Each gardener grows bell pepper, but it is not always possible to harvest a good crop. Have you ever thought that the yield of pepper depends on the quality of seedlings? Let's talk about how to grow high-quality seedlings, to properly plant bell pepper in the ground, about the intricacies of caring for the crop.
Planting seeds of bell pepper on seedlings with a photo
Bell pepper is a perennial crop that is grown to annual latitudes as an annual. Pepper has a long growing season, it takes a lot of time from sowing seeds to ripening fruits, a short summer is not enough to grow pepper by sowing in open ground. In our area, it is cultivated through seedlings.
To get good seedlings, you need to select high-quality seeds. Keep in mind that the sale is mainly hybrid varieties that give a good harvest. It makes no sense to collect seeds from them for further cultivation, the subsequent harvest will no longer meet all the characteristics, since hybrids do not preserve maternal qualities.
Preplant seed treatment
Seeds of pepper sprout tightly, so seedlings start growing with preplant seed treatment. You can skip this item if you bought seeds that have already been processed and prepared, the information on this is indicated on the packaging. If not, then proceed to processing:
· Collect water at a temperature of 45-50 ° C in a container; lower the shift for swelling for 6-8 hours;
· Wrap the seeds in a damp cloth and place in a container with a lid, put the container in a warm place for 3 days;
· Discard seeds, remove all that are not bent.
Quality seeds of bell pepper are used for planting. Such preparation accelerates their germination, seedlings appear on the third day after sowing.
Soil preparation
For seedlings use ready-made store soil for vegetables. It meets all the necessary characteristics: lightweight, loose, good for water and air. If there is no such soil, then you can prepare it yourself. To do this, mix good humus with garden soil in a ratio of 2: 1, add part of the washed sand and a spoonful of ash. Home soil is pre-sterilized so that it does not contain pathogenic bacteria. To do this, it is roasted in the oven and left to cool completely.
Preparation of containers and planting seeds of bell pepper
Spacious containers are used as containers, since the root system of pepper is fragile and does not tolerate frequent transplants. Gardeners have different opinions regarding picking, some advise using ordinary containers, and then dive peppers into separate cups. However, there is an opinion that it is better to sow peppers immediately in separate containers, and to grow seedlings without diving. Which way to choose is everyone’s business. We propose to consider picking cultivation, since this method requires knowledge.
1. Seedling boxes are disinfected, filled with earth and form grooves 2 cm deep.
2. Seeds are laid out at a distance of 5 cm from each other so that the sprouts have enough light and they do not stretch.
3. The boxes are covered with a film, cleaned in a warm place, where the temperature is at the level of 20-22 ° C.
Do not forget that when seedlings appear, the night temperature must be reduced to 16 ° C, otherwise the seedlings will stretch. In the future, cultivation is reduced to proper watering. In too moist soil, pepper can become ill with a black leg, and in dry soil it will die. Soil moisture is maintained by moderate watering.
What you need to know about picking bell pepper
Dive pepper twice. In the stage of two real leaves, the sprouts are transplanted into separate containers for seedlings, the second pick is done immediately at a constant place of cultivation.
During the first dive, the seedlings are buried to the cotyledon leaves, but no more, deep planting will only do harm. Pots are filled with a nutrient mixture, make a recess in the soil, gently transfer the sprout with a lump of earth. After planting, the soil is moistened. Peated peppers look lethargic, they need time to get stronger. For several days, remove the seedlings in a shaded place, do not water, provide high humidity around the pots. As soon as the peppers take root, the seedlings will start growing.
Bell pepper seedlings care
To get high-quality seedlings at home, you need good lighting. Since the planting of seeds is carried out in late February or early March, natural light will not be enough. Experienced gardeners recommend using artificial lighting or special lamps for seedlings. Lighting include at least 6 hours a day.
Two weeks after the picking, seedlings are fed for the first time. Mineral fertilizer for seedlings of Agricola, Krepysh and others gives good results. The second time top dressing is introduced in the phase of development of the second or third pair of leaves. The concentration of fertilizers is reduced so as not to burn the delicate roots.
Planting seedlings of bell pepper in open ground
Peppers are transferred to a permanent place when a stable air temperature of +16 ° C is established, and the threat of night frosts completely passes. Usually this is the second half of May, but in the northern regions the dates may be shifted.
The best predecessors for pepper are siderata, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, onions. Do not plant seedlings after tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant. In autumn, the soil is dug up, adding organic matter and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Immediately before planting the pepper, the garden is disinfected with copper sulfate or a solution of potassium permanganate.
Peppers are planted in rows, between which 60 cm are left. Plants are arranged in a row at a distance of 35 cm. The holes are made shallow so that the root neck after planting remains at ground level. The bottom layer of soil from the hole is mixed with mineral fertilizers, fresh soil is poured on top, and after seedlings are planted.
Advice! Try to keep an earthen lump so that the roots are not damaged during planting, and seedlings quickly adapt to a new place.
After planting, the garden is abundantly watered, the soil is mulched with organic material. If the night temperature dropped below +13 ° C, then without additional shelter the seedlings can hurt, lag behind in growth.
How to care for bell peppers to get a good harvest
To increase the yield of pepper, the first flower on each bush is removed, the bushes are formed into 2 or 3 stems. However, one plant will not withstand more than 25 fruits.
Pepper bushes are fragile and often break under the weight of the fruit or from gusts of wind. After landing, you need to think about the supports. In cloudy weather, plants are poorly pollinated by bees, which affects crop yields. Spray the bushes with the following mixture:
Boric acid - 2 g;
Sugar - 100 g.
Dissolve the components in 1 liter of warm water, spraying in the evening.
Water pepper as needed, but no more than 2 times a week. After each watering, the soil is loosened. To avoid this procedure, mulch the beds.
Two weeks after planting, seedlings are fed with nitrogen fertilizers. The number of top dressings is not more than two with an interval of 10 days. In the phase of flowering and budding, they switch to phosphorus-potassium fertilizing.
