See sprout and root NOTE
We gardeners is not the time and out of season. Since February is already starting the trouble: you need to prepare seeds and plant seedlings. young growth pepper there are 25 - 30 days after planting the seed. Swelling of the seeds of this culture is slow, so they are planting in February. seed tomatoes germinate in 7 to 10 days, they can be planted in March, and then in early April.
March abstracts: what to do to pepper seedlings are not stretched and tomatoes
* Through trial and error, I realized that the seeds it is not necessary to plant often. Otherwise planted sprouts will oppress each other, the root system and there is no place to grow seedlings stretched. Now I am planting them in the region of 1.5 - 2 cm. apart. The containers out of their frozen products placed 15-20 pieces. And for a variety of more than enough. The following vessels are "live" other varieties.
* Any plant needs light. Lack of light - this is the second reason for the weak seedlings. Containers with seeds sown in my stand on the windowsill on the south side. Once the shoots appear, the cover was removed. Plastic windows and in sunny weather passed little ultraviolet rays needed plant, and at the more cloudy. Therefore dosvechivat accounts anyway.
*excess moisture also promotes stretching of shoots. After planting seeds, I just sprinkle the surface of the earth with warm water spray, so as not to dislodge the seeds. Once the shoots appear, begin watering using a syringe, and only in that case, if I see that the ground has dried up a bit. Wetland soil can lead to the development of "blackleg" in seedlings. And this is for the death of the plant.
*elevated temperature seedlings do not need! Conversely, as soon as the first two leaflets, trying to maintain the optimum temperature by day 14 - 16 degrees at night - 8 - 10. If the outside air temperature exceeds 10 degrees Celsius, then I stand their containers on the porch at night I bring home again. So plant tempered and stronger, their stems thicken. In such a "Spartan" temperature mode, and my seedlings lived the first week of his life. After the temperature has increased a little.
Hint: I, like many others, is growing and developing seedlings on the windowsill. But there is one secret: Boxes with seedlings I put not just on the windowsill, and the low stand. It turns out that from the sill to the boxes of seedlings is the distance of a few centimeters, and the warm air from the battery (I really do not pack, and convector), it heats the air space.
What to do if seedlings are already stretched?
This position I correct in their own way. In a separate container to stir the soil for planting and furnace ash in equal amounts. This mixture poured into containers of about 2 cm, and can be more if space allows in the vessel. Stems deep into the ground and become more stable. A ash gives additional power plants. Three days later, I noticed that they grew stronger.
A special "housing". When the plants appear the third sheet, I have them dive. Together with a small lump of land each germ transplanted in a plastic transparent glass with the help of a tiny fork. There, each plant receives the freedom to develop. Every year, on the windowsill, I raise up a small shelf (households had to endure!), Which puts all the cups. Feel free to periodically open the window on ventilation. Because hardened seedlings are more robust in the future plants will be more resistant to disease. Thank you and see you soon! :)