovaries, flowers and leaves on them will gradually fall off, so you need to carefully monitor the development of peppers. In rare cases, after transplanting, seedlings may stop blooming. This phenomenon is explained by a change in habitat, as a result of which the plant gives all its strength to the development of the root part. Before planting, you need to remove the first flowers on the plant, since the number of formed ovaries may not be enough. When planting, be careful not to damage the plant. Even minor cuts on stems or roots can lead to the development of many diseases.
Video - When to plant pepper seedlings
Hello dear friends!
Today, our article will focus on the timing of planting sweet pepper seeds. Although this culture is whimsical and very capricious, every self-respecting gardener will definitely plant it. I think many of them ask 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 culture bears fruit and gives a vitamin supply from June to October?
Many gardeners have already noticed that by planting plants according to the lunar calendar on favorable days, the seedlings grow much better and stronger, get sick less and, accordingly, give a large and high-quality crop.
I do not argue that it is very difficult to keep the exact days and carry out the work on the day indicated in 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.
Is it necessary to take into account the lunar calendar when planting pepper seeds for seedlings?
Every gardener wants to know if the lunar calendar can be trusted. Someone believes unconditionally and even tries to take a day off on a day that is considered favorable for planting a particular crop. Someone thinks that everything will grow. And someone looks thoughtfully at several lunar calendars, each of which contains absolutely contradictory dates.
Of course, it is necessary to believe in the influence of the earth's satellite on the life processes taking place on Earth. But it should be treated with caution and a certain amount of skepticism when it comes to bright magazines called "Lunar Calendar", which flooded store shelves.
The ancient Slavs knew about the dependence of the yield of vegetable crops on the influence of the moon. Sayings have come down to our days: “This is on the moon, you will collect bread twice” or “This is the time - you will collect the 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 engage in planting, picking and even hilling plants on a new moon.
- On the full moon, you should also not plant or transplant vegetables.
- During the growing moon, plants are planted that bear fruit above the ground - the same applies to peppers.
- During the period when the moon is waning, root seeds are sown.
If the dates in the purchased magazine correspond to the above terms, then you can trust it. But this is unlikely.
Lunar calendar for planting peppers in 2019:
If we take 2019 as an example and the calendar shown in the photo, then
- It is necessary to sow pepper seeds for seedlings in February according to the lunar calendar on the 16th-17th, when the Moon will be in the constellation of Cancer, or on the 24th-27th, when the Moon will pass through the constellations of Scorpio and Sagittarius. But the lunar cycle in February begins 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 starts on March 7th and ends on April 4th. According to the calendar, the most favorable days are: 15-16, when the growing moon will be in the constellation of Cancer, and March 23-27, when the satellite will pass through the favorable constellation of Scorpio, but will be in the waning stage. Planting peppers for seedlings these days is very doubtful.
- The same goes for April. 11-13 numbers - the growing moon will pass through the constellation of Cancer, which guarantees a large harvest. But the dates 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 of Libra. From April 20, the Moon, although it will move into the constellation of Scorpio, will begin to wane.
Conclusion: the most auspicious days for planting peppers for seedlings will be:
- February 16-17;
- March 15-16;
- April 11-13th and with a stretch April 19th.
bad days- all days when the moon is waning, namely:
- the period from February 20 to March 6;
- the 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 is worth dealing with 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 auspicious days, then you are guaranteed a high harvest!
The timing of planting pepper seedlings depending on the climate of the region
The optimum soil temperature for planting pepper seedlings is up to 16-18 degrees Celsius. In different regions, this moment comes at different times. By the time of transplantation, 60-65 days should pass 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 seeds to planting seedlings in the ground, 70 to 80 days should pass.
It remains to find out when the soil in your area warms up to the desired values and count back two and a half months. It must be remembered that the temperature of the soil in greenhouses and greenhouses rises faster, and the sowing dates are shifted by a couple of weeks.
Moscow region
Seeds are planted in the second half of March if they plan to grow peppers in open ground. Or in the first days of March, if the pepper grows in a greenhouse.
Siberia and Ural
In Siberia and the Urals, work begins later. For planting seeds when growing peppers in open ground, the beginning of April is suitable, when growing in greenhouses - the end of March.
Volga region
In the Volga region, the timing is similar to the timing of sowing in the Moscow region. And only for the southern regions they can be shifted a couple of weeks earlier.
What varieties of peppers to plant? The best varieties for planting seedlings
Everyone chooses varieties of peppers for himself, depending on tastes, availability of area, growing conditions, resistance to diseases.
In order for peppers to please all summer, you need to pick up 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 ripe.
These include varieties with maturation periods that do not exceed four months from germination. Among them, the most notable varieties are:
"Palanskaya Babur",
"Zhupsky early",
"Winnie the Pooh".
- Mid-season.
They enter the fruiting stage 110-130 days after germination. This:
"Belozerka",
"Boyarin F1".
- Late ripe.
Until full maturation takes up to 150 days. Suitable for cultivation in the southern regions. In Siberia and the Urals, they will not have time to give the harvest to the maximum. In the middle lane can be grown only in protected ground. For instance:
"Hercules"
"California Miracle"
Preparing seeds for sowing
Pepper seeds are hardy. Therefore, each gardener has his own secrets of preparing them for planting.
Many advise - soak pepper seeds in water for an hour and a half and see 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 vary by region. There they are kept for about two hours and washed in water. This completes the seed preparation process.
But for greater certainty, the seeds should be wrapped in damp gauze and placed in a warm place for several days. The main thing is not to forget periodically, moisten the gauze with warm water. When most of the seeds hatch, you can start planting.
It is not worth waiting for the appearance of sprouts in all seeds. It's better to plant them separately. The stock will not be redundant.
Rules for sowing seeds for seedlings
Seeds are sown either in purchased specialized soil, or they prepare it themselves as follows: two parts of compost, one part of sand and earth, preferably from the area where peppers are supposed to grow, a couple of pinches of wood ash. Homemade soil should be disinfected in the oven or microwave. In the soil bought in the store, it is worth adding a little earth from the garden plot. There is no need to refuse disinfection.
Some gardeners do not like to dirty the oven and just some time before sowing, preferably at night, pour the prepared mixture with plenty of boiling water with the addition of a few crystals of potassium manganese.
The prepared soil is placed in seedling boxes and carefully tamped to prevent small seeds from falling to the bottom. Grooves 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. They are mulched with soil from above. The soil is abundantly sprayed with water. Do not water - again, because of the risk of seed failure. The boxes are covered with foil or covered with glass and placed in a warm place.
Peppers are not tomatoes; they do not tolerate a pick. Therefore, if there are germinated seeds, it is better to plant them immediately in peat containers. In case of doubt, two seeds can be sown in one container. As it germinates, one sprout is either removed or dived into another container. Further actions are similar: containers are made up of 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 the plants are not exposed to direct sunlight.
Pickling seedlings of sweet pepper
The pick is carried out at the stage of two true leaves. Better in peat containers, so that when transplanted to a permanent place, do not disturb the root system. The soil used is the same as when planting. Sprouts with a fork or a small scoop are transferred with a root ball of earth into a container and buried to the cotyledons. Water well.
How to grow seedlings of peppers at home
To obtain strong and healthy seedlings, timely and sufficient watering, good lighting and several top dressings are necessary.
Seedling lighting
In the shade, peppers stretch, the stem becomes weak and sluggish. When exposed to direct spring sunlight, the plant can get burned. Therefore, it is important to maintain light balance. When cloudy weather persists for a long time, especially when peppers are planted early, illumination 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 seedlings is carried out every few days as needed. The earth should not dry out, but peppers do not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. It is useful to lightly spray the leaves with water once or twice a week. You can replace spraying with foliar top dressing.
How to feed seedlings
The first root dressing is carried out at the stage of three or four leaves with potassium monophosphate at the rate of 1 gram per 1 liter of water. Top dressing 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 sprinkle the leaves with a Zircon solution the next day - 4 drops of the drug per 1 liter of water.
If desired, you can use complex fertilizers "Kid", "Krepysh", "Ekosil", following the instructions. Don't go overboard with fertilizers.
Tips for caring for sweet pepper seedlings:
Planting pepper in the ground
Plants are planted in the ground approximately two and a half months after the appearance of the first shoots. At the same time, the condition of plants and weather conditions are taken into account.
Ideally, the peppers should reach a height of 20 cm and have at least 12 true leaves. It is good if by the time of transplantation the stem begins to stiffen.
Planting pepper 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 hotbeds and greenhouses, such conditions are set, as a rule, on the 10th of May.
Wells are prepared 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 eggshell. Everything is mixed. Pepper is lowered into the hole so that the root neck is underground. If the plant is overgrown, you can deepen it a little. The hole is covered with soil and well tamped. For a better acceleration of engraftment, the plants cut off the buds on it. Abundantly watered. Ten days later, fertilizing with complex fertilizers is carried out.
Planting seedlings in open ground
The agrotechnics for planting peppers in open ground is about the same, but you just need to wait until the soil warms up to + 15 degrees and the soil should be at least + 12 degrees. For most regions of Russia, such conditions develop on May 16-31. The northern regions plant sweet pepper seedlings in early June.
Plants are ready for planting when they have 9-12 leaves and flower buds have formed. And in order for the seedlings to take root, it is necessary to arrange hardening within 2 weeks.
If a cold snap is predicted, it is better to postpone the transplant. In hot weather, planting should be done in the evening.
Approximate dates for planting sweet pepper seedlings by regions of Russia:
These tables are averaged, since weather conditions and characteristics of the variety must also be taken into account.
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 learn and apply them.
I wish you strong and healthy seedlings!
Almost every owner of a personal plot grows tasty and healthy peppers in his garden. Since these heat-loving vegetables grow and ripen for a long time, their seeds are sown for seedlings in February or March. Before planting in the ground, seedlings should grow and develop at home for at least two months. In order for friendly seedlings to appear and good seedlings to grow, many gardeners plant pepper seeds according to the lunar calendar on certain dates and take care of the plants according to all the rules. We will describe in detail the timing of planting in 2019 and the nuances of caring for seedlings of vegetables in our article. Follow the dedicated link and you can find out when and how to plant and grow these vegetables and flowers.
Ground yielding seeds should be sown during the waxing moon. Since peppers are precisely such plants, it is not recommended to sow them on the days of the Full Moon and New Moon.
According to the lunar calendar, planting peppers for seedlings in 2019 should be carried out on the following dates:
- January: 10th, 11th, 18th, 31st.
- February: 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 24 (these are the most favorable days). Just favorable days for landing - February 13, 14, 16, 17, 18.
- March: 3, 4, 10 to 14, 17, 26.
- April: 2, 3, 4, 9, 13, 16, 25.
You should refrain from sowing on the following days:
- January: 6, 21;
- February: 3 to 5, 19 and 20;
- March: 5, 6, 21 and 31;
- April; 5, 19.
How to plant peppers?
Before planting peppers for seedlings, it is necessary to prepare seeds and soil.
seed processing
Experienced summer residents advise soaking the seeds before sowing, as this procedure speeds up the emergence of seedlings.
Soaking Pepper Seeds:
- Planting material is placed for 5-6 hours in water with a temperature of +50 degrees. Seeds should swell in warm water.
- After that, the seeds are wrapped in gauze or a cloth, soaked for 2-3 days in water with a temperature of about +20 degrees.
- When the seeds hatch, they can be used for sowing.
Soil preparation
Soil for seedlings can be bought at a specialized store or prepared independently. For this you need to prepare:
- garden humus - 2 parts;
- garden soil - 1 part;
- sand - 1 part;
- a few tablespoons of wood ash.
All ingredients are thoroughly mixed. To destroy fungal spores and pest larvae in the soil, it is recommended to sterilize it in a microwave or oven before use. The hot soil mixture is laid out in seedlings and allowed to cool.
Sowing seeds
Pepper seeds should be planted to a depth of 1.5-2 cm with a distance of 5 cm from each other. Crops are watered with warm water from a spray bottle and covered with foil or glass from above. Seedling boxes are placed in a warm place where the air temperature is not lower than +21 degrees.
Since pepper seedlings do not tolerate a pick, many gardeners plant seeds in peat or disposable small cups.
Growing seedlings of pepper
At home, the emerging shoots are placed in a well-lit place without direct sunlight. The air temperature should be around +26…+28 degrees during the day. At night, plants need colder conditions and temperatures within + 10 ... + 15 degrees.
The soil in the seedlings should be moderately moist at all times. In no case should it be allowed to dry out, otherwise the still small and weak seedlings will wither. However, the soil should not be too wet. In dampness, plants often get sick with a "black leg" and quickly die. For irrigation, only settled warm water is used.
To prevent seedlings from stretching, she may need additional artificial lighting. Light day for peppers should last from 7 am to 9 pm.
In a room with dry air, young plants can be affected by pests. To prevent this, seedlings are recommended to be sprayed daily with settled water.
Picking should be done when two true leaves appear on the shoots. From seedling boxes, plants are transplanted into disposable containers (cups) or peat pots. The size of the cups should be approximately 8x8 cm.
The seedlings are pre-watered and after about an hour, with the help of a fork or a special small spatula, together with a clod of earth, they are transferred to a pot. Seedlings should be buried to the cotyledon leaves. Plants are watered and exposed to a dark place from the sun.
With proper transplantation and care, seedlings quickly take root in a new container and grow well. Two weeks after picking, peppers are fed with special fertilizers for seedlings. You can use Fertika Lux, Krepysh, Mortar, Agricola. Re-feeding is carried out two weeks after the first.
10-14 days before planting peppers in open ground, plants begin to harden. To do this, they are taken out every day to an open balcony or plot in the garden. The air temperature should not be lower than +13 degrees. Seedlings should not stand in a draft and should not be exposed to direct sunlight. On the first day, the duration of the plants in the fresh air should be no more than an hour. Every day, the time the seedlings stay in the new conditions increases.
Planting peppers in a greenhouse
If your site has a greenhouse or hotbed, and you have grown greenhouse varieties of peppers, then when the seedlings reach the age of at least 55 days and grow to a height of 25 cm, they can be planted. At this time, each plant should already have at least 12 leaves and formed buds in their axils.
When to plant peppers in a greenhouse? The landing time depends on weather conditions. Land for planting should warm up to a temperature of +15 degrees. Therefore, in Siberia, the Urals and other not very warm regions, vegetables are planted in a greenhouse no earlier than May 15th.
The soil before planting is fertilized with potash-phosphorus fertilizers and watered abundantly.
Planting scheme for peppers:
- Row spacing should be 35 to 60 cm.
- Low-growing early ripe varieties are planted at a distance of 15 cm from each other.
- The distance between medium-sized plants should be 25 cm.
- Vigorous bushes are planted with a distance of 35 cm from each other.
Plantings are watered, and the soil around them is compacted and sprinkled with peat.
Planting pepper in the ground
Many summer residents grow varieties of peppers that grow well in open ground. They are planted in the ground when the weather is warm outside and frosts have passed. This usually happens in late May - early June.
You can plant peppers after cucumbers, pumpkins, onions, carrots, zucchini, green manure. After physalis, pepper, tomato, potato and eggplant, peppers cannot be grown.
Bed preparation:
- In autumn, when digging, organic fertilizers (5 kg per 1 sq. M) and potassium with phosphorus (50 g per 1 sq. M) are applied to the garden.
- In spring, the soil is fertilized with ammonium nitrate (40 g per 1 sq. M).
- A few days before planting, the soil is disinfected with copper sulfate (1 tablespoon per bucket of water).
Holes for planting peppers are made with a distance of 40 to 50 cm. The distance between rows should be at least 60 cm. A spoonful of mineral fertilizer is added to each hole, which is mixed with the soil.
Watered plants, together with a clod of earth, are taken out of pots and placed in prepared holes. If the seedlings grew in peat pots, then they put everything together in a hole. The roots are covered with earth and watered well. It is necessary to ensure that the root neck of the plants is on the same level with the surface of the earth. The soil around the plantings is covered with mulch in the form of peat.
In some regions, at night until mid-June, the temperature can be below +13 degrees. Peppers like higher temperatures, so it is recommended to cover them at night.
Now you know how and when to plant peppers for seedlings. The future harvest of healthy and tasty sweet peppers depends on the correct sowing, planting and care of seedlings.