» Pepper seeds did not germinate and what to do. Why does pepper seedlings grow poorly? Why does it take a long time for peppers to germinate?

Pepper seeds did not germinate and what to do. Why does pepper seedlings grow poorly? Why does it take a long time for peppers to germinate?

Today we will find out how long it takes for pepper seedlings to sprout, why it might not sprout, and why pepper seedlings grow poorly?

Pre-planting preparation and landing

Before sowing seeds can be soaked for 6-7 hours in a pink solution of potassium permanganate, better known as potassium permanganate. This will make future plants more resistant to diseases.

After this, you need to leave the seeds in a damp, but not wet, napkin until they hatch. Usually this period does not exceed 2-3 days. This will allow you to reject spoiled and weak seeds. .

The soil must be carefully prepared before planting; it is very convenient to do this with a spray bottle or a medical bulb. Seeds are planted in the ground to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. After planting, the container or cups with future seedlings must be covered with film to create a greenhouse effect and placed in a warm place for germination.

First shoots

Here we will answer the following questions: how many days does it take for pepper seeds to germinate into seedlings, what should not be done with young shoots?

If everything is done correctly, then in 6-15 days, depending on the variety of pepper, the first shoots can please the gardener’s eye. The hatching seedlings of pepper at the earliest stages are a loop from the stem of the plant. Cotyledon leaves appear a little later.

Very often, on a hatched plant, at the tips of the cotyledon leaves there is a seed coat, which not very experienced gardeners try to remove on their own. There is no need to do this, the plant will cope on its own as it grows, but it is very easy to damage it during intervention.

Pepper shoots can be friendly, but this does not always happen. Usually 15 days is enough for all the seeds to germinate.

Even if the seedlings were not in a lighted place when they pecked, it’s time to move them there. Now the plant will need.

Caring for hatched sprouts

The next step is watering and adjusting the light level. The importance of both cannot be overestimated; only the provision of these two factors will affect the quality of both seedlings and plant productivity in the future.

When to remove the film from pepper seedlings? Immediately after the first seeds hatch, the film that creates the greenhouse effect in our container with seedlings must be removed for a while so that the plant can be ventilated. At first this will be a few minutes, but as the plant grows, this period should lengthen. This way the plant will get used to normal growing conditions.

Soil moisture must also be carefully monitored. pepper loves moisture, but waterlogging can be as destructive for it as drying out the soil.

When growing pepper seedlings, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the culture. It lies in the fact that pepper is a plant of short daylight hours, and intensive lighting will be optimal for the crop, and its duration should be no more than 10-12 hours.

Experienced farmers cover containers with young plants with light-proof boxes no later than 18.00. Such seedlings will be more resistant to, easier to transplant into open ground, and have “immunity” to temperature fluctuations.

Why don't pepper seedlings grow?

It often happens that even with the apparent observance of all the rules when planting seeds, the seedlings do not sprout. There may be several reasons for this:

  • Low quality seed material. The seed material of this crop does not retain germination well. You should not buy seeds “in reserve,” even if you really like one of the varieties.
  • Improper preparation of soil mixture. The soil is acidic or too heavy for tender seedlings.
  • Watering too much after planting pepper seeds, they may mechanically fall below the required planting level and the plants will not be able to germinate.
  • Drying out of the soil mixture, even hatched seeds can die if there is a lack of moisture.
  • Failure to comply with temperature conditions. A common mistake novice gardeners make is placing a container with seedlings on heating radiators. At the same time, the temperature in the soil mixture can reach 33-35⁰С; with high humidity and lack of ventilation, the seeds are doomed to death.

Are pepper seedlings growing poorly? What to do?

The seeds hatched and began to grow, but something went wrong, the growth of the seedlings slowed down, the green color loses its intensity or the plant dies altogether.

Unfortunately, this also happens. The reason lies in mistakes made when caring for young plants.

Why pepper seedlings do not develop:

  • Irrigation irregularities. The root system of pepper does not tolerate even a hint of drying out. Overmoistening of the soil threatens with another danger - blackleg, a disease to which almost any seedlings of vegetable crops and flowers are susceptible. The diseased plant will die.
  • Insufficient lighting intensity may cause the seedlings to stretch out. And, if the weather is gloomy outside and the sun does not indulge in its appearance, a phytolamp will come to the aid of the gardener, which will allow him to avoid a shortage of lighting.
  • Incorrect plant nutrition. The situation can be corrected with the help of potassium humate or Agricola-Forward, diluted in water according to the instructions.

By following all the simple rules for planting pepper seeds and caring for young plants, you can get excellent seedlings and reap a good harvest in due time!

Refers to traditional crops that fill the daily diet with useful substances at any time of the year. That is why, throughout the warm period of the year, many try to grow it on their own. While much has been written about gardening, little has been said about how to germinate seeds and get healthy ones.

That is why growing viable and fruit-bearing plants remains a mystery for many compatriots, which ultimately results in a modest harvest and wasted effort. Today we will reveal all the secrets of growing high-quality seedlings and get acquainted with the main intricacies of this process.

Sowing dates

The timing of sowing pepper strictly depends on which group of varieties the seed belongs to. Therefore, before sowing seeds, it is imperative to familiarize yourself with their agronomic characteristics. In modern gardening, the following types of varieties are distinguished:

  • super early (less than 100 days for ripe fruit to appear);
  • early (fruits on average after 120 days);
  • mid-ripening (gives ripe fruits after 120-130 days);
  • late (more than 130 days are required for fruit ripening).

Did you know?Sweet pepper is one of the most ancient crops that is actively grown by humans. The first mentions of the mass cultivation of this vegetable are found in Indian literature, which date back to the end of the 1st century BC. e.


Important!In order to increase the accuracy of calibration, about 40 g of ordinary kitchen salt must be dissolved in 1 liter of plain tap water. As a result, the effectiveness of the method increases by more than 20%.

Stimulation

Stimulation seed germination using special solutions is one of the most effective ways to speed up seed germination. The essence of the method is that the seeds are soaked in special solutions that intensify the processes of cell division in the seed itself. As a result, seed germination can be accelerated several times. In addition, growth stimulants make it possible to obtain a healthy and strong plant.
The method has been known for quite a long time; in the modern world, special chemicals are used for this, synthesized on the basis of natural components of the environment. At home, for decades, they have been using folk methods for preparing stimulant solutions, which are based on derivatives of living organisms (willow juice, juice, chicken egg, etc.).

Germinating seeds in gauze is one of the simplest and most unpretentious ways to accelerate the growth of seedlings. But when using it, it is important to know at what temperature the seeds germinate best, since without this it will not be possible to speed up the process. The essence of the method is that a triple layer of ordinary gauze or bandage must be placed on the bottom of a small translucent vessel.

Important! When germinating seeds on a gauze pad, you must not overdo it; the seeds should be in a layer of damp gauze, and not floating in it along the bottom. Otherwise, the seed will simply deteriorate.

After this, carefully place the prepared seeds on a gauze pad in one layer, cover them with gauze on top, then moisten everything with tap water and place in a warm place (about +26 ° C). If the seeds are moistened in a timely manner, the first shoots will appear on a damp gauze pad within a few days. After this, the sprouts are ready to be transplanted into a soil substrate.

Sowing

The procedure is for the most part no different from sowing seeds of another crop. The prepared seed is sent into the soil, wrapped in a small layer of soil, watered with water and placed in a bright, warm place. To speed up the process, the container with seeds must be covered with a transparent plastic bag, this will create conditions for mini-

Peppers are a tasty, sweet vegetable, rich in vitamins and minerals. It has a huge number of fans and is used for cooking in almost all cuisines of the world. You can cook everything from pepper - it is used in salads, first and second courses, as an appetizer, pickled, canned and much more. Peppers are also incredibly tasty just fresh.

The process of growing peppers in a personal plot is not so complicated, but to obtain large and tasty vegetables from seeds, you first need to grow strong seedlings. However, there are times when pepper seedlings do not germinate or grow poorly. This means you made a mistake somewhere.

To understand this issue, you need to consider how to properly grow pepper seedlings and highlight typical errors encountered, due to which it may not grow well. First of all, it is worth remembering that pepper seedlings are very delicate and require sufficient light, heat and water. Let's look at the other nuances.

Different varieties of peppers behave differently. Some are suitable only for certain soil and fertilizers, others are demanding on the climate, etc. Therefore when choosing pepper seeds it is worth considering many nuances, such as:

  • The type of soil on your site.
  • What fertilizers does each variety prefer?
  • Disembarkation dates.
  • Requirements for climatic conditions.
  • Ripening and harvesting dates.

You can choose several different varieties with similar care requirements, but with different fruiting periods, and this will extend the period of harvesting and enjoying fresh vegetables. If you are new to gardening and have no one to ask for advice, when choosing, simply follow the instructions on the package. Manufacturers of quality seeds always provide colorful photos and detailed instructions for use on the packages. Therefore, you can safely choose the varieties you like based on their appearance and description of the qualities of the vegetable and the difficulty of caring for it.

After choosing pepper varieties and buying seeds, it's time start planting the seedlings themselves. To do this they need to be prepared. It is worth remembering here that, unlike many ground vegetables, pepper seeds cannot be stored for a long time (no more than 3-4 years). Therefore, read the packaging carefully, and if you have old seeds, they must be checked for germination or rejected in a 3% saline solution.

To do this, dissolve rock salt in water in a ratio of 30–40 grams per 1 liter. Pour the pepper seeds into it, mix well and leave for 10 minutes. Those that float to the surface can be safely thrown away - they are no good. With this simple procedure, you will exclude seeds that most likely will not be able to sprout.

Rinse the remaining seeds with clean water and dry well. The check should be carried out immediately before preparing the seeds for sowing; they should not lie for a long time after they have been in the saline solution.

For the fastest swelling and germination of pepper seeds, rinse them in running water and place them in a warm place for a day ( not lower than 25 degrees), having previously been placed in polyethylene.

It is also worth noting that the time of sowing seedlings depends on many factors, which must be taken into account if you want to get good seedlings and subsequently a harvest:

The process of growing seedlings

After preparation, pepper seeds are planted in special boxes, pots and any other containers with prepared soil for seedlings. You can buy it at a garden store or supermarket or prepare it yourself using 4 parts peat, 2 parts turf, 1 part old sawdust and 1 part humus and watering it all with a solution of potassium permanganate.

The soil in the prepared containers is pre-watered, small furrows are made one centimeter deep, where the seeds are sown and covered with soil. After this, the boxes need to be covered with film (can be glass) and place in a very warm place(25–27 degrees Celsius) until the first shoots appear. Usually this happens within a week, maximum two. Once every two days, you must remember to moisten the soil by spraying (do not just fill it with water - you risk washing the seeds out of the holes).

As soon as the first shoots appear, they require additional light to accelerate growth, good development and health. Remove the cover from the boxes and provide the seedlings with additional light for at least 9-10 hours a day. Lack of light leads to curvature of seedlings and rotting of roots; they may stop growing and become unable to form buds. This is one of the main reasons why pepper seedlings may not grow well.

Sprouts also require maintaining a stable thermal regime– 23–25 degrees during the daytime and 16–18 degrees at night. At lower temperatures, their leaves begin to fall off and the plant may die.

Water the seedlings abundantly, but rarely, preferably in the morning with water at room temperature. It should be protected from drafts, but in warm weather it is advisable to ventilate the room. No feeding is required during this period.

After the peppers begin to grow, make sure that the leaves do not touch each other, they do not like this and begin to stretch. This happens because plants begin to fight for the light they need.

Growing methods

There are two ways to grow seedlings:

  • With a pick.
  • No picking.

In the first option, peppers are harvested half a month, maximum two decades, after the seeds have sprouted. Peppers do not like picking, since their roots are difficult to regenerate, so the main root is not pinched. This process must be carried out in a timely manner; if the seedlings outgrow, they may not take root. Incorrect picking is another indicator why seedlings may not grow well.

The second method is much simpler and more painless for peppers. Just seedlings transplanted into a larger container that it does not injure the roots, and it easily tolerates this process, easily taking root in a new place.

After the sprouts appear and before they are transplanted into open ground, the seedlings need to be fed twice with a solution of mullein or bird droppings.

Before planting seedlings, they must harden. To do this, ten days before transplanting, the plants begin to be taken outside for several hours. To protect the sprouts from pests, already at this period of growth you can begin to spray them with infusions of onions, pine needles, calendula or garlic. You should not take the seedlings outside immediately after spraying; the sun through the water can leave burns on the tender leaves.

Planting seedlings in the soil

In order for seedlings to take root well, at the time of planting they must be healthy and strong, at least 20 centimeters tall, have about 10 leaves and several buds(but not flowers and ovaries, such a sprout will take root poorly and produce a small harvest).

If you are planting seedlings in open ground, choose an area not blown by winds; peppers do not like this. It is not advisable to plant them in beds after tomatoes or potatoes, but the soil after legumes or cucumbers is perfect.

Be careful when transplanting seedlings so as not to damage the roots of the peppers, otherwise the plant will receive even more stress. And do not bury the seedlings in the ground - this will increase the ripening time of the first vegetables and reduce the overall yield.

It is not worth planting seedlings of bitter and sweet peppers nearby, they have pollen may mix and the sweet variety will receive an unpleasant bitterness.

After planting, water the peppers generously and mulch with dry soil or grass. Young seedlings are afraid of spring frosts, so prepare protection, but adult peppers tolerate the cold quite calmly.

Everything seems to be correct, but the seedlings still grow poorly? You may have made some mistakes that caused the plant to become stressed. Let's take a closer look at them.

Typical mistakes when growing pepper seedlings

There are several common mistakes made even by experienced gardeners that lead to poor seedling growth and even death. Study them carefully and try to avoid them in the future:

Pests and time for planting in open ground

And, of course, don’t forget about pests. Don’t miss the moment of their appearance in order to react and treat the plant in a timely manner. The main enemies of pepper are mites, aphids and cutworms.

For prevention, you can start spraying the sprouts with pine, onion, garlic or calendula infusion in parallel with hardening. The main thing is not to take the plants out into the open sun immediately after spraying; the rays can leave burns on the leaves, reflecting from water droplets.

And finally, the wrong time of planting in open ground can lead to the seedlings dying or taking root poorly, experiencing severe stress, becoming weak and sick. The soil should warm up well(at least 15 degrees Celsius per 10 cm in depth), moreover, before planting, it is advisable to water the beds with warm water. Seedlings will not take root in cold soil, and you may be left with no harvest at all or with a very small percentage of it.

Always remembering these simple, but very important nuances for peppers and observing them, you will easily grow healthy and strong seedlings, which will later turn into good bushes that give a rich harvest.

To get a good harvest of sweet peppers, you need to go through all the stages of agricultural technology for this crop. The first of them is germinating pepper seeds. To many vegetable growers, this procedure seems unnecessary, and they neglect it, but in the future this will certainly affect the growth of seedlings, their quantity and the volume of harvested products.

The most productive bushes grow from healthy large pepper seeds, which are fully ripened and have fully absorbed nutrients. If you sow all the seeds without sorting, some bushes will certainly lag behind in development. In the future, you can’t count on a good harvest from them.

The gardener’s task at the initial stage is to select the strongest specimens, so as not to waste time and effort all season on growing obviously weak bushes. This is the main reason why you need to germinate pepper seeds.

The second, and no less important reason is the rejection of hollow ones that will never sprout. The seeds in pepper fruits develop unevenly, and not all of them have enough nutrients. If there are many such defective grains among those sown, the sowing will have to be repeated. And since sweet peppers are a southern crop with a long growing season, bushes from re-sown seeds will not have time to produce the entire harvest before the onset of cold weather.

The third reason is the opportunity to slightly increase the future harvest by soaking in various solutions. As a rule, disinfectants are used first, and then nutritional and stimulating germination and further development. It is believed that such measures can increase yields by 7–10%.

How long does it take for pepper seeds to germinate?

The germination time of pepper seeds largely depends on the conditions in which they are located. This crop is thermophilic and at air temperatures below 20°C you may never see seedlings. As the temperature rises, the rate of seed hatching also increases. Optimal conditions for them are 26–28°C. In such a microclimate, pepper seedlings appear quickly and quickly. Seeds sown dry, without soaking, germinate in 8–12 days. Shoots from prepared seeds appear several days earlier.

If the temperature in a house or apartment does not exceed the minimum permissible for peppers, boxes with them are placed next to heating radiators, stoves or heaters. Bright light is not needed until green “loops” appear, so there is no need to be afraid that the seedlings will stretch out.

Selection and preparation of seeds for germination

Preparatory activities will be useful both for self-collected seeds and for store-bought ones. Seed companies often skimp on the budget and present low-quality or expired sachets. Therefore, it is first necessary to select mature, full-bodied specimens.

Dilute 1-2 tablespoons of salt in a liter of warm water and mix. Then planting material is poured into it. After a few minutes, the grains will separate - the hollow ones will float, and the rest will sink to the bottom. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, the floating ones are selected and discarded, and the rest are washed to remove salt.

Now the seeds need to be disinfected. Usually a solution of potassium permanganate is used. This is the cheapest and most effective means for destroying pathogens that may have affected the plant that produced the seeds.

To prepare the solution, several grains of potassium permanganate are diluted in a glass of water, mixed and left for 2-3 minutes to dissolve. When the solution reaches a dark pink color, carefully pour it into another container, leaving undissolved particles at the bottom. Seeds are placed in the poured solution and left in a place protected from light for 20–30 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Disinfected seeds are soaked in a solution of a growth stimulator. You can use both store-bought drugs and folk remedies. The first include the well-known Epin, Energen, Ecosil, Baikal M. Soaking in them is carried out according to the instructions for the drug.

Popular folk remedies include honey, ash extract and aloe juice. They are prepared as follows:

  1. A teaspoon of natural honey is diluted in a glass of warm water.
  2. One tablespoon of sifted wood ash is poured into a liter of clean water, left for 24 hours and filtered.
  3. Aloe leaves are washed, cut into pieces, placed in a glass jar and stored in a cool, dark place for two weeks. Then the juice is squeezed out of the leaves, which is diluted twice with clean water.

You can use all three methods, but one of them will be sufficient. Planting material should be soaked for 12–24 hours.

Germination methods and their features

For successful germination, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for the seeds - sufficient temperature and humidity. If the temperature and humidity are too low, the seeds may become moldy, and low humidity will not allow them to hatch.

Experienced vegetable growers germinate pepper planting material in the following ways:

  1. Take a shallow container like a jar lid and two cotton pads, moisten them with water and squeeze out. One disk is placed on the bottom, grains are laid out on it and covered with a second disk. The top of the lid is covered with film. Cotton pads can be replaced with gauze pads or clean cotton rags.
  2. Select a disposable plastic container with a lid of such a size that the dish sponge fits tightly into it. The sponge definitely needs a new one. It is also moistened with water, squeezed out and placed in a container with the hard side down. Seeds are placed on the top side. The container is not tightly closed with a lid. The sponge is convenient because its top layer retains constant moderate moisture.
  3. The method of germination in “diapers” saves space. With its help, you can germinate a huge number of seeds not only of pepper, but also of other garden crops on a regular table. To do this, you will need a strip of polyethylene 10–12 cm wide and a piece of toilet paper of the same length, but slightly narrower. The film is spread on the table, paper is placed on top of it, aligned along the bottom edge, and moistened with water from a spray bottle. The seeds are laid out on top of the paper, maintaining intervals of 1.5–2 cm. Then the “diaper” with the seeds is carefully rolled up and placed vertically in a vessel of a suitable diameter.

When using any of the options, you must remember to promptly add water to the containers and ventilate them several times a day.

At the right temperature, seeds hatch in 5–6 days. Then they can be sown in pots. The method of germination in “diapers” is convenient in that it allows you to keep pepper seedlings in them until the moment of picking, that is, after the appearance of the first true leaf.

Sowing sprouted pepper seeds

It is highly undesirable to keep sprouted seeds in cotton pads, since overgrown roots are easy to break when planting. The optimal time for sowing seedlings comes when the length of the root is equal to 2-3 times the diameter of the seed. If much more seeds have sprouted than planned to be planted, those with the strongest roots are selected among the seedlings.

The seedlings are placed in prepared containers with moistened soil mixture to a depth of 0.5–1 cm, sprinkled with earth without lumps and lightly compacted by hand. Without compaction, the root can become airborne and dry out. Until green “loops” of pepper appear above the soil surface, keep the boxes covered from above in a warm place and regularly moisten the top layer of soil. After the sprouts appear, the shelter is removed and the seedling containers are transferred to a bright place.

Experienced gardeners love to grow their seedlings on their own, without resorting to purchased options. By putting your whole soul into your harvest, following the growth process from seed to large fruit, with proper growth control, you get the most wonderful result. How nice it is to hold the result of your own labors in your hands!

The process of growing seedlings is a complex and labor-intensive task that requires skills and knowledge. Many questions often arise. For example, when to start planting? How to prepare for planting in the ground? Why do pepper seedlings grow poorly and what to do?

The main key points are outlined below. Pay attention to all the subtleties - the volume of the future harvest depends on this.

The quality of planting soil is the main and main condition for successful germination. Simply digging up soil in your dacha is not enough to get a good front of seedlings.

What should be the soil for planting peppers:

  1. Airy, crumbly, well permeable to water. To achieve this result, the earth is mixed with sand or sawdust. It is preferable to use sawdust from deciduous trees - birch, rowan, aspen, oak.
  2. Have a pH neutral composition, that is, a certain level of acidity. This factor is very important, so you should take the choice of soil very seriously.

As acidity increases, the plant's roots receive much less of the nutrients they need for growth. Result: the plant dies from hunger strike.

Among other things, bacteria actively develop in an acidic environment, so it is unlikely that you will be able to boast of a rich harvest.

If you are an experienced gardener, then a device such as a pH meter will definitely come in handy on your farm. It determines the qualitative composition of the soil with a high degree of accuracy in a few minutes.

Not good with technology? Then adopt traditional methods:

  1. We water the soil with table vinegar - if the soil is neutral, then bubbles will be visible on its surface;
  2. Help from grape juice – place a handful of soil in a glass of juice. If the color changes or bubbles appear, feel free to collect soil for seedlings.

Also, the soil must have a beneficial environment for fruit germination. Particularly vigilant gardeners love to disinfect the soil, and these actions often reach the point of absurdity. Soil killed by microwave rays is unable to sprout, and soil fried in a frying pan is unlikely to produce even a single fruit.

If you are a supporter of the fight against bacteria at the preparatory stage, then do not forget that after any treatment the soil needs to be shaken. You can “cheer up” it with microbiological fertilizers such as “Baikal” or “Extrasol”.

The soil must contain a variety of elements for vigorous plant growth. To enrich the soil with nitrogen, use humus or compost. An important point: rotting plants and manure in the decomposition phase are absolutely not suitable for this. The process of decay is accompanied by the active release of heat into the environment, and with it, useful substances (including nitrogen) evaporate.

Mineral fertilizers are commercially available everywhere; their cheap and accessible analogue is ash.

Ready-made mixtures for planting can also be purchased at the store. When choosing, pay attention to the composition: if the product consists only of peat, feel free to discard this option. And if black soil and bark are added to it, it will do just fine.

The soil should not contain large quantities of clay. Alumina will be good at absorbing moisture, but not at retaining it. Water passes through the clay and the plants are left without life-giving fluid, which means their growth slows down or is reduced to zero. No matter how much water is poured into the clay, it instantly moves on.

If for some reason you were unable to prepare high-quality soil in advance, then the situation can still be saved. When picking or transplanting a plant into open ground, add more good soil to the existing soil. Form a voluminous clump, and feel free to continue planting - the peppers will grow healthy.

Unprepared pepper seeds

Planting unprepared seeds means reducing the probability of germination by 10-15%. In the absence of proper preparation, seeds take longer to germinate, and seedlings do not develop too strong. While your neighbors will already begin to produce fruits, you risk getting only thin flowering stems.

Seeds purchased in a store or prepared independently must first be discarded. What does it mean? The seeds are placed in a container with salt water for 15-20 minutes (4 tablespoons per liter of water is enough). Full-fledged, heavy seeds sink to the bottom when wet, while empty, unsuitable for planting seeds float to the surface.

Once the source material has been decided, the actual preparation begins.

The first stage of preparation is preventive disinfection. To do this you need:

  1. Prepare a strong solution of potassium permanganate. Its color should be bright pink.
  2. Soak the seeds in the solution for about half an hour.
  3. Rinse the treated material generously with clean water.

The second stage is stimulating plant growth. The seeds take a bath in a solution from a special preparation (for example, “Bud”, “Ovary”) for 2-3 hours. During the soaking process, it is necessary to monitor the change in appearance: as soon as the seeds are swollen, they can be pulled out to dry.

You can prepare a growth stimulator at home. An infusion is prepared from dried nettle in the proportion of 1 tablespoon per glass of boiling water. Let stand until cool, stirring occasionally and pressing on the grass.

The third stage is seed germination. It is considered alternative. Swollen ready-made seeds are quite capable of producing full-fledged shoots. But if you want an even greater guarantee, you can wait for small sprouts to appear.

Incorrect timing of sowing

You need to prepare seedlings for planting in advance, but if you get down to business too early, the plants will stretch out and bloom early. Ovaries may appear even before transplanting into open ground.

To determine when to sow, follow the seed manufacturer's instructions. On the back of the package it is always indicated at what time to start sowing, transplant seedlings, and by what date to expect the harvest to begin. The most suitable time for sowing is 2, and preferably 2.5 months before the planned planting.

It is important to check the favorable time of work with the lunar calendar. Since the cycles of the Moon directly affect the growth and development of plants, seedlings will be accepted better if they are planted during the waxing Moon.

The sowing calendar is not an old wives' tale, as advanced gardeners are accustomed to thinking. The interaction between the Earth and the Moon is on a planetary scale. The satellite of our planet alone controls the ebb and flow of all the earth's seas and oceans. So is there any doubt that the Moon also affects living organisms that inhabit the Earth?

During the waning Moon, growth processes in living organisms slow down, but with its renewal, the pace of development becomes much faster.

Unsuitable temperature

For the rapid and proper development of seedlings, you need moderately warm air, fertile soil and a sufficient amount of water.

The place where the seedlings are located must be securely sheltered from wind or drafts, which can cause plant disease (for example, rotting, fungal diseases). But it is still necessary to carefully ventilate the room. Excessive heat leads to weakness and thinning of the stems.

In the room where the seedlings grow at the initial stage (from sowing to the appearance of the first shoots) the temperature should be at least 15°C. When the seedlings have already germinated well, the conditions are closer to natural, i.e. about 25°C on sunny days and about 20°C on cloudy days.

Soil temperature is no less important than ambient air temperature. If the soil is too cold, the result will be sad.

Possible troubles:

  • putrefactive processes in the root system;
  • poor absorption of nutrients by roots;
  • poor seedling growth.

Be sure to measure the soil temperature, even if the apartment is warm enough. The surrounding air will not warm the ground sufficiently if cold is blowing on it, for example, from window glass.

The degree of soil heating should be within 26-28 degrees during the germination period and 20-22 degrees after hardening the seedlings.

It is not advisable to place containers with seedlings on window sills. Causes:

  1. Cold air when opening and closing a window can freeze fragile sprouts or overcool the soil.
  2. Hot streams from the battery under the windowsill heat the ground too much. Even with sufficient watering, the seeds will have difficulty germinating due to the development of putrefactive bacteria.
  3. Direct sunlight can cause burns to young plants.

Therefore, it is better to use special bookcases that are very convenient to use, take up little space and can be moved (if they have wheels).

You need to water the seedlings with warm water to ensure a comfortable temperature.

Lack of lighting

Lack of light has a catastrophic effect on the growth of seedlings. With a small amount of it, crops can stop in their development, freeze in one pore. Did the seedling produce only two leaves and stop growing further? The reason is undoubtedly a lack of light.

If the light in the room falls only from the side of the window, then the peppers will turn only in this direction. Since plants always reach for the sun, the seedlings will eventually become elongated and lopsided, with the bulk of the leaves moving to the illuminated side.

In order for all plants to receive a vital portion of light, there is a simple way out - use additional lighting. Typically, fluorescent lamps are used as a lighting source. It is suspended or otherwise secured above the seedlings so that it is fixed at a distance of 25 cm above the tops of the plants.

Important point: the lamp will need to be moved from time to time according to the growth of the tops.

The best option is one long lamp. But if the seedlings are located in such a way that it is impossible to fulfill this condition, you can install several at the same height. This way, all plants will have enough light and their growth will be healthy.

A screen made of foil will help provide a natural level of illumination. It can be glued to the wall of a shelf or cabinet, and it will reflect the light emitted by the lamp. This is the most comfortable way to recreate natural light for seedlings.

Since the duration of daylight hours in winter is very short, it is advisable to leave the lamp on until late at night. Thanks to this, the plants will be able to significantly increase their growth and prepare for planting.

Picking

Picking is the process of dividing the total mass of seedlings into individual containers, in each of which only one pepper will grow.
The picking process is not easily tolerated by plants.

The root system of peppers and tomatoes recovers slowly. Plants after division lag behind in growth from similar ones grown by the pickless method by an average of 2-3 weeks.

After picking, it is even possible to lose part of the seedlings - plants with a weak root system are guaranteed not to withstand such a procedure. To get around it, you need to think about the layout of the seedlings and give each bush enough space.

If this is quite difficult to do (for example, growing seedlings takes place in a city apartment, where there is very little space to place containers), then the seedlings begin to grow in a common box, and then a delicate dive is performed.

  1. The start time for picking is the appearance of at least 6 leaves on the peppers. If there are fewer of them, then the seedlings are still too small and the roots should not be disturbed.
  2. A few days before the intended procedure, you need to finish watering. This way the soil will be moderately dense, which will allow the separated roots to be fixed, and the roots themselves will be less torn and injured.
  3. Before picking the plants, you need to prepare new dishes, soil, and water for irrigation. The container should be high so that there is enough space for the roots and to support the stems and first leaves. You need to make holes in the bottom of the container so that the water drains out and does not stagnate - excess water will cause rotting of the roots.
  4. After appropriate preparation, carefully separated plants are planted in a new container, gently sprinkled with soil and watered a little with warm water. It is important to pay special attention to transplanted peppers in the first days: slight wilting of the leaves is possible. If the picking is carried out according to all the rules, the plant quickly recovers.

Incorrect feeding

Even with excellent initial soil, the reserves of useful substances are quickly depleted. The volume of soil in the pot is very small, and the seedlings develop, gain strength and absorb minerals until they are completely depleted.

Pepper is a unique vegetable; it is truly a storehouse of vitamins. At the same time, it requires abundant, but not frequent feeding. Feeding two (maximum three) times before planting will be quite enough.

When is it right to do this? The most appropriate times would be the following:

  1. The first application is with the appearance of two or three leaves. During this period, the plant is actively developing, it needs special care and a large amount of nutrients.
  2. The second application is after transplanting (picking) the seedlings. Plants are weakened after separation; minerals are needed to maintain their viability and stimulate active growth in the future.
  3. The third application is a few days before planting in open soil. Peppers will have to adapt to extreme conditions, so it is imperative to maintain and strengthen the strength of the plant.

The diet of peppers must include nitrogen fertilizers and minerals. Lack of sufficient feeding leads to growth inhibition.

What happens if a plant is deprived of:

  • nitrogen - the stem becomes thinner, the leaves become faded from lack of nutrition, the seedlings develop very slowly;
  • phosphorus - the stem bends, the plant stops growing;
  • potassium - flowers do not set, the harvest will be poor.

If your children grow poorly, then the reason may also be a lack of microelements. The obligatory ones are iron and copper. If there is insufficient amount of fertilizer in the soil, seedlings are susceptible to widespread diseases.

You can prepare inexpensive organic fertilizers at home using ordinary nettles and ash.

Excessive improper watering

Watering seedlings is a whole ceremony that should be careful and unhurried. Simply pouring water from a bottle into containers with seedlings is an option for amateurs.

Excessive moisture is as unacceptable as drought.

Slow seedling growth, and therefore poor future yields, are explained by plant diseases. Bacteria, fungi or insects are equally dangerous if timely help is not provided.

Most often, diseases appear in flooded soil in the company of low temperatures.

How to support a sick plant:

  1. The first step is to isolate diseased seedlings from healthy ones: this minimizes the risk of infection of all other plants. Then you need to get rid of diseased leaves, create comfortable conditions for the plant (avoid excessive watering or drying out, monitor the temperature of the surrounding air and soil).
  2. If the plant continues to wither, use drugs to combat diseases (for example, “Barrier”, “Barrier”). Ash, which is popular among gardeners, is also suitable for these purposes; it will not only help feed a weakened plant, but will also get rid of pests and harmful pathogenic influences.
  3. If none of the methods produces results, you will have to get rid of the infected pepper. Be sure to throw away the soil; it is enough to disinfect the container from under the seedlings.
  4. A deterioration in the general condition or a problem in a particular area (for example, leaves) is the reason that pests have settled somewhere. These are small beetles, mites, aphids. Their main food is nutritious juices from the leaves of the plant, so most often they stick to the leaves, and after completely sucking out the life-giving juices, they move to the roots.
  5. Regularly inspect the seedlings for pests or their traces (holes in the leaves, eggs laid, plaque on the leaves). If they do not bypass your seedlings, be fully prepared.
  6. Insecticides are used to directly control phyto pests. “Match”, “Confidor” and other drugs have an active structure that is dangerous for humans. Therefore, when using them, protective equipment is required. A prerequisite is to breed and spray seedlings while wearing gloves, without inhaling fumes of toxic substances. Avoid contact of drugs with dishes and food. After handling plants, wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

If there are no pests on the seedlings, but you are worried, you can take a number of preventive measures:

  1. Folk method: spraying with infusions of onion or garlic, as well as marigolds (calendula). Pine infusion also has excellent antibacterial properties.
  2. Hardening - take the seedlings out into the air for a short time (on the balcony or in the garden). This is how plants get used to the external environment and adapt to it. An important point: hardening should not be carried out simultaneously with watering (spraying), so that the sun's rays do not burn the leaves and stems.

Unprepared open ground

The time of planting seedlings in open ground plays an important role. There is no need to rush or delay landing.

Even if the spring turns out to be cold and protracted, wait until a stable temperature is established and the earth warms up to no less than 15 degrees at a depth of 10 cm. How to measure this? Dig a hole to the height of half a shovel and measure the soil temperature with a regular thermometer.

Immediately before transplanting, the open ground is spilled with warm water to create comfortable conditions and increase survival rate.

At the initial stage of growth (1.5-2 weeks), it is better to water the seedlings with warm water. This helps protect still weak roots from hypothermia. Only transplanted plants should be fertilized moderately, once (if urgently necessary - 2 times) during the first month of growth.

Ideally, the area where the pepper is planted should be protected from strong winds, since the seedlings are difficult to withstand sudden gusts and may break off or die. But to protect the stems, it is not necessary to deeply deepen the plant into the planting hole, this way the crop will ripen longer and the fruits will grow small.

Experienced gardeners highlight an important point: peppers grow well in beds after beans, peas, and cucumbers.

It is not recommended to plant sweet and bitter varieties of pepper next to each other. Cross-pollination of the ovaries often occurs; sweet peppers can become bitter and vice versa. Outwardly, there are no pitfalls, but a surprise may await you during the eating process.

Have a rich harvest and bon appetit!