When to plant peppers in open ground so they don't freeze

Traditionally, Russian gardeners plant sweet pepper seedlings in open ground from late May to mid-June. More precise timing is determined by taking into account several factors: the pepper variety, its growing season, weather conditions, and the region's climate. A sudden rain after planting seedlings can cause a cold snap, a drop in temperature, and subsequent frosts. Under these conditions, peppers should not be planted in open beds. Frozen seedlings will need to be rescued. Not all frozen plants will survive this ordeal. However, there are effective ways to save young seedlings.

Timing for planting pepper seedlings in open ground

The main factors to consider when determining the timing of transplanting pepper seedlings to open beds:

1. Growing season. This depends on the plant's varietal characteristics. There are early, mid-season, and late varieties, and two options for this. In the first case, seeds are sown at different times, that is, from early February to mid-March, with intervals of 2-3 weeks. These seedlings can be planted simultaneously in mid-May or early June. The second option involves sowing pepper seeds at the same time, with the fruits ripening at different times (in February). In the spring, these seedlings are planted at the same time, but separately: early varieties in the first ten days of May, mid-season varieties 2-3 weeks later, and late varieties a month later.
2. Regional climate and weather. In Siberia and the Urals, climatic conditions and sudden temperature fluctuations make it difficult to grow peppers in open beds. Here, gardeners prefer to plant seedlings in greenhouses. In the Moscow region and the Volga region, weather conditions are slightly better, but even here, a warm shelter is essential, at least during the risk of recurrent frosts. Vegetable growers planted in open ground Pepper varieties that can withstand minimum nighttime temperatures down to +8°C to +10°C. The typical time for planting peppers is the first ten days of June. The most favorable climates for growing sweet and hot peppers without shelter are Crimea, the Caucasus, and the Krasnodar Territory.
   Plants of various growing seasons have time to fully mature and bear fruit over the long summer. They are not at risk of frost; cold snaps are rare in these regions during the planting season. All seedlings can be planted here by the end of May.
3. Air temperature. Peppers are a heat-loving crop. This plant thrives in warmth and does not tolerate sudden temperature drops. Optimal conditions for normal growth and development of seedlings are 18°C ​​to 25°C. If the weather turns cool and there is a risk of recurrent frost, the planted plants need to be rescued immediately. Fragile seedlings should not be allowed to freeze and die. Read on to learn what to do before and after frost.

Gardeners who take these three conditions into account for successful pepper cultivation outdoors always get good harvests. However, even experienced vegetable growers are not immune to the vagaries of nature.

Method for determining the risk of recurrent frosts

To determine for themselves whether there will be frosts during the seedling planting period, gardeners should closely monitor the weather during these days:

• after a warm sunny day, in the evening hours (from 7 p.m.) the air temperature drops sharply;
• there is no wind, the sky is not covered by clouds;
• The air is clean but cool, you can feel the cold.

Under these conditions, there's a real risk of soil freezing. At night, seedlings can freeze without a special insulating cover or other protective measures. However, if the wind picks up before nightfall, the sky becomes overcast, and dew falls, frost will pass them by.

Symptoms and causes of seedling freezing

In frozen pepper seedlings, signs appear immediately: the leaves become wilted and damp, covered with dark spots.

The stems darken and develop mold. The seedlings appear lifeless and droop toward the ground. These symptoms are caused by the following:

• the seedlings were transplanted into the ground too early; the air temperature was below the minimum recommended for planting (+10°);
• the pepper bushes are planted in a shaded area, they lack light and warmth;
• cold water was used during irrigation;
• the plant is experiencing a deficiency of nutrients necessary for normal growth.

The severity of frost damage to pepper seedlings depends on the duration of exposure to adverse factors. Plants exposed to frost for an extended period (1-2 weeks) are unlikely to be saved. Temperatures dropping to below freezing (-0°C) pose an even greater risk. Recovery will be lengthy and not always effective.

Methods of protecting seedlings from recurrent frosts

To reduce the susceptibility of seedlings to sudden cold snaps and for preventative purposes, seeds and seedlings are hardened:

1. Hardening the seeds. After soaking, place the pepper seeds in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator once every three days. Initially, for 10-15 minutes, gradually increasing the time. Repeat this procedure 2-3 times.
2. Hardening off seedlings. A month before transplanting into the ground, the seedlings are also hardened off. Young plants are placed on a balcony or other cooler location than the room. The frequency is identical to the first method.
3. To increase the frost resistance of seedlings, they are sprayed with solutions of microelements or humic fertilizers.

If the threat of significant cold weather looms over already planted plants, more effective measures must be taken:

1. Smoke-proofing the area. Place small piles of damp firewood or sawdust, peat, pine needles, and plant waste in the corners of the beds. The fire should not burn too brightly. The small fires will generate smoke, thereby slowing the spread of cold. This measure is best used in calm weather.
2. Sprinkler irrigation. This method has long been known to gardeners. Moisture can delay soil freezing, which then releases heat to plants at night. Water generously (2x normal irrigation) at the base of the seedlings and over the entire surface of the bed. Irrigation is carried out during the day.
3. Additional shelter. This method uses covering material made from a variety of available materials: double-layered polyethylene film with layers of straw, reeds, or moss. Some gardeners even keep homemade shelters made from plastic bottles for such occasions. These can be used for several seasons.

In greenhouses, pepper seedlings are warmed using potbelly stoves and hot water tanks. If electricity is available, the room is heated with electric furnaces and space heaters.

Gardeners have secrets that also help in the fight to retain heat: planting seedlings 2-5 cm deeper than the recommended depth, loosening the soil, and hilling up young seedlings. In critical situations, it is recommended to use all available methods simultaneously. None of these methods will do any harm in protecting seedlings from the cold.

Prevention and treatment

Predicting or determining when frosts will return is quite difficult, as the weather can change at any moment. Therefore, it's essential to protect seedlings from the possibility of frost as much as possible. Preventative measures are provided for this purpose.

Insulation of beds

Warm soil protects seedlings from freezing at night. During the day, the soil absorbs heat from the sun's rays and releases it to the plants at night. Gardeners make high, warm beds themselves from scrap materials: boards, pieces of slate, construction waste, and bricks.

Compost, leaves, plant scraps, paper, and small tree stumps are used as fillers. Here's a simple way to create insulated beds for pepper seedlings:

• mark out the area with the most convenient bed dimensions: 6x1 or 5x0.8 m;
• remove soil from the entire surface to the depth of a shovel blade;
• store fertile soil on one side of the site;
• knock together a frame of boards to fit the dimensions of the bed, install it and secure it with pegs;
• fill the finished bed with heating elements.

Place large wood scraps, such as stumps and large branches, on the bottom. Next, add paper waste, such as books, magazines, and newspapers. The next layers will be shredded shrub branches, leaves, and compost. Add fertile soil to a depth of up to 20 cm on top.

Arches should be attached to the frame to hold the polyethylene film in place in May and until the cold weather subsides. The film should be easily removed and reattached for easy care of the seedlings.

Sprinkling

If the weather forecast predicts a short-term cold spell with a slight drop in temperature to 0°C, then sprinkling will be an effective method of protection.

This is done in the early evening using a fine-mesh watering can or a hose with a spray nozzle. The water stream should be gentle to prevent soil erosion. The moisture that falls on the soil protects it from cooling. At night, the soil begins to release heat, warming the surface of the beds and protecting the roots.

For more effective protection, an insulating cover is stretched over the plants. Moisture heated by the soil settles on the cover and warms the upper part of the pepper seedlings. During the day, the cover is removed and the plants are ventilated. It should be noted that this method cannot be used at temperatures below -1°C (1°F) and below.

Fertilization

Pepper seedlings are fed according to a specific schedule at intervals of 10-14 days. However, during cold periods, plants require more energy, which is quickly absorbed by the seedlings for their own warmth.

During cold weather, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are added to the seedling beds. Peat or rotted manureNitrogen comes into contact with the soil, and these reactions release a huge amount of heat. This heat is capable of warming all seedlings from freezing, but a certain amount must not be exceeded to avoid burning the seedlings.

Young seedlings will absorb as many nutrients as they need to stay warm. Avoid placing mulch near the seedling's stems. During the day, if the sun begins to warm, carefully rake the mulch away from the main stem to allow the warmth to reach the plant's roots.

Restoring frozen peppers

Due to life's circumstances, it's sometimes impossible to take preventative measures in advance. And then gardeners are faced with a sad sight: a bed of peppers, with only stems and drooping, curled leaves, resembling wet rags.

It seems all is lost, nothing can be saved. Don't give up, because it's possible that some of the seedlings can still be restored. And that's exactly what these resilient gardeners are doing:

• water the seedlings with cold water so that the plant thaws gradually;
• spray the bushes with anti-stress preparations (Epin-extra, Ecogel, Antistress, Zircon);
• Leaves that cannot be cured are trimmed 5-6 cm from the main stem. This "stump" will prevent the damaged tissue from spreading and will preserve the fruit ovaries at the junction of the leaf and stem.

Not all seedlings will survive the severe cold snap, but there is a chance that the measures taken by gardeners will help save some of the seedlings.

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In a temperate climate plant pepper seedlings in open ground Sowing should be done between June 4th and 14th, when frosts are no longer a concern. It's important to plan and implement measures to protect heat-loving plants like sweet peppers from cold snaps. The weather is unpredictable, and snowfalls can occur even in June. Let's not rely on nature's mercy and take responsibility for preserving our seedlings into our own hands.