Pepper sowing time. Planting sweet pepper seedlings when to sow proper seed treatment and seedling care

No matter what kind of activity you are engaged in, it is important for everyone to achieve maximum success in it. In recent years, one often comes across in various fields, including gardening, with such a concept as favorable or unfavorable lunar days. It was introduced into our everyday life by astrologers who claim that an enterprise started on a favorable day will be successful and vice versa, if you start some process on an unfavorable day for this, the result will most likely be negative.

Recently, more and more people are turning to astrological predictions, and this is not a matter of superstition, but of a scientific approach, because the influence of the phases of the moon on all life on Earth has long been known. This also explains the reasons for such popularity of lunar sowing calendars among gardeners.

When to plant pepper seedlings in 2019

Thanks to the sowing calendar, you will become aware of the changes in the lunar phases, which determine the size and quality of your crop. An experienced vegetable grower or summer resident will never plant plants on a full moon or a new moon, since during these periods all the juices are collected either at the top or, respectively, in the roots or tubers, and this interferes with the normal development of plants. But if the pepper, which will be discussed in our article, is planted during the growing moon, its growth activity will be much higher than when planting pepper during the waning moon. So, when to sow pepper seedlings?

Auspicious dates for sowing pepper seedlings in 2019 are:

• January: 9-15, 20, 24, 28, 29;
• February: 6, 7, 20-22, 25, 26;
• March: 5, 6, 10, 11, 20, 21, 24, 25;
• April: 20, 21, 27-29;
• May: 4-6, 18, 19, 27, 28.

When to plant seedlings of pepper in open ground?
In June, favorable days for this: 15, 21-24; in July: 20-22, 25, 26.

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

Planting pepper seedlings at home

Soil for pepper seedlings

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

Here are some recipes for suitable soil for pepper seedlings:

• leafy earth, sand and high-moor peat in equal parts. The acidity level of such soil is corrected by the application of lime fertilizers;
• sod land, compost and river sand in a ratio of 2:1:1;
• two parts of humus are mixed with two parts of peat and one part of well-washed sand, after which the soil is sieved through a sieve;
• humus, sandy loamy meadow soil and soddy land in a ratio of 1:2:2 with the addition of a matchbox of potassium sulfate and two matchboxes of superphosphate per 10 liters of finished soil mixture.

Any soil mixture must be disinfected before fertilizing it.

Preparing pepper seeds for sowing

Coated seeds, enclosed in a capsule, which includes a growth stimulator and various fertilizers, preparation for sowing is unnecessary and even harmful, because when soaking the seeds, their capsule is damaged.

Ordinary seeds are first kept in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection: dilute one gram of the drug in 100 ml of water and dip the seeds into the solution for 20 minutes.

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

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

But most often they resort to seed germination. They are wrapped in wet gauze or cloth, placed in heat and made sure that the cloth does not dry out. To do this, it is better to put the wrapped seeds on a saucer and place it under polyethylene. Do not soak the seeds in water They need oxygen in addition to water to germinate. Germination is best at a temperature of 20-23 ºC. However, germinated seeds have a significant drawback - tender sprouts are easily broken off during sowing, so we recommend that you disinfect the seeds in potassium permanganate with their further processing in a growth stimulator.

Sowing pepper seedlings at home

Since pepper recovers for a very long time after picking, sowing pepper for seedlings is carried out in separate pots or cups with a diameter of 10 cm and a depth of 10-12 cm. in pots with a large clod of earth. The depth of such a box should be at least 5-6 cm, and the soil level should not reach the edge of the container by 2 cm. Do not forget to rinse the dishes in a solution of potassium permanganate before sowing.

Pepper seeds are laid out with tweezers on the soil surface at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other, pressed to the substrate, moistened through a sieve or by the method of bottom irrigation, after which they are sprinkled with a layer of soil 1 cm thick, which is then slightly compacted. Cover crops with plastic wrap or glass.

How to grow seedlings of peppers in tablets

Good pepper seedlings are obtained when grown in peat tablets, since this crop does not tolerate picking very well - after transplanting, the seedlings do not start growing for a long time.

Seeds are sown in tablets with a diameter of 3 cm: the required number of tablets is placed in a transparent tray and poured with warm boiled water to swell. As soon as the tablets stop absorbing water, pour out the excess from the tray, make holes 1-1.5 cm deep in the upper part of the tablets, carefully place the seeds prepared in the described way into the recesses and cover them with nutrient soil on top. Cover the tray with a transparent lid, glass or plastic wrap. Germinate seeds at a temperature of 25 ºC.

The first shoots appear within a week, and then the cover is removed from the crops, the tray is transferred to a bright place and kept at a temperature of 25-27 ºC during the day and 11-13 ºC at night. When the seedlings develop 2-4 leaves, and the roots begin to sprout through the net, the seedlings are planted directly in tablets in separate pots filled with one of the soil mixtures described above.

Growing seedlings of pepper in cassettes

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

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

Buy pepper seedlings - is it worth it?

If you do not want or cannot grow seedlings, you will have to purchase it, and it is better to buy planting material in nurseries, specialized stores or garden pavilions - there you are more likely than in the market to buy exactly what you want and get answers to questions about seedlings. But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to purchase seedlings from well-established sellers and you have to go to the market for it.

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

Unfortunately, unscrupulous sellers use various tricks to sell their goods, and as a result, you can get seedlings, overfed with nitrogen fertilizers or vice versa, growth inhibitors. Such seedlings then bloom poorly, develop poorly and bear fruit unimportantly, but you are unlikely to be able to recognize this catch in the market. That is why it is better to buy good seeds from a trusted manufacturer and grow seedlings on your own.

Caring for pepper seedlings at home

Conditions for growing pepper seedlings

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

If you can arrange artificial lighting for seedlings, you can grow them where they will be warmer.

At a temperature of 26-28 ºC, pepper seeds germinate on the eighth to twelfth day, at a temperature of 20-26 ºC, seedlings can appear in 13-17 days, at 18-20 ºC - after 18-20 days, and at 14-15 ºC you can wait for the emergence of seedlings not earlier than in a month.

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

Do not forget to regularly ventilate the room, but keep in mind that the seedlings are afraid of drafts and cold air.

Watering pepper seedlings

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

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

Keep in mind that in a small container, the soil loses moisture faster than in a large one. The humidity in the room is maintained at 60-70%.

Feeding pepper seedlings

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

Pinching pepper seedlings

Home seedlings of peppers require pinching, that is, removing the growth point from the seedlings. They do this in order to stimulate the development of the root system in peppers and the growth in the internodes of stepchildren from dormant buds in which flowers form.

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

Illumination of seedlings of peppers

Since peppers have a longer vegetative period than other vegetable crops, seedlings of this crop begin to grow earlier than other plants, when daylight hours are still short. But due to the fact that pepper seedlings need lighting for 12-14 hours daily, it is necessary to organize artificial lighting for it, otherwise the seedlings will be thin and elongated, with sparse leaves due to too long internodes.

Natural light from February to March is only about 5,000 lux, and normal seedling development requires an illumination level of 20,000 lux. The process of photosynthesis requires not just light, but a certain spectrum of rays: red rays stimulate the process of seed germination and flowering of seedlings, violet and blue rays are involved in the formation of cells, while yellow and green rays do not affect the development of plants. Namely, ordinary incandescent lamps emit yellow light, and therefore it is pointless to use them to illuminate seedlings. In addition, such lamps emit infrared rays, from which the seedlings are stretched and overheated.

It is best to use phyto or fluorescent lamps, as well as LED lamps, which are designed specifically for such purposes, to artificially illuminate pepper seedlings. Seedlings are illuminated with 200 W lamps per 1 m² of crop area. The backlight is placed at a distance of 20 cm from the tops of the plants, and when the seedlings grow up, the light source is raised.

In the phase of development of cotyledon leaves, to stimulate a sharp growth of seedlings, the lamps should work for three days in a row. As soon as the seedlings have real leaves, the length of daylight hours should be 14-16 hours. In February, artificial lighting should work from morning to 19-20 hours without interruption. In April, the backlight is turned on only in the morning from 6 am to 12 pm and in the evening from 4 pm to 7 pm.

Picking pepper seedlings

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

When picking, the root neck of the seedlings is deepened by no more than 5 mm. After transplanting, the seedlings are watered and, if necessary, soil is added to the pots. At first, seedlings are protected from direct sunlight, and the temperature of the content should not be lower than 15 ºC - at 13 ºC, the growth of seedlings stops.

Pepper seedling diseases and treatment

Sometimes, in the phase of cotyledon leaves, the seedlings of sweet peppers begin to turn yellow, the subcotyledon stalk darkens at the soil level, then turns black, a constriction forms in this place, and the seedlings lie down. The reason for the death of seedlings in this case is a fungal disease blackleg. Usually the causative agent of the disease is in the soil that you did not disinfect before sowing, but it happens that infection occurs through seeds or non-sterile containers - this is why pre-sowing preparation and disinfection is so important. The black leg progresses against the background of excessive or insufficient watering, dense sowing, too high or, conversely, too low temperature. Treating seedlings with copper-containing preparations and good lighting will help you fight the disease. Affected plants must be removed.

If your seedlings with two pairs of leaves suddenly begin to wither without changing the color of the leaf plates, and lag behind in growth, most likely the seedlings are sick with a fungal disease Fusarium. With Fusarium wilt, the leaves begin to turn yellow from the bottom up, and in the context of the stem you can see a browned vascular ring.

The means of combating fusarium are the same as with the black leg, but it is better to prevent the manifestation of the disease - sterilization of the soil and utensils for sowing seedlings, as well as disinfection of seeds, will help you with this.

When gray fluff appears on the soil, the inner walls of the box and the base of the seedling stalks, oppressing the seedlings, we can say that the crops were struck by gray rot. For preventive purposes, once every 10 days, seedlings are sprayed with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate, and treatment is carried out with bacterial fungicides or copper-containing preparations, removing previously affected specimens.

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

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

And sometimes there is a hurricane withering of seedlings: in the evening the seedlings were healthy, and in the morning they all lie, as if they had been scalded with boiling water. This disease is more common in the southern regions and affects sunflower and nightshade crops. This disease cannot be treated, so you will have to reseed the pepper.

When to plant pepper seedlings in the ground

With the development of 7-8 leaves in seedlings and the formation of large buds, if at this moment the seedlings reach a height of 20-25 cm, you can start hardening it. First, the seedlings are placed for 7-10 days at a temperature of 16-18 ºC, and then the temperature is lowered to 12-14 ºC. To do this, windows, windows are opened in the room or plants are taken out to the balcony, loggia or veranda, exposing them to direct sunlight. The duration of such sessions is increased every day, and two or three days before planting in open ground, the seedlings are left outdoors overnight, protected from too cold air. Hardening lasts approximately two weeks.

At the time of planting the seedlings in the ground, the seedlings should already have 8-9 leaves and several formed buds, and the average daily temperature in the garden should not fall below 15-17 ºC. The site before planting seedlings should be prepared: dig a shovel onto a bayonet and level it. Humus and peat are added to clay soil. The holes are placed at a distance of 50 cm from one another, keeping row spacing 60 cm wide. A tablespoon of complete mineral fertilizer is placed in each hole and mixed well with the soil. The depth of the hole should accommodate the roots of the seedling without bends, and the root neck after embedding should be flush with the surface of the plot. Seedlings are transferred to the holes along with an earthen clod, the hole is half filled up so that the bulk of the roots is covered with earth, then about a third of a bucket of water is poured into the hole, and when it is absorbed, the hole is filled with soil to the top.

88 5 1 Planting pepper seedlings in 2019 4.4545454545455 Rating 4.45 (88 votes)

After this article, they usually read

February is the time when the planting of bell pepper is the most optimal for central Russia. By the way, in Russia they like sweet pepper or bell pepper more. If you want to grow hot peppers as well, then in no case should you plant sweet and hot peppers together. They pollinate among themselves and sweet pepper will be bitter. In countries such as India and Turkey, they like it hot and spicy, they plant hot peppers next to sweet ones to make the latter spicier.

The best way to grow peppers is to plant pepper seeds in seedlings. Therefore, we stock up on cake lids and yogurt cups for planting pepper seedlings. It is better to buy land for planting sweet pepper, and it is good if this land is free of sand. Getting an early and large harvest depends on the timing of planting pepper seeds for seedlings.

Terms of planting pepper for seedlings: from February 1 - 15, no later than. It is better to look at the exact dates in From the moment of emergence to flowering, pepper requires more than 100 days.

Planting pepper for seedlings in 2016: January 17, 30; February 13, 14, 15; March 13; April 8, 9 - planting pepper seedlings in a greenhouse; May 11, 17, 25 - transplanting pepper into open ground.

Preparing pepper seeds for planting

Seeds are disinfected in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes. After that, they are washed with water and soaked in a nutrient solution: 1 tsp is diluted in 1 liter of water. nitrophoska or wood zoda, liquid sodium humate, fertilizer "Ideal". In any of these solutions, the temperature of which is 25 - 28 degrees, the seeds are dipped in fabric bags for a day.

Treatment in a nutrient solution promotes friendly germination of seeds. The bags are removed from the solution, sprayed with water and placed on a saucer for 1-2 days at a temperature of 25 degrees, until the seeds peck. Sowing with seeds that have sown, sprouts on the 5th - 6th day.

Hardening and planting sweet peppers

Hardening can be carried out by exposing the seeds to variable temperatures for 5 to 6 days. Put the treated seeds in the bottom of the refrigerator, where the temperature is about 2 degrees for two days. Then take it out and put it in a warm place for a day (about 18 degrees), and then again for two days in the refrigerator. Their refrigerator seeds are immediately sown in the sowing box.

Sweet pepper seed bags should be moderately moist. Next, the soil mixture is poured into the seed box with a layer of 6-8 cm, leveled, compacted, grooves are made with a distance of 5 cm and watered with warm water. Seeds are placed in grooves after 2 cm. At what depth to plant pepper 1 - 1.5 cm. They are covered with the same soil.

Water carefully so as not to wash the soil. We put glass or a transparent plastic bag on top of the landing, put it in a warm place. Pepper rises for a long time, about two weeks. As sprouts appear, remove the glass.

As soon as the first true leaves appear (first the cotyledons appear and only then the real ones), and transplant them into separate cups. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to transplant all peppers, only the strongest sprouts can be. Otherwise, planting sweet peppers will take sooo much space and it’s not a fact that poorly developed sprouts will give a good harvest.

What else does a novice gardener need to know about how to plant peppers correctly.

• Pepper is a plant that can be planted first in fairly large containers, such as a cake lid. Later, when the pepper seedlings have grown, choose the best sprouts and transplant them into separate pots. You can immediately plant them in separate cups, for example, from under yogurts, and you will not need to transplant them.
• Soil for planting pepper seedlings is better to use purchased and choose a good one. Pour the soil into the planting containers, compact and spread the pepper seeds at a distance of 1.5 cm from each other.
• Sprinkle the seeds with 1 cm of soil. Water carefully, making sure that the soil does not erode.
• Cover plantings with glass or a clear plastic bag. Put in a warm bright place.
• As soon as sprouts appear, the glass must be removed.
• When the first two true leaves appear, pepper seedlings should be swooped down and transplanted into cups.
• Before properly planting peppers, you can soak them in a nutrient solution. But I do not soak, I plant dry seeds.

Bulgarian pepper is an unpretentious plant that grows in southern latitudes without any problems. The difficulties of growing this crop in the conditions of the middle lane and to the north are associated with the long growing season of the plant. If you know how to properly plant pepper for seedlings, then you can get a bountiful harvest not only in the greenhouse, but also in the open field.

Even the earliest variety of bell pepper has a growing season of up to 140 days, and the time from germination to ripening is at least 90 days. Plus, the germination of seeds - the germination time is from 10 days to 1 month.

Thus, if you have seeds of an early or mid-season variety, then you should sow bell pepper for seedlings no later than mid-February (northern regions), early March (middle lane).

Germination rate of bell pepper seeds depending on air temperature:

• 26-28 ºC - 8-10 days;
• 20-24 ºC - 13-17 days;
• 18-20 ºC - 18-20 days;
• 14-15 ºC - up to 1 month;

You can speed up the process of seed germination by pre-soaking and preparing them.

Seed preparation

Preparation of seeds for sowing consists in their disinfection, stimulation and soaking.

Before starting preparation, light seeds should be discarded, as weak plants will grow out of them or they will not sprout at all. To do this, the existing seed is poured into the water. After a few minutes, discard all the seeds that remain on the surface of the water. Work continues with drowned, which means full-weight, seed material.

Disinfection of seed material is carried out with a solution of potassium permanganate (in the common people, potassium permanganate). To do this, a slightly pink solution is bred, in which the seeds are immersed for a couple of hours. Non-chemical method of disinfection - heating in hot water (50 ºC) for 20 minutes. After that, the seeds are immediately cooled in cold water.

Stimulation and top dressing are carried out with special means such as Epin (Humate, Zircon). The existing drug is dissolved in water strictly according to the instructions, since an overdose is extremely harmful. The seeds of bell pepper, which were removed from the solution of potassium permanganate, are transferred to the resulting solution. In "top dressing" the material is kept for 20-30 minutes. Then washed and soaked for germination.

Germination is conveniently carried out between two cotton pads. To do this, the seeds are laid out on the surface of the disk and covered with another one. The top disk can be signed with a ballpoint pen if you want to plant several varieties of pepper. Discs should be dampened sparingly. Fully flooded seeds will “suffocate” and die.

As soon as the peppers hatch, they need to be planted in the ground. A visible sprout should not be allowed - it will easily break off when sowing. The germination stage can be skipped, but this will slightly delay the germination time.

Note! Seeds that are pre-treated by the manufacturer do not need pre-sowing manipulations. On the bag of such seed is written "Do not soak!". Follow this instruction - by soaking such seeds, you will damage the nutritional and protective capsule.

Preparing the soil for sowing seedlings

You can sow sweet peppers in "purchased" soil, in peat tablets or in self-prepared soil. Experienced gardeners believe that at least 50% of the land for seedlings should be from their garden. This is explained by the fact that the plant "gets used to getting" food from a certain soil mixture. A cardinal change of soil when planting seedlings from "purchased" land into the garden for a long time delays the development of the plant.

Seedling soil requirements:

• neutral or slightly acidic environment;
• sufficient organic content for “friability” and moisture retention;
• adequate nutrient content;

It is not difficult to create such a soil mixture. Have to take:

• two parts of garden land;
• one part of peat or special soil for seedlings;
• one part of humus, compost or top layer (10 cm) of meadow soil;

To increase nutritional value and adjust acidity, add to it per 10 liters of soil:

• oven ash (who has it) - a handful;
• lime (who does not have ash) - a handful;
• double superphosphate - 2 matchboxes;

Top dressing with potash and nitrogen fertilizers is best done later, when watering the seedlings.

Note! The prepared soil mixture must be shed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. The second way to kill pathogens in garden soil is to preheat it to 60 ºC.

Methods for sowing pepper seedlings

There are several ways to plant sweet pepper seedlings:

1. Classic - pepper is sown in a "common" container and subsequently dived into a larger container or separate pots.
2. In ready-made cassettes, 1-2 seeds are sown without picking.
3. In peat tablets - 1 seed is sown without picking.
4. In twists - in rolls of toilet paper, followed by planting young sprouts in large containers or separate pots.

Note! The best results are obtained by growing bell pepper seedlings without picking, planting in separate containers. Peppers, unlike tomatoes, do not tolerate transplantation well, get sick for a long time and lag behind in growth.

Growing seedlings in peat tablets

For sprouting peppers, tablets with a diameter of 3-4 cm are suitable. They are placed on the bottom of a large container and filled with water. As soon as the tablets have ceased to absorb water, the excess is poured out.

In the center of the resulting cylinder (and it “grows” when it swells), a seed is placed to a depth of about 0.5 cm. The container is placed in a warm place. To preserve moisture, the top is tightened with cling film or polyethylene.

A mini greenhouse should be ventilated for at least 1 hour a day. Watering is carried out by the grassroots method as the peat dries. After the appearance of sprouts, the cylinders are moved to separate containers with prepared soil mixture.

The mesh, which envelops the peat cylinder, does not allow the lump to disintegrate and the root system of the pepper is not injured. Further care consists in timely watering and lighting.

Note! If you do not want to transfer seedlings to pots, then you should buy tablets with a diameter of 7 cm. In such cylinders, the pepper will not need additional soil.

Growing seedlings in cassettes

Growing seedlings in cassettes or individual pots with a volume of 250-500 ml gives high-quality seedlings. Sprouted seeds can be sown one at a time, dry seeds are better two in one container, followed by the removal of a weaker plant. The seed is buried 1 cm into the soil and watered.

Cassettes are placed on the south or west window, or under the lamp. It is important that the air temperature is not lower than 25 ºC. As the seedlings grow, soil is poured into the pot. Watering in cassettes is carried out in a grassroots way - water is poured into the pan. Pots with seedlings are usually watered in the classical way.

The classic home method of growing seedlings

The "grandfather" way of growing pepper seedlings at home has a right to exist and even has some advantages:

1. When sowing in a common container, seed germination is not particularly important.
2. It is convenient to sow in a small dish.
3. When diving seedlings, weak plants are rejected.
4. If you follow the timing and agrotechnics of diving, then the pepper will tolerate it relatively well.
5. Planting in the "native" land will not let the plants get sick and get used to the new soil for a long time after landing in the greenhouse.

For sowing, they take a small container with earth and sow the seeds thickly to a depth of 0.5 cm. Water the earth, cover the top with a film and put the container in a warm place. After the appearance of sprouts for a day (two), the seedlings are transferred to a warm window. As soon as the sprouts turn dark green, the first true leaf will hatch - they need to dive.

The pick box (if there are no separate containers, which is preferable) should be at least 12-15 cm deep. Seedlings are watered a few hours before transplanting. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 10-15 cm, preferably in a checkerboard pattern.

Landing in twists (in Moscow)

Sowing seeds for germination between ribbons of toilet paper began not so long ago. There are supporters and opponents of this method. The main advantage of this method of seed germination is its compactness.

The technology is as follows:

1. A cellophane tape is placed on the table (it is convenient to use a food bag cut along the length).
2. Toilet paper is laid on top and sprayed with water from a hand sprayer (important! The edges of the paper and cellophane must match).
3. On a tape of cheap (it is thicker and coarser) toilet paper, seeds are laid out at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other and from the top edge of the paper at the same distance.
4. Cover the seeds with a layer of paper, moisturize well.
5. Roll up into a weak roll, effortlessly.
6. Put the twist in a container, on the bottom of which pour a little water.
7. Remove the structure in a warm place.

As soon as sprouts appear, the twist is transferred to a lighted place. Planting in the ground for seedlings is carried out with two developed cotyledon leaves. The roll is untwisted and cut with scissors into separate fragments with sprouts. Seedlings are planted in a permanent container, where they will develop before planting in the garden.

Growing seedlings at home is not too troublesome with a certain skill. Follow the deadlines and agricultural practices, give the seedlings light and warmth - bell pepper will delight you with a harvest until frost.

How to grow pepper seedlings from seeds And when is the best time to plant peppers in 2019? Today we will talk about growing pepper seedlings at home - preparing the soil, seeds for planting, caring for seedlings before planting in open ground.

You will learn how to grow healthy, good pepper seedlings at home, detailed photos and videos.

For growing seedlings of sweet pepper it is necessary to follow the basic rules for sowing, picking and transplanting pepper, which will be discussed below. We will also share the nuances and secrets of the proper cultivation of seedlings.

For those who sow according to according to the lunar calendar- favorable days for sowing bell pepper seeds 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 24 February 2019. bad days from 3, 4, 20 February 2019.

When is the best time to plant pepper seeds for seedlings?

It is still too early to start planting pepper seeds in January, as there is still too little light in this winter month, as a result, peppers will be lethargic and weak, and as a result, you will not get a good harvest from such plants. Before sowing pepper seeds, check the planting dates indicated on the seed package.

Keep in mind that pepper is only suitable seedling growing method due to the long growing season of 120-150 days.

The first sowing of seeds must be carried out already from mid-February. Pepper seeds do not always germinate well, if, for example, they were overdried by the manufacturer, then the germination time can increase up to several weeks.

The seeds of their peppers usually germinate much faster than purchased ones, usually after 1 week. Purchased pepper seeds will take 10-14 days before the first sprouts appear. This fact can be explained by the fact that purchased seeds are subjected to mechanical processing and are often overdried by the manufacturer to increase the shelf life.

So, 2 and 3 decades of February the ideal time for planting pepper seeds for seedlings. The latest landing date is mid-March. If you plant the seeds later, then you will not have to count on full-fledged fruits this year.

Experienced gardeners advise against soaking pepper seeds before planting, as this procedure will speed up seed germination by only a few days. The soil before sowing the seeds must be moistened so that it is easier for the seeds to shed the shell from the seeds during germination.

If you make the soil yourself, you can add humus, in this case, additional feeding is not needed.

Seeds are planted in prepared soil to a depth no more than 2-3 cm. After that, the containers must be covered with polyethylene and placed in a room with a temperature 22-26 degrees.

Check sprouts periodically. It is important not to miss this moment, since at the first shoots it is necessary to remove the film from the boxes with seedlings.

After germination, move the seedling boxes to a cooler room with a temperature of about 20 degrees. Pepper seedlings are very fond of light, so be sure to arrange additional lighting for seedlings, especially on cloudy days.

Pepper doesn't like pick and transplant, because their root system is easily damaged and then restored for a long time. Best used for sowing pepper seeds peat cups, which, after landing in the ground, will simply turn into humus.

If you could not find such cups or you do not like working with them, then sow the peppers in containers at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other.

Seedlings should not be watered often, preferably with water at room temperature, or you can warm it up a little. It is enough to spray pepper seedlings once a month.

Monitor the condition of the seedlings constantly. Pepper does not tolerate drying out of the soil, so increase watering if necessary.

Stocky and powerful seedlings can be planted in open ground at the age of 60-80 days. At this age, the first buds are already appearing on the bushes.

The time of planting seedlings must be determined based on the weather. Usually this is the beginning of June, when the risk of frost returning is practically eliminated.

To get an excellent crop of sweet peppers, strong and healthy seedlings are needed. Growing it at home is easy if you know some of the rules of this process. Each vegetable grower will need information on when and how to plant pepper for seedlings, how to do it correctly and properly care for the resulting seedlings.

There are no clearly defined dates when it is necessary to sow pepper for seedlings. It all depends on the region where the plants will grow, the climate of the area, the maturity and age that the seedlings have reached by the time they are transplanted to the main place, the growing conditions (open beds or greenhouses). But still, you can focus on several of the following criteria.

On each production package of seeds of garden plants, including pepper, there is information on when to carry out basic agrotechnical measures with them. It is located on the back of the packs. The information is presented in text or graphic form. Even if it is not indicated exactly when to sow pepper for seedlings, the date can be calculated by simple arithmetic calculations. For example, if you add 10 days to the time of fruit ripening, which are needed for seed germination and restoration of peppers after picking, then you can determine the date when you can start work.

Approximate terms when the pepper reaches technical ripeness are:

• for early ripe varieties and hybrids - 90-120 days;
• for mid-season - 125-135 days;
• for late-ripening - 140-150 days.

It should also be borne in mind that seedlings of early and mid-ripening varieties can be planted in the ground for a permanent place at the age of 2 months, and late-ripening - 2.5 months. Therefore, the optimal sowing dates for the former will be the days in the 3rd decade of February or the 1st decade of March, and for the latter - in the 1st-2nd decade of February.

According to the lunar calendar

Some gardeners attach importance to the influence of the phases of the moon on cultivated plants, so they try to adhere to the lunar calendar. According to him, there are favorable and unfavorable periods when it is desirable or undesirable to carry out horticultural work. Sowing seeds should be carried out on the growing moon, when the processes of growth and development of plants are activated.

In 2018, it is permissible to sow or plant crops:

• 18-23 and 25-27 February;
• 8-11 and 20-23 March;
• 7-11, 22-23 and 25-26 April;
• 8-11 and 20-25 May;
• 5-9 and 19-25 June.

The same lunar calendar indicates that it is undesirable to sow seeds or plant seedlings on such days:

• February 14-16;
• March 1-3, 16 and 30;
• April 15-17, 29 and 30;
• 14-16 and 28-30 May;
• 12-14 and 29 June.

And it is completely unacceptable to carry out such work on the new moon and full moon, which must also be taken into account when choosing the date for sowing pepper for seedlings. Based on the recommendations of the lunar calendar - 2018, any gardener will be able to sow seeds at the most appropriate time.

Depending on the climatic conditions of the region

When starting to sow pepper seeds for seedlings, it is especially worth considering the climatic conditions of your area, because this culture is thermophilic and reacts very poorly to cooling. Prematurely planted seedlings, forced to sit in cold ground (below 10-15 ° C), grow poorly, and if frost occurs, it may die.

You can sow pepper for seedlings in areas belonging to the Middle Lane, including in the Moscow region, you can:

• in mid-March - early varieties and hybrids;
• in mid-February - late.

In the Volga region, sowing should be started earlier. For early peppers, the optimal time for such an event would be the 3rd decade of February - the 1st decade of March, for late peppers - the beginning of February. In Siberia and the Urals, on the contrary, it is necessary to wait with sowing until the end of March - the beginning of the next month (for early varieties) and until the beginning of March (for late ones).

Capacity selection

What to plant sweet peppers for seedlings, each vegetable grower decides on his own, based on personal preferences, advantages and disadvantages of a particular container.

Cassettes

If you plan to do without picking, then it is better to plant pepper seedlings in special plastic cassettes. They can be small- and large-meshed, large-meshed ones (9 horizontal cells by 6 vertical ones) are suitable for this culture. Cassettes are light, they can be easily carried even with plants, they already have holes for water drainage. But their most important advantage is that each bush can be removed from the cell along with the soil without injuring the roots. The only drawback is the fragility.

Plastic cups

Ordinary food cups with a volume of 150-250 ml are also suitable as containers for pepper seedlings. Before filling them with soil, each will need to make 2-3 drainage holes. You can pierce them with an awl. Cups are good because they are cheap, light, you can use them for several seasons, and also because when plants are taken out of them, their roots remain intact. The disadvantages of this container are that the cups are unstable, for them you need to look for a pallet, it is inconvenient to transport them to the summer cottage.

Peat cups and tablets

It is very convenient to grow seedlings of sweet pepper in them. These types of containers for garden crops are made of pressed peat, therefore they are environmentally friendly and extremely useful. Their advantages - when planting, they go deep into the ground along with the plant, as a result of which its roots are not injured at all. In the future, they gradually dissolve in the soil, nourishing the growing bushes. The disadvantages of peat tablets and cups are that they are expensive, it is not always possible to purchase them, seedlings will have to be watered more often due to the rapid evaporation of moisture.

wooden box

If further picking is expected, then pepper can be sown in a wooden box - the most suitable container for this. It is easy to use, does not take up much space and can be easily carried or transported if needed. The disadvantages of this container are a rather large weight and the fact that when transplanting seedlings it cannot be removed without damaging the roots.

Preparing the soil for sowing seedlings

The soil for sweet pepper should be fertile, light, air- and moisture-intensive, neutral or slightly acidic. It should not contain pathogens and pests.

The soil for seedlings of tomatoes and peppers can be bought at gardening stores or prepared independently. Still, it is better to stop at the first option, since the composition of the finished soils is well balanced and all the components in it are in the correct proportions.

If you prepare the soil mixture yourself, you will need:

• 2 parts of land from the garden;
• 1 part compost (can be replaced with humus);
• ash (200-300 g per 1 bucket of humus);
• 1 part peat and sawdust (coarse sand).

To disinfect the mixture, it must be spilled with boiling water, a solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide. That's all, the substrate for sowing peppers is ready.

Seed preparation

If pepper seeds are bought in a store, then most likely they have already been treated with protective substances. No preparation is required in this case: they are not soaked and sown dry. If the seed material was collected from their beds, then the preparation of seeds for planting is necessary.

First you need to calibrate the seeds, for which they must be filled with warm water, then the floating ones should be separated (they are not suitable for planting). The rest, full-weight, pickle in a solution of potassium permanganate (2%) for 30 minutes, rinse in cold water. You can use solutions of fungicides Fitosporin, Vitaros, Maxim, etc. After that, it is advisable to soak the seeds in growth stimulants, for example, Epin or Zircon. Exposure time - according to the instructions for the preparations.

Sowing pepper seedlings

To do without a pick, it is better to immediately sow the seeds in individual containers. There are several options for such containers.

They should first be soaked in warm water. To do this, the tablets must be placed in rows in a tray with high walls and poured with warm water. When they swell, and this will happen very quickly, a seed must be placed in the recesses on the upper plane of each tablet. Sprinkle a thin layer of peat on top.

In peat and plastic cups

First, in each plastic cup, you will need to pierce several holes to drain excess liquid. Then fill the containers with soil to the top, but not tightly. Pour warm water over them. Put 1 pepper seed in each cup and pour a thin layer of dry soil on top. It is important to ensure that the seeds are not buried lower than 1-1.5 cm. If you lower them lower, then the formation of sprouts will be delayed. After sowing, put the containers on a pallet and cover with a film.

In cassettes

Sowing seeds in plastic cassettes for vegetable seedlings is no different from sowing in cups. They are also stuffed with soil, cell by cell, moistened, sown 1 pc. seeds in each, sprinkle with dry soil and cover with a film.

Landing in twists in Moscow

In addition to the traditional ones, you can use another method of planting seeds - in paper rolls. For this you need:

1. Cut strips of toilet paper 45-50 cm long and 10 cm wide and strips of thin film of the same size.
2. Put paper on 1 layer of film, moisten it with water from a spray bottle.
3. On its upper edge, retreating from the top about 1.5 cm, spread the seeds at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other. For convenience, you can take tweezers.
4. Cover the paper on top with another film. Then roll everything into a roll and secure it with an elastic band.
5. Put the roll in a glass and pour about 4 cm of water. Cover with foil.
6. After the emergence of seedlings, feed the pepper with a solution of complex mineral fertilizers, reducing their concentration by 2 times. Add water to the glass regularly to the previous level.

In phase 1 of this leaf, the seedlings from the roll must be planted in pots with soil. To do this, roll it out, cut off each pepper with scissors and plant it directly with paper in the ground.

Seedling picking

Dive pepper at the age of 3-4 weeks. At this time, he should have 2 true leaves. The picking of seedlings is carried out in cups with a volume of 150-200 ml. The plants are watered, then carefully removed from the common container, trying not to tear the roots too much, and placed in individual containers. They need to be buried no deeper than 0.5 cm. After that, water the plants, sprinkle with soil on top and compact it a little.

Features of further care

Certain conditions are necessary for the normal development of this culture. The set of measures for the care of pepper seedlings includes: watering, organizing a certain temperature and light regime, top dressing.

Content temperature

After sowing pepper seeds, the containers are placed in a warm place where the temperature will not fall below 25-30 ° C. When shoots appear, the temperature of the content must be reduced to 16-18 ° C and maintained at this level for a week, then raised again and the rest of the time seedlings should be grown at 21-25 ° C during the day and 18-20 ° C at night.

Lighting

Before the appearance of sprouts, pepper does not particularly need light, at this time the main thing is to be warm, so you can keep the container with it in a not very lit place. From the moment the first shoots are formed and until planting in the ground, daylight hours should be at least 10-12 hours. At the first stages of growing pepper seedlings at home, phytolamps are used to extend the short spring day.

Watering and humidity

Pepper seedlings should be watered in such a way that the soil is always slightly damp, but not wet and does not dry out. You need to focus on the condition of the top layer of soil: if it is dry, then you can water it. Water should be warm, separated from chlorine. Cold cannot be used.

Top dressing

Seedlings are fed with liquid or water-soluble complex fertilizers, which include all macro- and microelements necessary for vegetables. The first feeding of seedlings is carried out in the phase of 2 leaves, the next - after 1.5-2 weeks, dissolving the preparations according to the dosages indicated by the manufacturer.