When and how to plant pepper for seedlings: planting seeds, terms of the rule, preparing seeds and soil, caring for seedlings, which is described in this article, should be carried out according to all the rules. To get healthy and high-quality pepper seedlings, experienced gardeners recommend growing it yourself. Therefore, summer residents have many questions about how to grow seedlings at home bell pepper.
Before proceeding to planting sweet pepper seeds, first of all, it is necessary to study the information about what the soil should be, landing time, seed preparation rules, proper care, etc. This is discussed in detail in this article.
Sometimes summer residents do not want to spend time growing seedlings. With the onset of spring heat, they plant seeds immediately into open ground. In this case, there is a certain risk. Pepper belongs to heat-loving plants, therefore, when frost occurs, it may die.
Try to plant pepper seeds directly on permanent place only gardeners in the southern regions or central Russia can. Do not plant seeds directly in open ground in the Urals, as well as residents of the northern regions, especially those that are on the list of risky farming. There is no chance that the seeds will germinate and the plant will survive.
There are early ripe varieties that can be planted in open ground, and the rest do not have time to bear fruit before the cold snap. Seeds of early varieties of pepper, as a rule, begin to be sown in the ground from mid-May to early June. At the same time, according to forecasts, there should be no frosts. This method of planting a crop has its plus: no time is wasted on growing pepper seedlings at home.
Disadvantages of growing seeds in open ground:
This culture has too long a germination time. After planting pepper seedlings must withstand 90-100 days and only after that it is transferred to a permanent place. Young shoots of early ripe varieties grow to the desired size within 3 months. After the earth warms up to a temperature of 16-18 degrees, they are planted in a permanent place.
The plant is transferred to the greenhouse a little earlier, and later to the open ground with shelter. Departure time largely depends on climatic conditions region. Usually, the planting of pepper seeds is determined taking into account the day of the future planting of seedlings in the ground.
Often gardeners start sowing peppers taking into account the data lunar calendar. The best time for planting a crop is when the Moon is under the influence of Libra, Aries, Scorpio, Sagittarius. These dates change every year, so there is a special calendar where you can find the exact days. Here, not only are auspicious dates sowing pepper, but also inappropriate days. These dates change every year, so a 2017 or 2020 calendar won't work for 2019.
On packages with seeds, also indicated landing time.
Important! Seedlings, which were sown in January, require additional lighting. The point is that for normal development shoots need more daylight hours than at this time.
Peppers, even the most early ripening varieties, have such a feature as the time of vegetative development lasting up to 140 days. After the appearance of sprouts, 90 days pass when the fruits begin to ripen. Seeds can germinate for a period of 10 days to 30 days.
Therefore, seeds of early and mid-season varieties are recommended to be sown in the northern regions no later than mid-February, in warmer areas - in early March.
The germination rate of bell pepper seeds depends on the air temperature:
In order for pepper seeds to germinate in a shorter time, they must undergo a special preparation procedure. To do this, you need to prepare in advance:
To grow healthy and strong seedlings, you should follow some rules.
The soil for planting seeds is prepared in advance. Pepper loves loose soil, well fertilized with neutral or weak acidity (pH 6-6.5). In addition, the soil must be sterile. It is best to use a ready-made substrate purchased from a specialized store. But you can make your own mixture.
So, several of these recipes that do not require special costs can be prepared at home. To do this, take:
Important! Before introducing fertilizer into any soil mixture, it must first be disinfected.
One way:
The pelleted seeds, which are contained in capsules, do not need special preparation for sowing, since they already contain both a growth stimulator and all the necessary nutrition.
Such seeds cannot be soaked, otherwise their capsule will become unusable.
Ordinary seeds for the purpose of disinfection are placed for 20 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate:
After that, the seeds are dried and treated in a growth stimulator. You can also place the seeds for 4-5 hours in a solution mineral fertilizers. After all the procedures, the seeds are washed well in running water and immediately sown in the ground.
Sometimes vegetable growers prefer to sparge the seeds. They are placed in gauze and lowered into a jar of water. Air is passed through with the help of a compressor for 4-5 hours.
Most gardeners follow the more common seed germination procedure. They are placed in a light cloth moistened with water and kept warm on a plate. So that the gauze with seeds does not dry out, it is covered with a film. Planting material should not be completely in the water, as it still needs air.
Seeds sprout best at room temperature of 20-23º C. However, pepper sprouts are too fragile and can be easily damaged when sown. In case of use this method preparing seeds for sowing, be sure to treat them with a growth stimulator after disinfection.
Since this crop has a long recovery period after picking, gardeners advise sowing pepper seeds immediately into small containers with a diameter of 10 cm and a depth of no more than 12 cm. If this method is inconvenient to use, you can take spacious trays for sowing seeds.
In this case, when picking, the seedlings can be transferred to separate cups with a large clod of soil. The depth of the container should be about 5-6 cm, while the soil is not filled up to the very edges of the dishes, but 2 cm are left.
Important! Trays must be washed and treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
For sowing seeds, you can use tweezers, with which they are laid out on the surface of the earth. Seeds are slightly buried in the ground at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other. After that, the surface is moistened with water from a spray bottle and sprinkled with soil with a layer of 1 cm. The substrate is slightly compacted and covered with a film.
When sprouts appear, the trays are placed for 1-2 days on a warm windowsill. After the sprouts turn dark green and the first leaf appears, the plants should immediately dive.
The depth of the container into which the seedlings will be transferred should be about 12-15 cm deep. A few hours before transplanting, young plants need to be well watered. It is desirable to plant seedlings in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 10-15 cm.
When 2 good leaves appear on the pepper sprouts, the dive procedure is carried out.
Interesting! Some experts believe that it is best to pick a pick during the appearance of the cotyledons.
Seedlings in trays are first watered and wait for excess moisture to drain. Then they are transplanted into separate cups (100-150 ml).
In order not to damage the roots, the seedlings are transferred together with an earthen clod into pre-prepared pits in the ground. The hole is sprinkled with a substrate and lightly pressed down. When transplanting, it is important to deepen the root neck of the plant into the soil by only 5 mm.
The next step is to water the seedlings. If the soil settles, then it is necessary to supplement the cups with earth. The first days for seedlings, it is necessary to create a temperature regime of at least 15 ºC and protect it from direct sunlight.
Important! At a temperature of 13 ºC peppers stop their development.
Pepper seedlings are sensitive to picking and may not grow for a very long time. Therefore, you can use the method of growing seedlings in peat tablets. Several tablets with a diameter of 3 cm are placed in a transparent bowl, poured with warm boiled water and keep until they absorb moisture.
After swelling of the tablets, the remaining liquid is poured out of the container. In the upper part of the capsules, holes are made up to 1-1.5 cm deep. Prepared seeds are carefully placed in them and covered with nutrient soil. The dishes are covered with plastic wrap or other transparent object.
For quick germination, the seeds are provided with a temperature of at least 25 ºC. After 7 days, you can see the first shoots, and then the greenhouse shelter is removed from the trays and placed in a bright place. At the same time, during the daytime, the air temperature is maintained at the level of 25-27 ºC, and at night - within 11-13 ºC.
After a while, 2-4 strong leaves will appear at the seedlings, and sprouted roots can be seen through the mesh. At this time, seedlings in tablets are planted in separate cups, in which nutrient soil prepared according to the recipe is already located.
Watch the video! How to use peat seedling tablets
Nowadays, special plastic cassettes are produced for growing pepper seedlings from seeds. The market has big choice products from different sizes. So, there are cassettes measuring 18x13.5x6 cm, in which they have 4 cells for seedlings, each of them has dimensions of 8x6 cm, and the volume is 240 ml.
Also, you can buy boxes of the same size, but with a large number of cells: 6, 9, 12. There are cassettes packed in boxes with a lid through which daylight passes, and at the same time, it does not allow the liquid to evaporate. Gardeners often use cassettes such as mini-greenhouses.
The cells are filled with the desired substrate or peat tablets are placed in them. Pepper seeds are sown in them, covered with plastic wrap or glass. The cassette is placed on a special tray and kept in a warm room at a temperature of 25 º C. It is important to maintain the humidity level by regularly adding water to the tray.
More recently, a new way to germinate seeds using toilet paper has been invented. Some gardeners like this method, but there are also its opponents. The main thing in this method is compactness. The technology here is not complicated:
When the sprouts break through the paper, the twist is exposed to a bright place. After the appearance of 2 developed leaves, the roll is untwisted and cut into pieces, in which there are crops with sprouts. They are planted in trays for further development. After the seedlings get stronger, they are transferred to the site.
When growing pepper seedlings at home, it is quite difficult to maintain the correct temperature regime. It can be noted that the air under the ceiling is much warmer (by 2-3 degrees). But on the floor it is lower by 2-3 degrees.
In a residential building, the window sill is the brightest place, but it is the coldest, so it is not suitable for growing pepper seedlings. Seedlings should be deepened in the middle of the room, where it is warm, and provided with artificial lighting.
After the appearance of sprouts, the trays are immediately transferred to the windowsill with a temperature of up to 15-17 ºC. After 7 days, the temperature is increased during the daytime to 22-25 ºC, and at night - up to 20 ºC. At the same time, try not to expose seedlings to drafts. Also, pepper needs Fresh air but not cold.
Watch the video! How to Grow Healthy Pepper Seedlings
After the appearance of young sprouts, they are not watered for 2-3 days. If the soil is too dry, it can be lightly moistened with water from a spray bottle. Seedlings begin to water after the first couple of leaves appear. In this case, the water temperature should not be lower than 30 degrees.
In order for the root system to develop well, it is fed with potassium humate. For the preparation of fertilizer take:
Important! Pepper seedlings develop too weakly before the formation flower buds. After that, it grows more intensively.
When the flowering period comes, the plant requires top dressing. Fertilizer is prepared in the following composition for 10 liters of water:
Pepper seedlings, which are grown at home, require pinching the ends of the shoots, that is, removing the growth point. In this case, the root system develops better, and the buds wake up in the internodes, from which the ovaries are formed. This procedure is carried out at a time when crops increase their growth rate.
Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut off the part of the shoot that is located above the 4-6th internode. After a while, the plant begins to sprout. Of these, 4-6 stronger stepchildren are left, and the rest are removed. In the lower internodes, it is recommended not to touch the processes.
Peppers have such a feature as a long growing season, so their seeds begin to be planted at a time when daylight hours end too early.
Advice! When growing pepper seedlings, it is necessary to provide additional lighting, since the shoots need up to 12-14 hours of light per day.
Sometimes vegetable growers are faced with such a problem: when cotyledon leaves appear, the plant begins to turn yellow, and the subcotyledon stem darkens near the ground. As a result, the stem is overstretched and the seedlings die. The cause of death is infection of the bush with a disease such as a black leg.
Its fungus is mainly found in the ground. It happens that the causative agent of the black leg is found in seeds or dirty dishes. That is why, before sowing, it is necessary to disinfect everything. The fungus is activated when:
To prevent infection with a fungal disease of the entire crop, the diseased plant is immediately removed. The rest of the seedlings are treated with preparations that contain copper. In addition, seedlings need to provide good lighting.
Peppers can also become infected with a fungal disease such as Fusarium. The symptoms of such a disease are:
Fusarium is a serious disease of vegetable crops. The fight with him is carried out in the same way as with the black leg. In order to prevent infection of seedlings with this disease, before sowing, procedures for preparing the soil, utensils and seeds should be carried out in accordance with all the rules.
If gray fluff is visible on the walls inside the dishes, on the surface of the soil, and also at the base of the shoots, then the seedlings are infected with gray rot. To prevent the disease, it is necessary to spray the seedlings with a solution of potassium permanganate of medium consistency (bright pink) every 10 days.
If signs of infection with gray rot appear, diseased bushes are removed. Crops are treated with copper or bacterial fungicides.
Adult seedlings can become infected with late blight. Its pathogens usually live in the soil. The stems of the plant are covered with dark stripes, and light spots appear on the leaves that are closer to the ground, which darken over time.
When the first signs of the disease appear, seedlings are treated with this solution:
A later stage of the disease requires the use of fungicides, all infected specimens must first be removed.
With powdery mildew disease, light plaque and spots appear on the stems and leaves. The growth of peppers stops, and the leaves begin to turn yellow. This disease can infect both seedlings and an adult plant. In the treatment of powdery mildew, a bright manganese solution or bacterial fungicides are used.
There are times when seedlings suddenly die without any signs of illness - a hurricane withering of seedlings. Most often, this disease affects crops that are grown in the southern regions (nightshade and sunflower). Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease, so pepper seeds will have to be sown again.
When 7-8 leaves and large buds appear, and the stem grows up to 20-25 cm in height, the plant needs to be hardened off. Seedlings are kept at a temperature of 16-18 º C for 7-10 days, and gradually it is reduced to 12-14 º C.
Trays with seedlings are taken out to the balcony or to a well-ventilated room with access to direct sunlight. Every day, the time of such procedures is increased. 2-3 days before landing in a permanent place, the peppers are taken out into the fresh air and kept there all night. If the nights are still cold, the seedlings need to be protected from the cold.
When planting plants in open ground, average temperature air should be below 15-17 degrees. At this point, the seedlings have already formed 8-9 leaves and several buds. Peppers should be transferred to an already prepared area. It needs to be dug up well and leveled. If the soil has a clay structure, peat and humus are added to it.
The holes are dug at a distance of 50 cm from each other, and about 60 cm are left between the rows. Add 1 tbsp to the holes. spoon of mineral fertilizer (superphosphate) and mix it with the ground. The holes are made capacious so that the roots of the bush fit freely in it. When filling the hole, make sure that the root neck is at the level of the surface of the site.
Pepper seedlings are transferred to a hole with an earthen clod. Then earth is poured so that most of the roots are covered. Almost a third of the bucket is poured into the hole and waiting for it to be absorbed. After that, the hole is completely covered with soil.
Pepper was brought to Europe from South America. Now there are 2 varieties of this vegetable: spicy and sweet. Bell pepper in our country they call it Bulgarian, because it came to Russia from there. This article describes step by step the process of growing sweet pepper seedlings at home.
In order to plant and grow good seedlings of sweet pepper in an apartment, the following conditions must be met:
The soil. Pepper loves rich fertile soils with a neutral reaction. The earth should be warm; plants do not develop in cold soil.
Light. Peppers are less demanding on light than tomatoes and eggplants. In the seedling period, it needs 12-15 hours of daylight for growth, therefore, it needs to be illuminated less than other crops.
Warm. Seedlings of pepper in terms of heat demand are second only to eggplants. For plants, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of + 26-28 ° C during the day and + 20-24 ° C at night. If the temperature on the windowsill with seedlings is below 17-18 ° C, the growth of pepper stops. For hybrids, the temperature should be 3°C higher than for varieties.
Moisture. The culture loves moist soil, but does not tolerate waterlogging. Peppers need frequent, but very moderate watering with warm settled water.
The culture has a very long growing season. In sweet (Bulgarian) pepper, it is longer than in hot:
In hot peppers, fruiting begins a little earlier:
Late varieties are suitable for cultivation only in the south of Russia: in the Crimea, in the Caucasus. Their fruits are large, thick-walled and require at least 150 days to ripen.
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You need to choose those hybrids that are intended for cultivation in this region. |
In the middle lane and to the north, it is better to grow early varieties. Even mid-season sweet peppers may not produce a crop (3-5 fruits do not count) due to weather conditions. Hot peppers can be grown both early and mid-season, as it is more resistant to lower temperatures. It is necessary to plant hybrids in the middle lane, even early ripe ones, very carefully, since they require a higher temperature during the fruiting season than happens in summer in these areas.
But in the Central Black Earth region and in the south of Siberia, mid-season varieties with proper care give a good harvest. Here you can plant and grow even tall varieties and hybrids if summers in the region are long and warm.
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Due to the long growing season, the crop is planted very early. In the middle lane, this is the first decade of February. |
Some begin to grow seedlings in January, but keep in mind that in the cotyledon phase, the pepper needs the sun for further growth. If the weather is cloudy, then the plants do not start growing for a very long time, despite the backlight. Therefore, the timing of planting pepper seedlings is chosen so that after germination, at least a few days are sunny.
In greenhouses and greenhouses, seedlings in the middle lane are planted at the age of 90-95 days in early June, when the threat of frost passes. By this time, another 10 days are added from sowing to germination and the sowing period is February 5-10.
In the southern regions, late-ripening varieties and hybrids can be planted in early February, medium- and early-ripening ones are sown at the end of the month. Seedlings in open ground can be planted at the age of 65-75 days. Summer here is longer and even with late planting, varieties and hybrids will yield a harvest.
If you plant seedlings too early (in January), this will lead to a slow development of seedlings. Pepper grows slowly and by the time of planting in the ground, the seedlings will not reach the necessary stage of development, and this will lead to a decrease in yield.
The crop requires fertile soil. Neither garden land nor purchased peat is suitable for planting pepper for seedlings.
Peat very quickly and completely absorbs all moisture and plants planted in it suffer from overdrying of the soil. Garden land in the Non-Chernozem regions has an acidic reaction and pepper, at best, will not grow, at worst it will not sprout at all.
Another option: leafy soil, sand, peat (2:1:1). Leafy soil can be taken under any deciduous trees, except for chestnuts and oaks. The leaf litter of these species contains too many tannins, which adversely affects the seedlings. Under coniferous trees the earth does not need to be taken, because it is too acidic; ash is required to neutralize the acidity.
Potassium - 2 tablespoons and phosphorus - 1 tablespoon must be added to self-prepared mixtures. spoon per bucket of mixture. It is not necessary to add nitrogen to the soil mixture, otherwise the seedlings will stretch very strongly.
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Purchased soils, if there is more than one peat, are well suited for planting peppers. They are already filled with all the necessary fertilizers and do not require additional application. |
But if peat prevails in the soil mixture, then it must be diluted. Before buying, they look at the composition of the soil and buy soils from different manufacturers. As a rule, they contain different amount peat and to obtain land for seedlings they are mixed. If it is not possible to purchase several types of soil, then soil from under indoor flowers and ash are added to the existing one. Is not the best option, but in the absence of other soil mixtures, it is also suitable.
Do not plant peppers in peat pots and peat blocks. Seedlings do not develop well in them.
Firstly, peat gives a strong acidic reaction, which is unfavorable for the culture, and secondly, it is poorly wetted and quickly absorbs irrigation water, only a small amount comes to the roots.
In such containers, seedlings suffer greatly from a lack of moisture. In addition, after planting in a greenhouse, the roots of the culture are very difficult to grow through the peat wall, which greatly retards growth.
The earth can be frozen, steamed, calcined in the oven or treated with special solutions.
The calcination and steaming of the earth must be carried out before all fertilizers are applied to it. Otherwise, at high temperatures, decomposition of minerals occurs. If the soil is purchased, then it can neither be steamed nor ignited. For them, either freezing or disinfection is carried out.
For disinfection its soil is shed with a burgundy solution of potassium permanganate dissolved in hot water.
You can cultivate the soil with biological products: Fitosporin, Alirin, Trichodermin, Planriz. But trichoderma (a strain of saprophyte fungus) is usually added to purchased soils, so they are not treated with other biological products. Otherwise, there will be a war between different types of microflora, the beneficial flora will mutually destroy each other and the growth of pathogens will begin. Before shedding the earth with a biological product, it is necessary to read the composition of the soil mixture.
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If the soil has already been treated with biological products, then potassium permanganate is also not watered, otherwise useful biological objects will die. |
After any processing, the land ready for planting is covered with a film and placed in a warm place for 3 days so that the earth warms up.
First of all, pepper seeds are treated against diseases. Usually use the drug Maxim, it is most effective. For dressing, you can keep the seed in a saturated pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Keeping the seeds in a thermos with water heated to 53-55°C for 20-25 minutes gives a good effect. If the seeds are pre-treated, then they do not need to be dressed.
The seeds of the culture are difficult to germinate, therefore, to increase their germination, they are treated with growth stimulants. Usually they use Silk (Novosil), Energen, Zircon, Epin. It is often used as a stimulant, but it is not very suitable for pepper, since the seeds are difficult to swell when soaked. They need to be soaked for at least 3-5 days, and aloe juice has a very strong biological activity and for such a long period it will simply burn the seeds.
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The remaining growth stimulants are added when the seeds are soaked, and they are in this solution until they hatch. |
Due to the difficulty of swelling and germination, the seeds are soaked in such a way that they are completely covered with water. By the time intensive respiration and germination begin, part of the water will evaporate and the seeds will have enough oxygen and moisture.
The soaked seeds are placed on hot battery. Worries that the peppers are too hot there are unfounded. For germination, it requires a temperature of 28-30°C for varieties and 32-34°C for hybrids. At this temperature, the pepper will hatch in 5-6 days. But usually the temperature in the apartment is lower, so the seeds germinate, at best, after 10 days.
If the seeds are fresh, but do not hatch, then they are too cold and need to increase the temperature. Then the seeds are placed in a thermos, poured with a small amount of water at room temperature and placed on a battery. As a rule, seedlings appear in 7-10 days.
The seed germination rate directly depends on the temperature of the soil, so the box with the crops is placed on the battery. The most favorable soil temperature for germination is 30-32°C, peppers germinate in 6-7 days.
If the earth is warmed up to 25-27 ° C, then the seeds will germinate in 2 weeks, and if the earth is cold (22-23 °), then shoots will appear in 20-22 days.
When the ground temperature in the seedling box is below 22 ° C, the pepper may not sprout at all. There will be no shoots even if the temperature of the earth is more than 36 ° C, at this temperature the embryo dies.
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In general, even sprouted pepper seeds that are in a favorable environment germinate for a very long time. |
Immediately after the appearance of the first shoots, the seedlings are placed on the windowsill, without waiting for all the seeds to germinate. If the seedlings are kept under the film for a long time, then they are strongly drawn out. The remaining seeds will sprout within a week and quickly overtake the first group. Seeds that sprouted later should be removed, since they will obviously be weaker than the rest of the seedlings.
To grow seedlings of pepper strong and healthy, it must be provided with good lighting. For the appearance of the first true leaves, seedlings of pepper in the cotyledon period need the sun. Therefore, if only there is a sunny day, the seedlings are exposed to the sunniest place in the house. In the absence of light, the pepper will have to be illuminated a lot.
In cloudy weather, additional illumination of pepper is carried out even during the day. In the absence of the sun, the illumination should be at least 10 hours, preferably 12-13 hours, the seedlings are placed directly under the llama. Pepper should "seem" that it is illuminated by the sun, only then will the growth of true leaves begin.
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If there is neither sun nor additional light, seedlings can exist only with cotyledon leaves for up to 30-35 days. |
If the days are sunny, then the seedlings light up within 5-6 hours. In the case of partly cloudy peppers are additionally illuminated for 8 hours, depending on the weather.
Pepper is a plant short day and after the appearance of the first true leaves, it needs only a little additional illumination. In February, it is no more than 12 hours a day, in March - 10 hours at the beginning, 4-5 hours at the end of the month, in April the plants are not additionally illuminated.
With a lack of light, seedling growth slows down, but it does not stretch as much as tomatoes and eggplants.
You only need to water the seedlings warm water with a temperature not lower than 20°C. Cold water is poorly absorbed and, despite abundant watering, seedlings may suffer from a lack of moisture. In addition, it cools the soil, which is very unfavorable for peppers, especially for hybrids.
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Pepper seedlings need frequent but small waterings. Plants do not tolerate excess moisture soil. |
Water must be settled. When watering with unsettled water, a white bacterial-lime coating appears on the surface of the earth, which negatively affects the growth of the crop in the initial period of development.
At an early age, plant nutrition is not carried out due to the fact that the root system develops slowly. If seedlings in an apartment do not start growing for a long time (more than 25 days), then they can be fed with preparations for indoor flowers containing low doses of nitrogen or without it at all.
Nitrogen causes a strong elongation of the stalk, which is uncharacteristic for pepper, the seedlings become thin and weak. The main thing in the early stage of development is the sun, if it is, then the culture does not need to be fed.
Dive pepper after the appearance of 4-5 true leaves. At an early age, the culture does not tolerate transplantation very well, the aerial part is ahead of the roots in growth. When transplanting, no matter how carefully it is carried out, part of the sucking roots still breaks off and the plant cannot quickly restore them. Therefore, with early picking, a large number of plants die.
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Peppers are planted in separate containers (pots, plastic bottles, boxes). Planting even strong and well-developed seedlings in peat blocks is not recommended. |
At an older age, the roots of seedlings are sufficiently formed and during transplantation, even with the loss of a certain number of sucking roots, this is not so critical for seedlings.
The pot in which the pepper will be planted is 1/3 filled with earth. Seedlings are watered abundantly and the plants are dug out of the seedling box. It is desirable that the roots are not exposed, but with a lump of earth.
The excavated plant is placed in a planting pot, the roots are carefully straightened, it is unacceptable that they are bent up or twisted, and covered with earth. The earth around the plant is compacted, watered with warm water. During planting, the plants are held by the leaves, not by the stem, which can easily break.
If you plant seedlings of pepper in small pots, then the roots in them are braided with an earthen ball in a circle and, after planting in open ground, do not grow in width and depth for a long time.
When picking, the pepper is not deepened, since adventitious roots at this age are practically not formed in it. Plant it at the same depth at which it grew. With a deep planting, the part of the stem that is underground may rot.
The pickled seedlings are placed in a shaded place for several days, but if the weather is cloudy, then you can put it on the windowsill. Plants do not light up for 3-5 days.
After picking in the middle lane and to the north, the seedlings are kept in the house for another 2-2.5 months. In the south, this period is shorter.
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After 3-5 days, when the seedlings take root, they put it on the sunniest and warmest windowsill. |
In the first few days do frequent, but very little watering. When the seedlings get stronger and begin to grow again, watering is reduced to 2-3 times a week, making sure that the earth does not dry out.
The temperature is maintained at least 20-22°C. After the heating is turned off in the apartments, the pepper is put on the most warm window, and at night, at a temperature in the room of 15-16 ° C, turn on the heater. If the plants do not have enough heat, they stop growing. If possible, then on warm days the culture is taken out to the greenhouse or to the balcony, if the temperature there is not lower than 22 ° C.
At an early age, plants do not feed. But after picking and before planting seedlings in the ground, pepper needs regular feeding.
Feeding is done 5-7 days after picking. Pepper is a potassium lover, so the fertilizer should contain high doses of this element and a moderate nitrogen content. Nitrogen inevitably causes elongation of seedlings, which is bad for its further development. Usually fertilizers Zdraven, Uniflor-Buton, Agricola for flowering, potassium monophosphate are used.
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Top dressing is done weekly until the plants are planted in the ground. When feeding, alternate preparations containing nitrogen and nitrogen-free fertilizers. |
Harden seedlings begin 3 weeks before planting in a permanent place and only if the temperature outside is not lower than 18-19 ° C. On warm days, the plants are taken out to outdoor balcony and left there for the whole day, cleaning the room only at night. If possible, the seedlings are placed in a greenhouse.
Planting seedlings in open ground can be carried out when the soil warms up to 16-18°C (20°C for hybrids).
Growing good seedlings of pepper in the house is not at all easy. The most important thing for seedlings is warmth and sun, only then they will be strong and healthy.
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 for harvesting good harvest seedlings need to be grown.
We cannot control the weather outside the window, but we can create optimal conditions for growing seedlings under the power of everyone. After transplantation, peppers successfully take root in open ground, fruiting begins a month earlier - you are guaranteed to have time to harvest.
When choosing a variety, consider a number of parameters:
To get good planting material necessary timely . 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Can be used 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.
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 they swell, then move them to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and stand for a day, then start sowing.
The soil needs to be nutritious.
The following options will work:
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.
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.
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.
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, they need direct Sun rays. Southern window sills flooded with sunlight - perfect 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.
Maintaining the correct temperature important condition growing seedlings:
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).
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.
Seedlings that have grown strong need to be hardened off. 10-12 days before transplanting into open ground, take out for a while to fresh air or set aside open window in 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.
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 per 10 parts of water) or an infusion chicken manure(for 1 part of dry manure to 20 parts of water). For foliar top dressing, use complex mineral fertilizers.
A slowdown in growth is a phenomenon that is possible for 2 reasons:
The plant loves moisture, but do not overdo it with watering. Overwatering leads to infection with a black leg: 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:
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.
Those who love bell pepper know that this southern vegetable can only be grown seedling way. Fortunately, growing pepper seedlings is not as difficult as it seems. This is evidenced by the quite successful practice of our gardeners. The main thing is to follow the generally accepted recommendations, and even such a sensitive and whimsical culture as bell pepper will give a good harvest of tasty and healthy fruits.
Pepper yield largely depends on the variety and quality of seeds. Often they get a low yield just because they sow seeds of unknown varieties, or sow peppers that are not intended for growing in the area. There are many criteria for selecting pepper seeds, and all of them affect the final figure on the yield weights.
If all novice summer residents had information that all varieties have their own ripening dates for fruits, then half of the problems that gardeners have on the way to a bountiful harvest of pepper could be avoided.
So, all peppers are divided into:
Early varieties can be cultivated in open ground in the south of the country and in a greenhouse in the north. Peppers, which have a return already at the end of June, are preferably grown in the middle latitudes of the country and in Siberia, where this vegetable has time to ripen under the conditions of a short summer.
Medium-late and late give a harvest at the end of summer. They have longer and inconsistent fruiting. Planting them is mainly recommended in southern latitudes, since autumn in such regions is milder, and peppers tolerate slightly lower temperatures well.
Bulgarian pepper loves heat very much and does not grow well in cold areas. Therefore, the best condition for its germination is a greenhouse or greenhouse. But in the south, peppers are also successfully cultivated in open ground. Therefore, on the labels, the manufacturer always indicates in what conditions this or that variety can grow.
If the variety is endowed with strong immunity, tolerates temperature extremes well and has iron resistance, then it can be grown in an open garden. In the greenhouse, mainly those varieties and hybrids are grown that perceive cold snaps and lack of light too sharply. With such varieties, it is better not to risk it and not even try to plant them in an open area.
Choosing a variety of peppers “according to the picture” is not the best the best solution. Initially, preference should be given to other criteria. However, when there is something to mark (that is, you have decided where you will grow peppers and when you want to get a crop), then the last thing left is to choose the most “beautiful” variety.
Peppers come in a variety of shapes, colors, and contents. Housewives who like to stuff or preserve peppers usually pay attention to these factors, and therefore they need ideal sizes.
For stuffing, for example, thick-skinned cuboid or cone-shaped peppers are suitable. For winter preparations, varieties with an average thickness of the skin are suitable.
For summer salads and adding to main dishes, thin-skinned peppers will also fit.
Pepper plants are determinate, semi-determinate and indeterminate. talking plain language, bushes of some varieties grow no more than 50 centimeters tall, while there are also giant peppers that can rise to a two-meter mark. Usually undersized and medium-sized peppers are cultivated on open beds. They give small yields. Their fruits are usually medium in size. Fruiting occurs immediately and does not last long.
Tall varieties have a long growing season. They have very high productivity. Fruiting usually begins later than the early ones and bear fruit for several months.
Another important criterion for the selection of pepper for seedlings. There are pure varieties that are selected naturally and hybrid varieties - obtained by crossing a healthy productive varietal pair.
Varieties and hybrids differ in terms of growing and care. Ordinary varieties adapt faster to conditions environment but get sick more often. Hybrids bring better yields, but react rather hard to adverse conditions.
Moreover, seeds from a regular variety have the same qualities as the mother ones, and therefore they can be sown the next year. Seeds of hybrids do not repeat maternal properties.
It is quite troublesome to grow healthy pepper seedlings at home. Sweet pepper reacts sharply to the regularity of watering, ambient temperature, the amount nutrients. But first of all, you need to correctly determine the timing of sowing pepper seeds for seedlings. A properly planned day will determine the entire future life of the pepper and will affect the number of fruits harvested.
When planning the planting date, one should take into account the climatic features of the region in which the vegetable is cultivated, the ripening time of the pepper variety, as well as the growing conditions (greenhouse or open ground). If all conditions are met good development such a difficult vegetable as pepper, then a rich harvest will be provided.
It usually takes 55 to 65 days for young shoots to develop roots and aerial parts to such an extent that planting on the site will not harm them in any way. Based on this, the last days of February or the first half of March are considered the traditional dates for sowing seeds for seedlings.
Fact: pepper seeds have good germination only for the first three years. Then they become obsolete, and their productivity is catastrophically reduced.
Correctly choose the day of sowing will help information about the timing of ripening of a particular variety. Early varieties with a short growing season should be sown 65 days before planting in the ground. Mid-season seeds are sown in 65-70 days, and late-ripening ones in 75 days.
If you do not guess with the timing and plant the seedlings a little earlier, then, most likely, it will greatly outgrow. Well, if you are late with planting, then this will affect the proper development of plants and reduce fruiting.
Moreover, it is necessary to take into account the climatic features of the area and understand when to plant seedlings in the garden. In the south of Russia, seedlings should “ripen” for the street by May. And in the northern part of the country it is still cold in May, so peppers should wait until the beginning of June for landing on the garden. With this in mind, a backlog of seeds is produced. If, in your area, there is still snow in May, then the planting dates should be shifted by at least two weeks.
Optimal landing dates depending on the region:
When planning the sowing date for seedlings of vegetable seeds, many summer residents rely on the lunar sowing calendar, in which, taking into account the phases of the moon, favorable and bad days for earthworks. According to research, pepper seedlings grow better during the waxing moon. These days in 2018 include:
Unfavorable days for sowing:
Please note: the days considered favorable for planting pepper seedlings in open ground are: in May - 8, 14, 15, 24 and 25; in June - 2, 11 and 20 numbers.
It's no secret that a rich harvest can only be obtained from high-quality seeds. The main qualities of seeds are purity, germination, vitality. Therefore, it is worth paying maximum attention to the seed material.
Seed quality indicators:
In any case, pre-sowing preparation of seeds will bring everyone to "clean water". With the help of various methods, it is possible to slightly increase all the indicators of seed quality described above and improve the result of seedling germination.
Tip: do not use all methods at once. One or two is enough.
Pre-sowing seed treatment includes:
Please note: germinated seeds must be sown in wet ground otherwise they will dry out and die.
The yield of horticultural crops largely depends on the quality of the soil used. The soil substrate should be light, loose and nutritious. The earth mixture is prepared from various components that meet all the requirements for the successful growth of seedlings.
The soil for pepper seedlings should include sifted compost (you can also use peat or sand) in half with humus. Two cups of ash are added to a bucket of the mixture. Microelements must be present in the soil substrate. To do this, add soddy soil to the mixture or replace it with superphosphate fertilizers (60 grams per bucket) and potassium sulfate (20 grams).
Before sowing, the land must be disinfected, as often harmful microorganisms remain in its pores, which are activated in a humid and warm environment. They can destroy the crop even at the stage of seed germination. To do this, the earth is spilled with boiling water with the addition of potassium permanganate or calcined in the oven at high temperature.
Advice: soil mixture, bought in a store, we also recommend decontaminating.
Sowing seeds is a simple process. Pre-landing preparation, which takes a lot of time and effort, delivers great difficulties. When a suitable variety is finally selected, seeds are processed and high-quality land is prepared, the turn comes to choosing a suitable container for seedlings.
Pepper is a light-loving crop, it requires a lot of free space and light, and therefore pepper containers are selected taking into account the “wishes” of the vegetable. Usually large wooden boxes are used as a nursery. standard size(50 * 35 * 8 centimeters), but it is better, of course, to use individual containers, such as plastic or paper cups, peat tablets.
The containers are thoroughly washed with a manganese solution so that there is no trace of harmful microorganisms on the walls. Having prepared containers, proceed to sowing seeds
Seeding instructions:
Please note: on light soils, the seeds are sown deeper, on heavy soils - smaller.
Important: seeds of different varieties are sown in different nurseries, since each variety has individual characteristics of both seed germination and seedling germination.
Landings are covered with a film or a transparent cover to create greenhouse effect. The optimum temperature for seed germination is + 22-25 degrees. Humidity - 80%.
You can grow pepper seedlings in different ways, based on the capabilities of the gardener. All of them have howling nuances, but in general they do not differ in the complexity of the process of sowing and further care.
Ways to plant pepper seedlings:
Fact: since peppers do not tolerate picking, it is better to choose methods for growing seedlings without picking.
The classic method involves sowing seeds in a common nursery. For seedling germination, an earthen mixture is taken, well moistened. Seeds are sown in heaps, not particularly observing large intervals. When the sprouts germinate and leaves appear on them, the seedlings swoop down, rejecting weak and lifeless sprouts.
Peppers are usually dived into separate cups or pots. However, you can also choose a common capacity with larger volumes. Seating is done in a checkerboard pattern so that each bush receives the necessary amount of light and is better ventilated.
One of the most efficient and easily accessible growing methods is in cassettes.
The easiest way is to get a hotbed, divided into many separate cells. So, the seedlings will grow on the one hand in one container, and on the other hand, each seedling will be in a separate cell. Sprouting peppers this way produces very healthy, stocky seedlings. Sowing is done with one or two seeds in each cassette. Then the weaker germ can be easily removed. Deepen the seeds as well as in classic version, to a depth of 1 cm.
Growing in a separate container, the seedlings quickly rise, as they are not constrained by the close proximity of other shoots. The temperature for germinating seedlings in cassettes should be at least +25 degrees. With the growth of seedlings, the tray in the cassettes can be moved away so that the roots can grow freely.
Watering in such containers is carried out "under the bottom", that is, pouring water into the pan, and not on top of the plant
If there is a desire, and most importantly, an opportunity (since the method requires certain monetary costs), you can sow the seeds in peat tablets. The tablet is a compressed peat, which swells when moistened and increases in size. The method of growing in a peat tablet avoids the dive procedure, as the grown seedlings are transplanted into larger containers right in this very tablet.
Please note: for seedlings of pepper, tablets with diameters of 40 millimeters are suitable.
The tablets are placed in one large container (to make it easier to care for), well spilled with water so that they take the desired shape. From above, one grain is placed in the recess, sinking 0.5 centimeters. The container with the tablets is placed in a warm and bright place. To prevent moisture from evaporating quickly from peat, the nursery is covered with a film on top. Before germination, the greenhouse is regularly ventilated so as not to inadvertently provoke the development of fungus or mold. Water the tablets in a grassroots way. When the sprouts hatch, the film is removed. At the stage of the appearance of the first leaves, the seedlings are planted in separate cups, as already mentioned, without removing the sprouts from the mother's nest, but planting them in the soil directly in the tablet.
Tip: in order not to transplant seedlings into larger containers, sow the seeds immediately in large peat tablets, up to 7 centimeters in diameter.
This method is suitable when there is no space for large seedling boxes in the apartment. Seeds are sown on ribbons of toilet paper. The technology of this germination method is very simple and involves a minimum of costs.
The advantage of this method is that the dive of seedlings is painless. All that is required is to unroll the roll and remove the sprouts from it, placing it in a container with soil.
The disadvantage of growing seedlings in the "snail" is that the seedlings, being in cramped conditions of twisting, receive less light, and therefore grow thin, weak, often get sick.
Tip: Sprinkle a layer when sowing toilet paper ordinary garden soil. So the seeds, and then the shoots, will receive a good portion of the beneficial microorganisms found in the soil.
So, the sowing of the seeds is done. From this day on, a tedious period of waiting for seedlings begins for the gardener, which lasts an average of 7 to 10 days. As soon as the surface "turns green", the film is removed from the boxes, and the seedlings are placed in the brightest place in the apartment, preferably on the windowsill on the south side of the house.
Properly set temperature is the key to the proper development of plants. As already mentioned, for seed germination, an elevated temperature is required, up to +25 degrees. After germination, the temperature is lowered. During the day it is + 18-20 degrees, and at night - 14-16 degrees. Such a temperature regime will help to avoid stretching of the shoots, and at the same time it will favorably influence the development of the root system.
Please note: if the room is too hot and there is little light, then the above-ground part quickly becomes thinner and fades. Such plants quickly weaken, they are more susceptible to diseases, and their root system lags behind in development. This is not a quality pepper seedling.
Please note: the temperature can be lowered by opening the windows. However, cold air flow should not be allowed to enter the seedlings.
Seedlings should never grow in the shade. The shadow for her is fatal. The minimum amount of light during the day should be at least 12 hours. "Get" right amount daylight hours in conditions of short daylight hours (if crops, for example, were made in early March or late February), you can use special phytolamps or conventional fluorescent lamps. Abundantly bathed in the rays of the sun, plants form stronger stems and strong leaves.
Please note: the light source must be installed no closer than half a meter from the nursery.
Young seedlings are watered only with warm settled water in the early morning. The soil will tell you that it is time to water - it should be slightly dry, but not overdried, without the formation of an earthen crust. Watering is usually carried out every 4 days by sprinkling.
After water procedures, the earth is slightly loosened so that it does not crumple and compact. It is very important for wildly growing roots to receive enough moisture and oxygen.
Please note: loosening must be carried out very carefully, inadvertently without damaging the roots, which, in case of injury, inhibit the growth of the plant.
At the age of two weeks, when the seedlings acquire the first leaves, the seedlings dive. This is necessary in order, firstly, to reduce the risk of damage to the roots of various diseases that quickly spread to neighboring plantings. Secondly, the grown plants are already cramped in a common container and they need more free space for further full development.
Diving takes place in small containers (usually plastic cups) filled with fresh nutrient substrate. Some summer residents advise not to deepen the bush when planting plants in a new place. But the experience of others suggests that peppers can be planted in the ground up to the cotyledon leaves.
The bushes are planted in well-moistened soil. The soil in which the seedling is located is also well shed so that it is easier to pull the plant out of the ground without damaging the roots. It is not necessary to pick up large containers for diving: pepper develops very slowly, and therefore the most suitable container is a pot of 150 milliliters. In a small space, the plant will develop better than in excess land.
Please note: containers (cups) with seedlings should be kept at a distance from each other, so that the leaves of neighboring plants do not touch. Pepper seedlings do not like close proximity.
Picked seedlings in the first days need to be provided optimal temperature for quick rooting - 20-22 degrees of heat during the day and not lower than 14 degrees at night. The temperature is then raised slightly.
Before planting pepper in a permanent place, seedlings are fed at least twice:
In the seedling period, it is important to use liquid fertilizers, which are better absorbed into the soil and absorbed faster. Best to use complex fertilizers including both organic matter and minerals.
For fast and normal plant growth after transplantation, top dressing consists of a solution of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfide.
Healthy seedlings are, first of all, healthy seeds. Seeds should be young (up to three years old), large, of the same size, stuffed. From such seed material early shoots appear, already after 7-10 days. The first to appear on the stems are a pair of cotyledon leaves that resemble a two-bladed screw.
A week later, healthy shoots are overgrown with two real, fully opened leaves. And in 6-8 days another pair will appear. By the end of the third week, properly developing seedlings will grow on stems with three pairs of drop-shaped leaves opposed to each other.
Reference: one pair of leaves appears per week. By their number, one can judge the age of the seedlings.
If the seedlings receive the optimal amount of light and water, live in a room with a comfortable temperature, then by the end of the first month of their life, healthy seedlings should have 3-4 pairs of leaves and one pair of cotyledon leaves located at the top of the plant. The stem of the shoots is erect, bright green, juicy, stocky. It has no damage and no visible painful signs of disease or insect damage. The height of the bush is 4 centimeters.
At the time of planting in the ground, seedlings have an age of 55 to 65 days. By this time, young plants grown under conditions good care, overgrown with large elastic leaves of saturated green color. The green crown should be well developed and several times larger than the volume of the stem.
The central trunk is strong (up to 4 millimeters in diameter), durable, holds well dense foliage. Its color is green, slightly visible purple hue. The stem passes into the root neck without bending. Internodes are formed compactly.
The juicy color of the leaves indicates that the plant receives the optimal amount of nutrients. But the fading of color, the appearance of spots or wilting indicates a vitamin hunger.
Healthy seedlings, as a rule, have a well-developed branching root system. Roots, consisting of numerous white roots, abundantly braid the earth in a pot. Taking out the seedlings from the container during transplantation, the earth ball is firmly attached to the roots, while the earth quickly crumbles from a weak rhizome. Such seedlings will take root in open ground for a long time.
Mature seedlings of pepper have a height of 20-30 centimeters and up to 10-12 leaves, and perhaps an already formed bud. If grown early variety, then flowering has already appeared on the bushes. On the middle and late varieties, which will begin to bear fruit only in the second half of summer, there will be no inflorescences yet, only 9-12 leaves.
As mentioned above, the optimal age of seedlings for planting in the garden is considered to be its two-month-old age. In most regions of our country, such a heat-loving crop as pepper is cultivated in a greenhouse or under film cover. Without a film, peppers ripen much longer.
It is important to “catch” the right moment for planting seedlings, otherwise all the work spent on many days of caring for seedlings may be wasted. And all because, for example, the landing date will be missed. Overgrown seedlings take root very poorly in new outdoor conditions. The bushes get sick for a long time: the leaves wither and turn yellow, and the flowers and ovaries can generally fall off.
Tip: if you plant flowering seedlings in the ground, then it is better to remove the first flowers from it, otherwise there will be few ovaries.
In general, transplanting old seedlings into the ground can provoke problems that were hidden during the seedling period. So, it happens that the planted seedlings do not bloom, although they should already. Perhaps the plant did not develop well, being in the cramped space of the pot. And as soon as he was given freedom, having landed on a garden bed, he put all his strength into building up roots and green mass, and not into flowering. As a result, the first harvest will be obtained much later.
Peppers are transferred to the greenhouse in mid-May. In the open ground much later - only in the first days of June. These dates are due to the unstable weather of the off-season. Night frosts and daytime cooling can have a detrimental effect on plantings. Therefore, it would be wiser to play it safe and not rush to plant pepper.
Tip: such a heat-loving crop as sweet pepper, which grows well only at a temperature of +27 degrees, is best grown in a greenhouse. And only the south of the country can “boast” of weather suitable for growing pepper in the open ground.
To be honest, open ground is not the most the best place for growing bell peppers. The scorching sun, strong wind, unexpected temperature drop - in these conditions, a good harvest can not be expected. In addition, it is slightly important for pepper high humidity, which can only be controlled in a greenhouse. Therefore, if it is not possible to grow peppers in a greenhouse, then temporary film shelters are installed on the beds without fail, which are removed only by the end of June, when the pepper bushes grow enough to endure the hardships of street life. During the heat, the film is removed, and on cool days, it is securely closed so that there is no draft.
Pepper seedlings are very tender. Any external factor, whether it be temperature or a changed composition of the soil, can irrevocably ruin young plants. Therefore, a mandatory step in growing healthy seedlings is its hardening, which begins two weeks before planting in the garden.
Hardening is the accustoming of pepper seedlings to outdoor conditions (natural temperature, humidity, soil). The hardening process includes a gradual decrease in the temperature in the room where the seedlings are located. Lower it daily by one degree. If the weather is warm outside, not lower than 13 degrees Celsius, then boxes with young seedlings are taken out to the veranda or balcony so that they are “enveloped” with fresh air. In this case, the main thing is not to overdo it and not accidentally freeze the seedlings. Walks start from 30 minutes a day. Every day, the amount of time spent outside is slightly increased (depending on the air temperature outside). You need to expose peppers in sunny, calm places, since drafts and cold winds are detrimental to plants.
Years of experience shows that seedlings of pepper (and other solanaceous crops) hardened in this way tolerate planting in the ground almost painlessly. It looks healthier and stronger, is reliably protected from diseases and brings an earlier harvest.
The day before transplanting, the seedlings are watered abundantly so that the moisture is well evenly distributed at the depth of the soil. Pepper beds are arranged in sunny, quiet areas away from other nightshade beds.
Bulgarian pepper feels good in loose and light soil. In heavy soil, plants will slow down their development. To lighten the soil, when touching the beds, peat or river sand is added to it. All lumps are carefully broken so that they do not interfere with the plant "coming out" of the ground. Do not forget about fertilizers, which are ash, humus and superphosphate.
Wells for peppers are arranged at intervals of 40-45 centimeters from each other. Thickened planting is detrimental to plants. It is best to plant seedlings in a checkerboard pattern so that each plant receives an abundant amount of sunlight and well ventilated.
Pepper bushes are taken out of the seedling container along with a clod of earth, without damaging the overgrown roots. The plant is not deepened much, leaving the root neck above the surface. Cover the sprout with dry earth and lightly tamp the earth.
Properly grown seedlings after planting, as a rule, do not get sick. The bushes will noticeably get stronger in a few days and continue their development, growing more and more green every day and forming numerous ovaries.
Beds under peppers close up different ways. There are at least four of them. Each of them is used depending on the size of the plot and the proximity to other beds.
Important: when planting pepper seedlings, remember that hot and sweet pepper varieties cannot be placed next to each other. The thing is, they tend to over-pollinate. Therefore, in the end, you risk getting fruits of a completely different taste. Sweet peppers, for example, will take on a bitter note.
The classic scheme for planting peppers is an ordinary one. The point is what is being created. long bed 1 meter wide (row spacing up to 60 centimeters). Two peppers are placed across the width of the bed. After 40-50 centimeters, two more peppers are planted. And so along the garden.
Please note: planting density depends on the type of bush. So tall plants are placed up to 3-4 pieces per square meter. Undersized plants are planted thicker - up to 8 units per square.
The square-nest planting method involves planting pepper seedlings in separate holes (nests) 60 * 60 in size, 2-3 bushes at once. Such a close proximity of bushes helps to escape from the scorching sun on hot days. Square-nested planting of pepper is used mainly in southern latitudes.
Fact: it has been proven that the denser the planting, the more mineral fertilizers and water should be applied.
An equally well-known way of planting pepper seedlings is in a checkerboard pattern. Scheme: 30*30 or 50*50. Many gardeners are sure that with such an arrangement of plants, each of them receives comfortable conditions for living. Bushes placed in a checkerboard pattern do not shade each other, take the optimal amount of nutrition from the ground, they get more moisture. The result is abundant quality crops.
Please note: when choosing a planting method, you need to consider how watering will be done. Drip irrigation is appropriate for a row planting pattern. Sprinkling is suitable for other options for placing plants in the garden.
You will not read about it in the books of the 70s, which rewrite the magazine of the 2000s. Not all farmers and gardeners know about this: growing pepper seedlings in a greenhouse: that we do not know what mistakes we make in agricultural technology. From seed selection, sowing to shaping and harvesting.
About planting pepper for seedlings: this is impossible not to know, it is important to remember these subtleties.
We often choose the wrong varieties. We look at yield, size, color - just not the most important.
1. Type of bush. It defines the destination. Like this? There are standard, semi-standard, bush peppers.
What will it give? The first two are for open ground, the second and third types are for closed ground. If they are interchanged, the plants develop poorly, the yield will decrease.
In addition, they all form them in different ways: they do not form, in two stems, in 3-4 or more. If you don’t know how, if you don’t have time, you shouldn’t buy seeds that need careful rationing and shaping: you will be without a crop.
Do not buy bush for open ground and semi-standard: you will be disappointed.
2. The thickness of the pericarp, i.e. wall thickness. Thin-walled varieties, hybrids are usually early - they are white, yellow varieties mostly. Thick-walled - medium-early, late.
What thickness is considered thick? 4-5 and up to 6 mm - can be attributed to thin-walled. Over 6-7 and up to 10-12 cm - thick-walled.
3. Internodes. Short internodes - potentially high yields. This means that more fruits will form on each tier.
Important! For open ground in regions with cold short summer choose early ripening varieties of standard type. For greenhouses - tall, later, with thick walls. To sell early, you have to choose medium-early, with a small thickness of the pericarp.
How to choose a date and landing calendar:
And even choosing a shape by color, we can make a mistake. There are the following types: sweet, spicy, burning. Sweet is divided into groups (types):
And others.
What will it give? Reliability. Many pseudo-producers distributing poor quality material. If the type is not indicated on the package, and the representatives of the manufacturer or the private owner find it difficult to answer, do not get involved: buy a sorter.
Planting pepper seedlings: we plant correctly, we grow correctly: the subtleties of agricultural technology that are important to know and remember.
Pepper loves neutral-acid soils (pH 6.0-6.5), light, with a high content of humus. Do not add humus and other organic matter to the soil mixture. And peat is also not worth it.
And most importantly, seedlings cannot eat in the first weeks!
They feed on the reserves of the seed - amino acids, enzymes. Root hairs for absorption of moisture and nutrients do not work until the dive. And photosynthesis practically did not begin - to the extent to ensure the processing nutrients. It is only enough for the breath of the seedlings, no more. That is why at first the seedlings are not watered, and then the watering is poor: they still cannot drink!
As an option: garden soil, purchased soil, sand in a ratio of 1:1:1. You can add a handful of vermiculite.
They grow on hydroponics, and on coconut mats, and even in tyrs (sawdust): this is not an extreme: growing with a balanced mineral nutrition shows better results than an unbalanced composition of the good old mullein and peat.
Seeds are planted a little deeper and a little later: they germinate more slowly than the same tomatoes. And it is better to plant them immediately in large cells with a cone-shaped bottom at least 10-12 cm high, so that the root system does not tangle deep, does not bend. Or in 0.25-0.5 ml pots.
And most importantly, a large container is needed to avoid a dive or push it to a later date.
Pepper is thermophilic and photophilous, but it is a culture of short daylight hours.
Lighting is needed a little - a maximum of 8 hours. More than 10-12 hours for initial stage- excess: noticed that pepper seedlings rarely stretch.
The optimal light regime for pepper seedlings is as follows:
If artificial lighting cannot be reduced, seedlings from the 4th week are shaded after illumination: pepper needs a night.
Pepper sprouts slowly: from 7-10 to 20-22 days.
When shoots appear, the temperature is temporarily reduced to + 17 ... + 18 ° C for 4-5 days.
It is not watered immediately - when the soil is completely dry, almost before the signs of wilting begin.
After 5 days, the temperature is raised to +22 ... +25 ° C.
Dislikes very much: slows down development, can stop after unsuccessfully traumatic pinching. Its root system is not fibrous, superficial - there is almost nothing to pinch, and there is no need: it will not change its type.
This tomato with its fibrous branching root can produce additional roots. Pepper - no.
That is why he does not like loosening the soil and vice versa: he needs mulching. Even a transplant without diving shifts the growing season by 10-15 days.
They dive after the appearance of two cotyledon leaves, and when 3-4 leaves appear.
When transplanting, it is important to ensure that the spine is not bent. And deepen to the very cotyledon leaves. After diving (transferring to another container - without pinching the root), watering is stopped for 5-7 days. Also reduce backlight.
What for? So that during regeneration, restoration, plants do not spend energy on nutrition, but heal the wounds inflicted caring hosts. After 5-6 days, the temperature and backlight time are returned to their original values.
In total, it is worth carrying out two top dressing. The first is nitrogen, for the growth of green mass. The second is mineral: potassium, phosphorus, trace elements. This is potassium nitrate or potassium humate, superphospha. The topic is extensive and deserves its own coverage.
And no organics: in 90% of cases you will not master the imbalance of microelements that it will bring - for this you need to be an agricultural technician with capital letter and great experience. Secondly, it is fraught with diseases and pests. There are wonderful complexes of trace elements. For large quantities, this is not rational.
It has become a proverb in "useful tips": soak the seeds in any stimulant - Bioglobin, succinic acid. Or water your seedlings.
Yes, you do not need to soak unnecessarily and water. Unless the deadlines for the greenhouse are running out, and the seeds have low germination, or the seedlings have died. Why?
This is an internal reserve. All dietary supplements are a complex of phytohormones that promote the production or suppress growth substances, auxins and others. Nature has balanced their number in the seed - they contain exactly as much as is necessary for development. Everything from the outside is doping.
Without continued stimulation, they stop growth, which is critical for pepper: recovery will be long.
Retardants are used to slow down growth, if the seedlings are stretched out, outgrow.
If eggplant tomatoes are nimble, and quickly recover from hormones that slow down the development, the slow-witted pepper thinks: to grow or not to grow. And may decide not to grow.
Producers honestly and categorically warn: you should not use the same Athlete in the budding stage - this can leave without a crop or completely destroy the pepper.
If the seedlings have outgrown, there is nothing terrible for the greenhouse: it will quickly come to its senses. And for open ground, just cut off the ovary.
In the meantime, they haven’t landed - give top dressing with fluorine - it slows down cell division, thickens the seedlings, and prevents them from stretching. And lower the temperature. And cut off the flowers and buds (the top, so-called crown bud) without fail. The next ones will be big.
Important! Glass does not transmit the blue spectrum of radiation, needed seedlings for development.
You cannot harden a heat-loving culture: it is rather natural selection. At most, they take out for a couple of hours in the sun, in the air, under the sun's rays and in the air.
Planted in a permanent place in different ways. For greenhouses up to 60-65 days old, outdoors 70+ days. Seedlings should form, buds may appear.
A common mistake is watering before transplanting. Allegedly easier to remove from the pot.
It is easier for us, it is more difficult for pepper: after watering, the tissues become more juicy, loose, fragile.
When transporting seedlings, the leaves may break. Yes, and the process of transplantation itself will be more traumatic: any damage to the stem, roots will be accompanied by abundant sap flow.
After transplanting, do not rush to water abundantly, much less feed. To assimilate fertilizer and water, the root system must restore the suction function. And this will happen in 10 days on average. Therefore, watering as needed, and feeding - later.
