When to sow pepper? When to plant pepper seeds on seedlings and how to grow seedlings

In the country, in the garden, most gardeners plant not only potatoes and tomatoes. The topic of growing pepper seedlings and the time of planting is considered topical. And the question is not important, whether it's hot pepper or sweet, the essence of this does not change due to the identical agrotechnics and insignificant differences of varieties. A rich crop of pepper can only be achieved if grown through seedlings. It is inherent in a long period of fruit ripening, therefore, to remove a good harvest, it is worthwhile to worry about the future already in winter.

So, let's look at the question of when to plant the pepper, from the very beginning. I would like to say a few words about the seeds themselves. When buying them, you should pay attention to the time of packing and the shelf life. If the seeds are up to two years old, you can be sure of their germination, the more respectable their age is not welcome - you risk remaining without pepper at all.

A few words about culture

Pepper is cultivated in warm countries from time immemorial and enjoys well-deserved love from amateur gardeners and culinary specialists. Taking into account that not all kinds of ripe in the middle part of Russia mature, many are interested in what grade is best suited to our climatic conditions and when to plant pepper. Immediately make a reservation - experienced truck farmers try to plant early and ultra-early varieties of sweet and bitter pepper. Here are just a few of them:

- Raphael F1 - early pepper, refers to early-maturing hybrids. Fruits are cone-shaped with high taste qualities. Ripening, fruits gradually change color from dark green to saturated red. This sort of pepper is ideal for canning and eating in raw form.

- Lungi F1 - is also considered a high-yielding hybrid of sweet pepper. The cone-shaped fruit has a thickness of up to 5 mm. Resistant to diseases and unfavorable conditions of cultivation.

- Ami - a variety that has gained special popularity in the south of Russia. A low-grown plant produces large cone-shaped fruit. The variety is characterized by high yield and excellent taste qualities.

You can also grow a few varieties of early hot pepper. Each of them is distinguished by a high yield, an elongated shape of the fetus up to 12 cm long. Due to their specific taste, each of the offered varieties - Heckel, For the mother-in-law or the Fiery Volcano - is used for making sauces, homemade canning, spicy paprika and so on.

Terms of seed sowing

After buying cherished seeds, the natural question arises: "When to sow pepper for seedlings?" The period of distillation can take from 5 to 30, sometimes more, days. The older the seeds, the longer they have this time. The normal time for emergence of fresh seeds is 2-3 weeks. Reasoning on the topic when sowing early pepper for seedlings, should be based on the time of its landing in the ground. Unlike tomatoes, which perfectly tolerate migration to a permanent place, peppers are best planted after the first flower in the first fork. As a rule, this happens in 2-2.5 months from the moment of seed emergence. If you look at the dates, the seeds of pepper that have risen from 1 to 15 March can be planted in the soil from May 10, and seed sowing will be necessary for the period from February 20 to March 5. From the extent to which the choice of planting material is properly made, its germination and future harvest will depend. Seeds of pepper are characterized by a long period of germination, this is indicated by the special structure of the seed of culture, which means that it is proposed to perform artificial activation.

Before planting, the seeds can be treated with a growth stimulant, which will lead to amicable shoots. Most gardeners-vegetable growers with many years of experience recommend to remove a central flower, formed from the first branch, in order to obtain a large crop.

Planting seeds

It should be understood that if you want to grow seedlings of pepper, which will subsequently give a good harvest, you need to make the right choice of capacity for planting seeds. It is best to hold it in small cups or special cassettes, but a drawer or a low pot will adversely affect growth. It is worth remembering that peppers do not really like pickings. Landing his large company in a common pot with subsequent raspikirovaniem lead to a delay in the development of seedlings somewhere for a week or two. Therefore, it is best to plant seeds of pepper in small containers.

Soil mixture should be prepared a few days before planting. Soil must be warmed to room temperature. You can mix the substrate yourself, for which you will need in equal parts such components: lowland peat, manure humus and turfy land.

Where to identify seedlings

Everyone wants to use his greenhouse completely. But in order to get a return from such landings, you still need to listen to the advice of specialists and not violate the rules developed by long years of practice: when to sow pepper, how to arrange seedlings. As a rule, peppers are grown in greenhouses, tunnels, greenhouses or on open beds. But the best option, of course, is the greenhouse.

Before embarking on planting seedlings, it must be hardened. This must be done in order to accustom the plant to the sun, the wind, daily fluctuations in temperature, in general, to fresh air. Start tempering a few weeks before landing in the soil of a thermophilic culture, like pepper. What is the best method of preparation? Gradualness is important here. Seedlings are taken out to the balcony, to the street. You can even just open the window, every day increasing the airing time. But it is worth considering that the temperature on the street should be at least +13, otherwise the seedling can freeze.

In the absence of a greenhouse, the seeds of pepper should be planted in February, so that by the time of transplanting the seedlings were about 100 days old. It is not recommended to spoil your seedlings with excessive watering, as this can lead to a disease called the black leg in the people. But the drying of the soil should not be allowed.

Seed dressing

During the growing of seedlings, it will need to be fed a couple of times. Correct seed seedlings will have to receive the first fertilizing two weeks after the appearance of the first shoots. The second is carried out a few days before planting the plants in the ground. The composition of the nutritional mixture includes: urea - 5 g, superphosphates - 30 g, potassium fertilizers - 10 g (per 10 l of water). A good top dressing is obtained from a mixture of wood ash and nettle infusion in a ratio of 1:10. It is worth remembering that potassium chloride is contraindicated in pepper.

Place for planting

Pepper refers to heat-loving vegetable crops, which means that it needs a sunny warm place, protected from the wind. Also, the plant is very demanding on the soil, therefore, a strong seedling is required. The earth should be fertile, keep moisture well and let in air. The best predecessors of pepper are carrots, onions, and legumes (except beans). It is not necessary to plant pepper on the beds after eggplant, tomato, potatoes. The first couple of weeks after planting, the plants grow very slowly. Therefore, it is recommended to help them - loosen the soil. This improves the supply of oxygen to the root system of pepper.

Correct watering of pepper

Pepper prefers frequent, but moderate watering with warm water. After each, the ground needs to be swollen, remembering that the root culture system is very close to the surface. Therefore, the procedure is carried out very carefully, trying not to damage the roots of the plant.

The irrigation norm before the formation of ovaries - 30-35 liters per 1 m ² , in the period of fruiting - 40-45 liters. Watering stops 20 days before the last harvest.

Advantages of bitter and sweet pepper

A lot of useful properties are peppers burning, not to say which will be just a sin. Oddly enough, it is popular not only in the preparation of individual dishes or in conservation, but also as a strengthening agent for the hair, as well as warming for colds and inflammatory diseases.

It is best to start with a gentle method. To do this, the burning tincture is diluted with kefir or vegetable oil with the addition of vitamins A and E. The mask has a stimulating effect on the hair, without drying the scalp. You can prepare the tincture yourself, but you can buy it in pharmacies. For self-preparation, chopped finely chopped peppers (2 pcs.), Which must be filled with 150 ml of alcohol and hidden in a dark place for 7 days. After that, the solution is ready for use. Apply it to the scalp, diluting with water in the proportion of 1 tablespoon extract to 10 tbsp. L. water.

Now about sweet pepper. Thanks to the availability of routine and a record amount of ascorbic acid strengthens capillaries, supplies the body with vitamin C. Eating mature fruits will normalize the release of gastric juice, improve digestion and appetite. Pepper contains trace elements such as zinc and cobalt, which regulate the production of its own melanin.

Pepper for open ground

When to sow pepper for seedlings for open ground? Approximately in the same terms as for greenhouses, but in the southern regions of our country they are shifted by about 3 weeks to the beginning of the calendar year. Such varieties of sweet pepper seeds, like Denis, Arsenal, Slastena, Hercules or Novocherkassk, have proven themselves as species that yield an excellent harvest. They are very often grown by amateur gardeners. You can pick up other varieties of sweet pepper, which by the efforts of professionals and amateurs were taken out for cultivation in the middle belt in the open ground.

Among the varieties of bitter pepper I want to allocate such pepper for open ground, as Astrakhan modifications 147 and 628, Ukrainian bitter or Elephant trunk of modification 304.

The agrotechnics of bitter and sweet peppers are similar in many respects to the cultivation of tomatoes. But peppers, as it turned out, are much more sensitive to temperature changes and the effects of cold air currents. Hence, to choose varieties of bitter and sweet peppers for growing in the open ground should be with great caution on the weather and climate calendar of a certain region.

Also, when preparing to plant seedlings in the soil, it is necessary to carefully select the place for peppers. To protect plants from the wind, they try to plant along the fence, fences and so on. Due to the ability of the crop to cross pollination, sow pepper seeds at a considerable distance from each other. This will give plants the space necessary for development.

Planting seeds of pepper in the soil should be accompanied by the introduction of organic fertilizer. Receiving regular top dressing from complex fertilizers, the plant develops a powerful root system.

Planting with pepper seeds

Pepper refers to a rather capricious crops: the germination of seeds quickly falls, and since they have a fairly dense shell, then most likely, the sprouts will be few, or may occur and so that they will not be at all. From this follows a completely logical conclusion: the planting of pepper seeds should be prepared in advance. How to do it?

Just before you plant the pepper, it is recommended that you carefully seed the seeds for planting. To do this, make a solution of table salt (30 g per 1 liter of water). It sinks seeds for no more than 10 minutes. Full seeds sink to the bottom of the tank, and hollow or weak will float. The surplus seeds can be collected and discarded without regret, as there will be no sense from them. Dissolve the solution, and rinse the remaining seeds on the bottom with clean water and disintegrate for complete drying.

The next step, which must be done before planting pepper, is called pickling. With its help, it is possible to decontaminate the seeds and prevent plant diseases. To do this, sort the planting material by size and make a 1% solution of manganese (1 g per 1 liter). The selected seeds should be placed in the solution and left there for no more than 15 minutes. After this, rinse again with water and allow them to dry.

In order to give plants health, it is recommended that a couple of days before sowing seeds of pepper for seedlings, carry out the treatment with microelements. To do this, from the gauze to make small bags and put in them prepared for planting seeds. Immerse in a solution with microelements (fertilizer "Ideal" or "Elin") and leave for 12-14 hours. After this, the seeds must be removed and dried. It is worth noting that it is not necessary to wash them after this procedure.

In addition to chemical fertilizers, seeds can be processed by folk remedies. For example, take 2 g of wood ash per 1 liter of water (the mixture should stand for a day with frequent stirring). Then the seeds are piled in bags of gauze and fall into the nutrient mixture for 3 hours. After this, rinse and dry.

If you want to get guaranteed seedlings, seeds can be germinated in advance. For this, disinfected seeds of pepper in manganese are folded on gauze, wrapped and, putting in a shallow plate, slightly moisten. Put in a warm place. In a day you can see how little roots will be pierced. Sprouted seeds can be planted in a substrate.

There is another way to germinate seeds, which is considered more effective - it is bubbling, which involves processing the planting material in water saturated with oxygen. This method of processing pepper seeds allows to accelerate the emergence of shoots. This method is good for 1-2 weeks before transplanting.

To do this, it is recommended to prepare a three-liter jar and fill it with water at a temperature of 20 ° C by two-thirds. At the bottom, lower the banks and turn on the compressor. After the appearance of the bubbles, the seeds should be lowered into the jar for a day. After that, get it and dry it.

And the last way, which is used in the processing of seeds - hardening. With its help, plants can safely endure the vagaries of nature. After the necessary disinfection, seeds of pepper should be soaked in warm water and leave them for swelling. Then immediately put on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 24 hours. After letting them dry out. You can start seeding pepper seeds for seedlings.

How to grow pepper

If seedling is bought for growing peppers, then it is worth paying attention to the stem of the plant - the leaves on the sturdy stem should be dark green. Only if these conditions are met can we say that this is the correct seedling of pepper. It is worth to abandon the one on which there are flowers or fruits. This is a guarantee that there will be no harvest. In dry weather, the plant requires abundant watering. Otherwise, due to lack of moisture, the fruit can be bitter, and the pulp will be thin and dry. Pepper is a lover of warm soil, and therefore, it is best to plant it in a warmed up to +15 degrees soil. Pale greenery and slow growth of fruits can indicate lack of proper nutrition. You can feed plants with mullein or compost tea.

In recent years gardening is influenced by fashion. This is evidenced by the rapid rise or fall in the popularity of this or that variety. Most vegetable growers try to plant their own material, which was obtained from the seeds of the previous harvest, but sometimes disappointment comes from the second generation of the new variety. Many varieties of seeds appearing on the market are hybrids of the first generation, which the next year give a wide spread of genetic traits. Stable characteristics provide, as a rule, time-tested varieties.