Planting pepper seedlings in March – a step-by-step guide for beginners

To ensure a bountiful pepper harvest, plant seedlings on favorable days according to the lunar calendar. There are 12 such days in March 2024. Conversely, avoid working on unfavorable dates—there are six. All other dates are neutral. They are generally suitable, but don't expect any extraordinary results.

Phases of the Moon

The waxing moon phase is best for planting peppers. However, since the days before and after the New Moon and Full Moon are considered unfavorable, we are left with March 12th through 23rd. These are the best dates in March for our work.

Now let's look at which days are the "worst" in our case:

• 9-11, 24-26.

All others are neutral.

The region in which the gardener lives

Local climate plays a crucial role in planting. By the time the seedlings are ready to be transplanted into the ground, favorable weather conditions must have set in. Springs in the Central Russian region (including the Moscow region) and the Volga region are typically damp and protracted, with a gradual increase in temperatures.

1. Here, seeds of early pepper varieties are sown from mid-March, with the intention of planting them in a permanent location in May.
2. Mid-season - in the middle of the first month of spring.
3. Late ripening – from the end of February to the beginning of March.

In the Northwest (including the Leningrad Region), as well as in the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East, the weather is unstable, so a greenhouse is a lifesaver for gardeners. It protects seedlings from temperature fluctuations and night frosts, which remain possible until mid-June. Peppers are planted throughout March, with the understanding that they should be transplanted indoors. Late-season varieties are the first to ripen, followed by mid-season varieties, and the earliest ones are planted at the end of the month.

If you live in the regions listed above and want to grow peppers outdoors, it's too early to sow early varieties and hybrids in March, mid-season varieties can be sown at the very end of the month, and late-season varieties can be sown starting on the 20th.

Taking into account the varietal qualities, what do we have here?

There are (as you may have seen above):

• early maturing - ripens in 80-100 days;
• mid-season - in 115-130 days;
• late-ripening – after 140+ days.

Early-ripening pepper varieties are sown later, while late-ripening ones are sown earlier to ensure harvesting before autumn frosts. In colder regions of Russia, late-ripening and many mid-season varieties are grown exclusively in greenhouses.

Information about the variety and the approximate planting time is indicated on the packaging. Then, use a lunar calendar to determine the exact date to plant.

Rules - what and how to do, step by step for beginners

It's best to buy seeds just before planting, as they quickly lose viability. It's recommended to soak them in a solution of water and potassium permanganate for 20-25 minutes beforehand. To prevent different varieties from getting mixed up, wrap each one in a cloth or gauze, secure with thread, and label it. After a few hours, remove the cloths, wring them out, and rinse until clean.

After this, place the seeds in a warm place to germinate. Just remember to open them periodically and ventilate them. When the first sprouts appear, you can safely transplant the seeds into pots filled with soil. For peppers, it's best to use peat pots and sow the seeds individually to avoid disturbing the seedlings before planting them outdoors (yes, I'm talking about transplanting; it's best not to do that).

Growing peppers is a labor-intensive process. It requires a great deal of patience and adherence to specific techniques.

The main thing is to remember 3 basic rules:

1. If the seed is planted deeply and not watered enough, it will be in dry soil, which will adversely affect further growth and development.
2. The room where the seedling containers are kept should have a temperature no lower than 20 degrees Celsius. Water gradually evaporates after watering, and the soil temperature drops. The seedlings could freeze.
3. Choose a soil for planting that contains as little peat as possible, as it acidifies the soil. It's best to prepare the soil in advance, filling the containers with soil in the fall. A mixture of humus, river sand, and wood ash is suitable.

After planting, you can cover the pots with plastic wrap, removing it after 3-7 days. The first shoots will appear in 7-15 days (depending on the variety). The soil should be sprayed with water every two days. Good light and temperature control are essential for successful seedling growth.

This is done when the plant has two good leaves. Potted seedlings should be watered thoroughly and allowed to drain. After this, the seedling is removed from the soil and transplanted into a separate container with a capacity of 100-150 ml. To avoid damaging the roots, they are not removed from the soil but transferred along with the root ball.

When replanting, it's important to only deepen the root collar 5 mm into the soil. If the soil settles, add more soil to the cups.

Potential difficulties

Peppers prefer light, nutritious soil with low acidity. Therefore, the main difficulty in growing them is commercially purchased soil. It can contain a lot of peat instead of humus, making it too acidic for peppers.

Seeds may germinate in such soil, but the seedlings stop growing and die. Another problem is blackleg. This plagues many gardeners: the grown seedlings fall over as if mown down. To prevent the disease, you need to:

• use good, uncontaminated soil;
• Do not plant too often, sow in rows, not scattered.
• do not over-moisten the substrate excessively;
• maintain the room temperature regime.