When to plant peppers in 2021 according to the lunar calendar

When planting bell pepper seedlings in your garden, keep in mind the fussiness of this vegetable crop. They grow more slowly than tomatoes, require almost as much care as cucumbers, and are difficult to recover from transplantation. Pricking out the seedlings requires experience. It's also best to consider favorable and unfavorable days. After the new moon, during the waxing moon, the aboveground part of the plant actively develops. This means damage to the underground part will be less damaging.

Advantages of picking

Although some gardeners, especially those living in warmer regions, plant sweet peppers directly in open ground, most grow seedlings first.

It is transplanted to a permanent location when permanent leaves appear and the shoots reach 10-15 cm. During transplantation, the shoots are transferred to separate containers or greenhouse beds, leaving a gap of 5-8 cm for root development.

Benefits of the procedure:

1. Pricking out peppers is stressful for the plant. Resilient seedlings easily endure this, hardening off and adapting to the adverse conditions they may later experience in the open garden.
2. When transplanted into new soil, plants receive more nutrients.
3. The stems do not stretch out, but become denser, and the bushes become more branched.
4. Weak seedlings are rejected.
5. At the same time, inspect the roots. If they are underdeveloped or rotting, there's time to sow new seeds. This will prevent the surrounding plants from becoming infected with rot.
6. The growth of new leaves accelerates.

Pricking out the plants increases yield and resistance to diseases and pests. Fruit sets are delayed by two weeks, but subsequent care becomes easier. They will be less susceptible to temperature fluctuations, drought, or, conversely, prolonged rainfall.

The likelihood of rotting is reduced.

When picking is dangerous for peppers

Opponents of replanting believe that even on favorable days in 2021, replanting pepper seedlings by pinching the roots is not recommended:

• a capricious garden crop may die;
• long-term adaptation will reduce yield;
• The development of shoots and the formation of ovaries slow down, since 2-3 weeks of the plant's energy are spent on the restoration and growth of roots.

This procedure is especially undesirable for hybrid varieties, as they are weaker. It's best to transplant them to a permanent location along with the root ball.

Opponents of replanting also believe that after picking, boxes or containers with seedlings will take up a lot of space, crowding out other vegetables.

When grown on a windowsill, regenerating seedlings will require more care and attention, including additional lighting. This means increased costs—both time, effort, and money.

Rules for conducting the procedure

Pricking out is usually done when 2-3 permanent leaves have formed. At this time, closely planted seedlings begin to stretch, competing for light and nutrients. If they aren't spaced further apart, they will become weak.

However, you can wait a little, especially when growing expensive, sensitive hybrids, until 5-6 leaves form. However, keep in mind that the older the plants, the more intertwined the roots become. This increases the risk of damage.

Prepare a large, wide tray or individual containers in advance—plastic or peat cups, or cut-up paper bags. Water the soil thoroughly 3-4 hours before planting—this will make it easier to extract the roots.

Prepare a universal substrate, either commercially produced or homemade. You'll need 1 part turf soil, 3 parts compost, and 0.5 parts coarse sand.

The soil should be pre-heated to kill pathogenic bacteria, or watered with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate and phytosporin.

Picking algorithm:

1. Containers are disinfected in a solution of manganese or in boiling water.
2. Fill 2/3 of the volume with soil mixture, compact, water with settled water, warmed up 2-3°C above room temperature.
3. The sprouts are removed by lifting them with a spoon or a pointed peg.
4. It is advisable to first transplant the seedlings with strong roots, and then, if there is space left, the rest.
5. They are transferred to a new location, deepening them no more than 1.5 cm, pinching the tips of the roots by 1/3-2/3.
6. Sprinkle and carefully compact around the stem so as not to damage the delicate roots.
7. Water and place in a bright, warm place, such as a windowsill.

When to plant peppers in 2021 according to the lunar calendar

To be sure determine when to perform the procedureIt's advisable to record the date you sowed the garden crop. Then count the time from the date the first shoots appeared. The phases of the moon should also be taken into account.

The influence of the night light on plant development:

• during the waxing moon, the root system actively supplies nutrients and moisture to the aboveground part;
• full moon - water is retained in the upper part, and when transplanted, the seedlings begin to rot;
• waning - a favorable time for planting and processing root crops;
• new moon - water accumulates in the underground part, dissolving nutrients from the soil.

Picking peppers In 2021, according to the lunar calendar, it is recommended to plant after the new moon. This is also a good time for pinching and removing side shoots from vegetable crops.

In central Russia, including the Volga region and the Moscow region, if no natural disasters are expected, sweet peppers are sown for seedlings in February. This means transplanting will need to begin in March. The new moon falls on March 13, meaning transplanting can be scheduled between the 13th and 22nd and the 26th and 28th. If you didn't manage to transplant in March, you can reschedule the transplanting for April—the 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th, 13th, or 15th-22nd.

If you can't complete all your work during the waxing moon, you should use the zodiac sectors as a guide—they indicate the constellation under which the moon is located. These numbers should be taken into account when growing outdoors and in a greenhouse.

Nothing should be planted under the sign of Aquarius. Scorpio and Taurus favor peppers—both sweet and hot. If you plan to transplant when the Moon is in Aries, the harvest will be good, but it won't keep well. Taurus ensures longevity.

When to plant peppers in different regions

Although breeders are developing new frost-resistant varieties of bell pepper, in regions with cool climates (the Urals and Siberia), it is more often grown in heated greenhouses.

Due to the vagaries of the weather, it simply does not have time to ripen.

If the seedlings were sown in beds in a greenhouse, the air temperature does not affect the time of picking, and you should rely entirely on the gardener's calendar.

In southern regions, seedlings are often planted directly into the ground after pinching. If April is warm, the soil will reach the desired temperature of 15-16°C by mid-month. Temperature fluctuations should also be considered—no more than 4-8°C between dark and daylight hours.

The timing of gardening varies by location, ranging from 2-3 weeks, and even longer in cold springs. However, seedlings of early-ripening varieties can be planted simultaneously in the Central Russian region and the Urals, so pinching should begin at the same time.

However, sometimes inflorescences begin to form in pots or boxes placed on windowsills. If the spring is cold and the soil doesn't have time to warm up, then transplanting them outdoors is postponed.

How do picking times depend on the variety?

Ultra-ripe varieties can be harvested as early as three months after the start of the growing season, early varieties ripen 10 days later, and late varieties begin bearing fruit in mid-autumn. The later the sprouts begin to develop, the later the transplanting and pinching should be done. On average, seedlings are transplanted to the open ground 70-90 days after sowing. Therefore, ultra-ripe and early peppers are planted in late February and then pricked out in the first ten days of March. A month later, they can be transplanted into a garden bed, weather permitting.

If forecasters predict a cold spring with return frosts, all work should be postponed for 2-3 weeks, taking into account the gardener's calendar and the moon phase. Then, transplanting should be postponed until April.

Late-ripening varieties are more resilient; breeders have adapted them to the vagaries of weather, but cultivation considerations must be taken into account. In southern regions, seeds are sown directly into open ground, skipping the picking and transplanting stages.

A plastic cover is installed over the bed, and the seeds are spaced 8-12 cm apart. This will protect the plant from external factors until stable warm weather sets in.

However, if peppers are grown in an unheated greenhouse, the roots are pinched when transplanting the seedlings to the garden bed. The same signs are used as for seedlings of early varieties: the formation of permanent leaves and the timing recommended by the lunar calendar. However, this vegetable crop is planted only in southern regions—in cold climates, it will not have time to ripen.