When to plant pepper seedlings in 2022

An interesting, but difficult time is approaching for any enthusiastic summer resident and gardener – growing seedlings. Of course, it can be bought on the market, but, firstly, in the vast majority of cases, market seedlings do not withstand any criticism regarding quality and survival, and secondly, only by growing seedlings on their own, you can try new, unique varieties and adapt them to your own needs. individual growing conditions.

Pepper is a well-known heat-loving crop, which in most regions of Our Country can be grown only with the help of seedlings. And here a lot of questions arise, especially for beginner gardeners, related primarily to the timing of sowing seeds, the choice of varieties, the peculiarities of preparing seeds for sowing, etc. After all, planting pepper for seedlings is not an easy task and requires a thoughtful attitude towards everyone even small nuances. Only in this case, pepper seedlings, and subsequently the plants themselves, will delight you with their beauty, strength and healthy appearance.

Pepper sowing dates in 2022

It is important to understand what the timing of sowing pepper depends on, so that in subsequent years you can independently calculate the time when you can sow pepper for seedlings.

Further, all the main factors on which the sowing time depends will be considered.

Length of the growing season – that is, the period of time from germination to harvest. Sometimes the technological maturity of the fruit is considered – when the peppers are already edible, but have not acquired the final mature color and the seeds in them are not yet ripe for sowing.

Between technological maturity and final maturation, about two more weeks can pass. For peppers, this period averages 110-120 days. But this figure can vary greatly depending on the particular variety. There are early-ripening (85-110 days) and late-ripening (120-130 days) varieties of sweet pepper. So if you want to know when to sow peppers for seedlings, find the data on the length of the growing season on the seed bag and remember (write down) this figure.

Age of seedlings before planting in the ground – is a fairly important characteristic, although it often depends heavily on growing conditions. Usually pepper seedlings are planted in the ground after the formation of the first flower in the first fork. For early varieties of pepper, this occurs at the age of 50-65 days from emergence, for late varieties – at the age of 65-85 days.

Estimated planting time for pepper seedlings – First of all, it depends on further growing conditions. Where you will grow pepper in the summer – in a greenhouse, in a greenhouse or in the open field – largely determines the timing of planting pepper for seedlings. And this period, unfortunately, is the most difficult to predict, because it depends most of all on weather conditions. The greatest dependence on the weather is obtained when planting peppers in open ground. And in the case of growing in greenhouses, it depends on the gardener himself whether it is possible to use additional heating or shelter in case of a sudden cold snap. A little later, in the final table, approximate dates for all major regions of Our Country will be given.

Seed germination period – a rather important characteristic, which for some reason is often not taken into account.

And at the same time, pepper seeds germinate on average for 10-15 days, and they can “sit” in the ground for up to 25 days. The good news, however, is that there are many ways to speed up seed germination. Therefore, if for some reason you were delayed with sowing pepper for seedlings in 2022, you can always catch up to 10-18 days with the help of pre-sowing seed treatment.

Possible harvest time – depends, first of all, on a specific variety. This characteristic is of more importance for advanced gardeners, but may be of interest to beginners. It is clear that in the case of peppers, no matter how hard we try, these terms can start somewhere from mid-June (for the southern regions when grown in greenhouses) until late autumn. Nevertheless, if the planting of pepper seeds for seedlings will take place in several stages, then using different varieties, from very early to late, you can really extend the fruiting period to several months. Here you can also take into account the exactingness of plants to heat.

The fact is that in recent years, breeders have received a lot of relatively cold-resistant varieties of pepper. You can try to land them under temporary shelters 5-10-15 days earlier than their more heat-loving counterparts. Don’t count on it too much, but as an experiment, why not?

Climatic conditions of a particular region is the most important determining factor. Below is a table, where for the main regions of Our Country the approximate dates for planting pepper seedlings in greenhouse conditions and in open ground, as well as the time of the first possible frosts, are indicated.

These dates are very approximate and averaged, but nevertheless they allow us to answer quite definitely the question of when to plant pepper for seedlings in 2022.

So, first choose the date of planting the seedlings based on the data in the table and your growing conditions (greenhouse, open ground). Subtract from it the age of the seedlings before planting in the ground, it is directly related to the length of the growing season, which is indicated on the bags. (Usually 55-60% of the length of the growing season). From the date obtained, you also subtract the period of seed germination and as a result you get the approximate sowing time.

If we do all the above operations, for example, for the central regions (Moscow, Ufa, etc.) and open ground, we will get the following calculations:

• For early ripe varieties – in 2022 it is possible to sow pepper for seedlings from March 16 to April 16.
• For late-ripening varieties – from February 25 to March 22.

As you can see, even in April it is not too late to plant peppers for subsequent cultivation in open ground.

These calculations are basic and can be adjusted in one direction or another, depending on the varietal characteristics of pepper or the timing of a possible harvest. And, of course, when thinking about when to plant pepper seedlings, one cannot help but take into account the lunar calendar.

Auspicious days for planting pepper seedlings in 2022.

Seed pre-treatment

There are several tricks that allow you not only to speed up the germination of seeds, which is especially important for such a tight-growing culture as sweet pepper, but also to charge future seedlings with energy to resist many diseases and possible adverse conditions.

• Soaking for 10 minutes in a 3% salt solution to select obviously non-germinating seeds (those that will float on the surface). Do not forget to thoroughly rinse the remaining seeds in running water from salt.
• Soaking seeds in a solution of phytosporin or glyocladin will allow seed disinfection, even more reliable than with traditional potassium permanganate.

  

• If there is a suspicion that the pepper seeds are not very fresh, but the variety is very valuable, then there is an operation that significantly increases the percentage of seed germination. It’s called bubbling. The seeds are lowered into a jar of warm water, where the end of the hose from the aquarium compressor is fixed at the bottom. When the compressor is turned on, the water begins to be actively saturated with oxygen. The processing time for pepper seeds is about 12 hours.
• Soaking seeds in a solution of stimulants such as Epin-Extra, Zircon, Succinic acid, HB-101 will enable the grown seedlings to withstand adverse environmental factors: frost, drought, low light.

Basic rules for sowing pepper

When preparing for sowing, first of all, it is worth considering that pepper does not like transplants very much. Therefore, planting pepper seedlings should, if possible, be carried out immediately in separate containers. Peat tablets have been very popular lately, and it is no coincidence that they immediately replace both planting containers and ready-made soil. In addition, they have everything that pepper needs for initial growth. You can use ordinary cups, and ready-made cassettes, and home-made containers.

The next important feature is a decrease in temperature by several degrees immediately after the appearance of the first shoots. This technique will allow the seedlings not to stretch and build up a good root system. Thus, if you sowed pepper seeds at a temperature of +25°+30°C, then after emergence, the seedlings must be placed in a place with a temperature of +18°+20°C.

If pepper seedlings are grown in March, and even more so in February, then it must be illuminated so that the total daylight hours are about 10-12 hours.

If pepper seedlings are grown on windowsills, pay attention to their temperature. Usually they are 5-10 degrees colder than the environment. Peppers really do not like cold soil, so place the seedlings additionally on a board, a piece of foam, or any insulation.

After the appearance of the first two true leaves, pepper seedlings must be transferred to large containers. You can take small ones first, about 500 ml. But you need to remember that the more space you can give the root system during the seedling growing period, the better the plants will develop, the stronger and healthier they will be, the faster they will bloom and begin to bear fruit. Therefore, it is advisable to transfer the pepper into large containers so that, ideally, the seedlings grow in two-liter pots before planting in the ground.

Pepper seedlings should be watered sparingly, as the topsoil dries out. It is desirable to carry out top dressing several times from the first transshipment to landing in the ground. It is advisable to use complex fertilizers with a balanced NPK content and the most complete set of trace elements.

Conclusion

Following the above tips, you will definitely be able to grow strong and healthy pepper seedlings, which will later please you with tasty, large and beautiful fruits.