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Pepper is considered a slightly capricious plant, so many are afraid to grow it. In fact, everything is not as difficult as it seems. Care for it is almost the same as for other vegetable crops. You just need to remember that pepper loves warmth, and it can not be grown in open ground in every region of Our Country. In the northern regions, this vegetable is grown in greenhouses, but the inhabitants of the middle lane are more fortunate, and you can safely grow pepper right in the garden.
Better yields can certainly be achieved in greenhouse conditions. But if this is not possible, open ground is also good. The main thing is to take into account some important nuances. So let’s look at all the secrets of growing peppers in the open field, from preparing seeds for seedlings, to planting pepper seedlings.
When to start sowing seedlings
Sowing time depends primarily on the selected variety. The seed packages indicate when the pepper should be planted for seedlings.
Usually, seedlings for open ground are grown later than for greenhouses. It is necessary to determine when the frosts end and the soil warms up well. We will start from this date, deciding when to plant seeds for seedlings of peppers. Early ripe varieties of peppers are sown 2 months before planting in the ground, mid-season – 65–70 days, and late ones should be planted no earlier than 75 days before planting in the garden.
Seedlings for open ground can be planted in early June, when there are comfortable conditions for good plant growth. But pepper can be planted in the greenhouse starting from the end of April.
Such calculations are very important. By sowing the seeds later than the deadline, you risk not waiting for the fruits on time. But even worse, sowing ahead of time. In this case, before the time of planting, the seedlings will become tall and sprawling, and ovaries or flowers will appear on it. It would seem that this will only speed up the ripening time of the pepper. But on the contrary, when transplanting, the plant will completely and completely give all its strength to restore the root. And the formed ovaries are likely to wither, or the fruits will ripen very slowly. Fruiting will be greatly slowed down due to the long development of the ovaries that have already appeared.
Preparing the seeds for sowing
Many themselves harvest seeds from the fall, in this way it is possible to collect seeds from the harvested crop from year to year, and not spend money on purchased ones. But, if you are planting a pepper for the first time or want to try a new variety, then specialty stores have a huge selection of different types of pepper.
When buying seeds, consider the packing time. Remember that seeds suitable for planting should stand for no more than 3 years. In the fourth year, germination decreases. Usually, the packing date is indicated on the packaging, and not the collection of the seeds themselves, so their suitability is reduced by another year. Take only those that were packaged no more than two years ago.
In order to start sowing with peace of mind, you can check the germination of seeds. This procedure will help to separate viable seeds from those that cannot germinate. This is done with a saline solution, which can be prepared by combining:
- 1 liter of water;
- 2 tablespoons of salt.
Stir the solution well so that the salt is completely dissolved. We lower the pepper seeds into a container of water and wait until they themselves begin to separate from each other. Viable seeds will stay at the bottom, while dead ones will float. Some do not use this method due to the fact that, along with bad seeds, just very dried ones can emerge. However, this method is still effective and very simple. After separation, the upper seeds must be collected with a spoon, and those at the bottom, strain, rinse with clean water, and dry on a piece of paper.
You can also just sort out the seeds with your own hands. Small and too large are thrown away, and only medium-sized seeds are left.
Seeding on seedlings
Before planting, the seeds should be soaked for several hours or for a day so that they soften. Now you can start sowing, but first we will determine what is better to plant the seeds in. For such purposes, several options are used: boxes, individual cups and pots, special peat tablets.
The last two options are most suitable for seedlings of peppers. From individual containers, pepper is much easier to plant, and without harm to the plant itself and the root system. Seedling boxes are not so good to use, because taking seedlings out of the box can severely damage the root and thin stem. Alternatively, you can carry out the Pick in separate cups, but this will take more time. Moreover, pepper does not respond very well to transplants.
It is advisable to pick a pick only if you bought some new variety of pepper, and you don’t know for sure whether it will rise well. Then, instead of wasting space on the windowsill and cups, you can sow the seeds in one box, and after they sprout, transplant the strongest sprouts into separate containers. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the root. The plant should be taken out with a large amount of soil, and in no case should the soil be compacted in a cup.
So, in each cup, to a depth of two centimeters, we place 2 or 3 seeds. Try to keep them not too close to the surface so that the root system can develop normally, but not too deep so as not to drown out the sprout.
Before sowing, the soil must be moistened, but carefully so as not to turn it into a swamp. You can use a sprayer. If you plant seeds in a box, it is important to keep a distance of up to 7 centimeters. At first, the containers with seeds need to be covered with a film, to create the effect of a greenhouse.
Preparing the soil for growing seedlings
Seedling potting soil can be purchased at a specialized store, but if you are not looking for easy ways, you can prepare it yourself. The components are the most affordable, different options are possible. The main components are:
- Peat or peat mixture.
- Sod land.
- The lying files.
- Humus.
- Ash.
- Sand.
Proportions and components may be different. For example, you can combine peat, earth, sand and humus in equal parts. It all depends on the components you have.
And if you buy soil in a store, keep an eye on the pH level, which should be indicated on the package. For pepper, the norm will be from 7 to 7,2, since it does not like acidic soils.
So that the soil does not contain viruses and fungi, it must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, or if there are few seedlings, you can warm the soil with a conventional oven.
Care of seedlings
Since pepper is a heat-loving vegetable, the most important thing when growing seedlings is to maintain the right temperature. In order for the seedlings to grow and develop well, it must beat from +24 ° C to +28 ° C. If the room is cooler, heat lamps can be used. Not only the air should be warm, but also the soil.
Planted seeds should be covered with a film until the first shoots appear. You can’t open the film earlier, so you have to be patient. After germination, seedlings especially need a large amount of light so that the sprouts get stronger and grow well. Seedling pots or boxes should be kept on the south side of the house. During the germination period, it is also desirable to highlight the lamps.
Note! So that the cups closer to the window do not block the light of the rest, you can put them all on a tray, and put a plank under it on the edge of the window sill, which will give the tray the necessary slope. So, the cups farthest from the window will also receive the right amount of light.
If you notice that the sprouts are becoming too thin and elongated, this means that the seedlings do not have enough light. You may need to leave the lamps on all day. When peppers are grown in a shared box, the sprouts can interfere with each other’s sunlight. In this case, it is necessary to break through the seedlings.
It is very important to keep the soil moist, avoid overdrying and overwatering. Do not water pepper seedlings with cold tap water, it should be 2 ° C warmer than soil temperature.
For the entire period of growth, it is necessary to carry out 2 subcortexes. For these purposes, manure is well suited, which must be carried with water (1 part of manure to 10 parts of water). The mixture should stand for a couple of hours, and then you can pour pepper over it. Purchased top dressings are also used, for example, biohumus.
Hardening of pepper seedlings should begin a week or two before planting in the ground. The purpose of hardening is to accustom plants to changes in air temperature and humidity levels. To do this, boxes with seedlings are taken out to an open balcony or outside, first for a couple of hours a day, and then the time will need to be increased. Pepper seedlings in open ground especially need hardening, because she will definitely have to face different weather conditions face to face.
Planting seedlings of pepper in the ground
It is difficult to name the exact date when to plant pepper seedlings in open ground, however, you can accurately name the signs that will help determine whether it is time or not. First, the soil temperature of the soil should be warmed up to +15 °C. Only then will the peppers take root well in a new place. Secondly, you can plant pepper only when it grows up to twenty centimeters in height. Each sprout should have at least 9 leaves.
Choose a well-lit place for planting pepper seedlings, where strong winds will not fall. The ideal time to plant peppers is in the evening. After all, planting pepper seedlings in open ground is already stressful for tender sprouts, and in the scorching sun they will weaken even more. When digging holes, consider the height of the cups from under the seedlings. It should be slightly higher so that all the soil from the container fits into the hole.
The distance between low-growing varieties should be about 35-40 cm, and between their rows – from 50 to 60 cm. Tall peppers are planted at a greater distance of about 60 cm between bushes and 60 cm between rows.
Pepper transplantation begins with soil preparation. To disinfect the soil, it is necessary to pour boiling water over the wells in advance, this will also destroy pests. Next, carefully remove the seedlings from the cups to maintain the integrity of the soil. Various fertilizers can be added to the wells. It is not worth deepening the sprouts strongly, as this will greatly slow down growth. Once again, pour water into the hole and gently fill it with earth. If desired, you can mulch the bed with peat, this will help retain moisture and heat in the soil.
The first time after planting pepper seedlings, it is advisable to use film shelters. At first, there is no need to wait for special growth, the seedlings will get stronger only after a week. In the meantime, peppers can only be irrigated with a small amount of water. It is necessary to loosen the soil only superficially, so as not to affect the delicate root system.
Conclusion
Planting pepper seedlings in the ground is one of the most important stages in the cultivation of this vegetable. A lot depends on where and how the pepper will be planted. So, if you want to get a good result of your work, and grow delicious peppers, you must follow the above rules. Good harvest!
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