Content
Pepper is one of the most popular crops for growing in greenhouses and outdoors. Pepper seedlings grow well even in less than ideal conditions. Refers to plants that are unpretentious to the environment and care. In cold climates, peppers are best grown only in greenhouses. They can create the most suitable conditions for plant growth, and, as a result, obtain a generous harvest. In such shelter, seedlings are not afraid of wind, drafts and rain. Frequent occurrence of such weather events can destroy the sprouts.
Pepper loves moist soil, and in an open area this is very difficult to achieve. The easiest way to maintain humidity is in greenhouses. In some northern regions of Russia, growing peppers in open ground is generally contraindicated.
Having assessed all the benefits of growing peppers in greenhouses, questions arise: how to properly prepare pepper for seedlings for the greenhouse, how to prepare the soil for planting, how to properly care for seedlings, when to plant seedlings. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Sowing seedlings
As always, growing any vegetable crop begins with sowing seeds. Sowing peppers should begin in mid-February.However, due to the short daylight hours, the use of additional lighting (special phytolamps) will be required. If you have a good and warm greenhouse, then you can start sowing earlier, and then in early April the seedlings can be transplanted.
To make the sprouts sprout faster, you need to soak the seeds in water or a special solution. For the first case, place the seeds in gauze and immerse them in hot water (no more than 50 °C) for 15 minutes. Next, place the gauze with the seeds in the freezer for 24 hours. But to save time, you can simply soak the seeds in a special solution (Energen, Zircon, etc.) for 30 minutes. Such procedures will make the plant strong and help it grow faster.
For some reason, some people believe that pepper cannot be used picking, since the leaves can easily come off and then take a long time to recover. But still, most gardeners are of the opinion that picking is simply necessary in order for the root system to develop correctly. To play it safe, it is better to immediately sow the seeds in pots of about half a liter. You can place 3 seeds in each container, keeping a distance of 2 centimeters.
The seeds are placed at a depth of three to four centimeters. Using a spoon, compact the soil and spread the seeds, and sprinkle dry soil on top, making sure that the layer does not exceed 4 cm. And again lightly compact the soil. Cover the cups with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until germination. After a week, the first shoots should appear.If the soil temperature is less than 27 °C, the peppers will sprout later. It is also necessary to ensure that the temperature does not exceed forty degrees, otherwise the seedlings will die.
It is necessary to place containers with seedlings on those window sills that receive the most sunlight. If this is not possible, you can arrange an excellent place for seedlings in a greenhouse. There you can build special racks with shelves for containers. They will not take up much space, but it will significantly save you time and effort. After all, the greenhouse already has all the necessary equipment for caring for plants, watering and lighting. And also you will not need to take the seedlings to the greenhouse for planting, since they will already be in place.
In addition, keep in mind that there is high humidity in the greenhouse, and this may contribute to the destruction of the shelving. So, choose moisture-resistant materials.
Greenhouse preparation
If you decide to plant seeds in a greenhouse, then you need to create appropriate conditions for their growth and development. The room needs to be ventilated and the soil thoroughly warmed, because pepper loves heat, and it will grow much faster this way.
You also need to do the following:
- wash and disinfect containers for sowing pepper;
- warm the room and soil, and then maintain a stable temperature;
- prepare the necessary tools and equipment.
Soil preparation
The success of growing peppers largely depends on the quality of the soil. In order for seedlings to fully grow and develop, you need to take a responsible approach to choosing and preparing the soil.
High-quality soil should have the following characteristics:
- The soil must be fertile; clay soil is not suitable for these purposes.
- The soil should not be too dense. Choose soil with a loose texture.
- It is unacceptable to contain larvae and remains of the root system of other plants and weed.
- The soil should be moderately moist.
You can prepare such soil yourself or buy it in a store. If you decide to prepare the soil yourself, you will need a large bowl and the following ingredients: humus, garden soil and sand. All this needs to be mixed and passed through a fine sieve, this will saturate the soil with oxygen. The ideal soil for growing seedlings is ready. To disinfect the soil from fungi and bacteria, you should warm the soil in a water bath. Next, let it restore its structure, dry a little, and you can start planting the seeds.
Preparing a container for growing seedlings
A variety of containers are used to germinate seeds. Some gardeners prefer boxes and cassettes, others prefer cups. To choose the right utensils, you need to decide whether you will pick or not. It is not necessary to pick peppers, so you can safely sow the seeds in boxes, and then immediately transplant them into the ground from there. Also, if you don’t have time for picking, you can plant the seeds in special peat cups or tablets. This will make transplanting seedlings much easier.
Feeding seedlings
Start feeding pepper seedlings You can start after at least three full leaves have formed on the sprout. Alternatively, the following mixture is used for this purpose:
- superphosphate – 125 grams;
- potassium salt – 30 grams;
- urea – 50 grams;
- water – 10 liters.
Mix all the ingredients and water the seedlings with the solution. After this, you need to water the sprouts with plain water. After 3–5 leaves appear, it is recommended to additionally illuminate the seedlings (every day for 12 hours).
The next feeding should be done after four leaves appear. And when there are 7–9 true leaves on the stem, this means that the process of flower formation has begun. During this period, seedlings especially need feeding. Several times while growing peppers it will be necessary to add soil to the containers.
Hardening off pepper seedlings
Hardening off peppers for the greenhouse is very important at this stage of development. Especially if you are going to grow it in open ground. After all, if you transplant pepper without preliminary preparation, it simply will not withstand temperature changes. The tender tops of the plant can burn in the sun, and this will delay the growth of the seedlings for a long time.
Hardening should begin 2 weeks before planting. She needs to be gradually accustomed to changes in temperature during the day and night, as well as to the sun and wind. To do this, plants are taken out onto the balcony or windows are opened. Start with 15–20 minutes, and increase the time every day. Before planting, you can leave the seedlings overnight on the balcony.
When to plant seedlings
You can start planting seedlings in a greenhouse in mid-May. By that time, the soil should have warmed up well, which is very important for such a heat-loving plant. The soil temperature should be at least +15 °C; if it is even a few degrees lower, the pepper will noticeably lag in growth.By the time of transplantation, at least 12-13 leaves should have formed on the stem. The height of the seedlings is about 25 centimeters.
If everything is already prepared for planting, and the seedlings themselves are fully mature, then you can begin replanting. Let's look at how to do this so as not to harm the plant.
Planting seedlings in a greenhouse
Planting pepper seedlings will not be difficult even for inexperienced gardeners. To easily remove the seedlings from the cups, you need to water the plants thoroughly and let the soil soak completely. Next, carefully remove the sprouts from the container and place them in the holes. They should not be very deep, because the pepper root is superficial and does not go very deep into the ground.
Additionally, fertilizers can be added to each hole to make the soil more fertile. For these purposes, humus with admixtures of mineral fertilizers is used.
Some features of planting technology depend on the pepper variety. Tall and short varieties are planted at different distances from one another. The distance between rows of tall peppers should be about 50 centimeters, and between the peppers themselves - up to 40 centimeters. This distance will allow the spreading bushes to grow fully. But low-growing bushes can be planted more densely. About 30 centimeters are left between plants, and 40–50 centimeters between rows.It is necessary to maintain such a distance so that the pepper does not prevent its “neighbors” from reaching the sun’s rays. This can result in sprouts stretching, leaves turning yellow and falling off.
After applying the fertilizer, you need to pour water into the hole and carefully, holding the pepper, fill it with soil. Next, the soil around the seedlings is slightly compacted and mulched with peat. For the first time after planting, the pepper should be covered with film on top. You can open the plants after they have completely taken root and taken root in their new location.
Seedling care
Frequent changes in weather conditions can have an unexpected effect on pepper seedlings. After all, this culture is considered one of the most capricious. Peppers need good and frequent watering and also like warmth. It is not difficult to create such conditions in a greenhouse, however, it is impossible to completely protect the plant from external factors. Only in the southern regions peppers grow unhindered and ripen quickly. In the northern parts of the country, this process must be constantly stimulated with fertilizers. In such regions, it is not recommended to plant peppers in open ground, so gardeners prefer film shelters and greenhouses.
The proximity to other crops, as well as its predecessors, is of great importance for pepper seedlings.
This proximity has a positive effect on both plants. But it’s better not to plant peppers together with cucumbers.
The following rules will help you grow excellent peppers with high yields:
- You need to water the soil abundantly using special water sprayers.It is important that it irrigates the entire plant completely. A small amount of water can cause red burns on the sheets. You don't need to water the pepper very often;
- it is necessary to maintain a stable temperature in the greenhouse; sudden changes will cause the plant to slow down in growth;
- feeding should be frequent and regular. About once or twice a week is enough for the pepper to receive the necessary microelements;
- to receive a sufficient amount of solar radiation, it is necessary to place greenhouses in open areas, without tall trees and buildings;
- The soil can be loosened, but this should be done very carefully, because pepper has a superficial root system that is very easy to touch. To keep the soil loose and retain moisture well, mulch the soil. For this you can use ordinary leaves or hay (straw). It is also practiced to add special loosening additives to the soil;
- conducts a constant thorough inspection for the presence of spider mites, which are most often found in greenhouses. Stock up on medications to combat this pest;
- During the period when the first buds appear, one lower inflorescence should be removed from each bush. This will contribute to the good development of the pepper. It is also necessary to remove all lower leaves before the first fork of the stems.
Conclusion
These are all the requirements for successfully growing peppers in a greenhouse. At first glance, they may seem complicated. But many gardeners claim that the result is worth the effort and time spent. With this care you will get a very generous harvest. And once you try to grow delicious homemade peppers, you are unlikely to want to buy them in the store. After all, no one knows where and how it was grown. And homemade vegetables are always grown responsibly.
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