Pepper, as a plant native to warm regions, requires close attention to itself, especially with regard to the temperature regime. With improper care (errors when watering plants, non-compliance with an acceptable temperature when growing seedlings), the potential yield of this crop is sharply reduced. And to make it easier for those who are new to growing sweet peppers, this article will cover when to plant pepper seedlings, as well as some useful plant care tips.
When to plant seedlings?
You can choose the best time to sow a vegetable for seedlings using the lunar calendar. Since ancient times, people have noticed that in different phases the moon affects plants differently, and they were able to adapt the results of these observations for economic purposes. So, since pepper produces fruits that are on the surface of the earth, according to the lunar calendar, it is best to sow (plant) during the growing moon (like all plants with “ground” fruits). It is important to feed on time. To find out when to sow pepper seedlings, you can use the gardener’s calendar.
During this period, an intensive stage of plant development is observed. During the full moon or new moon, it is not recommended to plant or transplant any crops. Transplantation or similar work can be carried out during the waning moon, on the dates of eclipses it is better not to carry out any operations with plants at all.
Coordinating everything with the lunar calendar is good, but you also need to adhere to scientifically established dates when you can sow peppers without fear that the seeds will not be lost. As a rule, this is done in a two-week period at the end of February – at the beginning of March. If you have a greenhouse equipped with suitable conditions, then you can sow a little earlier. Sowing dates are also recommended to be set depending on the characteristics of the variety. You can find the feeding time in the lunar calendar.
Since pepper is a rather demanding crop for our latitudes, it is recommended to select the best seeds, process them, and harden them. To begin with, wrap the seeds in a piece of cloth and dip them for 15 minutes in hot water (about 50 degrees), then leave them in the refrigerator for a day. Sow immediately the next day. Pepper seedlings are very sensitive to temperature changes, therefore, for its good development, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for its growth.
This whole procedure can be replaced by treatment with special modern chemicals. Additionally, you can treat the seeds with fungicides. Even in this case, there is no guarantee that the emerging plants will develop normally, so close care is needed. This culture loves heat and light very much, the optimum temperature in the room where pepper seedlings are grown should be slightly above twenty degrees, if possible, take the seedlings to sunlight more often, preferably water with warm water, this has a positive effect on the growth of pepper.
It does not make sense to sow seeds immediately in open ground, since the climatic conditions in our country do not allow this, and if the plants sprout, they will develop extremely slowly. You need to have time to feed on time.
Transplanting
Depending on how well the seedlings have grown stronger for planting in open ground, they are planted 60-80 days after sowing. Difficult situation with picking peppers. Some gardeners believe that the plant loses its development significantly after picking, so it is better to sow immediately in separate containers.
It is better to use a container with a volume of about half a liter, put 2-3 seeds in each at a distance of several centimeters from each other. If you decide to plant one seed at a time, then containers of 100-150 ml are suitable, for example, plastic cups. After landing, it is necessary to carry out top dressing.
But experienced gardeners believe that picking is an integral process of growing pepper seedlings, so they are carried out as often as they do without it. Usually, a pick is carried out when the plant has already formed two full-fledged leaves, while deepening by about half a centimeter. There is another way of picking at the stage of the cotyledons, while deepening should be to the cotyledons.
With the second method, the plants tolerate picking better, but they carry it out to a greater extent in professional greenhouses, and at home it is the first option that is more suitable, anyway, the seedlings will turn out to be a bit elongated.
For picking, you need to prepare containers and the soil in them. The most ideal option is to use soil based on peat and humus, you can add sand, so the soil will turn out to be quite loose. Of course, do not forget to add fertilizer. After planting pepper, the ground should be slightly moistened and compacted. Before planting plants in open ground, they also need to be prepared.
The main task is to treat with drugs to protect against diseases (copper sulfate is well suited for this case). It is also important to feed. The day before transplanting, it is advisable to water well. Seedlings with 4-5 full-fledged leaves are suitable for transplantation. When planting, be extremely careful not to damage the roots of plants. In addition to watering, top dressing is also required.
As already mentioned, this is a heat-loving crop, so planting pepper seedlings in the garden is carried out mainly in the second half of May, when you can not be afraid of late frosts. And in the open field, pepper seedlings require constant care.
Growing pepper is not an easy task, we hope that the materials of the article will help you with information on when to plant pepper, how to do it, and soon there will be more experienced gardeners in our country.
Video “Sowing pepper for seedlings”
Video story on how to properly plant pepper seeds for seedlings. What are the best days to do this? It also talks about how to feed the pepper and how often it needs to be done.
