Sweet Pepper: Growing Through Seedlings

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Growing sweet peppers takes a lot of time and effort. However, having mastered the technique of sowing seeds for seedlings and caring for peppers, summer residents take off an enviable harvest, which is enough to eat fresh vegetables in the summer, and to make preparations for the winter. It is important to remember a few basic rules of agricultural technology, and there will be no problems with a rich harvest

Seed revision

Pepper has a long period of development and in our latitudes sowing seeds directly into open ground will not bring a successful result. Therefore, the reproduction of sweet pepper in our country is carried out through seedlings, and they start sowing when there is snow outside the window and there is still a winter cold - from January to February.

Before sowing, it is imperative to revise the seeds. Those who are more than 3 years old lose their germination. If in doubt about the quality and age of the seeds, they can be tested in a saline solution. The seeds that have surfaced are already unsuitable for sowing.

Treatment of seeds, as well as of a nutrient substrate, with disinfecting compounds cannot be ignored. You should also neutralize the container if another seedling has already been grown in it.

The subtleties of caring for pepper seedlings

During seed germination, you will need to observe a special temperature regime. While the seedlings have not yet hatched on the soil surface, the temperature in the room where the container with crops is left is maintained at about + 25 ° C. When the seedlings are showing, and this happens, as a rule, on 4-5 days, it is necessary for the thermometer to go down about 10 marks below. Thanks to this technique, young plants do not stretch, and the roots develop better. After 7-8 days, the temperature is increased again and returned to the previous value.

After the formation of the first 2 true leaves, the seedlings are carefully dived into separate containers. For these purposes, it is better not to take pots, but to use small plastic cups with holes on the bottom for drainage. Pepper does not like it when its roots are disturbed during transplantation. And when that time comes, such a cup can be easily cut, freeing an earthen ball without the threat of damaging the root system.

Sweet pepper seedlings respond well to feeding:

• potassium salt, • superphosphate, • urea.

For the first time it is given when three real leaves have grown on the seedlings. Re-subcortex is introduced with the appearance of the 4th leaf. After fertilization, the pots must be watered.

10-14 days before disembarking to a permanent place, you should begin to harden the seedlings. To do this, in fine warm weather during the day, the pots are briefly placed in the fresh air. The first walk of seedlings is done in just a few minutes. Gradually this time is extended. But never leave seedlings outside overnight. In addition to hardening, it is advised to arrange artificial lighting of pots with seedlings.

Caring for planting sweet peppers in the beds

You can move seedlings to the beds when, according to the weather forecast, frost is no longer expected. The optimum temperature for the growth of bushes is + 23 … + 25 ° С. When the thermometer drops below + 15 ° С, they stop growing and developing.

When planting, depending on the size of the variety, the interval between plants must be maintained from 30 to 45 cm in the garden.

The soil should be well fertilized. It is advisable to take care of this in the fall, enriching the soil with matured compost or humus (at the rate of about 5 kg per 1 square meter). You can also fill the place under the pepper with organic fertilizers in the spring. Before planting, complex mineral fertilizers are additionally applied.

Caring for the peppers planted in the garden consists in abundant frequent watering, weeding and loosening the soil. The regularity of watering is 2 times a week. Water is poured at the root, it is more convenient to do this from a watering can. Loose soil will absorb moisture well, and so that it does not evaporate quickly, the beds are mulched.

Peppers should be checked for disease and pest infestations. All dry, curled and yellow leaves must be removed in a timely manner so that they do not become a source of the spread of diseases, and also do not shade ripening fruits.