Picking pepper seedlings: terms and rules for transplanting

Many consider pepper to be a rather capricious and pampered heat-loving plant that does not tolerate a pick. Indeed, there is some truth in this, but this only suggests that you should carry out the procedure more carefully and consciously (than when picking the same tomatoes).

Next, you will learn about when and how to properly dive pepper seedlings so that the transplant is as painless as possible for the plants, they quickly recovered and continued to develop.

What is pepper picking and is it necessary to carry it out

As a rule, under a dive is meant planting (transplanting or transshipment) of grown seedlings from a common planting tank, where the seeds were sown, into separate (individual) and large pots (cups).

In short, picking is a plant transplant on a large feeding area.

Generally, the essence of the pick in order for the plant to develop better, namely, its root system gradually assimilated more and more volumes of soil.

However, it is worth knowing that pepper negatively transfers any damage to the roots and recovers for a long time after transplanting, so the pick should be done very carefully.

Is it possible to grow peppers seedlings without picking

On the Internet and among some summer residents, you can find the opinion that pepper does not tolerate picking well, which means that it is better to grow it without it at all. This is not entirely true.

Indeed, peppers tolerate transplanting more painfully than the same tomatoeshowever, this does not mean at all that the pick is not necessary.

However, you can try growing pepper seedlings without picking. To do this, you need to immediately sow the seeds in separate sufficiently large containers (400-500 ml). After the seedlings grow a little, leave the strongest and most promising seedling, and remove the rest. Then grow and care as for ordinary seedlings.

It is worth considering that such seedlings, most likely, will not develop very quickly, because young roots will fill the pot very slowly, the undeveloped soil will acidify, you will have to carefully monitor its waterlogging.

When to dive pepper seedlings: optimal timing

As a rule, pepper picking is carried out in the phase 2 real leaves (+ 2-3 cotyledons).

Moreover, the picking of seedlings can be carried out when the first pair of true leaves is just starting to form (as in the picture below).

How long does it take on average?

From the moment sowing seeds pepper picks should take an average of 3-4 weeks. And if you count from the moment of germination, then 2-3 weeks (for the appearance of which it is usually laid about a week).

Advice! However, you should not count the days - first of all, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the plant: the number of leaves and the general condition (whether they are crowded).

If we talk about the timing, then, for example, you sowed the peppers at the end of February, therefore, the seedlings will be ready for picking around the second half or third decade of March.

Important! It is not worth delaying the moment of picking, otherwise the plant's root system will simply cease to have enough nutrition (roots may overlap) and space for normal development.

How to dive pepper seedlings correctly: preparatory measures

So, the pepper seedlings have a pair of real leaves, which means that the time has come for picking it. However, before proceeding with the direct transplant, it is worthwhile to properly prepare for the procedure: prepare the soil, choose a container (cups, pots) suitable for picking, and also buy a couple of useful drugs (which, most likely, you already have).

Soil preparation

The soil mixture for picking pepper can be used in the same way as for sowing seeds: loose and light in structure, neutral in acidity, but narrower slightly more fertile... Therefore, now you can add humus to it and wood ash, i.e. make it more nutritious.

As a rule, the soil mixture is made on the basis of peat with the addition of sand.

Of course, you can still buy ready-made soil for growing vegetable seedlings (or, if you find, special soil for peppers).

And do not forget to disinfect, and this should be done both with a self-prepared potting mix and with a purchased one.

You can disinfect the soil in the following ways:

• Ignite the soil - steam in the oven, steam or in the microwave.
• Spill with a solution of potassium permanganate (not very effective) or a more modern biological product Fitosporin .

Better yet, do both (first ignite, then cool and spill).

Container for picking

For picking pepper seedlings, 400-500 ml cups or pots are suitable. You can also dive into seedling cassettes. In general, use what is convenient for you!

Note! If for picking you take a container of a smaller volume (for example, 200-300 ml), then after a while you may need to carry out another transplant (by the transfer method).

And don't forget to do it in new planting containers drain holes to drain excess moisture. Or you can pour 1-2cm drainage layer from expanded clay. And you can do both (if you so desire), but this is not at all necessary.

Dive into boxes

In general, peppers can also be dived into large-volume common containers (boxes). Indeed, it is even more convenient for many gardeners to care for seedlings.

The most important thing is to plant the seedlings at a sufficient distance from each other. As a rule, optimal placement scheme - 7-8 cm, and it is desirable to unpack exactly staggered.

Seedling preparation

2-4 hours before picking, it is recommended to shed seedlings abundantly with warm water, so that the soil does not crumble from the roots when they are transplanted, and the earthen lump was well separated.

Alternative opinion! In order for the seedlings to remain elastic and not break during the pick, on the contrary, it is advisable to slightly dry the soil before the procedure, i.e. water not in 2 hours, but in a day.

To reduce plant stress due to picking, a day before or after (some even recommend doing this even earlier - 2-4 hours before or after the procedure), you can spray the seedlings with a solution of one of the growth regulators - Epin or Zircon (according to instructions).

Step-by-step guide to picking pepper seedlings

Pepper seedlings can be dived in one of two ways: using a classic dive (although in this case the dive is not entirely classical) or by transshipment. In this case, the choice of a particular method depends on where you originally sowed the seeds. If in a common container, then you need to carry out a pick, if in individual cups, then transshipment.

Classic pick

Step-by-step instructions for picking pepper seedlings:

• Fill the diving containers with 3/4 of soil or leave at least 1-2 cm to the edge (so that it is convenient to water and, if necessary, add soil).
• Make grooves in the middle.
• Gently pick up (for example, with a spoon) and take out the seedlings from the common planting container.

It is advisable to dig up the seedlings so that they are with a clod of earth.

Unlike tomatoes, pinch the root by seedlings of peppers can't!

• Place young seedlings in the planting hole, slightly deepening, but not directly to the cotyledon leaves, but leaving a small distance, i.e. about half the stem.

It is believed that pepper is not able to form adventitious roots as actively as the same tomato. Accordingly, with excessive deepening, the plant stem may begin to rot.

However, as practice shows, it is quite possible to deepen the pepper when picking to the cotyledons - no decay usually occurs.

• The roots of the plant should have good contact with the soil, therefore, after transplanting, the soil around the seedling should be lightly pressed and spilled abundantly with warm (room) water.

Instead of ordinary water, for better survival of the seedlings after picking, it can be spilled with a solution of Kornevin, or Heteroauxin.

• Place the cut seedlings in a cooler place, out of direct sunlight. In other words, it is better to remove the containers from the window and put them on the table or somehow shade them directly on the windowsill.

By the way! For prevention black leg and other fungal diseases, you can put a Glyocladin tablet in each container.

Video: how to dive sweet peppers

Transfer (transfer with a clod of earth)

So, if you originally sowed the seeds in individual containers (cups or cassettes), in order to minimize the damage to the root system of the pepper in the future, then you need to transplant it by the transfer method.

Step-by-step instructions for handling pepper seedlings:

Note! The procedure is mostly similar to picking, except for the following points:

• 1-2 days before transplanting, you need to stop all watering of the seedlings, so that you can easily get the seedling along with the earthen lump (it will not fall apart).
• Pour some soil into the container. Leave a place with the expectation that you will put a seedling with an earthen lump there.
• Carefully remove the seedling from the container along with a clod of earth.
• Place the seedling in the center of the container and fill the voids formed on the side with the prepared substrate.

Advantage! As we have already found out, with this method of transplanting the roots are not damaged, which means that they do not need an adaptation period (minimal stress). Therefore, in the case of transshipment, the transplanted pepper seedlings can not be placed at all in a shaded and cooler place, or they can only be placed overnight.

Video: picking and handling pepper seedlings

How to care for pepper seedlings after a pick

Further care for pepper seedlings is similar: you still need to maintain suitable temperature (+ 20-24 during the day and + 16-18 degrees at night) and light regimes (10-12 hours), as well as watering on time and, if necessary, start feeding.

Note! About, how to care for pepper seedlings after germination detailed in this article, and that when and how to feed peppers after picking — in this material.

Video: caring for pepper seedlings from picking to planting

What to do if, after a pick, the development of pepper seedlings slowed down

Many novice gardeners very often complain that the pepper seedlings after the pick stopped growing, as if “frozen”. In fact, this is normal. The pepper "stands still" because the root system is being restored and new roots are growing. Still, picking is quite stressful for any plant, especially for pepper. After 7-10 days, he will grow with even greater strength than before the pick.

However, if the pepper seedlings after the pick continue to sit "as if nothing had happened", then you need to try it feed or try to find errors in the conditions of its containment.

As you can see, in fact, it is not difficult to open the pepper, you just need to do this in a timely manner and as accurately as possible. With good care, the seedlings after the pick will quickly come to their senses and begin to grow even more actively. Good luck!