Content
Peppers are grown in seedlings. This makes it possible to get the harvest on time, because the culture has a long growing season. To grow quality peppers, you need to do the right things:
- sow pepper seeds for seedlings;
- grow seedlings;
- prepare and plant pepper seedlings for permanent residence.
During all these periods, sown peppers require some care and maintenance of the necessary environmental parameters.
It doesn't matter what kind of pepper seedlings you grow. For bitter or sweet, there are the same nuances of agricultural technology. Some gardeners believe that peppers can be safely sown in open ground and grown without seedlings. But in this case, vegetables will ripen 20-25 days later, and in unfavorable weather they can stay longer. Therefore, a more reliable way is seedling.
When to plant pepper seeds for seedlings? It is imperative to check the possible date with the lunar calendar and make a simple calculation.
Pepper ripens, on average, 100-150 days after the first shoots appear. The seedlings are ready for planting after 60-80 days, and the seeds will sprout no earlier than 2-3 weeks after sowing. From the favorable day of planting seedlings in the ground, we subtract this entire period and get the day of sowing.
Sow bell peppers for seedlings as soon as possible. But in this case, you will have to pay more attention to the growing seedlings - to supplement the light longer.
We start preparing for sowing
How to sow seeds for seedlings correctly? To get a good result, you will have to pay attention to each stage of seedbed preparation. At the very beginning, you need to choose a good variety of pepper for sowing seedlings. It depends on the purpose for which you will grow a healthy vegetable. Some varieties are good for salads and freezing, others are good for pickling and pickling, and still others are great for all purposes. Many people like large-fruited peppers, others are satisfied with the usual variety.
Once your choice is made, pay attention to the expiration date. The older the seeds are, the less likely you are to get quality pepper seedlings.
Then we proceed to the pre-sowing preparation of the selected seeds. The fact is that they sprout rather slowly. Many gardeners generally do not sow pepper seeds without soaking them in growth stimulants. This really helps to speed up the time to emergence of the first shoots and increase their number. First, review the seeds and remove any suspicious ones by their appearance. Treat the selected for sowing with antifungal drugs. To do this, use well-known fungicides - "Fitosporin-M", "Maxim", "Vitaros" or ordinary potassium permanganate. Pepper seeds are placed in a gauze bag, and the preparations are diluted according to the instructions.
The next step is to stimulate the seeds.
Some options for stimulating pepper seeds for seedlings:
- Wrap the seeds in a cloth and immerse them in hot water (about + 55 ° C). Let sit for 15 minutes and transfer directly to the refrigerator. Here they will have to lie down for a day. After the procedure, sowing must be carried out immediately.
- The seeds are soaked in a solution of preparations (at choice) "Zircon", "Epin-extra" or "Energen". It only takes 4 drops per half glass of water. Silk and Novosil work excellently for these purposes.
After the pepper seeds are selected and prepared according to all criteria, we proceed to the preparation of the soil and containers.
By volume, a 50 ml or 100 ml container will suffice. Seedlings sown in one box will have to dive. This will delay the development of the pepper by 10-12 days. And from a glass it will turn out well to transplant a pepper seedling along with a lump of earth. It is necessary to ensure that the root system of the pepper seedlings has enough space.
Some gardeners believe that pepper seedlings should be grown without picksso as not to injure the plants. Therefore, they sow seeds deep and simply pour the soil into the cups as the pepper seedlings grow. And others, on the contrary, are sure that a pick is indispensable.
Soil for pepper seedlings. It is prepared while the seeds are sprouting. A ready-made mixture is ideal for those who have not prepared the ground since the fall. A little washed out sand (ratio with soil - 0.5: 3) and the pepper will be "very happy". Experienced growers prepare the soil mixture themselves. Observing pepper seedlings tells them which ingredients are most needed. Most often, these are:
- humus or rotted compost - 2 parts;
- peat - 2 parts;
- sand (well washed) - 1 part.
The mixture is sieved, steamed well, some are disinfected with biological products.
We start sowing
How to sow pepper for seedlings correctly? The planting container is not filled with soil mixture to the very top. It is necessary to leave a place for filling up the earth and careful watering. In order for the seedlings to appear with the shell already discarded from the seed, the soil is moistened before planting.
The top layer is compacted and the prepared pepper seeds are laid out.
Then sprinkle with a layer of dry earth 3-4 cm and compact again. A tablespoon is ideal for this purpose. The cups are placed in plastic bags and kept warm. If sowing was done in a box, cover it with foil.
To see the first shoots in 7-10 days, you need to maintain a soil temperature not lower than 28 ° C-30 ° C, but not higher than 35 ° C. Otherwise, the seeds can be ruined. The correct planting of peppers is the key to your great harvest.
It is convenient to use shelves or racks for placing landing containers. Some summer residents in the apartment equip mini-greenhouses, which makes it easier caring for small peppers... Such a greenhouse has many advantages:
- fast assembly and disassembly;
- the ability to install additional lighting under the shelves;
- transportability (it is very easy to move to the dacha at the request of the owner).
If you have planted several favorite or new varieties, place nameplates.
So, it will be easier to provide proper care and monitor the characteristics of the variety. You can choose the most suitable one for further cultivation. Planting pepper seeds is over, now the next important stage comes - growing healthy and strong seedlings.
Saplings appeared - we continue competent care
As soon as pepper shoots are noticed, immediately transfer the container to the light, but lower the temperature to 16 ° C -17 ° C. Pour moderately with warm water and set the bowls to the light, if there is no additional lighting.
In this period of development for pepper seedlings, it is necessary to provide:
- timely gentle watering;
- temperature indicators;
- adequate lighting;
- food.
Another stage that confuses beginners is picking seedlings. Let's start in order.
First, about watering. Summer residents sacredly observe the rule when caring for pepper seedlings - do not overflow! Such an oversight leads to black leg disease. But, serious drying out of the soil is also unacceptable. The first watering is needed 4-5 days after the first shoots appear. Water is taken warm, about 30 ° C, cooler leads to a weakening of the seedlings.It is good to use settled water and adjust the frequency of irrigation, taking into account the weather, temperature and soil characteristics. On average, some may have it several times a day, while others - only once a week. Watering is carried out in the morning, because peppers like drier air than cucumbers. Spraying is done as needed. When airing the room, carefully protect the seedlings of peppers from drafts.
Picking
For those summer residents who have never done this, planting seedlings in a separate (or large) container. This technique is necessary for the better formation of the root system of the peppers. After planting, lateral and adventitious roots are formed in the seedlings. Time for a pick is two real leaves. There are two options:
- with deepening;
- without deepening.
It is necessary to deepen the seedlings by no more than 0.5 cm.The whole process can be described as follows:
Water the soil abundantly and wait until the moisture is completely absorbed. If the soil is dry, then the delicate roots of pepper seedlings can be easily injured.
Prepare a container for seating. It must be supplied with drainage so that the water soaks all the soil and does not stagnate.
Fill it with the same mixture that was prepared for sowing seeds, and pour it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. In the middle of the container, a recess is made sufficient for the roots of pepper seedlings.
Carry out the pick carefully. Care must be taken not to damage the stems and roots of the seedlings. Place the roots in the hole, sprinkle with earth and compact slightly. The root collar can be buried no more than half a centimeter.
Water the transplanted seedling gently, holding it with your finger. After the water is completely absorbed, top up the soil if it has subsided.
A new life stage for pepper seedlings
The next phase of seedling development is coming, and our task is to provide it with proper care. We put the container on the windowsill and monitor:
- Lighting... Direct sunlight is not allowed. They can burn tender stems and leaves until the seedlings are adapted to sunlight. It is better to shade by covering the window glass. Do not forget to turn the pots so that the pepper seedlings do not tilt to one side.
- Temperature indicators... It is necessary to control not only the air temperature, but also the soil temperature. This is an important indicator for pepper seedlings. It should not fall below 15 ° C. The outside air is warmed up during the day to 25 ° C on a sunny day and up to 22 ° C in cloudy weather. They are kept at 17 ° С -18 ° С at night.
- Water mode... For dived seedlings, a one-time watering of 5-6 days is sufficient. The first time she needs to be drunk six days after the procedure. The water is settled for irrigation, its temperature is maintained at least 25 ° C -28 ° C, so as not to stop the growth of seedlings with cold water. Watering is carried out in the morning.
- Nutrition... During the time that will pass before planting pepper seedlings for permanent residence, you need to feed the seedlings two times. The first time is 14 days after seating, the second - another 14 days after the first time. Pepper seedlings are fed in liquid form. It is optimal to combine watering and feeding of seedlings. Convenient ready-made preparations that are purchased in the store network. They are bred according to the instructions. You can prepare your own composition. A humate solution works well.
- If pepper seedlings develop slowly and the leaves become light in color, take urea (0.5 tsp) and water (3 liters). Dilute and spill. A worthy alternative is "Ideal" (according to the instructions). In case of violations with the root system, they are fed with superphosphate or nitrophosphate. Enough 1 tablespoon of the component in a three-liter bottle of water. The dry fertilizer used for Signor Tomato tomatoes is perfect in this case.
- By hardening seedlings... We take them out into the fresh air, gradually adapting them to environmental conditions. The temperature is maintained at least 16 ° C, protecting it from direct sunlight and drafts.
We have covered the main steps before planting in the ground.As soon as the first buds appear, the seedlings are ready for planting.
Be sure to prepare the soil, spill the seedlings and plant them at the recommended density. It is important to monitor the health of the root system. Better to plant with a lump of earth from a pot.
We fill the hole in half, water it, wait for the moisture to be absorbed. Now we add loose soil, mulch and put boards with the name of the variety. Care for some varieties may vary. This will help to comply with all recommendations. Now our peppers are getting ready to ripen the harvest.
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