Care for pepper seedlings after germination at home: rules for growing and keeping

So, it is obvious that you wondered how to grow pepper seedlings at home and want to get a detailed answer.

Let's say that you have already sown seeds pepper in seedling containers and wait for shoots. Or you have already waited and want to know what to do next, how to care for it correctly = grow, in order to end up with strong seedlings of peppers. So this material is for you.

However, even if you only getting ready or about to plant, then in this article you will also find all the necessary information on the correct sowing of pepper seeds for seedlings.

Well, it's time to act!

By the way! Some people think that growing pepper seedlings is even easier than tomato seedlings.

How to pick a good variety of sweet peppers

If you haven’t decided yet which variety to choose, you don’t know what will suit you, then now is the time. There are a lot of proven varieties of pepper.

Note! The site already has several detailed review articles about the most popular and best varieties of sweet peppers, which will definitely help you make the right choice:

• The best varieties of sweet bell peppers for outdoor and greenhouse cultivation.
• The most popular yellow and orange peppers.

Video: pepper seeds - how to choose the right varieties

How to properly plant peppers for seedlings

Let's say that you have selected and purchased a suitable strain. Further, the sequence of actions is as follows:

• determine the timing of sowing;
• to carry out pre-sowing preparation and seed treatment;
• choose a planting container and buy (prepare) soil;
• directly correctly plant the seeds in the seed containers.

When to Sow Seeds: Optimal Sowing Times

Perhaps the most popular question that worries absolutely all novice gardeners. And it requires special attention. Several factors affect the sowing time, which you must take into account.

By the way! The site already has a detailed article about how to correctly calculate the timing of sowing pepper for seedlings, including indicated favorable days for planting in 2020, according to the lunar calendar.

Seed preparation for sowing seedlings

One of the most important ingredients for a successful pepper planting is pre-sowing preparation of seeds.

Advice! The most complete information on the methods of processing and germinating pepper seeds you'll find in this article.

How to sow seeds for seedlings correctly

And now the time has passed when you can sow seeds for seedlings. The planting material is ready, but a couple of questions remain.

How to choose containers? What is the best soil to use? Do I need to disinfect it and what is better? How deep and at what distance to plant?

Note! About, how to sow pepper seeds for seedlings correctly, described in great detail in this material.

How to grow pepper seedlings at home: care rules

Still, most likely you're here for this paragraph.

In order to eventually grow a full-fledged and strong pepper seedling, you should familiarize yourself with the basic rules for caring for seedlings. This will help eliminate serious mistakes, especially the slow growth of seedlings and their pulling.

So, after sowing the seeds, it is recommended to periodically ventilate the container and remove the condensate from the cover (film). You will see the first shoots within 7-10 days.

Video: ucourse for seedlings of peppers - from seedlings to picking

Content temperature

When the seedlings become friendly, it is recommended to rearrange the container on the window sill (or under phytolamps) and lower the temperature regime for several days (3-5) (to + 20-22 during the day and + 14-16 degrees at night).

Such a measure will reduce the active growth of the green mass (seedlings will not stretch) and will allow the roots to develop.

In the future, for the stable growth of the aerial part of the pepper seedlings, not to the detriment of the development of the root system, day air temperature should be within + 22-26 degrees, and at night - + 16-20 degrees... Optimal soil temperature - about +20 degrees.

Important! As mentioned earlier, pepper seedlings are very sensitive to heat, lowering the temperature below +12 degrees can have a very detrimental effect on young plants (they will simply begin to die).

Lighting

Pepper is a plant short daylight hours.

Therefore, in order for the seedlings to fully develop, daylight hours should be only about 9-10 hours.

Interesting! Pepper does not stretch when there is a lack of light, but simply stops developing.

Since sowing for seedlings occurs early enough, then, of course, it is optimal to place the seedlings on the southern windowsill, but a western or eastern window is also suitable (even better if it is a southwest or southeast).

Advice! Every 2 days follows turn the seedlings upside down to the window so that the seedlings do not stretch to one side.

In this case, the seedlings of pepper on the windowsill, as a rule, will have enough natural light, in other words, you do not need to turn on additional lighting (phytolamps).

However, if your the windows face north or you often have cloudy weather, then you cannot do without additional illumination of seedlings.

Note!The optimum temperature in sunny weather is + 24-26 degrees, in cloudy - + 20-22 degrees. In other words, the lack of light must be compensated for by a decrease in temperature.

Watering and moisture

To water pepper seedlings at home should onlywhen the topsoil dries up, avoiding overflow and drying out of the earth (especially wilting of plants).

Water for watering pepper seedlings should be settled (or filtered) and warm (+ 25-30 degrees) or at least room temperature.

Watering itself must be done carefully, along the edge of the containerso as not to put the plants (when the seedlings are still young, it is convenient to do this with an enema). In this case, it is necessary to water so that the soil is completely saturated with moisture.

Any excess moisture should be released through the drain holes.

Picking

Advice! The site already has a separate article about when and how to dive pepper seedlings.

How to care for seedlings after picking

Further care for pepper seedlings is similar: you need to maintain temperature and light conditions, as well as watering on time and, if necessary, start feeding.

Top dressing

Top dressing is an important element of caring for pepper seedlings at home. However, if you originally used nutrient soil, then, as a rule, you can do without additional fertilization. If the appearance of the seedlings causes concern, then feeding is simply necessary, it will help the plant to develop normally.

Advice! If your young plantsneed additional nutritionthen all information about feeding pepper seedlings you'll findin this article.

For the first time, pepper seedlings should be fed in the phase of 3-4 true leaves, i.e. after a pick, most often after 7-10 days.

What can you pour pepper seedlings with to make them strong?

In the seedling period (after picking), the pepper is picky about:

• phosphorus nutrition (for the growth of the root system);
• nitrogen fertilizer (for green mass);
• small amounts of potassium are almost always needed by plants.

Thus, almost immediately after the pick, fertilization should be performed with fertilizer with a high phosphorus content, and a little later, a couple of times, with nitrogen and potassium fertilizers.

Micronutrients complement the action of macronutrients. So, pepper requires:

• iron and especially magnesium (for photosynthesis);
• calcium (to strengthen the stems and root system).

You can also feed the seedlings with humic fertilizers, for example, Potassium humate.

Important! Before feeding, the seedlings should be watered to improve the availability of nutrients and prevent root burns.

Against stretching (overgrowing) of seedlings, you can use fertilizer, or rather, the growth stimulator "Athlete".

By the way! Concerning frequency of feeding pepper seedlings, then, as a rule, it is recommended to do this 1 time in 10-14 days, although experienced gardeners advisecarry out top dressing at every watering, reducing the recommended dose (written in the instructions) by 3-4 times.

Preparation for planting in the ground - hardening of seedlings

Since the seedlings are grown at home, before planting seedlings in open ground, they should first be adapted to the more severe environmental conditions (for example, to sudden temperature changes, direct sunlight, etc.) so that after transplanting it does not get into a strong stressful situation.

To do this, 2 weeks before planting the seedlings in a permanent place, in open ground, you should start preparing it, in other words, harden it.

At first, you can simply open the window, and then put the seedlings on a balcony or loggia in direct sunlight, in a greenhouse or on the street (where the temperature is about + 12-16 degrees), gradually increasing the time (starting from 30 minutes).

This procedure will help strengthen the immunity of plants, adapt them to more severe external conditions.

Video: caring for pepper seedlings - from picking to planting

When and how to plant pepper seedlings in open ground: optimal timing

Planting pepper seedlings in a permanent place should only be when the threat of recurrent frosts will pass, and the air temperature stabilizes at +15 degrees, regardless of the time of day. Wherein the soil should warm up to at least +10, and better up to + 12..15 degrees.

By the way! The site already has a separate article about when and how to properly plant pepper seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse, which also gives advice on choosing a place on the site and preparing the garden.

Thus, even a novice summer resident can grow pepper seedlings at home. You just need to follow all the rules and recommendations for choosing a variety, pre-sowing seed preparation, planting, care, which includes the creation of suitable temperature and light conditions (regime), timely watering and picking, as well as top dressing as needed. Strong seedlings and a rich harvest!

Video: how to grow strong pepper seedlings