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An interesting, but difficult time is approaching for any enthusiastic summer resident and gardener - growing seedlings. Of course, you can buy it on the market, but, firstly, in the overwhelming majority of cases, market seedlings do not stand up to any criticism regarding quality and survival rate, and secondly, only by growing seedlings yourself can you try new, unique varieties and adapt them to your own individual growing conditions.
Pepper is a well-known heat-loving crop, which in most regions of Russia can only be grown with the help of seedlings. And here many questions arise, especially for novice gardeners, related, first of all, to the timing of sowing seeds, the choice of varieties, the peculiarities of preparing seeds for sowing, etc. After all, planting pepper seedlings is not an easy task and requires a thoughtful attitude towards everyone even small nuances. Only in this case pepper seedlings, and subsequently the plants themselves will delight you with their beauty, strength and healthy appearance.
Pepper sowing dates in 2024
It is important to understand what the timing of sowing pepper depends on, so that in subsequent years you can independently calculate the time when you can sow pepper for seedlings.
Next, all the main factors on which sowing time depends will be considered.
Length of growing season - that is, the period of time from germination to harvest. Sometimes the technological maturity of the fruit is considered - when the peppers are already edible, but have not acquired their final mature color and the seeds in them are not yet ripe for sowing.
There may be another two weeks between technological maturity and final ripening. For peppers, this period averages 110-120 days. But this figure can vary greatly depending on the specific variety. There are early ripening (85-110 days) and late ripening (120-130 days) varieties of sweet pepper. So if you want to know when sow pepper for seedlings, find information on the duration of the growing season on the bag of seeds and remember (write down) this figure.
Age of seedlings before planting in the ground - is a fairly important characteristic, although it often strongly depends on growing conditions. Typically, pepper seedlings are planted in the ground after the formation of the first flower in the first fork. For early varieties of pepper this occurs at the age of 50-65 days from germination, for late varieties - at the age of 65-85 days.
Approximate time for planting pepper seedlings - First of all, it depends on further growing conditions. Where you will grow peppers in the summer - in a greenhouse, in a greenhouse or in open ground - largely determines the timing of planting pepper seedlings. And this period, unfortunately, is the most difficult to predict, because it depends most on weather conditions. The greatest dependence on the weather occurs when planting peppers in open ground.And in the case of growing in greenhouses, it depends on the gardener himself whether it is possible to use additional heating or shelter in the event of a sudden cold snap. A little later, the final table will show approximate dates for all major regions of Russia.
Seed germination period - a fairly important characteristic, which for some reason is often not taken into account.
And at the same time, pepper seeds germinate on average 10-15 days, and can “sit” in the ground for up to 25 days. The good news, however, is that there are many ways to speed up seed germination. Therefore, if for some reason you were delayed in sowing pepper seedlings in 2024, you can always catch up to 10-18 days using pre-sowing seed treatment.
Possible harvest time - depends, first of all, on the specific variety. This characteristic is more important for advanced gardeners, but can also be of interest to beginners. It is clear that in the case of peppers, no matter how hard we try, these periods can begin somewhere from mid-June (for the southern regions when grown in greenhouses) until late autumn. However, if planting pepper seeds for seedlings takes place in several stages, then by using different varieties, from very early to late, you can actually extend the fruiting period to several months. Here you can also take into account the heat requirements of plants.
The fact is that in recent years, breeders have obtained many relatively cold-resistant varieties of pepper. You can try to plant them under temporary shelters 5-10-15 days earlier than their more heat-loving counterparts. You shouldn't count on it too much, but as an experiment, why not?
Climatic conditions of a specific region – the most important determining factor. Below is a table where, for the main regions of Russia, the approximate dates for planting pepper seedlings in greenhouse conditions and in open ground are indicated, as well as the time of the first possible frost.
| Planting in a greenhouse | Planting in open ground | First frost |
|---|---|---|---|
Northern regions (St. Petersburg, Syktyvkar) | June 15-25 | — | August 20 |
Mid-latitudes (Moscow, Kazan, Chelyabinsk) | May 1-10 | June 5-15 | 10 September |
Middle latitudes (Voronezh, Saratov, Orenburg) | April 1-10 | May 10-15 | September 20 |
Ural (Perm, Ekaterinburg) | May 5-15 | June 15-20 | August 20 |
Siberia (Omsk, Novosibirsk) | May 10-20 | June 15-20 | August 10-15 |
South (Rostov, Krasnodar, Crimea) | March 1-15 | April 15-20 | October 10 |
These dates are very approximate and average, but nevertheless they allow us to answer quite definitely the question of when to plant pepper seedlings in 2024.
So, first choose the date for planting the seedlings based on the data in the table and your growing conditions (greenhouse, open ground). From it you subtract the age of the seedlings before they are planted in the ground; it is directly related to the duration of the growing season, which is indicated on the bags. (Usually makes up 55-60% of the duration of the growing season). From the resulting date, you also subtract the period of seed germination and ultimately get the approximate sowing time.
If we carry out all the above operations, for example, for the central regions (Moscow, Ufa, etc.) and open ground, we will obtain the following calculations:
- For early ripening varieties, in 2024 it is possible to sow pepper seedlings from March 16 to April 16.
- For late-ripening varieties - from February 25 to March 22.
As you can see, even in April it is not too late to plant peppers for subsequent cultivation in open ground.
These calculations are basic and can be adjusted in one direction or another, depending on the varietal characteristics of the pepper or the timing of the possible harvest. And, of course, when thinking about when to plant pepper seedlings, one cannot help but take into account the lunar calendar.
Favorable and unfavorable days for planting pepper seedlings in 2024:
Pre-sowing seed treatment
There are several techniques that allow you not only to speed up seed germination, which is especially important for such a slow-growing crop as sweet pepper, but also to charge future seedlings with the energy to withstand many diseases and possible unfavorable conditions.
- Soaking for 10 minutes in a 3% salt solution to select obviously non-germinating seeds (those that will float on the surface). Don’t forget to thoroughly rinse the remaining seeds in running water to remove salt.
- Soaking seeds in a solution of phytosporin or gliocladin will allow disinfection of seeds, even more reliable than using traditional potassium permanganate.
- If there is a suspicion that the pepper seeds are not very fresh, but the variety is very valuable, then there is an operation that significantly increases the percentage of seed germination. It's called bubbling. The seeds are placed in a jar of warm water, and the end of the hose from the aquarium compressor is secured at the bottom. When the compressor is turned on, the water begins to be actively saturated with oxygen.The processing time for pepper seeds is about 12 hours.
- Soaking seeds in a solution of stimulants such as Epin-Extra, Zircon, Succinic acid, HB-101 will enable the grown seedlings to withstand adverse environmental factors: frost, drought, low light.
Basic rules for sowing peppers
When preparing for sowing, first of all, it is worth considering that pepper does not like transplants. Therefore, planting pepper seedlings should, if possible, be done immediately in separate containers. Peat tablets have become very popular lately, and it is no coincidence that they immediately replace both planting containers and ready-made soil. In addition, they contain everything the pepper needs for initial growth. You can use regular cups, ready-made cassettes, and homemade containers.
The next important feature is to lower the temperature by several degrees immediately after the first shoots appear. This technique will allow the seedlings not to stretch out and build a good root system. Thus, if you sowed pepper seeds at a temperature of +25°+30°C, then after germination the seedlings must be placed in a place with a temperature of +18°+20°C.
If pepper seedlings are grown in March, and even more so in February, then they must be supplemented with light so that the total daylight hours are about 10-12 hours.
If pepper seedlings are grown on windowsills, pay attention to their temperature. They are usually 5-10 degrees colder than the environment. Peppers really don’t like cold soil, so place the seedlings additionally on a board, a piece of polystyrene foam or any insulation material.
After the first two true leaves appear, the pepper seedlings must be transferred to large containers. You can take small ones first, about 500 ml. But you need to remember that the more space you can provide to the root system during the period of growing seedlings, the better the plants will develop, the stronger and healthier they will be, the faster they will bloom and begin to bear fruit. Therefore, it is advisable to transfer the peppers into large containers so that, ideally, the seedlings grow in two-liter pots before planting in the ground.
Pepper seedlings should be watered sparingly as the top layer of soil dries. It is advisable to fertilize several times from the first transshipment to planting in the ground. It is advisable to use complex fertilizers with a balanced NPK content and the most complete set of microelements.
Conclusion
By following the above tips, you will definitely be able to grow strong and healthy pepper seedlings, which will later delight you with tasty, large and beautiful fruits.
