Seedling chores

For late-ripening varieties of pepper, it will be excellent if the seedlings appear in early March (they are planted in the ground after 60-75 days), and the seedlings of early varieties - around mid-March (in the ground - after 50-55 days). Do not plant peppers in January-February! There are a lot of cloudy days at this time. Until the sun appears, the pepper seedlings will not produce their first true leaf, even lighting will not help. It will remain with the cotyledon leaves for an extra month. This will have a bad effect on the harvest! Pepper seeds are slow growing. Old seeds, which remain viable for 3-4 years, germinate even longer. Therefore, they require proper pre-sowing treatment, which consists of the following steps; calibration, disinfection, soaking in a solution of biologically active substances, germination.

The quality of water is of great importance at all stages: the cleaner it is and the less salts it contains, the better. The water should be non-chlorinated, preferably melted water. When calibrating, we select the largest, well-executed seeds, without dark spots or spots. Then we disinfect them by etching in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate (dissolve a third of a teaspoon of KMPCh in 0.5 cups of water) for 20 minutes.

After wash the pepper seeds running water and soak in a solution of biologically active substances: “Epin” or “Zircon” (2-3 drops per 100 ml of water), or HB-101 (2-3 drops per 100 ml of water), or lignohumate (0.01 - percentage solution - straw color) for 15-16 hours at +29...+32 “C. During soaking, the seeds swell and the nutrients stored in them pass into active form, germination is accelerated and the growth of seedlings is stimulated. Subsequently, the sensitivity of seedlings to unfavorable growing conditions decreases and their resistance to disease increases.

After washing the seeds with warm running water, we set them to germinate until they hatch. The pre-emergence period is the most vulnerable and dangerous in the life of a plant, so we must try to speed up germination as much as possible. Sprouting pepper seeds on a damp substrate (napkin, cloth) in a convenient closed container, preventing the seeds from drying out at +29...+32 “C, placing them near the radiator or on the top of the kitchen shelves. When the seeds hatch, the tip of the root emerging from the valves should be no more than 1-1.5 mm. Now don't delay your sowing!

What to do when the seeds sprouted

Pepper does not like the slightest damage to the roots.. They take a long time and do not recover well, and therefore pepper does not tolerate transplantation (picking), especially at an early age. He reacts to this by completely stopping growth for 3-4 weeks.

For continuous growth of pepper seedlings I raise her without picking. I sow all the seeds that sprouted during the germination process, one at a time, into small pots (4.2 x 4.2 x 7 cm with a volume of 125 ml) to a depth of 0.5-1 cm. I sow only those seeds that sprouted first (within 4-5 days). This is how the strongest seedlings are selected. I carefully take each seed with tweezers, trying not to touch the root. Pepper seeds must certainly be placed in warm soil +29...+32°C. To do this, first spill it with warm water.

After sowing, place the tray with pots in an inflated plastic bag and place it in a warm place to constantly maintain this soil temperature until full germination. We open the bags daily for ventilation. We only use new food bags. The microclimate created in the bag is important for fast and friendly germination.

Hatched plants have new needs that were not present in the “underground” state: light, carbon dioxide, mineral nutrition, living space. The old ones are also preserved, although in a slightly modified form. Thus, heat is necessary, but the optimal temperature for the growth of seedlings is lower than the germination temperature, and there is also a need for daily fluctuations. Light - its intensity and duration - is the main factor determining the life of seedlings. Small plants are in dire need of an influx of organic matter, which they must prepare for themselves using photosynthesis. When there is not enough light, photosynthesis is low and so little organic matter is produced that most of it is burned during night respiration. To curb this process, knowing that breathing increases as the temperature rises, we try to lower the temperature at night. This is as important as high temperature in bright light. Lower night temperatures promote increased root growth and produce stocky seedlings.

Fluorescent lamps have been created specifically for lighting plants. These are the so-called phytolamps. They produce emphatic radiation in the blue and red-orange regions of the spectrum, well-matched to the needs of photosynthesis and other light-driven processes of plant growth and development. Too dry air in apartments is unfavorable for seedlings. The evaporation of moisture from the surface of the leaves and the amount of water pumped through the plant becomes so strong that the poorly developed roots of the seedlings cannot cope with providing the plants with moisture. Even with sufficient soil moisture, plants experience water stress and photosynthesis is inhibited. The optimal air humidity for pepper seedlings is 60-70% (versus our usual 20-30%). If pepper cotyledons they cannot shed the seed coat and open, and at the same time the peel is dry and hard - this is just a sign of too dry air. Spray the seedlings! It is better to alternate with solutions of HB-101, “Epina extra”, “Zircon” - 1 drop per 1 liter. When the seed coat softens, strong shoots will shed it themselves. You can carefully pull off the soft peel with tweezers.

We start feeding right away

During the period from the opening of the cotyledons to the appearance of the first true leaf, the seedling most of all needs phosphorus and nitrogen in its nutrition. This is necessary for the formation of a powerful root system and for laying the genetic program of the plant (phosphorus is part of the nucleic acids of chromosomes). If at this moment there are not enough of these elements, the viability of the plant drops sharply, and nothing can correct this later. Often at this stage of plant development, phosphorus deficiency is observed - a purple-red coloring of the stems and leaves. During this period, pepper seedlings need fertilizing watering with a solution in which phosphorus and nitrogen predominate, for example N: P2O5: KgO - 13:40:13. “Kristalon yellow” and “Aquarin No. 13” have this composition. You can prepare your own mixture with the same NPK ratio: for this you need to mix 8 g of ammophos (NH4H2PO4) grade A (12-50-0) and 2.8 g of potassium nitrate (KN3). The concentration of the irrigation solution for seedlings is very weak - 0.5 g/l (1/3 tsp per 3 liters of water). For more efficient absorption of mineral fertilizers by plants, we prepare them in a 0.005 percent humate solution - we obtain nutritious organo-mineral mixtures. The best method of fertilizing irrigation for seedlings is nutrient sprinkling. At the same time, plants actively absorb nutrient solutions not only with their roots, but with their leaves, even faster. This double feeding method is the secret to good growth and development.

After 1-2 weeks, it is necessary to feed with a solution of calcium nitrate - 0.5-1 g/l, also prepared with a 0.005 percent solution of humate. Calcium fertilization of pepper seedlings - prevention of blossom end rot and various wilts. In further feeding at intervals of 1-2 weeks until the end of the seedling period, it is advisable to take into account the preferences of pepper in its diet (agrobalance) -N: PrOb: KgO = 32:19:49. “Soluble” brand A or “Kemira Combi” are well suited for this purpose. They can be combined with calcium nitrate in a 1:1 ratio. The total concentration of the irrigation solution should be 1 g/l. These solutions are also prepared using a 0.005 percent humate solution.

Water for watering pepper seedlings and all nutrient solutions should be warm - +25...+30°C.

There shouldn't be any illnesses

The scourge of any seedling is the black leg. On pepper seedlings it appears at low temperatures and high soil moisture. To prevent fungal and bacterial diseases, root rot, I advise you to spray or water the pepper seedlings 1-2 times with microbiological preparations: “Fitosporin-M” (a solution the color of drunken tea), EM-preparation (1 ml per 2 liters of water).

Transshipment has its own subtleties

Transshipment of pepper seedlings in large containers from 0.5-0.7 l should be done when the roots have occupied the entire volume of the pots. When the 2-3rd true leaf appears, remove the earthen ball from one pot and check the roots. If they darken, it means they have nowhere to grow further.

For pepper, transshipment with deepening down to the cotyledon leaves is of great importance, since when planting seedlings in a greenhouse, they are not buried (deepening delays the first harvest and reduces its total quantity). Therefore, additional roots of pepper can only be formed as a result of transshipment of seedlings.

Light is still important

Good lighting remains the most important condition obtaining quality seedlings which will give a good harvest. In bright (preferably sunlight) light, at the stage of 3-4 true leaves, the pepper begins to lay flower buds. In low light conditions, leaves are laid down, and this can continue indefinitely until the light level rises to a level at which the laying of reproductive organs becomes possible.

Ideal seedlings - what is it?

By the time of landing in the ground good pepper seedlings should have 10-12 leaves (on skeletal shoots 2-4 leaves), stem height 20-25 cm. The rule for seedlings is this: the more leaves on the main stem before transplanting to a permanent place, the greater the future harvest from the plant. The timing of planting pepper in a permanent place is determined by the degree of soil warming. We plant after the soil has warmed to +18 °C. In greenhouses on warm beds with bioheating - May 1-10; in film greenhouses and greenhouses - May 10-25; in open ground, when the threat of late spring frosts has passed - after June 1.

No issue regarding pepper farming causes as much controversy as picking. Is it necessary to replant peppers? How many times should it be done? Maybe it's better to do without it altogether?

The opinions of experts are as different as the growing methods. To understand, you need to pay attention to some features of this plant.

Features of the root system of peppers

Unlike other nightshades, the root system of peppers has a very weak ability to regenerate. Its root hairs are quite fragile, break easily and take a long time to recover. Additional roots do not form on the trunk, like tomatoes. And the root neck buried in the ground leads to growth retardation and the development of diseases.

Very often, after transplanting seedlings or, it sheds its leaves. Flowers and already formed ovaries fall off even more often. It happens that planted plants seem to take root, but they are in no hurry to start growing. This usually occurs due to damage to the roots or when the volume of the root system does not correspond to the size of the overgrown above-ground part (seedlings were grown in containers that were too small). In any case, the peppers will first take a long time to grow the roots they need, and only then will they begin to flower and bear fruit.

If seedlings are grown using picking, they will have to undergo transplantation twice before acquiring a permanent place of residence. The first - during a dive, the second - when landing in the ground. Each transplant slows down the development of plants by one and a half to two weeks, which in total gives a lag of almost a month, compared to bushes grown without replanting.

Why replant peppers?

If replanting peppers has such a bad effect on their development, the question arises: why is it needed at all? It is difficult to give a definite answer, so we will break it down into several points.

1. Space saving. Small glasses or a common box take up much less space in a greenhouse, on a windowsill or loggia.

2. Condition of the earth. In large pots, the bulk of the soil remains undeveloped by the roots of the small seedling. And, since pepper does not tolerate overdrying of the soil, it quickly begins to sour.

3. Power area. Experts have long proven that seedlings grow stronger if the feeding area of ​​their roots increases gradually. This significantly affects not only the development of the plant, but also the future harvest. That is why replanting should be carried out when the roots are already cramped in the previous volume of the earthen coma.

How to transplant (pick) seedlings

If the seedlings grow in a common box, then about a day before picking they should be watered well. It is better not to do this immediately before the transplant. Otherwise, the soil in the box will become wet and heavy and will stick to the roots in too large lumps. When you try to lift the seedling by the stem, the root may simply come off under such weight. But when the soil is completely dry, it is ready to crumble instantly, exposing the roots. The lump necessary to preserve the root is very small - it should not pull it down too much and interfere with its movement.

Some amateurs advise cutting off the central roots of seedlings, as is done with tomatoes. But this technique is completely unsuitable for peppers. This will not only delay development, but can also greatly reduce the survival rate.

Peppers cannot be buried; they are dived to the same depth as they were. After transplanting, carefully squeeze the soil and water it with water at room temperature, using a teaspoon or other convenient device. The main thing is that moisture should not get on the stems.

You should not rush into picking peppers. The older they are, the easier it will be to tolerate the transplant. Another thing is that the root system of seedlings gradually grows, and it becomes more and more difficult not to damage it with age. Therefore, peppers usually peak in the phase of two to three true leaves.

Transshipment

It is impossible to grow peppers without seedlings in the middle zone. In many areas, it generally bears fruit only in greenhouses or greenhouses. And since you don’t want to spend the precious summer months restoring the root system, it is better to use transshipment rather than classic transplantation for peppers. But there are also secrets here.

Transshipment is the movement of a plant from one vessel to another along with a lump of earth, without damaging the roots. To do this, peppers are sown from the very beginning in small individual cups or.

The now popular peat humus pots are less suitable. Their walls are not made of pressed peat, as many people think, but of cardboard, which does not dissolve in the ground as well as the advertisement says. In the open air, they very quickly take moisture from the soil and dry out - it is difficult to maintain both moderately wet and moderately dry soil. Their main advantage is that the seedlings are planted directly in the pot, and the roots are not damaged. But, in practice, it is very difficult for the roots to overcome the cardboard walls, and this noticeably retards growth.

You can grow seedlings in paper cylinders or “diapers” made of plastic film, as the famous gardener-practitioner G. Kizima advises. Newsprint in the soil very quickly becomes saturated with water and spreads without interfering with root growth. And the film cylinders can simply be unrolled and pulled out of the ground. The roots are not affected at all during this operation.

Sow peppers into cylinders not one at a time, but two, or even three. If more than one sprout sprouts, only the strongest is left. The rest are cut at ground level. Sometimes you really want to transplant them into an empty glass. But it is not recommended to do this - when replanting, the root system of both those that are removed and the one that remains will be damaged. The roots of the seedlings are so delicate and located close to the surface that it is not even worth loosening the soil unless absolutely necessary.

If peppers are grown in individual cups, then they are not watered before transferring (about one to two days). As a result, the earthen lump becomes slightly compacted and moves away from the walls of the vessel - it will not be difficult to remove it, simply turning it “upside down” right along with the plant.

The soil in which the seedlings will be planted must be sufficiently warm (at least 14 °C). It is unacceptable to put fresh manure in the hole - it is better to add humus and hydrogel.

And one more trick. Peppers have a fairly compact root system. They don't need pots or cups that are too deep. But the best results are obtained when transshipping plants whose roots have not yet reached the walls of the vessel, that is, they have not yet completely mastered the entire earthen lump. To do this, the containers in which they are grown must be wide enough.

Pepper transshipment (2015)

02/25/2015

While lifting the bag for airing, we accidentally pulled out 1 pepper sprout "Taiga", planted 02/14/2015

I had to immediately put him in a large glass:

in a large (0.5 l) transparent glass, holes were made with an awl in the bottom and 1 row on the side at the bottom of the glass,

poured the earth mixture (ready soil + coconut),

poured water with the addition of the drug “Energen”,

made a hole in the ground,

carefully placed the spine there,

pressed down with wet soil from all sides,

sprinkled dry soil,

covered with a transparent lid,

We placed it under an energy-saving lamp 25 W, 6500K.

03/09/2015

We transferred peppers from small cells (planted on February 14, 2015) and those that sprouted one at a time (planted on February 22, 2015):

• Taiga- 3 pcs. into cassettes,
• Venti— 7 pcs. in cassettes and 1 pc. in a glass
• Tiflis— 7 pcs. into glasses,
• Charm- 1 PC. in a glass
• Treasure Island- 5 pieces. into cassettes,
• Romantsev's firstborn- 1 PC. in a glass
• Lilac glitter- 1 PC. in a glass
• Yellow bull-NK F1- 1 PC. into a glass (to try before the others).

We sifted the garden soil from our plot,

what was left of the sift was poured onto the bottom of cassettes and glasses (0.5 l),

mixed 2:1:1 sifted earth, coconut and ready-made soil “Microgreenhouse” of CJSC “Trading House “Antey”,

covered with dry earth mixture,

the glasses were placed in deep trays and covered with transparent lids,

The cassettes were not covered with anything.

03/15/2015

Passed:

• Chinese- 1 PC. in a glass (planted 02/22/2015),
• Mirage- 4 things. in cassettes (planting 02/14/2015) and 3 pcs. in glasses (planting 02.22.2015)
• Winnie the Pooh- 1 PC. into cassettes (planting 02/14/2015).

Place 2 cm of coconut on the bottom of the containers.

mixed 1:1 coconut and ready-made soil "Microgreenhouse" CJSC "Trading House "Antey",

poured into containers and compacted,

spilled water

carefully placed the pepper sprouts and lightly pressed them into the wet earthen mixture,

03/21/2015

Passed:

• Gourmet F1(landing 02.22.2015) - 5 pcs. in cassettes, 3 pcs. in glasses, 1 pc. in a rectangular container (0.5 l),
• Treasure Island(landing 02/22/2015) - 2 pcs. in cups (0.25 l), 7 pcs. in 0.4 l pots,
• Charm(landing 02/22/2015) - 9 pcs. in 0.4 l pots,
• Donut(landing 02/22/2015) - 2 pcs. into cassettes,
• Yellow bull-NK F1— 3 pieces in glasses.

We sifted garden soil from our plot,

what was left of the sifting was poured onto the bottom of the containers,

mixed 2:1:1 sifted soil, coconut and ready-made soil “Garden soil” of ZAO MNPP Fart,

poured into containers and compacted,

spilled water with the addition of the drug “Energen”,

carefully placed the pepper sprouts and lightly pressed them into the wet earthen mixture,

covered with dry earthen mixture.

03/22/2015

Passed

• Taiga(landing 02/22/2015) - 9 pcs. in cups (0.25 l), 2 pcs. in glasses (0.4 l), 24 pcs. in cassettes (4 cassette boxes with 6 cassettes each).

8 pcs left. very small ones, suddenly some pepper will disappear after transplantation.

03/28/2015

The last peppers have been handled "Taiga"- 1 PC. in a pot and 6 pcs. into cassettes.

One had to be thrown away because it was no good at all.

Total peppers transplanted(13 items - 111 pcs.) :

• Yellow bull-NK F1- 4 things.,
• Gourmet F1— 9 pcs.,
• Taiga— 46 pcs.,
• Donut- 2 pcs.,
• Treasure Island— 14 pcs.,
• Mirage— 7 pcs.,
• Winnie the Pooh- 1 PC.,
• Lilac glitter- 1 PC.,
• Romantsev's firstborn- 1 PC.,
• Venti— 8 pcs.,
• Tiflis-7 pcs.,
• Charm- 10 pieces.,
• Chinese- 1 PC.

Pepper transshipment (2014)

03/01/2014

— prepared the soil for transshipment: 1 part coconut substrate, 2 parts sifted rotted compost from a barrel from your garden, 1 part ready-made “Universal Soil” soil, added 2 tablespoons of crushed eggshells.

— filled “Miracle” yogurt cups with the prepared mixture, poured warm water with “Energen” (30 drops per 2 liters of water) and planted sweet peppers “ Albatross F1"(5 pcs.) and " Taiga" (3 pcs).

03/09/2014

— 7x7x7 cm cassettes were filled with previously prepared soil for transshipment.

— spilled warm water with Energen (30 drops per 2 liters of water) and planted sweet peppers “ Albatross F1" (2 pcs.), " Taiga" (1 PC), " Rajah" (1 PC.), " Bagration" (1 PC.), " Chinese"(4 pcs.) and placed in a greenhouse under a lamp.

03/16/2014

— in the previously prepared 7x7x7 cm cassette filled with soil for transshipment, carefully place the pepper on the ground along with a lump of earth " Bagration“, poured water with Energen and sprinkled with the remaining soil.

Good luck, the last one!

Growing healthy seedlings of peppers and eggplants with your own hands is quite troublesome, but it is quite possible if you know a few secrets, follow the basic rules and avoid common mistakes.

Mistakes when growing seedlings of peppers and eggplants: what are our main mistakes?

Not all summer residents turn out exemplary seedlings of peppers and eggplants. Incompetence fails. I’ve been collecting something like an anthology of gardener mistakes for a long time, because you also need to know what not to do. What are our main mistakes when growing seedlings of peppers and eggplants? What could be wrong?

Shoots of peppers and eggplants are sparse, unfriendly

1. Perhaps you did not check the seeds for germination before sowing. They could be stored for more than 3-4 years, dried out, and lost their germination energy.
2. The seeds could be fresh, but puny, small or damaged, and “you can’t expect a good seed from a bad seed.”
3. The seeds appeared to be of quite good quality, but you sowed them dry. Peppers and eggplants are slow to germinate and take a long time to germinate, up to 3 weeks or more. Therefore, before sowing, they are disinfected in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, and then germinated.
4. You kept a box or box of crops at a high temperature, for example on a radiator. Many hatched seeds could immediately dry out and die.

The leaves of peppers and eggplants turned lilac-purple

Mistakes when growing seedlings:

• The seedlings were placed on a cold windowsill without placing insulation under the pots. If the soil under the seedlings is supercooled, the phosphorus in the soil becomes unavailable to the plants and they begin to starve.

The first buds are not planted on time, the seedlings grow rapidly, “get fat”, but do not bloom

Mistakes when growing seedlings:

1. You hurried and sowed the seeds earlier than usual in your climate zone, at the end of January - February, when the days are short. At the same time, fluorescent lamps were not used, although daylight hours would have to be increased to 12-14 hours. In the middle zone, it is better to sow peppers and eggplants for seedlings on March 15-20, if you are not going to add light to them. Here’s a paradox: you sow ahead of time, and later you will receive fruit.
2. Fresh manure or semi-decomposed compost was added to the seedling soil, and subsequently to the soil of the greenhouse bed, which should not be done.
3. The seedlings were overfed with nitrogen fertilizers, and they lacked phosphorus and potassium.
4. Watering was frequent and in the evening. The fact is that peppers and eggplants need moisture more than tomatoes, but they need to be watered less often, although more abundantly. If you do this often, little by little and in the evenings, the growth of green mass of plants increases to the detriment of the formation of flowers and fruits.

Peppers and eggplants are stretched too thin, which will certainly affect the harvest

Mistakes when growing seedlings:

1. The seedlings were delayed due to early sowing. The older the seedlings, the more elongated they are, the more they suffer from transplanting into the ground. It is also more difficult to transport, because peppers and eggplants are very fragile plants.
2. Thinning of seedlings was carried out with a delay. This should be done immediately, when 1-2 true leaves have formed. Otherwise, the seedlings interfere with each other and stretch upward in the struggle for light.
3. After transferring them to larger containers, they were not arranged freely and the leaves of the plants remained closed for a long time.
4. Seedlings are grown at high temperatures and excessive watering.
5. Plants stand on a dark window or away from glass. (This, among other things, leads to the buds falling off.)

Seedlings and then young plants look weak

Mistakes when growing seedlings:

1. The soil must be suitable for seedlings, loose and nutritious. If you don’t know how to compose it yourself, use ready-made soil mixtures, which are sold in stores.
2. You put peppers and eggplants on the same windowsill along with tomatoes and celery, and these different plants require different temperatures. The crops of peppers and eggplants are kept at 25-28°C until germination, then for 4-7 days the temperature is reduced during the day to 16-18°C and at night to 12-14°C.
3. Picking (transplanting) seedlings was carried out at a very early stage. Peppers generally don’t like picks. It is better not to sow them in a box, but immediately into small pots, and then transfer them to medium ones (8-12 cm in diameter), without disturbing the clod of earth. The roots of peppers are very weak, and after picking the plants get sick for a long time. It’s also not worth sowing directly into medium pots. Small plants in proportionate cups develop better; water does not linger in the soil as much as in large containers.
4. When transferring plants from pot to pot, they were buried too deep. This stops the growth of peppers and eggplants, which, unlike tomatoes, do not grow additional roots on the stem.
5. The seedlings were not fed at all or were given high doses of fertilizer, which also inhibits growth. Typically, fertilizing is applied twice: when 2 true leaves have formed and shortly before planting in the ground.

If pepper and eggplant seedlings has developed normally, its tops look lighter than all other parts of the plants.

Before planting, good seedlings should have the following signs:

• height 16-20 cm;
• thick stem;
• 8-10 dark green leaves;
• short internodes;
• the presence of buds, but not fruit flowers;
• strong roots, capable of holding the soil when planted in the garden.

Growing healthy seedlings with your own hands is quite troublesome, but it is quite possible if you know a few secrets, follow the basic rules and avoid common mistakes.

Many gardeners complain that their peppers grow poorly and set fruit late. One of the most important factors that influence the prolongation of its growing season is improper transplantation. Unlike many other crops, pepper reacts very strongly to root damage and excessive depth during normal picking. Therefore, it is best to replant peppers using the transshipment method.

Transshipment involves removing the plant from a smaller seedling container and transferring it without destroying the earthen clod to a larger container. This way the roots of the plant are not injured, it immediately begins to grow, without getting sick as with a regular picking. In addition, tomatoes, for example, when picked with depth, form additional roots on the stem, but this does not happen with peppers. On the contrary, there is a high probability of rotting of excessively buried plants.

A little about sowing

Transshipment of plants is very convenient when sowing peppers in separate containers or cells; when sowing seeds in a schoolyard, you need to maintain a distance of three to four centimeters between them, so that you can then select seedlings with a good soil clod. In separate small containers or cells, we sow two pepper seeds, then, if both sprout, we remove the weaker one.

We pour the mixture into seedling containers, use purchased peat soil for sowing, and moisten it. After the soil has settled, lightly compact it. Spread the seeds on a moistened and compacted surface. Cover with a small, up to one centimeter, layer of dry soil. Cover the container with a transparent lid or film. We place the seedlings in a warm place, with a temperature of 25 degrees.
After entering, we transfer the seedlings to the window and provide additional lighting.

By the way, peppers themselves show when to turn off the lights. Gradually, they begin to lift up and fold the leaves, reducing the amount of light reaching them. At this time it is necessary to turn off the backlight.

In the future, before transplanting, caring for pepper seedlings is not at all difficult. It is necessary to ensure normal air humidity by spraying from a spray bottle. It is also necessary to monitor the condition of the soil coma and, if necessary, apply moderate watering. Fertilizing at the growing stage before picking is not required; the reserves that were in the seed and seedling soil are sufficient.

Preparing to transplant peppers

Peppers are transplanted three to four weeks after germination. At this time, the peppers should already have at least two true leaves, like in the photo below.

Photo 1. Seedling ready for transshipment.

This year, the seeds were planted on February 21, seedlings appeared on March 1, and seedlings were transferred on March 26.

Before you start replanting pepper seedlings, you need to do some things:

1. Prepare a work table, lay out the tools on it and arrange the seedlings.
2. Water the pepper seedlings well to bind the soil ball. It is best to do this in advance, about two hours before the start of the transshipment work.
3. Prepare the required number of containers for transplantation.
4. Mix the soil mixture.
5. Divide the mixture into cups and moisten it with water with the addition of potassium permanganate, so that the solution is slightly pink. This will help protect the plant from diseases, in particular from blackleg.

6. You can use purchased soil, or you can mix it yourself.

One of the mixture recipes we use is as follows:

One part of purchased peat;
- one part of garden soil from molehills;
- a glass of wood ash for every 10 liters of mixture.

Divide the mixture into large glasses and moisten it. The amount of mixture you need to pour is so much that the upper edge of the soil lump, taken out of a small glass, when installed in a large glass, is at the level of its upper edge.

Photo 2. Soil level in a large glass.

Plant transplantation

The sequence of transshipment of pepper seedlings is as follows:

Cover the small glass with your left hand so that the seedling is between the middle and index fingers.
Turn the cup over with the soil facing your palm and begin to carefully remove the soil ball with the seedling. If necessary, slowly press on the bottom and walls of the seedling container.
If you moistened the soil well and removed it carefully, then you should have a dense, undestroyed lump of soil in your palm. The next photograph shows a removed soil ball with white roots.

Photo 3. Soil lump on the palm.

Carefully, so as not to destroy the earthen cube, lower it into a large glass with a capacity of 500 milliliters. Align the lump with the seedling in the center of the container.

Photo 4. Plant in a large glass.

Using a small spoon or scoop, carefully sprinkle the earthen ball with dry soil mixture.
Water the sprinkle with warm water. You should get a picture like the one in the next picture.

Photo 5. Sprinkled and moistened lump.

Then we carefully squeeze the added soil around the earthen ball.

Photo 6. Compressed soil ball with seedling.

Fill the resulting furrow with dry soil. Pepper transshipment has been completed.

If everything was done correctly, then the peppers will not even notice the transplant, but will continue to grow as if nothing had happened. An example in the photo, taken four days after the bell pepper was transshipped, on March 30.

Photo 7. Perchik didn’t even notice the transplant.

If, when removing pepper from a glass, the earthen lump crumbles, measures should be taken to ensure that the roots are less damaged. To do this, you need to pour the soil mixture into a glass, moisten it and make a hole in the form of a funnel. Then carefully straighten the roots and, holding the seedling, pour dry soil into the funnel. After backfilling, you need to wash the dry soil in the funnel with a thin, gentle stream so that it tightly adheres to the bare roots.

Final seedling activities

After transplanting, the pepper should be placed again on a bright windowsill. However, if the next two or three days promise to be sunny, just in case it is better to shade the seedlings to avoid burns.

With the further growth of peppers, you need to ensure that the leaves of neighboring plants do not interfere with each other. It is necessary to promptly move the containers with seedlings to the required distance.
Depending on how the seedlings develop in the future, you can decide on feeding. If you still decide to fertilize, then it is best to use chelated forms of organic fertilizers or herbal infusions.

Attention! Do not destroy your native nature with mineral fertilizers. Remember that nature already copes with its responsibilities quite well!

After a month has passed since transplantation, you can plant the pepper in a permanent place. If the weather does not allow it or you are preparing pepper seedlings for planting in open ground, it is worth transshipping again. Now the container must hold at least one liter of soil mixture, otherwise there will simply not be enough space for the overgrown roots of the plant.

A week before planting bell pepper plants, you need to start hardening it. To begin with, take them out onto a glassed-in loggia or terrace for a couple of hours, then increase this period to eight to ten hours. A day or two before planting, if the weather permits, it is advisable to leave the peppers in the greenhouse on the table. This way, after planting, the peppers will not receive much stress.

It is also necessary to plant pepper plants in a permanent place using the transshipment method, in no case by deepening them.

Happy pepper harvest this year!