Growing pepper seedlings The process, although difficult, brings a lot of pleasure. They start with selecting high-quality seeds and prepare them in a certain way for planting. They stock up on soil, suitable containers, and think about lighting. But drawers take up all the free space in the kitchen.
Some of the inconveniences of growing seedlings are partially eliminated by a new method - germinating seeds in a snail. With this method of growing, the seeds end up as if in diapers.
Advantages of the method
The method is suitable for both experienced gardeners and beginners in planting pepper seedlings.
The main advantages of planting pepper seedlings in a snail are:
- compact and space-saving for growing plants. About 100 peppers are obtained from a snail with a diameter of 20 cm;
- control over seed germination and culling of weak plants;
- pepper seedlings do not stretch out so much;
- soil moisture control. The soil does not become moldy, and such care practically eliminates the disease “blackleg”;
- Picking work is simplified. The snail simply unfolds and the plants are easily taken out. In this case, the root system is practically not damaged;
- the cost of materials for growing peppers and the possibility of their reuse are reduced.
The only possible drawback may be the stretching of seedlings due to improper care. The reason may be insufficient lighting and waterlogging of the soil.
Having studied the advantages of this method, they begin to plant pepper seedlings.
Preparing and planting seeds
Before planting peppers, the seeds should be prepared first. When sorting seeds that are empty, have a different color, and are small in size, they are selected and discarded. Then several techniques are used to increase germination.
One of them is soaking, which stimulates seed germination. The seeds are placed on a piece of gauze, wrapped and placed in a small container with warm water. To harden them, they are soaked in cold water, replacing it periodically.
Before planting the seeds, they are soaked in water with the addition of microelements. For this, wood ash and potassium permanganate are used. A 1% solution is prepared from wood ash and potassium permanganate and the seeds are soaked in it for about 30 minutes. The source of ultraviolet radiation is the sun's rays or a special lamp. This method helps to obtain high-quality and healthy pepper seedlings.
In order to sow pepper seeds, it is better to disinfect them. Garlic infusion is used for this purpose. 20 grams of crushed garlic are poured with 100 grams of water. The seeds are soaked in this solution for one hour. After this, they should be rinsed with warm water.
The technology for constructing a snail and planting pepper in it is as follows:
- Cut off the required piece of backing material and spread it on the work surface. The width of the stripes is 15-17 cm.
- Toilet paper is laid along the length of the strip. A layer of paper is laid 1.5 cm below the top edge of the substrate. Seeds are sown at this depth for germination. The paper is sprayed with water.
- Pepper seeds are placed at a distance of up to 4 cm from the edge of the strip at intervals of 2 cm. When the planting material is laid, the snail is rolled up.It is important to consider that different varieties of pepper have different germination periods.
- At this stage, the snail is placed in the prepared container, making sure that the seeds are in the upper part. We cover it in film and put it in a warm place. In this way the greenhouse effect is achieved.
- After a few days, we check the snail for seed germination. The seeds should have hatched by now. Place the snail on its side and carefully unwind it. We select ungrown or weak seeds and sprouts and throw them away.
- The prepared soil mixture is laid along the width of the unwound strip. Its layer is 1.5 cm. Compact it and sprinkle with water.
- Roll up the snail again. It turned out to be much wider. If necessary, add soil on top and water generously. It is better to secure the roll with an elastic band, monitoring the compression force so as not to damage the root system of the plants.
- The bottom of the container is covered with sawdust. Place the new snail in place and cover it again with film. After pecking the plants, the box with seedlings is placed in a well-lit place.
- When two leaves appear, the film is removed. It is better to do this gradually, accustoming the seedlings to fresh air. Young plants are kept in the snail until picking.
Picking and planting plants
Picking pepper seedlings from a snail has its own characteristics. Despite the fact that the seeds are planted in the same period and under identical conditions, the seedlings may still turn out to be different. Some peppers may be healthy and strong, while others may be weak and unripe.
In this case, the snail is unwound again and large seedlings are selected. This is easy to do, since the plants are planted far from one another. Roll up the snail again and put it in place.
The video shows what people pay attention to when planting pepper in a snail:
