Content
Growing any vegetable starts from a seed. But in order for this seed to germinate and begin to bear fruit, it is necessary to do very meticulous work. Of course, a lot depends on the quality of the seeds themselves, as well as the timing and conditions of storage. Some gardeners simply plant seeds on seedlings into the soil and get a poor harvest. And you can carry out some activities to prepare seeds for sowing seedlings. Pepper is a fastidious vegetable crop, so strengthening it from the very beginning is important for the strength and fruitfulness of plants. We can say that preparing pepper seeds for seedlings is the basis for growing this vegetable.
Pre-sowing preparation will help not only speed up the process of growing peppers, but also increase germination by separating non-viable seeds. They will also get stronger and become more resistant to external factors and various diseases. So, if you grow seedlings yourself, this information will be very useful and educational for you. And by applying the knowledge gained in practice, you can achieve even higher pepper yields.
Features of pepper seeds
Pepper occupies one of the first places among vegetables in terms of heat tolerance. Why, plant pepper seeds There is no point in going straight into open ground. But at the same time, peppers take quite a long time to ripen; this process can last up to 200 days. Therefore, in order to speed up the cultivation of peppers, it is customary to plant them using seedlings. Thus, as soon as the frosts are over, you can plant already strong sprouts in the ground, and sometimes even with buds.
But in order to sow seedlings correctly and on time, you need to know some features. In order for the pepper to ripen before the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to start planting seeds at the end of February. And pepper takes quite a long time to sprout; the first sprouts may appear only after two weeks, or even more. The reason is the shell of essential oils that covers all the seeds. Also, due to the dryness of the seeds, under incorrect storage conditions, they may lose their properties. And with long-term storage, the germination of seed material decreases significantly. After 2–3 years of storing seeds, only 50–70% of them will germinate.
The importance of preparation
Many people can prepare seeds, but do it inconsistently, or by neglecting some steps. Gardeners often use growth stimulants in large quantities, which is also a mistake. In this matter, it is important to strictly observe the proportions and timing. Due to improper preparation, the pepper may not sprout or may slow down in growth. Conversely, by doing everything exactly according to the instructions, you can get an excellent result.
Of course, you can not waste your time and sow unprepared seeds, but then the time saved will be spent on a long wait for germination. Such peppers will grow slowly and will not bear fruit soon. So, let’s consider in detail each stage of how to properly prepare peppers for planting seedlings.Each of these steps is very important, which means you shouldn’t miss anything.
Seed calibration
If you have been growing peppers on your plot for several years, then most likely you prepare the seeds yourself. Many people also use purchased seeds. The most important thing is that their quality is at a high level.
Further germination is significantly reduced. And five-year-old seeds are generally unsuitable for growing.
The preparation of pepper seeds begins sowing for seedlings with sorting and checking shelf life. Also immediately separate and label the pepper varieties if you are growing several types. It is better to immediately set aside the stitched seeds; no growth stimulants or soaking will help them. Even if such seeds sprout, the seedlings will be weak and will not produce the desired harvest.
Now that everything is sorted and laid out, you can begin calibration. We select large, not overdried seeds, which are the strongest and most fruitful. This method is often used by gardeners, however, it is not always possible to accurately determine the quality of the material by eye. Therefore, after a visual inspection, sorting is carried out using a saline solution.
To prepare the solution you will need:
- 0.5 liters of water;
- 1 teaspoon kitchen salt.
Now the components must be mixed well so that the salt dissolves. Next, drop the pepper seeds into the container with the solution and wait until they separate. Good seeds will remain at the bottom, while non-viable and light ones will float to the surface.We collect unusable waste with a spoon, and rinse the lower seeds with water to remove any remaining salt.
Disinfection of pepper seeds
The next step in preparing peppers for planting is to treat the seeds with a 2% manganese solution. This procedure will help make seeds peppers disease-resistant and strong. This will significantly reduce the care of seedlings after planting in the ground.
The etching solution consists of the following ingredients:
- 500 ml water;
- 2 grams of manganese.
Don't be alarmed that the solution turns out so dark, that's how it should be. The prepared seeds are poured into a disinfectant and infused for 20 minutes. Next, the seeds must be washed and dried very thoroughly.
Saturation with microelements
This stage is optional, because during the growth of seedlings, the peppers will be fertilized more than once. But such saturation will only be beneficial. To do this, you can use purchased mineral fertilizers. But many prefer proven folk methods. To prepare this mixture you will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- 4 teaspoons wood ash.
The solution must be left to stand for 24 hours. Next, place the prepared pepper seeds in a fabric envelope and leave them in the solution for five hours. After this, they should be dried; no washing is required.
Aloe juice is also used as biological stimulants. It is in no way inferior to purchased mineral supplements. Such methods will help speed up the growth of seedlings and make them more resistant to environmental conditions and possible diseases.After this procedure, you can immediately plant pepper seedlings, or proceed to the next stages of preparation.
Soaking Pepper Seeds
If you are in doubt whether you need to soak pepper seeds before planting, keep in mind that this procedure will speed up germination by a week or even two. Many gardeners skip the previous steps, but soaking is a must. Although all preparatory activities are very important, it is by soaking the seeds first that you can speed up the growth process of seedlings.
For soaking, you need to use settled water, or better yet, melted snow. If there is no snow, you can freeze the settled water and leave it for a while until it completely melts. Rainwater will also work.
Soaking is carried out using available materials. For these purposes you can use:
- A piece of fabric.
- Vatu.
- Gauze.
- A washcloth.
- A napkin.
You will also need a container to place the pepper seeds. A plastic container or glass plate will do. To cover the seeds, a film or plastic bag is useful. Now that all the materials are prepared, you can start soaking.
If you are going to grow only one variety of pepper, then you need to prepare a container large enough to accommodate all the seeds. If you have several types of seed material, it would be better to place them separately. So, place a cloth (or other material) soaked in water into the prepared container. Excess water that the fabric could not absorb must be drained.Pepper seeds should never float in water. Next, we place the seeds on the fabric so that they all lie one at a time, and not in several layers. You can use a toothpick to separate them. Of course, you can place several varieties of pepper in one container, but on separate pieces of cloth. But in this case it is very easy to get confused.
Next, you need to cover the pepper seeds with the edges of the cloth and place the container in a plastic bag (or use cling film). We leave the container in a warm place and make sure that the temperature does not drop to +18 °C. Under such conditions, the pepper may rot.
Pepper seeds can be planted at different stages. Some gardeners simply plant soaked seeds. Others wait for partial germination, which occurs after 7–14 days. Please note that the seeds must germinate quite a bit, otherwise there is a risk of damaging them during transplantation. Soaking will help the seeds germinate after sowing after just a couple of days.
Conclusion
So, we have looked in detail at how to prepare seed material for sowing. The listed methods will help to grow strong seedlings with high disease resistance. However, this does not mean that without these procedures you will not be able to grow peppers. Many people do not want to do such thorough processing and use only one or a couple of methods. The seeds most in need of preparation are those collected by hand, because producers often carry out the necessary processing steps themselves. Information on the packaging indicates whether it has been carried out. If yes, then all you need to do is calibrate the seeds.
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