Juicy, hot, sweet and fragrant - all these characteristics relate to one unique vegetable - pepper, which will add a touch of piquancy to any dish. And how nice it is to eat a sweet slice of pepper in a salad or feel its spiciness in a Mexican soup. But it’s even nicer to get a good harvest from your own garden.

Pepper varieties

For successful pepper growing important role plays the correct selection of the variety, on which not only the yield itself depends, but also the ripening time, frost resistance, taste and susceptibility of the vegetable to diseases and pests. Knowledge and correct selection of varieties will simplify the growing process.

Pepper has more than two thousand varieties, which I would divide into several categories:

1. Sweet pepper varieties
2. Hot pepper varieties
3. Pepper hybrids
4. Pepper varieties for balconies and window sills

Sweet pepper varieties include: Ivanhoe, Agapovsky, Accord, Alyonushka, Atomor, Bagration, Belladonna, Snow White, Turquoise, Buratino, Vernost, Victoria, Denis, Dobryak, Eroshka, Yellow Bell, Zarya, Isabella, Prometheus, Florida and many others.

Ten the best varieties hot peppers are headed by: Adjika, Indian Summer, Hungarian Yellow, Magic Bouquet, Gorgon, For the Mother-in-Law, Coral, Red Fatty, Fiery Maiden, Ogonyok.

Pepper hybrids are popular because they are resistant to diseases, pests and are not afraid of temperature changes. Common types are: Adler, Ararat, Erivan, Kazbek Terek.

Balcony and indoor varieties include Watercolor, Candy, Chanterelle, Treasure Island, Tomboy, Yarik. These types of peppers are stunted and the fruits are small. One advantage is that peppers can be grown in small containers in an apartment or on a balcony.

Pests of seedlings

Having planted the seeds, we eagerly await the emergence of a sprout. And then that day came: the stem broke through, turned green, and began to grow. From the pot we begin to plant the seedlings in the greenhouse or directly on the garden bed. It is from this moment that danger arises. Pests begin to attack the pepper:

1. Spider mite
2. Greenhouse whitefly
3. Wireworms
4. Medvedka
5. Slugs are naked

Aphid

Aphids are the most common pest; they attack shoots, leaves, inflorescences, cause curling and falling of greenery, and underdevelopment of the fruit. The optimal living conditions for aphids are a temperature of +22 - +25 degrees Celsius and air humidity in the range of 75 - 85%. This is the wet summer period. Over the entire fertile season of pepper, aphids can produce more than 20 generations, which will injure the plant until the entire crop is destroyed.

Spider mite

Greenhouse whitefly

The whitefly is the most dangerous pest of pepper seedlings, because due to its size of 1.5 mm and an inconspicuous pale body, it is completely invisible. The body of this insect is covered with a waxy coating and secretes honeydew, saturated with sugary substances. It is they who contaminate the surface of the leaves, draw out moisture from them, and as a result, the plant dries out.

Wireworms

The larva of the click beetle insect is called wireworm. Unlike the above pests, wireworms attack the root of the seedlings themselves. They live and reproduce in the soil at a depth of 10 - 15 cm for 5 years. By attacking the pepper, they slowly kill it. The infected plant begins to lag in growth and quickly dies.

Medvedka

Slugs are naked

For those who like to grow peppers in film greenhouses and greenhouses, you need to know about the naked slug - a pest of pepper seedlings that prefers too moist soil and feeding at night. Slugs eat mainly leaves, gnawing large holes and eating them completely. After eating the greenery, they destroy the flowers and young fruit.

Fighting methods

Knowledge of pest control methods for pepper seedlings will help avoid the death of the vegetable and preserve the harvest.

Methods for controlling aphids

The most effective way The fight against aphids is to spray the plant with a decoction of wormwood, yarrow or a solution of pesticides.

For wormwood decoction you will need:

1. 1 kg of crushed and dried wormwood.

The wormwood is boiled for 15 minutes. After cooling the broth, filter and add 10 liters of water. To make the decoction more sticky to the leaves, you can add a few grams of soap. Pepper leaves are sprayed with this solution, killing aphids.

Yarrow recipe:

1. 800 grams of dried plants
2. Boiled water

The crushed plant is poured with boiling water for 2 days, then filtered and 20 grams of soap are added for every 10 liters of liquid. This remedy is very effective, since the body of the aphid is covered with a burning soap solution, and the insect dies.

Methods for controlling spider mites

Also, in the fight against ticks, a biological method is used - phytosailus mites are bred. It kills the opponent without injuring the plant.

Methods for dealing with procrastination

Methods of dealing with mole crickets

Methods for dealing with naked slugs

Performing all these actions is the key to the health of pepper seedlings.

For proper care of pepper seedlings, some tips presented in this video will be useful. For example, you will learn how to plant peppers correctly and what soil should be prepared for planting.

In this video, the presenter will talk about the benefits of peppers, when and how to plant them, how often to water them so that the floor is juicy and crispy.

OgorodSadovod.com

GROWING SEEDLINGS OF PEPPERS AND EGGPLANTS

Hello, dear friends!

I am writing this article in mid-November. You say, maybe it’s too early for the topic of seedlings? But I think it’s time, since the next two months will fly by very quickly, and we need to be well prepared for this important task and be, as they say, fully armed.

So, my story today will be about growing pepper seedlings and eggplants at home.

Timing of sowing seeds

I have long known what the first question interests readers. This is a question about the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings. Let's start with this.

Obtaining a plentiful and early harvest directly depends on choosing the right time for sowing seeds for seedlings. Both for open ground with temporary shelters under film, and for greenhouses, the timing of sowing pepper and eggplant seedlings will be the same - February 1 - February 15, no later. This early sowing time is due to the fact that more than a hundred days must pass from the emergence of seedlings to the beginning of the flowering phase.

You can sow seeds in mid-March, but then it will be necessary to artificially “illuminate” the seedlings with fluorescent or energy-saving lamps for a whole month - from the appearance of the first shoots to picking them in pots. When using fluorescent lamps with a power of 80 or 40 W, they should be hung horizontally approximately 8 - 9 centimeters above the plants. The lamps must be turned on from 8 to 20 hours.

Seed preparation

About 15 - 20 days before sowing, you need to check old seeds for germination. To do this, take 10 pepper or eggplant seeds and put them in fabric bags in warm water (25 degrees) for 24 hours,

after this, you need to remove them from the water, place them on a plate and place them in a warm place (30 degrees), constantly keeping the bags of seeds moist. In about 4 - 6 days our seeds will sprout. If only half of 10 seeds germinate, such seeds are suitable for sowing.

Now the seeds prepared for sowing should be disinfected. To do this, they are placed for 20 - 30 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. By the way, potassium permanganate has recently disappeared from pharmacies, so take care of purchasing the drug in advance.

After keeping the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate, they need to be washed with water and soaked in the following nutrient solution: in one liter of water, dilute 1 teaspoon of one of the following preparations: Effekton fertilizer, liquid Potassium Humate, Agricola - Vegeta or simple wood ash.

In one of the selected solutions with a temperature of 26 - 28 degrees, you need to immerse the seeds in fabric bags for a day. This treatment in a nutrient solution promotes friendly and rapid seed germination, as well as accelerated ripening and increased yield of pepper.

Seeds prepared in this way sprout when sown already on the 5th - 6th day.

Hardening of seeds

Together with the measures described above, you can harden the seeds by exposing them to different temperatures for 4 - 6 days. To do this, the seeds, after being treated with a nutrient solution, should be placed in the refrigerator for 48 hours, in a place in the refrigerator where the temperature is 3 - 5 degrees, then the seeds must be removed and placed for 24 hours in a place where the air temperature is 18 degrees. then return to the refrigerator for 48 hours. Both in the refrigerator and in a warm place, the seeds should always be in slightly moistened fabric bags. Seeds should be sown chilled in sowing boxes.

Growing pepper and eggplant seedlings

• two parts humus and one part turf soil
• two parts humus, two parts peat and one part sawdust (fine)
• two parts humus and two parts peat
• two parts turf soil and three parts humus
• one part turf soil and two parts nutritious peat mixture “Violet”
• ready-made soil primer "EKZO"

Once you have decided on the type of soil mixture, we need to “prime” it. One tablespoon of superphosphate and one tablespoon of ash should be added to a bucket of any of the first 4 mixtures. All this must be mixed well and poured into the box. To prevent the soil from being washed away during watering, you need to leave a border 2 centimeters high.

The soil mixture is poured into a box in a layer of 7 - 8 centimeters, leveled and compacted a little. After this, at a distance of 5 centimeters from one another, grooves are made, with a depth of one to one and a half centimeters. These grooves need to be watered with a warm solution of “Agricola - Vegeta” (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water) and sow seeds in them, at a distance of 2 centimeters from each other. The furrows are filled with the same soil mixture; the crops should be slightly compacted on top.

Caring for pepper and eggplant seedlings

Now our boxes with crops need to be installed in a warm (24 - 25 degrees) place. After 3 days, the soil needs to be sprinkled with a little water so that the pepper or eggplant seedlings sprout together and easily. Approximately on the 5th - 7th day, when the seedlings have just appeared, the boxes should be placed on a bright sunny windowsill, where the temperature is between 14 - 16 degrees. This light and temperature regime is needed for a period of 6 - 7 days, so that only our seedlings produce strong roots and do not stretch out. After this, the temperature must be gradually increased - in sunny weather during the day to 23 - 25 degrees, in cloudy weather - to 19 - 22 degrees, and at night to 16 - 17 degrees.

In a box, pepper seedlings grow until two true leaves appear on them. This usually occurs at the age of seedlings at 30 - 35 days. During this period, you need to water the seedlings no more than once a week. Try to water moderately, as overwatering may damage plants with blackleg. It is better to take settled water for irrigation, with a temperature of 26 - 28 degrees.

Before picking, the seedlings need to be fed once with a solution of calcium nitrate (one tablespoon per ten liters of water).

It is very important, every 2 - 3 days, to turn the boxes with seedlings with different sides to the window frame so that the illumination of our seedlings is uniform.

When two true leaves appear on pepper or eggplant seedlings, they are ready for picking. At this age, seedlings take root better and are easier to replant.

The seedlings should be watered 2 - 3 hours before picking. You cannot select seedlings “dry”, as the soil will crumble from the roots, which is unacceptable when transplanting.

Seedlings can be planted in any suitable container - plastic cups, hollow peat pots, ice cream cups, etc. The most optimal size pots or cups - 10x10 centimeters. They are filled with the same soil mixture that was used when sowing. Before picking, containers with soil mixture should be watered with one of the solutions suggested below:

• 1 teaspoon of wood ash or potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water
• 1 tablespoon of liquid fertilizer “Effekton” per 10 liters of water
• 1 tablespoon of “sodium humate” per 10 liters of water
• 1 tablespoon of Agricola-Forward liquid fertilizer per 10 liters of water

Now, after watering, add soil mixture if necessary, make a hole in the middle of the pot and plant the plant up to the cotyledon leaves. Cotyledons are usually the two lowest leaves on the seedling. There should be no bare stem from the soil level to these leaves. Pay attention to this point.

Caring for pickled pepper and eggplant seedlings

It is best to place seedlings in pots on a windowsill, covering the window glass with newspaper for 1 - 2 days to create moderate lighting. Caring for picked seedlings consists mainly of watering, fertilizing, hardening and maintaining the correct temperature conditions.

Regular watering is very important for plants at this time: once every 5 - 6 days you need to water so that the entire soil mixture in the pot is wetted. Just make sure that the water does not stagnate. To prevent stagnation of water, holes need to be made at the bottom of the pot. If for some reason you allow your pepper or eggplant plants to overwater, you may experience a phenomenon called growth arrest. Gardeners call such plants “stubborn”. It is very difficult to get them growing again.

The first watering should be done six days after the picking. Water for irrigation should be settled at a temperature of 25 degrees.

Conducting growing pepper seedlings and eggplants need to be combined with watering and fertilizing. For light feeding, you can use the following components: take, for example, one glass of used tea leaves, pour 3 liters of hot water over it. Next, after 5 - 6 days, you need to strain the infusion and pour it over the seedlings. Or take the shells of 10 eggs, chop them, add hot water, leave for about 5-6 days, stirring regularly, then strain and pour this infusion over the plants.

But there are cases when seedlings develop slowly and the leaves become light green. Then you will need more effective feeding. This can be a fertilizer solution “Leaf” - 1 tablespoon plus “Effekton” - 2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water.

Beautiful green pepper plants with small roots that grow poorly also need feeding. Dilute one tablespoon of superphosphate, or one tablespoon each of Agricola-Forward and Effekton-U fertilizers, or one teaspoon of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water.

It is also very good when growing pepper seedlings to add wood ash to the pots 1-2 times. For 2 - 3 pots, one teaspoon will be enough. Just make sure that the ash does not get on the stems and leaves.

To prevent blackleg disease in our seedlings, it is best to water or feed the plants in the morning.

In order for the plants to take root better after picking, they need to create moderately warm air for 3 - 4 days: 20 - 22 degrees during the day and 14 degrees at night. In the future, you should maintain this temperature: 23 - 25 degrees in sunny weather, during the day and 18 - 20 degrees at night.

Hardening off pepper and eggplant seedlings

Hardening of plants begins a month before they are planted in a permanent place. If outside air warms up to +15 degrees and above, there is no wind, then you can open the window frame during the day, and also take the plants out to the balcony in order to gradually accustom the peppers or eggplants to natural weather conditions. Just avoid drafts and wind when hardening. They are destructive to young plants.

By the time seedlings are planted, the plants should have somewhere between 8 and 12 leaves. If you want to grow peppers or eggplants in a greenhouse, you can plant them from May 10th. But it is dangerous to plant pepper seedlings in open ground earlier than from June 1 to June 5, but if you want to do this, then no earlier than May 25, and then with the obligatory covering of the plants with film. Water the seedlings before planting so that the soil lump is preserved when removing them from the pots.

That's all about today growing pepper seedlings and eggplants. I also advise you to read an interesting article about growing sweet peppers in open ground, as well as a detailed article about growing eggplants in open ground.

And finally, I suggest watching a video where Luiza Nilovna Klimtseva gives wonderful tips on growing pepper seedlings.

See you later, dear friends!

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ayatskov1.ru

Bell pepper - planting seedlings

Work in the garden does not begin at the end of spring, when the frosts finally go away, but much earlier. It is no secret that many plot owners do not buy seedlings, but grow them themselves. And this also applies to capricious peppers. And if you have never tried your hand at this, we will tell you how to plant bell pepper seedlings.

When do you plant bell pepper seedlings?

Sowing time bell pepper for seedlings is determined by the climatic characteristics of your region. For example, in the southern regions, seeds are grown at the end of February. In the climate of the middle zone, pepper is sown in early - mid-March.

Preparing bell pepper seeds for planting

Most seeds from a quality manufacturer undergo special processing. But if you are unsure, we recommend immersing the seed for 10-15 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate, which is prepared by diluting 3 ml of the drug in 100 ml of water. Please note that the finished solution must be heated to 40-50 degrees. After which the seeds are placed in a damp cloth for several days so that they hatch. Thanks to this procedure, the seeds will germinate faster in the soil after planting.

Planting bell peppers for seedlings

The optimal soil for bell peppers is nutritious soil with excellent drainage properties. You can easily find it in a specialized store or make it yourself. A mixture of sand, peat and black soil, taken in equal proportions, is well suited for this purpose. Experienced gardeners recommends adding a little vermiculite to the soil, which retains moisture well.

The prepared soil mixture is distributed into cups or small pots. Before planting, water the soil well. Then a small depression is made in the soil, where the hatched seed is then placed and carefully covered. Containers with seeds are stored in a warm place where the thermometer reaches +26+28 degrees. When you notice that seedlings have appeared, the temperature in the room should be reduced to +22+24 degrees that are comfortable for bell pepper seedlings.

How to care for bell pepper seedlings?

Throughout the entire growth period, young plants require your care and attention. Firstly, never forget about timely watering. For this purpose, settled water at room temperature is used. Watering is carried out as needed, without allowing the earthen clod to dry out. Also spray the seedlings daily with a spray bottle.

Growing bell pepper seedlings even on a windowsill may require additional lighting from the owner. In general, pepper is a rather light-loving crop. If you notice that the plants are stretched out or become pale, it means that there is not enough sunlight for them. In this case, either move the pots to the southern window sill, or use special lamps (phytolamps, fluorescent or LED).

Bell pepper seedlings are transplanted when the volume of small cups becomes insufficient for the actively developing root system. Usually they focus on the appearance of three or four true leaves. In this case, young plants are carefully transplanted into new pots of larger volume (up to 0.6-1 l).

Feeding is an important aspect of caring for bell pepper seedlings. It is first carried out when the plants have 1-2 true leaves. In a liter of water, you need to dilute 1 g of potassium fertilizers, 0.5 g of ammonium nitrate and 3 g of superphosphate. After 10-14 days, the procedure is repeated using the same composition.

womanadvice.ru

How to grow pepper seedlings correctly - important points

Hello my friends! The question of how to grow pepper seedlings probably faced most people who have their own plots. After all, this vegetable is quite capricious, and many people prefer to buy sprouts that are ready for planting in open ground.

But it’s not for nothing that they say that if you suffer for a long time, something will work out. It’s the same with peppers - growing seedlings is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. The main thing is to follow the advice of experienced gardeners and follow some rules that you can learn about right now.

Seed selection and pre-sowing preparation

If the seeds of other vegetables can survive failure in pre-sowing preparation, then such jokes are bad with pepper. The plant itself is weak, so soaking it in a growth stimulant will help it grow and maintain its health.

Usually the manufacturer sells already processed seeds, but additional preparation will also not be superfluous. You can just before sowing, soak them for ten minutes in a solution of peroxide and water in a ratio of 3 ml per 100 g of water, respectively. The water should be heated to 40 degrees.

Time to sow pepper seedlings

The timing of sowing depends entirely on when the plant will need to be transplanted into open ground. As a rule, seedlings are ready for a change of location within a couple of months after they have sprouted.

From the moment of sowing until germination, approximately ten days pass, and from the first shoots to the appearance of the first flower in the first fork (when it is recommended to plant in the ground) 2-2.5 months. Thus, if we need to plant pepper on May 8-10, we must sow it from February 20 to March 1.

Soil and containers for seedlings

The soil should contain a large amount of humus and generally be very fertile. Its good drainage is also important. You can mix sand, special store-bought soil for seedlings and black soil in equal parts. Some gardeners advise adding a substance such as vermiculite to the soil. It helps loosen the soil and maintains soil moisture.

Some are for, and some are against, steaming the soil before sowing. In this way it is disinfected, but some gardeners believe that at this moment beneficial elements are destroyed rather than pathogens dying. In any case, everyone decides for themselves whether to do this or not.

It is better to immediately choose separate containers for each seedling. These can be 100 or 50 ml cups, cassettes or even peat tablets. The fact is that if you sow pepper in “one heap”, then you will need to pick it, that is, plant it in different pots. And this vegetable really doesn’t like picking, and shows it by slow growth or even death.

As a rule, plastic cups or pots are reused many times. If this is the case, then be sure to disinfect the container before pouring out the soil. You can pour boiling water over it or rinse it with a bleach solution.

It is generally accepted that the root system of peppers does not need much space at all. Many experts consider this opinion to be erroneous, since the roots need more freedom. And if possible, it is better to take one- or two-liter pots. Of course, this will be difficult at home, but for those who have a greenhouse, there will be no problems with placement.

Planting and conditions for growth

When the soil is poured into a container, it is necessary to pour it well with water and make a hole in the center with a match or other object. Next, a seed is placed in the hole and covered with earth. Place film on top and place in a warm place with good light.

As for light, this is the main parameter in the growth of pepper. In other words, he definitely needs additional lighting. For this, both a regular lamp and a special one, a phytolamp, are suitable.

It is easy to understand that there is a lack of light - the leaves and stems begin to turn pale. The temperature should be below 25 and above 28 degrees until shoots appear, and then it should be reduced to about 22-25 degrees.

Feeding and watering

It is recommended to use rainwater for irrigation. It is easy to collect, only immediately before moistening the soil it must be warmed to room temperature, and generally stand for at least a day. You need to check the soil moisture every day, as moisture evaporates quickly.

Opinions about fertilizing are also mixed. For example, some experts believe that peppers do not need additional fertilizers at all, the main thing is that the soil is fertile and nutritious, provide good lighting and provide warmth. However, you can feed it if you want. To do this, take complex fertilizers and apply them in accordance with the instructions.

A pest such as aphids is not uncommon on seedlings. If it starts, you can spray the plant with a special preparation, or, as some gardeners advise, sprinkle it with ash, which will be safe for future fruits.

By the way, if the plant goes far up, but you want it to grow on the sides, you will need to pinch it. After some time, the pepper will give off side shoots and begin to grow wider, which will provide a larger harvest.

sait-pro-dachu.ru

Circumstances forced me to dare to grow pepper seedlings on my own. When we got a plot of land, I had practically no experience in gardening. Of course, I knew how to plant potatoes, sow beets and carrots. But I was afraid to think about growing pepper seedlings myself.

Experienced gardeners I knew did not advise: they said that pepper is a capricious plant, and growing its seedlings is not an easy task. I didn’t have my own experience then, I listened to the opinions of my elders, so I bought ready-made seedlings. But this did not last long.

The first time, the sweet pepper, which looked ordinary, turned out to taste so hot that it was impossible to eat it. The next year I bought such healthy, strong, beautiful seedlings that I was sure that this year the pepper harvest would be a delight, look what heroes are coming to plant! And again I failed. The seedlings lived for less than a month, despite abundant watering, shading from the midday sun and daily loosening of the soil. She gradually turned pale, then withered and withered. Well, a negative experience is still an experience, but since then I have been growing pepper seedlings myself. And you know, in reality everything turned out to be not as difficult and scary as I imagined.

Seeds

Previously, when there were no computers, information had to be collected literally bit by bit, and the tips and secrets we had read should be passed on to each other. They planted mainly their own seeds, collected from the largest fruits. Could I have dreamed of such beauties in my garden before?

It’s easier for today’s novice gardeners: if you don’t know what seeds you need, read about what types there are, why they are valued, how to avoid mistakes when choosing seeds, what rules will help you make right choice, which manufacturers are considered reliable by experienced vegetable growers.

Pre-sowing seed treatment

Initially, seed producers are expected to process the seeds. Just in case, before sowing, I soak the seeds for 10 minutes in a solution (3 ml of peroxide per 100 g of water) heated to 40°C. There are many methods of seed treatment, and they are used for different purposes. The article on pre-sowing seed treatment will help you determine what technology you need.

The soil

For growing pepper seedlings, fertile soil with a high humus content, well-drained, and a pH level of 6.0-6.5 is ideal. I make a soil mixture in a 1:1:1 ratio from fertile black soil, purchased soil for seedlings and sand. Recently I started adding a little vermiculite: it ensures a consistently moist state of the soil and at the same time additionally loosens the soil.

There is a lot of controversy and contention among gardeners around the issue of steaming the soil before sowing (this is done for the purpose of disinfecting it). In my opinion, such a procedure will do more harm to the soil than good, so I never use this method. I don’t know whether pathogens and pests will die, but beneficial microorganisms will certainly be destroyed. But this is just my opinion, you can do with the soil for your seedlings as you see fit. I decided to try growing seedlings in peat tablets at the first stage - I don’t know what will happen.

Does anyone have experience using them for pepper seedlings? A practical advice would be very useful to me.

Containers for planting

It all depends on whether you will pick the pepper seedlings or not. If picking is part of the plans, then initially you can sow in one container. And again I will express my opinion based on long practice. The root system of pepper reacts extremely painfully to deformation, which, even to a minimal extent, cannot be avoided when picking. After this procedure, the seedlings get sick for 3-5 days, some die. Growing pepper seedlings with picking is justified only when you need not 10-30 pieces, but hundreds. It is much easier (and better for the plant) to germinate pepper seeds and immediately plant each one in a separate container. What they are, how they differ, and how to make them with your own hands, you can find out by reading the review of containers for seedlings.

Important: If you use the container repeatedly, disinfect it before each sowing. Whether it will be boiling water, a solution of bleach or something else - everyone decides for themselves. I soak the seedling cassettes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes, then rinse them under running water and that’s it.

Landing

I fill the containers with the mixture, moisten it well, then make a small depression with a toothpick, put a seed in it and cover it with soil with a toothpick.

I cover the crops with film and put them in a warm place. Until shoots appear, the air temperature should be +25...+28°C. After this, we reduce the temperature to +22...+25°C during the day and +20°C at night.

When the seedlings have 3-4 true leaves, the cups in which we sowed them become small - the actively developing root system has entwined the earthen ball. I carefully transfer the peppers into 0.5-0.7 liter pots, in which I grow them before planting them in open ground.

Additional lighting

Pepper seedlings definitely need additional lighting; they are very picky about the level of illumination. If the leaves and stems of the seedlings turn pale, the internodes become thinner and longer, it means that it lacks light and, as a result, nutrition. I don’t have a phytolamp yet, I make do with a fluorescent one, turning it on from 9 am to 8 pm.

Watering and air humidity

Water for irrigation should be warmed to room temperature and allowed to stand in an open container for a day. Ideally rainwater. Water as needed, without letting the soil dry out. In small containers, the soil loses moisture faster than in large containers, so check them every day; the root system of peppers does not easily tolerate the stress of drying out soil. Maintain indoor air humidity at 60-70%.

Feeding

Once upon a time, at the dawn of my passion for gardening, I read an article about whether pepper seedlings need fertilizing. The author was definitely an expert in this field - previously this was strict, publications in journals were subject to strict verification for compliance with reality. So, he said that feeding pepper seedlings is absolutely not necessary. The main thing is to provide it with nutritious soil, warmth and, of course, lighting.

It is the lack of lighting that makes it impossible for the plant to absorb nutrients from the soil. That is, no matter how rich the soil is in humus, if there is little light, the pepper sprout will be frail. His theory was so logical that I accepted it as a rule that I still follow. But if you decide to feed, then use one thing: complex chlorine-free preparations or biofertilizers.

Better yet, try to do without fertilizing. What if your seedlings don’t even notice that they haven’t been fed?

40-60 days after germination (depending on the variety), your seedlings, surrounded by tireless care and vigilant attention, are ready to move into open ground, a greenhouse, or a heated greenhouse.

How was your relationship with growing pepper seedlings? Are there any difficulties or secrets? Share!

Alexander Utkin

I wonder if peppers can be grown this way?

Natasha, Russia

Of course it will work. For several years now I have been buying fresh peppers at the supermarket and planting their seeds. Excellent large peach grows

Natasha, Russia

sorry... pepper

Alexander, Minsk

I did an experiment: I simply poured the seeds from an ordinary pod of hot pepper into a box of soil on the windowsill, let's see what happens, I'm tempted by the idea of ​​planting a slice of ripe tomato like in the video

Alexander, Minsk

Natasha, that’s how they grow peaches from seeds)). But the fact that you can use seeds from regular store-bought sweets... let's think about it

Natasha, Russia

Try it... they grow like this

Alexander, Minsk

Inspired, we will now use seeds from ordinary peppers, it’s not a pity for the experiment, but what kind of streak do you have (in our region they somehow don’t take root very well))

Natasha, Russia

Moscow region

Natasha, Russia

Why don't they take root? ?? We have relatives from Belarus... everything is fine with pepper

Alexander, Minsk

Here (in Belarus, just north of Minsk) we don’t really have peppers. Last year there were a few of them, but this year they barely sprouted at all (they got lost somewhere..). It is also important that they are susceptible to an extremely dangerous disease - “vandalism”. Those. For some reason they are very fond of stealing. They told many cases when they tried, planted, grew, cherished and just someone very bad was guarding and harvesting. And our place is “busy”, so we try not to take risks. Moreover, in terms of time-price ratio, you could get to sales where for some reason they were sold in bags very cheaply. That’s why they liked the idea - take almost free seeds and see what happens, the main thing is not to overdo it with planting and caring.

Anastasia Gorlova, Donetsk

Tell me, have my peppers stretched out a lot??? or is this the norm? I just wasn’t home for 4 days...

Ivan Ivanov

Judging by the readings of the thermometer in the form of sprouts, your temperature in the apartment is not 21-22 at all, but 26-28. But this is a fixable matter. And sprouts and temperature. We need to start transferring it into large containers. In a half-liter container, at least, sprinkle 1, probably cm. 0.5 will not be enough. And lower the temperature, but not immediately, but during transfer, spill it, let it stand overnight in a warm place, and then onto the foam trays and onto the window.

And the window should have slits, and the thermometer should show 20-21 degrees during the day, and 16-18 at night. Because During the day the sun shines and heats up very hotly - organize access to coolness until the mentioned 20-21.

The main indicator of health is the growth of cotyledons and the first pair of true leaves should come out and grow without problems.

Yes, you will have to pay a week-long growth delay for the formation of additional roots on the sprinkled stem. But as long as it is white, everything should go painlessly. IMHO, this is not scary, because now the main thing is the roots and leaves. There was a transition to autotrophic nutrition (this is when the seed’s supply of nutrients has already run out and nutrition begins at the expense of the chloroplast and roots)

And often turn the glasses on different sides towards the light. If it doesn’t work out more often, then every day is a must. Better in the evening, IMHO.

When transferring, you can also divide it if there is more than one sprout in the glass. It's okay if you're careful and take your time. But don’t be afraid either)))

And, well, if it’s hot on the windowsill, then in order not to be frequent with watering, spray it in the evening. Then you can add phytosporin. The leaves love it very much.

Only again - when watering and spraying - you need to increase the temperature. Clean in a warm place at night. So that))

Anastasia Gorlova, Donetsk

Maybe they should just add more soil for now? Is it too early to replant them? not even the first leaves...

Ivan Ivanov

IT HAS BEGAN)))) You must understand that the root of the pepper is already one and a half times larger than the sprout)) He is already knocking on the floor: “Is there anyone alive there?”)))

He simply does not have the strength to do everything at once - the main root, the additional one, and the growth of new leaves. He has already given up on everything and is simply reaching for the light. Everything else has already stopped. Everything else is secondary for him.

Some experts directly state that in the first days of plants, their skill of “behavior in public” is laid)) Either he will anoint his phenotype (appearance) or will do what is inherent to him by nature))

That is why they require proper supplementary lighting in the first days, so that the plant is only engaged in the implementation of the genotype program. The phenotype is secondary. It will come by itself - it will grow, it will not go anywhere. And then everything will be on time, or even earlier - and the weather will be a blast - if it’s not frosty or scorching hot.

Alexander, Minsk

7dach.ru

How to grow pepper seedlings at home

Grow seedlings of vegetable and flower crops at home- it’s not only profitable, but also exciting. In addition, you will provide your vegetable garden or flower garden with varietal plants, which means you will receive maximum satisfaction of your needs. If you want to have exceptionally high-quality fruits from your plot, you need to take care of this now. Smart tips will give you several useful recommendations and instructions for growing pepper seedlings at home.

How to grow strong pepper seedlings with your own hands

Why is it with pepper that we begin to reveal the subtleties of agricultural technology for obtaining seedlings at home. Yes, precisely because growing pepper seedlings is as easy as shelling pears. You don’t risk overexposing it, since pepper is a crop that has a long growing season. Pepper is the least demanding of all vegetable crops and the most resistant to both growing conditions and pests.

Preparing pepper seeds for sowing

Pepper seeds germinate at soil temperatures of 20-35 degrees Celsius. The ideal temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. This temperature is difficult to achieve without additional measures, even if the boxes with seedlings are indoors. The solution is to keep the seeds moist in a warm place until they germinate. For example, on a radiator.

Germination usually takes 7 to 10 days. Some varieties germinate more slowly. To stimulate germination, pepper seeds are soaked for 5 minutes in a solution of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) or in a 5% solution of chlorine bleach. This breaks down the seed coat and activates enzymes that promote germination. To your pepper seedlings got the best start in life, stand up for it tap water about two days in a bucket for the chlorine to evaporate. You can also use a carbon filter.

Sowing pepper seeds

To grow seedlings in a home greenhouse or room, seeds can be sown in standard seedling boxes, cups, or pots with a diameter of 10-15cm. It is best to use purchased soil mixture for seedlings from well-established manufacturers. In such soil, the risk of plant root diseases is minimized. Carefully study the annotation on the package of the soil mixture, pay attention to the fact that the pH value is 6.4 to 6.8. For 10 liters of soil in the mixture for seedlings, 7-10 g of urea, 30-40 g of superphosphate, 10-15 g of potassium sulfate and 3 g of magnesium sulfate should be added.

Before filling with soil mixture, jars and boxes need to be filled 1-2 cm with drainage and do not forget about the drainage holes so that the water does not stagnate and the roots rot. For drainage, you can use coarse sand, fine expanded clay or polystyrene foam, crushed on a coarse grater. Make shallow furrows at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other (for pepper - 1.5-2 cm) and manually sow the seeds at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other.

Fill the grooves with a layer of humus, soil or sand, about 0.5 cm, gently, and lightly compact with effort. All seeds should be covered with soil so that they cannot float after you water them. Moderately moisten the soil surface with a spray bottle and cover the seed boxes with cellophane or glass.

Additional lighting with lamps

For seed germination, warmth is required - 22-28 degrees Celsius. You can place the boxes near the radiator and just make sure the soil doesn't dry out. Pepper loves an abundance of light, and as soon as the sprouts appear from the ground, we place the boxes on a well-lit windowsill or under a lamp.

Lamps for illumination will also be needed if your window sills are well lit, but in winter and early spring there is not enough daylight for the normal development of seedlings, so additional lighting will be needed. If the weather is cloudy, you will also need to turn on the lamp.

Watering pepper seedlings

Pepper seedlings require a lot of water, more than tomato seedlings, its absence will negatively affect the size and taste of the fruits, which will be small, crooked and tasteless. Seedlings should be watered moderately but often, being careful not to let water get on the leaves. The soil under the peppers should be slightly moist (but not too wet) at all times. Water for irrigation should be warm (not lower than room temperature); seedlings can get sick and rot from too much cold water.

Air humidification

It is necessary to ensure that the air in the place where pepper seedlings grow is not too dry, so in houses where there are radiators, young plants should be sprayed every day, or an electric humidifier should be turned on. Don’t forget, peppers are afraid of drafts. Therefore, when you open a window or door, the seedlings need to be covered with a lid or plastic wrap.

Picking up seedlings

After the pepper seedlings reach the first pair of true leaves, you need to carefully pick the seedlings into separate pots (9 plastic cups), and then water the seedlings well. As the leaves close, the pots need to be moved apart in order to provide the plants with a sufficient amount of light and air. This should be done for the first time when most of the seedlings have grown 3-4 true leaves, and the second time when there are already 5-6 true leaves.

Before planting in the ground, pepper seedlings must be hardened. Hardening is carried out gradually, with increasing time spent outdoors in a place protected from the wind.

Planting in open ground

When the ground is warmed to 15 degrees Celsius, but not earlier than 60 days after germination, the seedlings can be planted in open ground and always in a sunny place protected from the wind. In addition, their readiness for disembarkation is determined by appearance: suitable for planting seedlings that have already developed at least 7-8 true leaves (up to 10), sweet pepper seedlings have reached a height of 20 to 30 cm, and bitter pepper has 5-6 true leaves and a height of 15-16 centimeters.

The age of the seedlings largely determines the time of appearance and the number of fruits. 80-90-day-old seedlings produce an earlier harvest than 60-day-old ones, whose yield is almost half as much. The seedlings should be well watered before planting so that the soil in the box softens well. But if you grow each plant separately in a pot, it is better to plant without destroying the earthen clod. In the garden bed where you plan to plant pepper seedlings, prepare the planting holes in advance and moisten the soil.

When planting pepper seedlings in open ground, you should not deepen them, otherwise they will “get sick.” It is best to plant it at the same depth at which it grew in the greenhouse or in the room. If you grew seedlings in peat pots, the best solution would be to plant them together with the pots. If the weather is very hot, sunny, during the first week after planting pepper seedlings in open ground, it should be slightly shaded until it takes root completely.

The distance between the rows should be approximately 50 cm for hot peppers and 70 cm for sweet peppers. The distance between plants in one row is 40cm.

Of course, in the southern regions, lettuce and hot peppers can be grown without seedlings, but when grown with seedlings, you will get the harvest much earlier.

Four steps to take to get thick stems from your seedlings:

1. Lots of light from the first day the sprouts emerge from the soil, which is achieved either with the help of powerful indoor lighting or outdoor lighting.

2. If the weather permits, the plants should be taken out into the open air (week 7) for hardening, or at least use a fan indoors. This will also stop the stem from stretching.

3. Give plants enough space to grow so they can grow widely. If they are forced to compete for a “place in the sun,” they will stretch out. Transplanting into a large enough pot will also provide additional space for roots to grow.

4. Organic fertilizer at the beginning of growth (4-5 weeks) will stop the stretching and make the stem more powerful.

Why peppers don’t bloom or set fruit - reasons and mistakes in agricultural technology

• Daytime temperature is too high (above 35°C)
• Night temperature is too low (less than 1°C)
• Too much nitrogen fertilizer.
• There is not enough light. Low light levels reduce fruiting.
• The air is too dry. Very low humidity - fruiting decreases.
• Poor air circulation leads to lack of pollination.
• Lack of pollinating insects.
• There are too many harmful impurities in irrigation water.

Pepper is a heat-loving crop that has successfully taken root in temperate climates. Any type of pepper adds a spicy taste to dishes. Whether it’s soup, stew or fresh salad, the sweet or, conversely, spicy taste of this vegetable will add zest and uniqueness. It is not surprising that every self-respecting summer resident strives to grow peppers in his garden beds.

Fortunately, only about twenty species of insects harm peppers. Gardeners are quite capable of recognizing their enemy by sight, which means it will be easier to deal with pests - you can identify them in the beds and take all necessary measures in a timely manner.

Description of the main pests

Medvedka

No insect causes as many negative emotions as. This is a malicious pest of any vegetable seedlings, not disdaining onions, potatoes and root vegetables, very active from the beginning of spring until late autumn.

Adults are highly fertile. An insect nest can contain up to 600 eggs. The emerging larvae, along with adult pests, make horizontal tunnels in the soil in search of food. Plant rhizomes and plant residues preserved in the soil from last year are used as food.

Moving through underground passages, the insect gnaws the roots and causes the pepper seedlings to wither.

Mole crickets are attracted to moist and well-fertilized areas. After evening watering, they happily take over the garden beds, causing significant harm to gardeners.

They overwinter deep underground, but with the onset of spring warming they rise to the surface of the soil, where they can be destroyed by digging up the beds. Late autumn digging also helps. During this period, the young larvae do not yet have time to leave for the winter.

To destroy pests, the drug “Thunder” is used. You can also pour a solution of black pepper, water and vinegar into the holes. For ten liters of water, take 150 grams of pepper and three glasses of table vinegar.

Naked slugs

Naked slugs are quite common in greenhouses and greenhouses. This is an omnivorous pest that feeds not only on peppers. Slugs can be seen on peas, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers and other vegetable crops.

The insect looks like a snail without a shell. The elongated body is covered with sticky mucus, and the head has short, fleshy antennae. The insect has no limbs. It moves around the plant on its abdomen, sticking to the foliage with the help of mucus.

Slugs are especially active at night. They live in the soil at a depth not exceeding eight centimeters. Getting out at night to look at the seedlings, the pests eat the leaves, and later the young ovary.

Colonies increase significantly in warm and humid weather. In greenhouses, reproduction is provoked by frequent watering of the beds.

Insects settle in greenhouses around the perimeter of the beds, and in open ground they choose rocky, damp places. For preventative purposes, the beds are surrounded with quicklime scattered on the ground. Most insects cannot overcome this barrier, especially during rains, when lime interacts with water. Spraying the seedlings themselves with lime solution is also used.

Wireworms can cause damage in greenhouses and garden beds for three to four years.

These larvae, covered with a hard chitinous covering, damage the roots and climb inside the stems, causing the seedlings to dry out.

The larvae of the first year of life cause little harm - they feed mainly on plant debris. And starting from the second year, these nimble worms take over the seedlings. They damage many vegetable crops, significantly reducing yields.

Insects settle at a depth of up to 15 centimeters. Therefore, autumn digging can destroy most of the larvae. In spring, traps are placed in the beds. After digging holes in the ground, vegetable peelings are placed there. After a few days, the traps are opened and their contents are destroyed along with the beetle larvae. Soil treatment with Bazudin is effective against insects. Its powder is placed in the soil around the perimeter of the bed.

During the dry period, spider mites appear on seedlings. Find these sucking insects you can use the characteristic web entwining the leaves. After a short time, the foliage becomes brownish, dies and falls to the ground.

The greatest concentration of pests is observed in greenhouses and greenhouses. They live on cucumbers and peppers. In open ground, watermelons, melons, eggplants, and beans are affected.

After the leaves die, mites do not leave the plant, continuing to feed on the stems and ovaries. During the season, up to twenty generations of insects develop, capable of destroying most of the crop. Development from embryo to adult insect takes from one to four weeks.

The most effective against mites is treating the soil with bleach (two hundred grams of powder per bucket of water) before planting the seeds.

Before fruits appear, plants are sprayed with a solution of “BI-58” (20%).

Aphid

The most common pests are. These tiny insects feed on the entire plant, damaging leaves, stems, buds and ovaries.

Insects are distinguished by their high fertility - more than twenty generations of aphids appear and fully develop per year.

Insects are most active in hot and humid summers. The process of aphid reproduction is accelerated by temperatures above +25 degrees and air humidity of 85%.

To destroy pests, decoctions of wormwood or yarrow mixed with liquid soap are used. To prepare the product, a kilogram of grass is brewed in ten liters of water and infused for two days. 20 grams of soap are added to the strained broth. Using ladybugs is effective. These predators are released into greenhouses, where they quickly reduce the number of aphids.

Whitefly

Whitefly larvae feed on many cultivated plants, including pepper seedlings.

Small butterflies lay eggs on the reverse side of the leaf, covering them with a protective coating. The fertility of adults reaches 500 eggs per season. The larva very quickly goes through all stages of maturation. In favorable weather, up to 15 generations of these pests can develop.
Adult insects and larvae suck the juice from the leaves, stems and ovaries, sometimes covering the entire plant.

Insects are attracted by their secretions sooty fungus. It can be seen by the black coating on the leaves and stems. Infected seedlings are stunted in growth and often die.

Phosbecid is considered the most effective against whiteflies. The beds are treated with a solution of the drug (10%) twice a season.

Thrips are another dangerous pest of seedlings. These are small insects with an elongated body and wings that suck sap from young plants. The abdomen of thrips has a characteristic striped color.

In the middle zone there are 230 species of these insects. Most of them spend their lives on plant inflorescences, feeding on nectar and sucking juice from ovaries and developing fruits. They lead a hidden lifestyle. Therefore, the infection may not be noticed immediately. Young larvae live in groups. They mature in about a month. Several generations of pests develop each year.

The first signs of infection are the appearance of lightened spots on the stems and leaves.

This is how insect bites appear. Over time, the spots merge, forming light areas. In this place the tissues die. Holes form in the leaves. The stems become bent, and the ovary and fruits take on an ugly shape.

Insects are very resistant to all means of control. To destroy a large colony of pests, at least two applications per season are often required. Several drugs are used. Seedlings can be treated with Karbofos, Karate, Fitoverm, Actellik and other preparations.

From folk remedies Various decoctions and infusions of plants are effective and safe for humans. For example, celandine (100 g per liter of water), tobacco (80 g), garlic (a teaspoon of crushed cloves per glass of water) or chamomile (100 g of flowers). Liquid soap is added to the finished infusion - up to 40 grams per ten liters of water.

Sprayers for the Bargam field are reliable and efficient equipment. An overview of popular self-propelled models can be found at the link.

Methods for pest control of pepper seedlings

To preserve pepper seedlings and the future harvest, the following measures must be taken:

1. In autumn, deep plowing of open ground and digging up soil in greenhouses is carried out.
2. With the onset of spring, the soil in greenhouses is treated with bleach - this will prevent the appearance of ticks.
3. During seedling growth, the soil is regularly loosened. It is treated with ground black pepper or dry mustard to combat slugs.
4. Traps are made from vegetable residues for wireworms and “Bazudin” is placed in the soil, destroying mole crickets.
5. Seedlings are regularly inspected for pests. Insecticides are used to combat them.
6. Treatment with drugs is usually carried out twice a season (during the appearance of the first leaves and before flowering).
There is no escape from slugs at all for any of my seedlings, I no longer knew how to fight them and sprayed them with various chemicals and picked them out by hand, I completely gave up. I saw a Bargam sprayer from a neighbor, he recommended it to me, now since spring I haven’t seen a single slug, they’ve all disappeared. I hope not to return again, but for now I’m very pleased with the result.

Good day. Everything seems to be clear with pepper seedlings. We grow chili peppers in Nizhnegorsk (Crimea). Regarding the bear, you hit the nail on the head. We fight them using old-fashioned methods. I didn’t know about black pepper and vinegar. But I have two small questions. Are there any options for replacing black pepper with something else, and how effective is “Thunder” for mole cricket larvae?

Bell peppers are one of my favorite vegetables. I always plant a lot of it and get excellent yields. But it was not always so. For a long time I could not find a common language with this culture. And all because I didn’t know that a special approach was needed to him. Unlike, for example, tomatoes, peppers are much more capricious. Almost anything goes wrong - it stops growth, drops leaves, buds, and sometimes unripe fruits. I was once a beginner gardener and made a lot of mistakes. But over time, I have accumulated some experience, which I want to share with readers.
I believe, that collateral good harvest pepper is a strong seedling. From my own experience, I was convinced that weak specimens never catch up with their strong counterparts in development (unlike the same tomatoes), they bloom poorly and produce only a few small fruits. Therefore, the more attention you pay to growing pepper seedlings, the greater the return will be later.
Pre-sowing seed treatment is of particular importance. Now there is so much different advice on this topic on the Internet. Your eyes run wild, and you don’t know which one to choose. After all, it is extremely problematic to try everyone. But the main thing is that the harvest pleases you! This is how I tested it for several years through my own trial and error. different ways seed treatment before planting. I won’t list everything, I’ll only focus on the one that was able to significantly increase the yield of my peppers. Thanks to this method, the seedlings grow strong, stocky, with dark green leaves. But the most important thing I want to note is that after planting peppers in open ground, the plants begin to grow faster. Before I started using this method, the most painful moment was precisely the adaptation of the peppers to the new bed. They sat in one place for a long time, often shed their leaves, and only after 2-3 weeks they began to grow slowly.
I start preparing seeds in mid-March. Earlier planting is not advisable. At the end of February and beginning of March, daylight is still short, so it takes much longer to illuminate the plants with a lamp in the mornings and evenings. Under artificial light, peppers still develop worse. I immerse the seeds in a manganese solution for about thirty minutes. I lay out cotton fabric in 5-6 layers on the substrate from semi-finished products (for this purpose I use an old pillowcase). I dissolve organomineral fertilizers and the growth stimulator “Energen” in water. The growth stimulator may be different, but the main thing is that it contains sodium humate. The proportions of the nutrient solution are as follows: Energen capsule and 5 ml of vermicompost (or other complex fertilizer according to the instructions) per 1 liter of water at room temperature. The fabric needs to be moistened well, but so that the seeds do not subsequently float. The seeds need to be spread out so that they do not touch each other. I lay out all the varieties that I am going to plant at once, at intervals, mark and write down the name of each. I cover the substrate with cling film (without gaps) and place it in a place where the temperature is approximately 25-27 degrees. I have this Kitchen Cabinet. After a day, I move the substrate to the refrigerator on the bottom shelf for four hours, then for twenty hours - again on the cabinet, and repeat this three times. After this, I leave the seeds in a warm place. The seeds begin to hatch on the third day. With the usual method of planting with dry seeds, my pepper always took a very long time to germinate. I carefully take them with tweezers and plant them in previously prepared cups (labeled, filled with fertile substrate and spilled with warm water). By the time of the last cold treatment, most of the seeds have already been planted. Then the rest hatch in the warmth. It is necessary to plant seeds exactly as they hatch, because the roots outgrow very quickly and can be damaged during planting. All these manipulations with seeds take me about 3-4 days. This will probably seem troublesome compared to other methods of preparing seeds for sowing, but believe me, the end result is worth it. By the twentieth of March, the loops of seedlings are already showing.
Peppers don’t like picking, so I plant them immediately in separate containers., but two seeds each. I didn’t notice a difference under this landing condition. Both plants feel good, and when transplanted into open ground they also serve as support for each other in windy weather. This way, I save space both in the apartment while I’m growing them, and in the garden beds. I use beer glasses as containers for seedlings. I spent money on purchasing them once and have been using them for six years now. I tried to plant seedlings in two-hundred-gram disposable cups, but the plants were very cramped in them, and they developed much worse.
The composition of the soil is also important. In the fall, especially for this purpose, I go to the mixed forest, which is located not far from our summer cottage. I collect a couple of buckets of soil, which I store on the balcony of my city apartment. I don’t add anything to this soil, since its composition suits me in all respects. I also don’t steam the soil before planting, as many people do. I believe that in addition to the harmful microorganisms that are supposedly there, everything useful is also killed. My seedlings grow happily in forest soil and feel great.
I begin to illuminate the peppers with a fluorescent lamp from the moment the loops appear above the soil surface. Especially for these purposes, I purchased two drawing lamps on long legs with fasteners at the base. They easily attach to the top of the table on which I have the seedlings. During the day there is enough natural light, since the table is moved close to the window, and in the morning and evening I turn on the lamps for several hours, which I raise as the shoots grow.
I water the seedlings only with settled water.. Despite the fact that all sources mention that this crop is very moisture-loving, I try to water less often - only when the soil dries out. From an early age, so to speak, I accustom my peppers to the spartan conditions of open ground. This really has a good effect on their further development. Plants do not stretch, and when transplanted into the ground they experience less stress. My seedlings do not grow pampered, but resistant to unfavorable climatic conditions. In one of the seasons, I overdid it with watering, and most of my pepper seedlings were killed by the black leg. Since then, I began to approach this issue more carefully. Since our central heating is turned off only in mid-April, I try to ventilate the room as often as possible during the day. And when leaving home, I make sure to leave the window slightly open for the whole day.
Two weeks after germination, I begin to feed my pets. I use the same solution based on Energen and vermicompost that I used to treat seeds. I remember how in past years my pepper’s appearance only made me sigh sadly. And now, thanks to this nutrient mixture, it is growing by leaps and bounds. This, by the way, is another reason why I do not sow it earlier. Two to three weeks before moving to the dacha (depending on the weather), I take the peppers out onto the balcony for hardening. By the time of planting in open ground, the plants grow to 20-30 cm and have a beautiful appearance.
I plant seedlings at my summer cottage in mid-May. I try to choose a cloudy day. And if the weather is hot, then I transplant only in the evening. I consider it pointless to fertilize the entire bed. I add a large handful of humus only to the holes, which I then spill with warm water. This makes the pepper easier to transplant. I plant seedlings using the transshipment method. This vegetable crop, unlike tomatoes, under no circumstances should be buried when planting. It is necessary to plant it strictly at the level at which it grew in the container. Otherwise, the plants will grow weak and the harvest will be small. In addition, the period of his adaptation to the new place will be much longer. I water the transplanted plants well and mulch the soil under them with a thick layer of mowed, slightly dried grass.
In the future, I water this vegetable only on weekends, since it is not possible to do this more often. But I water very abundantly every time. I regularly add mulch to reduce moisture evaporation and also reduce the growth of weeds in the garden bed. I fertilize every two weeks with complex organomineral fertilizer according to the instructions.
Irina Kudrina

Mistakes when growing pepper seedlings

Vegetable pepper is one of the most common vegetable crops. Unfortunately, when growing it, gardeners make numerous mistakes that sharply worsen the quality of the grown seedlings, and sometimes lead to their death. Try to get rid of them in the new season.

1. The components for the soil mixture are incorrectly selected

You cannot take soil from beds where vegetables grew. You also cannot take soil from a flower bed where flowers grow and use it to grow seedlings. It is advisable to take humus from a 3-4 year old heap, and turf soil from an area where perennial grasses have been growing for several years.

2. Poor seed preparation

Since pepper seeds retain their germination rather poorly, they should not be purchased in reserve. Of the many possible schemes for pre-sowing preparation of pepper seeds for sowing, the following three schemes are most preferable:

Treat the seeds in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then soak them for 18 hours in a Zircon solution (1 drop of the drug per 300 ml of water) at room temperature. Then sowing the seeds or pre-germinating the seeds followed by sowing.

Disinfection of seeds in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then soak them for 18 hours in the Epin solution (2 drops per half glass of water) at room temperature. Then sowing the seeds or pre-germinating them followed by sowing.

Treat the seeds in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then soak them for 2 days in melted snow water, which must be changed every 5-6 hours, or in an aqueous solution of aloe juice.

3. Error in determining the timing of sowing seeds

The timing of sowing pepper seeds depends on the timing of planting the seedlings in a permanent place. Early-ripening varieties are usually sown 65 days before, mid-ripening - 65-70 days, and late-ripening - 75 days before planting in a permanent place.

Each gardener needs to calculate this period for sowing pepper seeds, taking into account the time from sowing to the emergence of seedlings, very accurately - when he sowed them, when they should sprout, when the seedlings will be planted in the ground. And all this depends on the condition of your greenhouse, on the weather, and most of all on whether you live in the garden all the time or only visit it on weekends.

If pepper seeds are sown too early, the plants overgrow in the pots and the lower fruits begin to set. In conditions of insufficient lighting on the windowsill, all this leads to depletion of the plant.

As a result, even when 1-2 lower ovaries are removed, the plants take root more slowly and the main wave of fruiting is delayed. Therefore, under no circumstances should pepper seedlings be overgrown.

4. Failure to comply with temperature conditions

To obtain good and friendly seedlings of pepper, the soil temperature before the emergence of seedlings should be 25-28 degrees, and after the emergence of seedlings for 2-3 days it should be reduced to 20 degrees, and then constantly maintained within 22-25 degrees.

If this soil temperature schedule is not observed, pepper seeds will germinate very slowly, and the emergence of seedlings may take up to 25-30 days.

But the biggest mistake at this time is placing the container with the sown seeds on the radiators. Since these containers are small, the soil in them quickly heats up above 32-33 degrees and dries out, which leads to the rapid death of newly hatched seeds.

If the apartment is warm, i.e. 23 degrees, this does not mean that the soil on the windowsill is warm. Take the time to stick a thermometer into the soil, and you will be very surprised.

To reduce the influence of these factors, it is most convenient to make a kind of window-side greenhouse on the windowsill of the south window. To do this, the window sill is fenced off from the rest of the room with film, and the temperature in it is regulated using slightly open or closed vents.

5. Growing seedlings with their further picking

Unlike tomatoes, peppers do not tolerate pickling because... its roots are slowly restored, which increases the growing time of seedlings by 15-20 days. In this case, the whole point of growing seedlings is lost.

Therefore, it is better to immediately sow its seeds in a “personal” container, and, if necessary, do not pick, but transfer the plants, i.e. removing the entire lump of earth from the container along with the plant and replanting it into a larger container, without disturbing the root system. As a result, you can win 15-20 days, which will be required to grow seedlings.

6. Insufficient lighting for plants

Pepper seedlings do not tolerate insufficient lighting, which immediately causes the seedlings to stretch out and will subsequently lead to a decrease in yield.

But at the same time, it is a plant of short daylight hours. This means that pepper needs short daylight hours, but with very high illumination.

In practice, creating such a short daylight hours is not difficult. To do this, cover the seedlings at 18-19 hours with a light-proof box or black lutrasil. In addition, seedlings grown on short daylight hours have increased resistance to low temperatures.

7. Unfavorable growing conditions

In this case, it is very useful to spray the plants 2-3 times with Epin solution at intervals of 8-10 days. After treatment with Epin, plants react less to unfavorable growing conditions, especially insufficient lighting inherent in city apartments. And for good root formation, you can feed the plants with potassium humate (25 ml per 10 liters of water).

8. Improper plant nutrition

In order for seedlings to grow normally, already in the phase of 1-2 true leaves it is necessary to fertilize with Agricola-Forward (1 teaspoon of liquid fertilizer per 1 liter of water), which enhances the development of seedlings and strengthens the root system. The second feeding should be done when the second leaf appears (1 teaspoon of “Barrier” per 1 liter of water).

9. Failure to comply with the water regime

The seedlings should not be watered for the first 2-3 days after emergence, but if the soil is dry, moisten it with a sprayer.

And when the cotyledon leaves unfold, the seedlings begin to be watered with warm (30°C) settled water. During the first days, it is better to water with a teaspoon, since the seedlings are easily washed out of the soil.

Under no circumstances should plants be allowed to wilt, but excess water is no less dangerous, since the plants may become infected with blackleg. Good ventilation of the plants is very important.

10. Missed the moment when pests appeared

The main pests of pepper are aphids, mites, and armyworms. It is necessary to monitor their appearance and promptly treat the seedlings, which can only be planted in the ground when they are healthy.

At home, you can spray with infusions of onions, calendula, marigolds, garlic, pine extract, or use biological plant protection products: Fitoverm, Agravertin, Entobacterin, Bitoxibacillin, etc.

11. The time for planting seedlings in the ground is incorrectly chosen

Pepper seedlings are planted in a greenhouse or in the ground when the soil warms up at a depth of 10 cm to at least 15 degrees. Seedlings will tolerate replanting better if they are watered abundantly before planting and planted in holes that have been previously watered generously with hot water.

12. The watering regime was not followed after planting the seedlings

The regime of stable moderate soil moisture was not observed, i.e. without over-moistening or drying out. The roots of pepper, especially young ones, cannot tolerate even short-term drying out of the soil. To prevent this from happening, the planting must be mulched with peat, sawdust, hay, etc.

V. G. Shafransky