Good afternoon, my reader. Strong seedlings of peppers are the key to obtaining a rich harvest of this vegetable crop, which is popular among summer residents. It is possible to grow healthy and viable seedlings only from high-quality seed, provided that all the rules for caring for young seedlings are observed.
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When sowing pepper seeds for seedlings
Gardeners determine the sowing date of this vegetable crop based on its varietal affiliation. Peppers tend to ripen 100-130 days after sprouting.
It is customary to sow seeds of late and mid-ripening varieties for seedlings in 2-3 ten days of February, early-ripening ones - in early March.
Seedling plants are considered ready to be transplanted to the garden bed at the "age" of 60-80 days. They are moved to the garden only when the soil is well warmed up. Its temperature should not be lower than + 15-17 ° C.
Features of the preparation of planting material for sowing seedlings
To obtain high-quality seedlings, experienced gardeners use seeds from a trusted manufacturer that have not expired. They must be less than 4 years old.
The seed will need to be prepared for planting in the soil. To do this, the summer resident should carry out several manipulations:
- Soak the seeds in water with a small amount of mineral fertilizer added to it. The residence time of the seed in the solution should be 15 minutes. After that, it will need to be removed from the liquid and dried at a room temperature of +25 ° C.
An alternative to a fertilizer solution is ash infusion. Also "Epin Extra" is applicable for this purpose.
- Harden the planting material. For this, the seeds, after soaking, are sent to the refrigerator for 10 hours. Then they are left for 12 hours at room temperature, after which they are returned to the cold for 12 hours. By hardening, the seeds will become more resistant to cold and stress.
What container is suitable for growing pepper seedlings
Peppers should be grown at home in individual pots, since the seedlings of this vegetable crop are very tender and react painfully to a pick. Transferring from a common container to separate seedling cups is very traumatic.
Experienced gardeners recommend giving preference to:
- peat-distilled tablets;
- peat pots.
Such containers do not interfere with the access of oxygen to the roots of seedlings. They are also distinguished by ease of use, the content of substances useful for young peppers such as macro- and microelements, growth stimulants, antibacterial components.
Growing pepper seedlings in peat pots or tablets, the summer resident provides them with the nutrition necessary for proper development and good growth.
Features of planting pepper seeds for seedlings
Sow vegetable seeds in peat-distilled tablets, following step-by-step instructions:
- The tablets are placed in a shallow container. The recess should be on top. Pour them with warm water and leave until they swell.
- After the tablets have increased 6 times, the seeds are laid out in the grooves.
- Sprinkle them with soil mixture.
- Cover the container with the tablets with a lid. The measure prevents moisture evaporation. Thanks to her, the pills will not dry out.
- Leave the planting in a room with a temperature of + 23-25 ° C.
After the sprouts hatch, remove the lid from the container. Planting is left in a well-lit place. Maintain the room temperature at + 20-22 ° C.
Sowing pepper seeds for seedlings in peat glasses is carried out as follows:
- Fill the pots with nutritious, light, moisture-absorbing soil mixture. Its acidity indicator should be neutral.
- Place the peat glasses in a deep plastic container.
- Water the soil with water. For this purpose, a settled, slightly warm liquid is used.
- Place the seeds in pots. Sprinkle them with soil. Its layer should be no more than 1 cm.
- Cover the container with a lid, leaving a gap for air to enter. Leave the container warm.
Caring for pepper seedlings at home
Seedlings growing in peat pots or tablets are easy to care for. The main thing is to make sure that they do not dry out, and the soil mixture is always moist.
After the first true leaf appears on the seedlings, they will need to be fed with a store-bought complex mineral fertilizer. It must be in liquid form.
Prepare a nutrient solution for the peppers following the instructions from the fertilizer manufacturer.
The resulting liquid is poured over young peppers at the root. The procedure will need to be carried out at intervals of 1 time in 7-10 days. Top dressing should be carried out simultaneously with watering the planting.
Compliance with the rules of sowing and caring for peppers seedlings will allow you to get strong and viable plants that will take root well in the garden and will subsequently bear fruit abundantly.
Do you know how to grow strong pepper seedlings?
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