homeland of sweet bell pepper is central part America. Having got to us, the vegetable took root without any problems and began to be popular. Rich bright colors and a special taste of pepper will make any dish unique and festive.

You can plant and grow pepper in summer cottages, greenhouses, vegetable gardens. Planting this vegetable is not a difficult process, but it has its own characteristics and nuances. So if you have country cottage area, you can try growing this vitamin-rich vegetable yourself.

Pepper bush in the garden

Preparing seeds for sowing

Acquired sweet pepper seeds require special preparation before sowing. This will make it possible in the future to get strong seedlings that will be less susceptible to disease and death.

1. They begin to sow the seeds of bell pepper at the end of winter - in February, when the daylight hours are not yet long. Plant seedlings in open ground advise in 95-100 days. During this time, they will get stronger and will be prepared for planting and further growth and development in the fresh air.
2. Transplantation (dive) of this vegetable is undesirable, it does not tolerate it well. Therefore, it is recommended to initially sow the seeds in individual containers, and then plant them in the ground. Their diameter should be no more than 10 cm. It is not advisable to use deep and wide containers.
3. Pepper loves the soil light and loosened. To plant in such a soil, mix one part of sand and peat soil with two parts of humus soil. For 1 kg of the resulting substrate, add 1 tbsp. wood ash.

Soaking pepper seeds

Before planting, the seeds are properly processed:

• To begin with, the seeds are disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes. After this time, they are washed with water.
• Then the seeds are treated with special stimulants for active growth and proper development root system. Such preparations can be purchased at specialized stores for gardeners.
• Final treatment of seeds - antifungal agents. They will protect future seedlings from diseases, primarily fungal ones.

When the seeds are processed properly, experienced gardeners stratify them. This process consists in the fact that the prepared seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and kept in this state for 2 days. The fabric should be constantly wet, and the location of the seeds should be warm, 25-30 degrees. So the seeds of the plant "wake up" and it will be possible to plant them in pots.

When the seeds have hatched, you can start planting them. Each seed is sown in a separate container at a depth of 6 to 12 mm.

Sown peppers are poured from a spray bottle warm water and containers are covered with plastic wrap or glass. Seedlings are placed in a dark place.

The temperature for seedling germination should be about 25 degrees. If the seeds were germinated, then the first shoots can be seen already on the 3-4th day after sowing. After the appearance of the first shoots, it is advised to lower the temperature by 5-7 days. This will prevent the plants from stretching up and losing the necessary further development strength. After a week, the temperature can be raised again, but only slightly.

When the first shoots appeared, the plants are rearranged closer to the light source. During this period, they need special care: special attention should be paid to watering seedlings. Do not allow waterlogging of the soil and its drying. Watering is done with warm water. If produce cold watering, this will badly affect young sprouts - they will become lethargic and unviable, and planting them in open areas will be pointless.

Quality pepper seedlings

The humidity in the room where the seedlings are grown should be moderate. The drier it is, the more often the plants will have to be sprayed. This is also done with warm water. Ventilate the room itself daily, but try to protect the seedlings from drafts - they do not like them.

If possible, carry out additional lighting of young seedlings. The end of February is not characterized by sufficient daylight hours, so artificial lighting is required.

Before transplanting plants into open ground, it is recommended to harden them. This will make it hardy and resistant to weather conditions and diseases. To do this, the plants begin to take out into the air. The first day the seedlings stay there should be 5-10 minutes. Every day the time will increase. However, young seedlings should not be allowed to freeze, or be at a temperature below 13 degrees.

Planting bell pepper seedlings in the ground

1. Planting pepper seedlings requires the right place for this. Pepper is recommended to be planted in those areas where there used to be onions, carrots, pumpkin crops or cucumbers. It is highly undesirable to plant it after potatoes, tomatoes or peppers.
2. Soil for bell pepper should be chosen light and fertilized. organic matter under the pepper are brought in a year or two before planting, and all the rest - in the fall. 4-5 days before planting pepper seedlings in open ground, gardeners recommend disinfecting it. For this, a special solution is made at the rate of 1/2 tbsp. blue vitriol for 5 liters of water. The area is treated with this solution.
3. Prepared plants are planted in open ground after three months from the date of sowing the seeds. This happens in April or May. In April, this is done only if the seeds were sown at the beginning of winter.
4. Landing has a 40x50 landing pattern. It depends on the type of pepper. The larger the plants are supposed to be, the greater the distance between them should be.
5. Seedlings, which are in separate containers, are carefully removed from them. The depth of the holes in the soil should be the same as the depth of the seedling container. It is not recommended to plant plants with exposed roots or sprinkle the basal neck of seedlings. Planting pepper should be carried out in the morning or evening time.

Gorky and Bell pepper must be grown separately.

Planting several varieties of bell pepper should take into account the fact that this vegetable is subjected to the process of pollination. That's why different varieties preferably at some distance. It is advisable to separate them among themselves with other plantings: corn, tomatoes, sunflowers, etc.

The nuances of proper care for bell pepper

Plant care includes proper watering, weeding and timely top dressing. Spend the first top dressing during the period when the plants have acquired two real leaves. The fertilizer mixture consists of the following preparations: ammonium nitrate (0.5 g), potassium (1 g), superphosphate (3 g). These funds are diluted in 1 liter of warm water, and seedlings are watered with this solution.

The second feeding is done exactly two weeks later. All fertilizer components are doubled.

Fertilizer seedlings with nettle infusion are popular. To do this, 1 part of dry nettle is placed in 10 liters of water and insisted for two days. The resulting solution is watered seedlings.

The last feeding is done 2-3 days before planting seedlings in open ground.

Care also consists in observing plants:

• If you notice that the leaves of the peppers have begun to curl and dry out at the edges, this means that there is not enough potassium in the soil. But with its excess, you should also be careful - the pepper may die.
• With a lack of nitrogen in the soil, the leaves of the plants become dull with a grayish tint and are crushed over time.
• With a lack of phosphorus, the leaves on the underside acquire purple hue, are pressed against the trunk, stretching up.
• With a lack of magnesium, pepper leaves become marbled.
• With an excess of nitrogen in the soil, plants will drop leaves, flowers and ovaries.

During a period of high humidity, care consists in removing lateral shoots from plants (stepping). In dry and hot weather, pinching plants is not advised. This is due to the fact that the lower leaves serve as a barrier for the rapid weathering of moisture from the soil and protect it from drying out.

Central flower on pepper experienced gardeners advised to remove. This will help increase productivity.

During the growing season, care means that the plants must be prunable. Its essence lies in the fact that the longest shoots are shortened, the plant should not have shaded branches. Pruning is recommended every 10 days, the last - after harvesting.

The first flower of pepper is advised to be removed

In order for pepper pollination to take place more actively, experienced gardeners spray it with a sugar solution.

Among useful tips relating to the care of pepper distinguish:

• it is recommended to plant pepper, taking into account the advice of experienced gardeners;
• pepper does not tolerate overheating and requires abundant watering;
• regular loosening of the soil - required condition growing bell peppers;
• to protect pepper from diseases, it is advised to provide plants with calcium and potassium;
• pepper mulching is when the soil is protected from excessive moisture loss and nutrients(it is produced with the help of overripe straw, which is laid out between the rows of plants);
• pepper plants need timely garter and hilling;
• carry out natural seed replacements annually (this will increase the yield).

Watering peppers is of particular importance.

When the soil is too dry, it can lead to diseases and death of plants. Insufficient watering can provoke the dropping of flowers and ovaries. Before the flowering period, pepper is watered once every 7 days. After the beginning of flowering and the formation of fruits, pepper requires watering 2 times a week. It is recommended to water the pepper with warm settled water using a rain watering can. After watering, the soil between the plants should be loosened. Proper care of pepper will allow you to get a good result.

California pepper variety

Diseases and pests of bell pepper

Pepper care involves the prevention and treatment of this plant from diseases and getting rid of pests.

process pepper chemicals Not recommended. This is due to the fact that pepper is able to accumulate all the substances that fall on it in fruits. This can adversely affect human health when consuming plant fruits. Properly caring, observing the basic agrotechnical rules, it is not necessary to treat pepper with additional preparations.

If it happens that the plants are sick, then this can be solved with the help of safe means and ways

Growing bell pepper is an exciting and rewarding activity. When creating for this plant all necessary conditions, it will thank you with a rich harvest of large, juicy and vitamin fruits.

You can get strong, healthy seedlings of pepper if you grow it yourself. Beginning gardeners often wonder how to grow pepper seedlings at home. Before planting, it is important to understand all the nuances: planting dates, seed preparation features, soil selection, care rules.

Optimal landing time

When planning to grow pepper seedlings on your own, you first need to decide when to plant pepper seedlings. The date of sowing seeds for each variety is determined individually. It depends on:

• planned growing conditions (open ground, greenhouse);
• precocity;
• the age at which the pepper is moved into the ground;
• seed preparation.

The duration of the vegetative development of peppers depends on the precocity of the variety. If early-ripening varieties ripen 100-120 days from the moment of seed germination, then late-ripening peppers need about 150 days before fruiting. Respectively early varieties should be planted later.

Seedlings are transferred to the main place at the age of 60–80 days. When calculating the timing of sowing seeds, add another 7-10 days for their spitting. If it is planned to grow peppers in unprotected soil, then it is necessary to wait until the earth warms up to +10 .. +15 ° С. An earlier planting will cause a delay in the vegetative development of the plant.

The optimal landing period is the period between February 20 and March 10. If the summer resident plans to plant plants in early June, then optimal time sowing seeds will be March. If you plan to plant pepper in a greenhouse at the end of April, then seedlings at home can be planted in early February.

In the southern regions, agronomists advise planting seeds during the 2nd or 3rd decade of February, and in the northern regions - in March.

When choosing a landing day, you should be guided by the lunar calendar. The most favorable period is considered to be the presence of the moon in the constellation of Cancer, Pisces or Scorpio. If you pre-soak the seeds, then the optimal day is selected for their first contact with water.

Favorable by lunar calendar The following dates are considered in 2018:

• January 1, 20, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30;
• 14, 18, 21–22, 25–26 February;
• 1, 8–11, 20–21, 24–26, 29–31 March;
• 9, 11, 18, 25–29 April.

Pros and cons of planting seeds immediately in open ground

Some owners household plots do not want to grow seedlings at home. They are waiting for warmer weather to immediately sow the seeds in open ground. But this method of growing is considered risky, because pepper is a heat-loving crop. With sudden spring frosts plants may die.

Residents of the southern regions and the middle zone can try to grow pepper by planting seeds immediately in open ground. In the northern regions and zones related to risky farming, such an experiment is unlikely to end successfully.

You can use only early-ripening varieties, the rest will not have time to begin to bear fruit before the cold snap. It is advised to plant seeds in the ground no earlier than mid-May - early June. The chance of frost must be minimized.

The advantages of this method of planting include the absence of the need to grow seedlings at home. Outdoor cultivation minimizes labor costs.

But this method also has disadvantages:

• the ability to grow only early ripening varieties;
• high probability of plant death or developmental delay due to unplanned cooling;
• the probability of complete ripening of the crop before a cold snap is low even in the south.

Gardeners are forced to constantly monitor the temperature and cover the crops with agrofiber if they transmit a decrease in temperature at night.

Preparing seeds for sowing at home

Having decided on the preliminary date of sowing, it is necessary to reject the seeds. They should be examined first. All frail, damaged specimens are selected. The remaining seeds must be pickled in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes and washed in cold water. Instead of potassium permanganate, some choose antifungal agents for treatment. The following fungicides are used:

• Fitosporin-M;
• Maksim;
• Vitaros.

After etching, they can be soaked in a solution of Epin or Zircon. These are plant growth stimulants that contribute to the accelerated germination of seeds, the activation of their defenses. 2 drops of Epin are added to 100 ml of water. When using Zircon, dissolve 1 drop in 300 ml of water. Soak the seeds for 12-18 hours at room temperature.

When processing several varieties of pepper, which are planned to be planted separately in the future, the seeds of each species are tied in a separate gauze bag.

After the completion of the treatment with growth stimulants, the seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and film for 2–7 days. Do not allow the tissue and seeds to dry out. They should be at a temperature of + 22 ... + 24 ° С. The hatched seeds are transplanted into the ground. When disembarking, be careful slightest damage roots will cause the death of the plant.

Rules for the selection and preparation of soil for seeds

Owners of personal plots who want to get strong, healthy seedlings must responsibly approach the issue of soil preparation. It must meet the following requirements:

• lack of pests and pathogens;
• neutral or slightly acid reaction, optimal level pH is considered 6–6.5;
• high nutrient content;
• sufficient moisture capacity;
• looseness.

You can buy ready-made soil in a specialized store or prepare it yourself. For cooking you will need:

• garden land (2 parts);
• humus, rotted manure (1 part);
• wood ash (the amount is determined based on the fact that 1 bucket of humus requires a large handful of ash);
• sawdust (1 part);
• peat (1 part).

If there are no sawdust, they are replaced with coarse sand. Garden land should be collected where nightshade crops (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers) have not grown over the past 3–4 years.

Also, summer residents can prepare a substrate from:

• humus (3 parts);
• peat / turf (3 parts);
• river sand (1 part);
• ash (250 g per 5 liters of prepared soil).

When preparing the soil mixture yourself, it must be calcined in the oven or steamed in a double boiler for an hour. This is required to kill bacterial pathogens and destroy weeds.

If it is not possible to use humus and find ash, mineral fertilizers are added: ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, potassium nitrate. Potassium chloride or potassium salt should not be used, these fertilizers contain a large number of chlorine, which is harmful to the roots of young plants.

The day before planting, you can additionally disinfect the soil by watering it with boiling water.

Sowing pepper seeds for seedlings step by step

2.5 months before the planned planting date, seedlings begin the process of sowing seeds. You can do this according to the following scheme.

1. Drainage (expanded clay, pebbles) 1–2 cm high is laid at the bottom of pre-prepared containers, soil is poured on top. It is best to plant seeds in separate pots or cups, 10–12 cm deep and 8–10 cm in diameter. In the absence of cups, planting in a common container is allowed.
2. Seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil with tweezers or hands. If they are planted in a common container, then the optimal distance will be 1.5–2 cm. 3 cm are left between the grooves. 2 seeds can be laid out in separate cups.
3. After the completion of the process of laying out the seeds, the soil is topped up with a layer of 1–2 cm. It is not necessary to carefully compact it, otherwise it will be difficult for the sprouts to germinate. After completion, the soil is carefully watered, care must be taken that the seeds do not wash to the surface.
4. Top containers with soil are covered transparent material: glass, polyethylene film. This is necessary to create the greenhouse effect. When the first shoots appear, the cover is removed, the plants need air.

Many have appreciated the benefits of growing seeds in peat cups. When using them, worry about possible damage no roots needed for transplanting. Seedlings are sent to the ground directly in the cups.

seedling care

In the conditions of an ordinary city apartment, not everyone can grow strong, unstretched seedlings. In the brightest place in the apartment - the windowsill - it is traditionally cold, and in warm corners there is not enough light. When growing, the following nuances must be taken into account.

• After sowing the seeds, boxes or pots are placed in a warm place. They cannot be placed on a battery. The optimum temperature for germination is +24..+26 °C. After the appearance of the first shoots, the containers are moved to a bright, cool place. The optimum temperature is +15..+17 °C. After a few days, the temperature must be gradually increased, bringing it to +22..+25 °С during the day and +20 °С at night.

Suitable conditions can be created on the windowsill of a city apartment. To do this, the window is fenced off from the heat coming from the battery and from the apartment. heat-insulating material(a semblance of a box is made with one wall for the entire window sill). Gradually, the insulation is removed, and the air temperature on the windowsill rises.

• The emerging shoots must be carefully watered with warm water (optimum temperature +30 ° C). The root system of sprouted plants is weak, so they can simply be washed out of the ground with strong pressure. Excess moisture for seedlings is as harmful as its deficiency. With insufficient watering, the seedlings will begin to fade, and with excessive watering, a black leg appears. You can save the plants if you sprinkle the soil on top with calcined sand or powder with ash.
• If the daylight hours are short or the weather is cloudy, the seedlings will have to be illuminated. Otherwise, it will start to stretch.
• It is important to ensure good ventilation plants, but they do not like drafts.
• To get strong seedlings, you need to fertilize it. The development of the root system is facilitated by feeding with sodium humate: 25 ml of the drug is diluted in 10 liters of water. When 2–4 true leaves appear, pepper is fertilized with a mixture of potassium sulfate, urea (10 g each), superphosphate (30 g). This amount is dissolved in 5 liters of water. A solution is prepared on the basis that 1 liter of the mixture is needed to water 10 plants.

The second feeding is carried out 2-3 weeks after the first. Seedlings should grow at least 5 leaves. The same fertilizers are used, only their concentration is increased by 2 times.

Can be used ready-made fertilizers: Fortress, Agricola, Mortar, Fertika Lux.

Only proper care will give you the opportunity to get healthy seedlings that will bear fruit well.

A pick - is it necessary or not, how to do without it, how to conduct it correctly

Dive pepper when it has 2 true leaves. This usually happens 3-4 weeks after germination. When transplanting, young plants can be buried no more than 0.5 cm.

Many agronomists advise immediately planting seeds in large pots in order to do without picking peppers. The plant does not tolerate this procedure well. If the roots are damaged, the period of vegetative development is extended by 1–2 weeks.

But if the seeds were planted in a common container, then you can’t do without a pick. Plants begin to shade each other, and this negatively affects their growth and development. Picking is also needed to reduce the risk of root rot.

You can minimize the likelihood of damage to the roots if you take out several plants at the same time with a clod of earth. This should be done after abundant watering of the soil. The gardener lays a clod of earth with plants on a horizontal surface and carefully separates each plant.

Dive peppers into pots with a volume of about 150 ml. In them, seedlings will be easier to take root. The hole in the pots is made so that the roots can fit freely. After moving the plants, they are sprinkled with earth, slightly compacted and watered.

Planting peppers in open ground

After 60–80 days of vegetative development, seedlings can be transplanted into open ground. The transplant process begins at the stage of the first buds and 7-8 true leaves, while the height of the plants should be at least 20-25 cm. Only hardened seedlings are allowed to be transplanted into open ground. She must be used to low temperatures, direct sunlight and wind.

When transplanting into open ground, pay attention to the temperature of the soil and air. The earth should be warmed up to +10 °С. It is unacceptable that the air temperature at night falls below +12..+14 °С.

• choose a sunny place, protected from drafts;
• the soil is first dug up to the depth of a shovel, fertilized with humus or peat;
• holes are dug for each seedling at a distance of 0.3–0.5 m from each other, the exact distance depends on the variety of pepper (0.25–0.3 m can be left between undersized determinant species, and 0.5 m will be required for tall indeterminate crops). –0.6 m);
• between rows leave at least 0.5 m;
• mineral fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) are applied to each well, the wells are spilled with boiling water;
• seedlings are moved into the ground along with the soil in which they grew, and sprinkled on top of the earth;
• seedlings are watered abundantly, after absorbing moisture, the earth is filled up so that the surface becomes even;
• bushes can be mulched with peat.

Subject to all the rules for planting, seedlings should take root.

Video: a proven method of growing

Deciding to get busy self-cultivation seedlings, you have to deal with many nuances. It is important to properly prepare the soil, treat the seeds before planting. You can grow strong seedlings, if you follow the rules of watering, create optimal conditions for growth. Air temperature, lighting, humidity are important. It must also be remembered that the timely application of fertilizers stimulates the growth and development of plants.

Fragrant, sweet and tasty pepper that can be used in many salads, stuffing, preservation, etc. can very easy to grow outdoors in my country house. Gardeners have long proven that those crops that are very fond of warmth, such as peppers, are able to grow safely even in more difficult conditions, of course, if you follow certain instructions and properly care for them.

This article will talk about how to plant peppers outdoors and what conditions are necessary for planting pepper in the ground.

Growing conditions

Before proceeding with the direct cultivation of seeds and planting peppers in open ground, it is necessary to prepare the land for planting. In regions where the climate is considered milder, sweet peppers will grow well in open ground.

The main thing is that the site is well protected from the wind, and was well lit by direct sunlight because pepper is a very heat-loving crop.

These requirements will be best met by a site located near the south wall of your house. If wind protection has not been provided, you can try to build a rocker protection, which consists of plants or create a fence in the form of a wattle fence for wind protection.

It is also worth noting that the cultivation of peppers can be done only 3 years after harvesting from the plot of nightshade crops (potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, etc.). A very large number of different diseases from these plants can be transmitted through the soil. You can grow cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage and other pumpkin or legume crops and table root crops on the site before planting peppers.

The soil in the area for planting pepper should be fertile, drained, and retain moisture well. It is necessary to start preparing the site in which you will plant the crop in the fall. After the previous crop has been successfully harvested, it is necessary to completely remove the remains of plants from the planting site and carefully dig up all the soil.

It should be noted that for one square meter it is recommended to add 30-50 grams of superphosphates, 5-10 kg of manure or humus and 80 grams of high-quality wood ash. At the same time, I would like to focus on the fact that planting peppers on the soil where it has just been placed fresh manure absolutely not recommended. The thing is that an excess of soluble nitrogen negatively affects the ripening of the fetus and even the preservation of the ovaries.

AT autumn period you need to carefully dig the site for planting seedlings. Loosen the soil in the spring and add to it fertilizer in quantity:

• 30-40 grams of phosphate;
• 20-30 grams of nitrogen;
• 30-40 grams of potassium.

Landing Rules

To get really good harvest, planting seedlings must be carried out according to a certain scheme.

Pepper seedlings can be planted in the last days of May. The danger of frost at this time of the year is minimized, so May is considered best month for landing.

Planting of seedlings is carried out according to the scheme of 20-30 cm x 60-70 cm. Before we start planting plants, it is necessary to water all the seedlings abundantly, so that when we start planting our pepper, it does not look wilted, can grow faster and better adapt to difficult conditions .

When planting pepper in the hot season, it is best to choose the second half for, so that the plant can get stronger overnight. When clouds appear in the sky, landing can be made at any time of the day.

It is recommended to pour plenty of water over the prepared wells at the rate of 1-2 liters of water for each well. It is best to use heated water in the sun or other sources of heat. Gently pull the seedlings out of the pots and place them in the prepared holes in an upright position, you need to plant the pepper a little deeper than it grew in the pots. This is important to do in order to provide the plant's root system with additional nutrition, which will help adventitious roots that appear on stems covered with earth from above.

What does care include?

To grow best harvest pepper in the open field, proper plant care should be carried out. Such care consists in the garter of the plant, timely feeding, regular weeding, abundant watering and other actions.

Growing a crop in open ground conditions, the optimum temperature will be considered 20-25 ° C.

If the temperature drops below 13 ° C at night, it is necessary to cover the seedlings for the cold season with dense agrofiber or transparent film. If you notice on the fruits lilac shades, this will indicate that the optimal temperature regime has been violated.

Water for irrigation is best used rainwater, which is well settled. The most suitable water temperature for watering peppers is 24-26°C. Before the start of the flowering period, it is recommended to water the plants once a week, and on especially hot days, increase the number of waterings to two per week. The rate of water for irrigation is twelve liters per square meter of plot with peppers. During the period of flowering or fruiting, pepper must be watered 2-3 times for 1 week. The watering rate at the same time rises to 14 liters.

The first feeding of pepper should be carried out as soon as 1-2 young leaves appear on the seedlings. It is necessary to mix 3 grams of superphosphates, 0.5 grams of ammonium nitrate and 1 gram of any potash fertilizer in 1 liter of water. After a couple of weeks, your pepper will need re-feeding. Dose mineral fertilizers while it should be doubled.

It is recommended to constantly loosen the soil under the plant. Loosening is carried out at a not very great depth (up to 5 cm), since the pepper roots are located in upper layers substrate. In addition, it is necessary to constantly weed and spud young plants.

Pepper shoots are quite fragile, break very easily, so they need to be tied with pegs. In the circle of the beds, it is best to plant tall crops that will create a natural protection for your plants from strong winds.

Cold protection

After you have planted the plants, you will need to take care of protecting the pepper from frost. Tents from:

• burlap;
• cardboard;
• wooden blocks;
• other improvised materials.

Pepper with such tents must be covered in the evening, and with the first rays of the sun, in the morning, open again. If the cold dragged on, then best solution will use a temporary portable film shelter that is easy to use and made from inexpensive materials.

Another way to protect pepper from frost is smoking and sprinkling. This method has been used since time immemorial. It is best to choose the material for burning such that it can provide a very thick smoke. The sprinkler, in turn, provides a fine spray of water so that the temperature of the smoke does not exceed the recommended one. This method is considered extremely effective.

Disease and pest control

Peppers may be subject to the same diseases as others vegetable crops belonging to the nightshade family. The causative agents of diseases can serve as fungi, bacteria and various viruses. The most well-known disease of peppers is "blackleg", in which the stem wilts at the base. "Black leg" occurs due to the defeat of pepper seedlings. To treat this disease, it is necessary to adjust the humidity and temperature.

It is adult crops that are most often subjected to withering. A change in the color of the leaf blades is the first sign of damage to the plant with a black leg. Pepper begins to drop leaves, and a brown tint appears on the stems. In the end, such symptoms lead to the death of the plant.

Prevention measures and disease control appear first of all:

• purchase of high-quality seeds or seedlings;
• timely elimination of weeds and pests;
• removal of plants that have been affected by the disease;
• compliance with crop rotation.

The most common pests that have negative impact on peppers, are mites, aphids and slugs. For insect control, you can use folk remedies which have repeatedly proven their effectiveness. A solution can overcome aphids: 200-250 grams of high-quality wood ash is dissolved in a bucket of warm water, the temperature of which should not be lower than 50 ° C. To protect culture from spider mite apply a solution of minced garlic or onion (200 grams), dandelion leaves (200 grams) and one bucket of warm water.

The above solutions should be infused for at least a day in a room with room temperature. Before use, they must be mixed and filtered well. To increase the effectiveness of any of the solutions, you can add a small amount of liquid soap to it: from 30 to 40 grams. From slugs, constant loosening of the soil and its thorough processing with crushed red pepper (1 teaspoon per square meter) or dry mustard (1-2 teaspoons per square meter) saves well. Straw mulch can also provide additional resistance to insects.

Top dressing and fertilizers

After the young seedlings of pepper have been planted in open ground, it is recommended to provide the plant with drip irrigation with the addition of fertilizers to the water, since in this form they will be absorbed much more efficiently.

For top dressing, you can use water-soluble fertilizers, and to prevent the appearance of different types rot, calcium nitrate is used at the rate of 1 kg of fertilizer per 10 acres. Throughout the growing season, it is recommended to carry out from 5 to 7 such procedures.

The first feeding of pepper, which was planted in open ground, should be carried out no earlier than 10 days after planting the seedlings.

The dose of nitrogen fertilizers must be gradually increased until the first buds appear. Then, during the period of fruit formation, potash and phosphate fertilizers should be applied more often. nitrogen fertilizers must be used again when laying and developing fruits, since they provide their rapid growth and better development.

Throughout the growing season, the culture needs different trace elements. When growing peppers, you can use complex dressings, such as Zdraven, which will help provide the plants with the necessary nutrients.

Here nutrient list that the pepper needs:

• Magnesium- a lack of a substance can lead to yellowing of the leaves.
• Potassium- enhances the growth of leaves and favorably affects their color. It also improves the strength of fabrics and their cell structure. Increases the content of carotene and almost all vitamins.
• Phosphorus- promotes the development of the root system, increases the precocity of the fetus.
• Nitrogen– Increases the number of ovaries and promotes faster fruit growth. An excess of nitrogen can lead to a decrease in the plant's immune system, increases the risk of plant damage by diseases, and delays the ripening of fruits.

Organic fertilizers are not applied during planting. It is best to use them under the culture of the predecessor.

Mineral fertilizers can be applied at different times. Phosphorus or potash, for example, are partially or completely introduced under autumn plowing, and nitrogen is best applied during the growing season, along with top dressing, or immediately the entire rate.

As you can see, it will not be difficult to grow a high-quality pepper crop in your area. The only thing that is necessary is to follow the recommended requirements for caring for the plant and carefully monitor the appearance of pests.

Pepper seeds, without pre-treatment, can germinate up to 2–2.5 weeks. Only very fresh ones sprout quickly, for example, last year's harvest. And so, germination decreases with each year of storage, and by the age of four it goes to zero.

Preparation of pepper seeds for sowing seedlings

For sowing, the most full-bodied healthy seeds. To do this, they are immersed for 5 minutes in a 3% solution of sodium chloride. Bad seeds will float on the surface, good seeds suitable for planting will sink to the bottom.

The next step is to prepare the seeds for planting. To begin with, they are soaked for 5 hours in warm water, then wrapped in a paper towel or gauze and placed in a plastic bag and put in a warm place until sprouting.

Germinated seeds are sown only in moist soil, as they can die in dry soil.

You can prepare the seeds for planting in another way. It's called bubbling. This requires an aquarium compressor. Pepper seeds are placed in a jar, filled with water at room temperature, then air is supplied to this jar from a compressor. In general, it is done as in an aquarium, only as fish - seeds. This method is considered more effective than simple soaking. After a day, they are pulled out of the water and dried. Bubbling is carried out a couple of weeks before sowing.

To prevent pepper diseases, planting material disinfect. For this, effective and low-toxic biological products are on sale: Alirin-B, Albit, Baktofit, Trichodermin, Fitosporin. You can simply soak the pepper seeds for 15 minutes in a dark purple potassium permanganate solution, and then rinse well. Only swollen seeds are treated with manganese.

You can also speed up seed germination. For this, growth stimulants are used, such as Novosil, Ribav-extra, Zircon, Epin, Ecogel. When treating seeds with these drugs, it is important to strictly observe the dosage, otherwise you can achieve the opposite effect. Growth stimulants are usually treated twice. The first time at the seed stage, the second time when two true leaves appear.

Another way of pre-sowing processing of pepper planting material is using a solution of wood ash. This treatment reduces morbidity and activates the immune system. Two tablespoons of ash are dissolved in 1 liter of water, then pepper seeds are placed in this solution (in a gauze bag). Then, after 5-6 hours, they are removed and dried without washing.

A day before planting, it is useful to treat pepper seeds with complex micronutrient fertilizers, such as Mikrovit, Cytovit. Seeds are kept in a solution of microelements for 12–24 hours, then dried without washing.

Carefully study the inscriptions on the bag, it happens that the seeds have already been prepared for sowing. In this case, sow them dry.

When processing planting material, do not strive to apply all the processing methods described at once - it is better to experiment, starting with the simplest.

When to plant pepper seedlings

In order to correctly calculate when to sow pepper for seedlings, you need to decide in advance where the pepper will grow - in a greenhouse or in open ground. It is also important to decide on the method of growing seedlings - with or without a pick, and also at what time it will be planted on permanent place into the ground. Some gardeners sow pepper seeds as early as mid-February, but with such an early sowing time, it is simply necessary to take care of the backlight. The majority of those who like to grow pepper in greenhouses on solar heating, hotbeds, under the simplest film shelters, begin to sow pepper in late February - early March.

For supplementary illumination of seedlings use fluorescent lamps, since ordinary incandescent lamps are of little use for this.

Planting pepper seedlings

For growing seedlings, a mixture is prepared from peat, humus, soddy land (in a ratio of 6:2:1) or peat, soddy land and sand (2:1:1), or humus, soddy land and sand (3:3:1) . It is not bad to add a glass of wood ash to a bucket of the mixture. Naturally, you can prepare the mixture in a different way, as long as it is fertile and fairly loose. It is desirable to steam the mixture, and then keep it in a warm place for a week and a half before sowing so that it “comes to life” and microorganisms begin to actively act in it. A good option is ready-made soil mixture for peppers.

Each variety is sown in separate containers and must be signed. It is better to save seed bags so that, if necessary, you can clarify some details and features of the variety.

Usually pepper is grown with picks, sowing two months before planting in place. Peppers do not tolerate transplanting well because they root system slowly recovers from damage and as a result they are delayed in development for 7–10 days. Therefore, it is advisable to sow the seeds immediately in individual containers of small size (about 6 * 6, or 8 * 8 cm). In this case, you can sow them 45-50 days before planting in a permanent place. If you are afraid that not all peppers will sprout and the place will disappear, sow two seeds at once in individual cups and then, if both sprout, then you can simply pull out one weaker plant.

When sown in common containers(boxes), peppers are sown in rows with a distance of 3 cm between them, 2 cm are left between plants, planting depth is 1 cm. the leaves will take out seed coat which will hinder their development.

After sowing, the soil is slightly compacted, watered with warm water, the containers are covered with film or glass so that the soil does not dry out and is kept in a warm place (23–26 ° C) until germination. If the ground is too cold and damp, the seeds may rot. If all these conditions are met, then the seeds that have undergone pre-sowing treatment will sprout in 3–5 days. It's okay if shoots appear in a week, peppers are generally a thoughtful culture.

As soon as the first sprouts appear, it is necessary to remove the film or glass and move the seedlings to the window, to a bright and cool place (16–18 ° C), then the seedlings will not stretch. After five days, it must be returned to a warm place and in the future to maintain a temperature of + 20- + 25 ° C during the day and + 16- + 18 ° C at night. It is advisable to follow these recommendations in the first days of plant life, otherwise, if too high temperature and high humidity seedlings will grow pampered, with a weak root system.

The place where the seedling box is located should be well lit. With a lack of light, peppers lay buds later - not after the 8th–9th leaf, but, for example, after the 12th. In order for the seedlings to be strong, even, they are regularly turned over to the sun.

You need to water the seedlings only with warm water - moderately, but enough, without drying out the soil, otherwise the growth of peppers will stop, the stems will become woody, and the fruits will be with thin walls.

Picking seedlings of peppers

In the phase of 2 true leaves, seedlings grown in a common box are dived into separate containers about 10 * 10 cm in size. Larger pots are not needed, since seedlings grow slowly before laying flower buds, and besides, the development of the root system of plants lags behind from the development of the aerial part - it is very small, does not fill the entire volume of the pot, so the earth in it can turn sour. They make a pick like this: they hold the seedling by the stem, carefully, trying not to shake the earthen ball, place it in the hole to the cotyledon leaves, and crush the soil.

The pepper does not like transplantation (picking), but a kind of transshipment into a pot bigger size, in which the root ball does not suffer, tolerates easily.

Seedling feeding

About a week after picking, when the plants take root, they can already be fed with a weak solution of complex fertilizers, which include trace elements. The second such top dressing is carried out at the beginning of budding, when the bushes begin to grow actively and they need more food. Solutions must be warm, about 30 ° C. If you feed organic fertilizers, then very carefully, otherwise the plant will begin to "fatten". If the leaves of the seedlings are pale green, then they lack nitrogen. In this case, you need to feed with a solution of urea (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water).

If the seedlings grow too rapidly, "fatten", then this indicates an excess of nitrogen. Use superphosphate (3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water) - fill it with warm water and let it brew for a day.

In order for the seedlings to develop the root system well, you can use the drug Kornevin.

Before the start of budding, a simple “operation” can be carried out, which is capable of raising the crop by almost a third: the main stem is pinched over the fifth or eighth leaf, the pepper begins to branch actively, which means it will lay more fruits. There are opponents of this method, they prefer to form a bush in two stems and so lead it to its full height periodically tying it up.

Seedlings are planted in a permanent place at the age of 55–65 days, when they begin to form buds. It is important not to outgrow the peppers at home in a small container, otherwise they will stop growing after transplanting into the ground. If it is not possible to plant them in a permanent place on time, you will have to transfer the seedlings to large containers.

To ensure that changes in growing conditions do not become too much for plants severe stress and they did not stop growing, two weeks before planting in the ground, the seedlings should be hardened off: lower the temperature, reduce watering, if it is already warm enough, take out a little on open air. A day before planting seedlings for better survival, you can spray it with "Epin" or "Zircon".

The topic of today's article is planting pepper seedlings: when to sow, how to properly plant pepper seedlings in an apartment, tips for novice gardeners.

Pepper seedlings: when to plant?

Peppers belong to crops with a long germination period. From sowing seeds to planting young plants in the ground or greenhouse, it takes from 90 to 100 days. Seedlings of early ripe varieties reach right size after 3 months, they can be planted when the soil warms up to 16-18 degrees.

Seedlings are moved to the greenhouse for more early dates, it is planted in the ground under the film a little later. Much depends on the region and specific weather conditions.

Knowing when to land in the ground, you can accurately calculate the timing of planting pepper seedlings. AT middle lane Russian sow seeds better or early March. In warmer regions, seeds are sown starting in January, and seedlings are planted in late April.

In areas with cold climates, seeds are planted in mid or even late March.. Late-sown plants are best planted in a heated greenhouse so that all the fruits that have set have time to ripen. For transplanting into a year-round greenhouse, peppers are sown twice a year, in January-February and at the end of September.

Many vegetable growers compare landing dates with the lunar calendar. The time when the Moon in the first phase is under the influence of Libra, Scorpio, Aries or Sagittarius is considered optimal for sowing pepper. Depending on the year, the dates shift, you can see the actual days in a special calendar. It lists the most suitable dates, as well as the days on which landings should be avoided.

Appropriate planting time is also indicated on the bags with seeds. Early-ripening varieties with a shortened growing season can be sown at the end of February, late-ripening ones are sown as early as possible. Seedlings sown in January will have to, since the daylight hours at this time are too short for normal development young peppers.

Planting pepper seeds for seedlings

Before sowing pepper seeds for seedlings, you need to sort out full-weight seeds. You can check them by soaking them in a 3% saline solution. Seeds that have sunk to the bottom are suitable for sowing. Before planting, it is recommended to soak them in or freshly squeezed aloe juice for 10-12 hours.

Individual containers should not be too spacious.

How to plant peppers for seedlings correctly?

Most often, pepper seeds are sown in convenient plastic containers. They are densely filled with soil so that about 2 cm remains to the sides. With this filling, there will be no soil leaching. The soil must be compacted and spilled with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

How to sow pepper seedlings? After 12 hours, grooves about 1 cm deep are made on the surface of the soil. Seeds are sown at a distance of 2 cm from each other, the space between the grooves is 4-5 cm. From above, the crops are sprinkled with earth, lightly compacted and sprayed with warm settled water.

To speed up germination, the container can be covered with film, glass or a damp cloth.

Sowing pepper for seedlings can be done in a spacious container or in separate containers: cups, rolled pieces of a dense film. Landing in individual containers excludes subsequent picking. It is important to choose high-quality hatched seeds to avoid culling.

How to plant peppers for seedlings in separate containers? When planting in cups, the soil is moistened with warm water, a hole is made in it with a depth of 1-1.5 cm. The seed is carefully laid out and sprinkled with earth. The cups fit tightly on the tray.

How to sow pepper seedlings in peat tablets? Before sowing, tablets with a diameter of 3 cm are folded into a deep container and filled with warm water. After a few hours, the peat will swell and increase in size, the tablets will turn into neat columns. Excess liquid is drained.

In the upper part of the columns there are small holes that need to be deepened and put the hatched seeds into them. The holes are filled with crushed soil and slightly crushed. Planted seeds do not need to be watered.. Peat columns are installed in a plastic container. You need to put them tightly to prevent tipping. The top of the tray is covered with a lid or film.

How to plant peppers for seedlings, photo:

Temperature and watering

Immediately after sowing containers or pots are placed in a warm place. The optimum temperature for germination is 27-28 degrees. Some gardeners specially warm up the soil before planting, placing it closer to the battery. A decrease in temperature delays germination and often causes the death of seeds.

When sprouts appear on the surface of the soil, the seedlings are placed in the brightest place. It is good if a lamp for additional illumination is mounted above the landings. The ideal light day for peppers lasts 12 hours. At night, planting can be covered with an opaque cloth.

After germination, the temperature in the room drops to 20-25 degrees. Pepper seedlings need to be watered 1 time in 5-6 days, first from a spray bottle, and then from a watering can. The container with seedlings is rotated periodically so that the seedlings grow evenly. After the appearance of the first 2 leaves, the plants are ready for picking.

Peppers planted in peat tablets should be moved to pre-prepared pots filled with a nutrient substrate.

Timely planted seedlings grow well, do not