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Any gardener sooner or later faces various problems when growing pepper seedlings. It’s a shame to lose the harvest, in which strength, soul and time are invested. The villagers have a good saying: a summer day feeds the year. The same can be said about spring and seedlings. A slight lag in growth reduces the future harvest at times. Having found the reason why pepper seedlings do not grow, you can try to correct the problem.
Ground unsuitable for pepper
The most common mistake of amateur gardeners is the use of ordinary garden land for pepper seedlings. Such soil is completely unsuitable, because it does not have the necessary characteristics and composition.
What soil is suitable for pepper seedlings:
- Lightweight, permeable, air-saturated soil. For these purposes, sand, vermiculite or sawdust (preferably from hardwood trees) is added to its composition;
- The soil should have a neutral pH. Alkaline or very acidic soil is not suitable for pepper seedlings. In the first case, good growth is hindered by poor absorption of nutrients. In the case of acidic soil, pathogens are activated;
- The soil must be “alive”, that is, contain beneficial microflora. Some gardeners sin by steaming the soil, or frying it in the oven, killing all living things in it. If this is nevertheless necessary due to the risk of infection, then after heat treatment, the soil for pepper seedlings can be “revived” with special preparations with beneficial flora. For example, “Baikal”;
- The composition of the soil must meet all the needs of pepper seedlings, it must contain micro and macro elements of the desired proportion. The nitrogen content is increased by humus or compost, and specially purchased microelements can be added. Ash can become a replacement for purchased mineral fertilizers;
- Do not use soil with unrotted, rotting plant residues, fresh manure or mold;
- Do not use soil with a noticeable admixture of clay.
The soil for pepper seedlings must be prepared in advance, but if the job has already been done, then it is better to change the soil when transshipping the plant.
Lack of seed preparation for planting
Unprepared pepper seeds have low germination, slow development. There are many ways to prepare. The simplest and most popular method of preparing pepper seeds is soaking in a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).
The solution is rich pink in color, soaking time is 20-30 minutes. This event disinfects the seed material. After processing, pepper seeds are washed with clean water.
The next stage of preparation will be soaking pepper seeds in a growth stimulator. You can take a purchased preparation or cook it yourself: 1 tablespoon of dried nettle must be poured with a glass of boiling water and left to cool. Keep pepper seeds in this infusion until swelling, for several hours.
Sprouting is optional, here everyone has their own choice. Either plant swollen seeds, or wait for sprouts to appear.
Wrong landing time
Early planting of pepper seeds in seedlings results in stretching of plants, poor growth, flowering and fruiting before transplanting to a permanent place. To avoid such mistakes, you should carefully study the recommendations for the variety. The optimal time from sowing to planting in the ground is 2-2,5 months, depending on the variety.
It is important to observe the sowing dates according to the lunar calendar. Lunar attraction acts on all the water of the planet (tides depend on the moon) – this is a scientifically proven fact. This means that it affects all living organisms. Depending on the cycle of the moon, processes in the plant’s body slow down or accelerate. Therefore, this sowing calendar should not be attributed to the realm of folk legends, and it is better to sow pepper seeds during the growing moon.
Errors in the temperature regime
Pepper seedlings are very fond of warm air, soil and water. Drafts lead to putrefactive and fungal diseases, growth retardation. Too hot atmosphere with a lack of light makes the seedlings weak and elongated.
Cold soil can cause root rot, poor nutrition, and stunted growth of pepper seedlings. The heat in the house leads to the misconception that the soil in the nursery is at normal temperature. The earth from the container on the windowsill often has a temperature much lower than recommended.
There is another extreme – placing boxes with sown seeds on heating radiators. This technique can destroy all pepper seeds.
Watering should be carried out with water at a temperature of 30 degrees. Cold water acts similarly to cold soil.
The need for a pick
The need for picking pepper seedlings has not been proven at all. The plant after picking restores its strength for a long time and grows poorly. This procedure is justified only under the condition of a long warm season. In mid-latitudes, a half-month loss in time can threaten an unripe crop. You should not try to revive weak seedlings of pepper with a pick, damage to the roots can completely ruin it.
Lack of light
Poor growth and weak plants can be a consequence of insufficient lighting. This cause can be easily corrected by backlighting. The one who hung a lamp over the seedlings of pepper for the experiment will never part with it. Plants that stretch towards the window become elongated and weak. Those specimens that could not receive even this share of light stop their growth altogether.
Illumination with a special lamp or a fluorescent lamp with suitable characteristics will change the seedlings of peppers beyond recognition. The fluorescent lamp should be long throughout the entire window sill. The height of its installation is constantly adjustable so that it is 20-25 cm to the tops of the plant. Additional lighting can be a foil screen from the side of the room. It will reflect the light from the lamp and the window towards the plants, preventing it from scattering.
Wrong feeding
Under the condition of a small amount of land, mineral reserves are quickly depleted, even when the soil is well prepared. A plant with a lack of nitrogen does not grow well, the leaves are pale, the stem is thin. A lack of phosphorus can lead to both poor growth and deformity in pepper seedlings. Potassium is needed for a high-quality and tasty harvest, therefore, with its deficiency, few flowers form. Therefore, it is recommended to produce nitrogen and mineral supplements for seedlings. For seedlings of peppers, 2 top dressings are required before planting in a permanent place.
The lack of other less important trace elements, such as iron, boron, copper and others, can manifest itself as characteristic diseases in which pepper seedlings do not grow well. By describing the state of the plant, you can easily determine what it lacks.
Incorrect watering
Watering pepper seedlings is not as easy as it seems. A flooded plant does not grow well, just like a dried one. There are recommendations for proper watering:
- Water quality. It should be soft, clean, but not boiled. Melt and rain water manifests itself in the best way;
- The amount of water should be such as to moisten the soil to the depth of the roots. The soil in the container should always be moist. It is usually enough to water seedlings of peppers in a day or two;
- The water temperature was mentioned above, +30 degrees;
- You need to water in the morning;
- Do not wet the leaves and stem of the plant.
Diseases and pests
Poor growth and development of the plant can cause disease in pepper seedlings. Diseases of this culture can be bacterial, fungal and viral. Favorable conditions for their development: excessive watering and cold soil.
First you need to separate diseased plants from healthy ones, remove the affected leaves, and create normal conditions for the plant. There are drugs that successfully fight diseases of various origins, if the disease has not yet spread much.
If the pepper gets worse, it is better to get rid of it altogether to prevent infection of the rest of the seedlings. Throw out the earth from it, disinfect the container.
It is also worth checking for pests on pepper seedlings. These voracious bugs and midges suck out all the juices from the plant, so it does not grow well. Carefully inspect the leaves for signs of the presence of the pests themselves and their waste products. If an enemy is detected, the plant must be treated with insecticides. These are poisonous substances, so all safety measures must be taken.
Folk methods of helping weak seedlings of pepper
The people have their own, time-tested ways to bring weakened seedlings of peppers back to life.
Watering with infusion of tea leaves
Instead of ordinary water, insist 1 cup of fresh tea in 3 liters of water for 5 days. Then water as usual.
Yeast dressing
Yeast contains many useful substances, in addition, they feed soil microorganisms. After such a fertilizer, after 3 days the result is visible: plants that do not grow well become strong and tall.
It is very simple to prepare it: dilute in a three-liter jar 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dry yeast and 2-3 tbsp. l. granulated sugar. Leave in a warm place until it begins to ferment. Dilute with water, proportion 1:10.
Ash
Ash normalizes soil pH, softens water, contains potassium and phosphorus necessary for seedlings of peppers. You can sprinkle it on the surface of the soil, it will not only be a long-term top dressing, but also a mulch, repel pests and have an overwhelming effect on harmful microorganisms.
