When to sow pepper seedlings for growing in open ground

Growing peppers from scratch, from sowing seeds to seedlings to harvesting, isn't something even experienced gardeners can tackle, let alone beginners. For some reason, it's considered a very complicated process, although there aren't many nuances involved.

In this article we will look at the main issues related to growing peppers.

Seed preparation

Those looking to buy seeds in specialized stores will find a huge selection. There are regular seeds, hybrids, pelleted seeds, and seeds treated with growth stimulants and fertilizers.

Preparing regular seeds for sowing seedlings involves several stages. The first is sorting. This involves discarding the "empty" seeds. Place the seeds in a glass, add room-temperature water, mix thoroughly, and let them sit for 7-10 minutes.

Any seeds that float to the top can be safely discarded. They are not suitable for further use.

The seeds that have sunk to the bottom should be dried slightly (placing them on a paper towel or kitchen towel to remove excess liquid is sufficient), then placed in the freezer for 3-5 minutes. Now let the seeds rest for a while after the testing, and just before planting, soak them in a medium-strength potassium permanganate solution (the color should be a rich pink). To increase germination, you can also treat the peppers with growth stimulants before planting.

Seeds coated in pellets and pre-treated with all necessary substances are enclosed in a special coating. Soaking and other treatments can damage the coating and render it useless. When purchasing such seeds, carefully read the information on the packaging.

Next, you can plant the seeds in the soil, but many gardeners recommend sprouting the peppers first to increase their germination rate.

There are several options. You can place the seeds on a saucer, lightly moisten them with water, and cover them with plastic wrap or glass. You can also wrap them in wet gauze or a bandage.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

On average, peppers are harvested 100-150 days after germination. To accurately time the seeds for seedlings, you need to know the type of pepper. Early-ripening varieties are planted 65 days before planting, mid-season varieties 70-75 days before planting, and late varieties 75-80 days before planting.

At first glance, the difference is insignificant. But it is of great importance.

Soil preparation

Pepper seedlings are demanding of soil. The soil should be loose and nutritious. Neutral or slightly acidic soils are preferred.

The following are considered the most optimal soil mixture compositions:

• peat, sand and leaf soil in equal proportions;
• one part compost and sand + 2 parts turf;
• 2 parts humus and peat + 1 part river sand;
• natural meadow soil and turf in equal quantities (can be supplemented with a small amount of humus).

But the composition isn't the most important thing. The sterility of the soil shouldn't be forgotten either.

When purchasing ready-made soil mixes from stores, choose reputable manufacturers. Homemade soil will undergo additional disinfection, while store-bought soil doesn't always have to undergo such treatment. If it was sterilized before being sold, additional disinfection could simply destroy some of its beneficial components. Keep this in mind.

Soil disinfection can be accomplished by keeping it in a water bath for 7 to 20 minutes, or by placing it in the freezer for 40 to 60 minutes.

Sowing

Peppers have a weak root system, so transplanting is quite difficult. Experienced gardeners plant seeds directly into individual pots or cups (the optimal size is 10 cm in diameter and 12-15 cm deep). Peat pellets can also be used.

Yes, you will still have to transplant it into larger containers, but this way the root system of the sprout will be hidden in a large lump of earth and will not be damaged.

Don't bury the seeds; instead, spread them over the surface of pre-moistened soil using tweezers. Space them 1.5-2 cm apart.

Then they just need to be carefully pressed into the soil and covered with film or glass until the seedlings appear.

Peat pellets can also be used. For peppers, the ideal size is 3 cm in diameter. Place the pellets in a tray, cover with warm water, and leave to soak. Drain off any excess water. Make a hole in each pellet about 1 cm deep, cover with soil, and cover with plastic wrap.

Peppers are also conveniently grown in trays. Plastic containers of various diameters and designed to hold various numbers of seedlings are available at any gardening store. We recommend choosing ones with a tray and a transparent lid. This way, you'll have more than just a seedling container, but your own mini greenhouse, adapted for bottom watering (water is poured into the tray).

You can place either soil mixture or peat tablets in the cells.

Caring for seedlings

You can forget about the seedlings until they sprout. This will take approximately 7-10 days.

Then the covering should be removed and the seedlings moved to a well-lit area. Remember, no matter how good the lighting, it cannot replace natural light.

Seedlings are most often placed on windowsills. This is the best option in terms of lighting, but it's important to understand that this is a place where two temperatures combine: the heat from the radiator and the cold radiating from the window itself.

If you decide to grow near a window, it's best to raise the seedling trays away from the sill. You can place them on a hanging shelf or construct a support.

After germination, the seedlings begin hardening off. To do this, the air temperature is lowered to 15-17 degrees Celsius for a week. Afterward, a stable temperature is maintained: 22-25 degrees Celsius during the day and 18-20 degrees Celsius at night.

For normal development, sprouts need a sufficient amount of oxygen, so the room should be ventilated regularly. However, during this time, it is advisable to move the containers with peppers to another room so that they do not die from drafts and cold air.

Watering seedlings

Regardless of whether the seeds are sown in soil or in peat tablets, they are well moistened beforehand, so watering is not necessary for a couple of days after the seedlings appear.

This procedure is performed for the first time after the cotyledon leaves open. The water should be settled and at a temperature of at least 30 degrees Celsius.

Peppers don't tolerate drought well, but maintaining soil moisture isn't the only thing you need. Regular air humidification is also essential (the optimal humidity is 60-70%).

Top dressing

Many gardeners, especially beginners, make a common mistake. Seeing that seedlings aren't appearing on time or are developing slowly, they resort to using multiple growth stimulants or other products, thereby ruining the plant. It's important to understand that peppers grow very slowly and can sometimes appear wilted before the first flower buds appear.

Fertilizing the root system of seedlings is carried out once, by diluting 5 ml of potassium humate in 2 liters of water.

This can be done at the age of 10-14 days.

The next fertilization is carried out during the flowering period. To do this, dissolve one gram of manganese sulfate and one gram of iron sulfate in 10 liters of water, add 1.7 g of boric acid, and 0.2 g of zinc sulfate.

Pinching

Pinching is a necessary step in growing pepper seedlings. This is done to stimulate root development and encourage the emergence of side shoots from the buds, which will eventually produce flowers.

Pinching is done when the seedlings are actively developing. Using sharp scissors, carefully trim off the portion of the plant located above the 4th to 6th internode.

After this, lateral shoots will begin to actively form. After 10-14 days, remove the weakest ones, leaving no more than six of the strongest shoots on the plant.

Backlight

The difficulties in growing pepper seedlings are largely due to the plant's long growing season. Daylight hours during sowing are still short, so supplemental lighting is essential. For proper development, seedlings must receive sufficient light—at least 12-14 hours per day.

Fluorescent lamps are quite common these days, and many people make the mistake of thinking that such light can truly replace daylight. But the fact is that photosynthesis requires a specific spectrum of light:

• red rays are responsible for seed germination and normal flowering;
• purple and blue ensure normal cell formation;
• Yellow and green have no significance for the development of the plant.

Therefore, to illuminate seedlings, it's necessary to use special phytolamps, which will ensure normal and healthy plant development. Fluorescent lamps can also be used. The light source should be positioned 20 cm above the top of the plant.

Further illumination is carried out depending on the length of daylight hours.

Picking

Despite the recommendation to initially plant peppers separately, many still continue to plant the seeds together in a common container. In this case, they need to be replanted after two or three true leaves appear.

Before starting the process, the soil should be thoroughly moistened. Then, transfer the seedling, along with the root ball, to a prepared pot filled with nutritious soil mixture. Be careful with the roots. They should have ample space. Damage or kinking can cause the death of the entire plant.

After transplanting, the seedlings need to be protected. To do this, maintain a stable air temperature (avoid fluctuations between day and night) and protect them from direct sunlight.

Seedling diseases

Peppers can suffer not only after transplanting into the ground, but also during the cultivation of seedlings.

If, during the cotyledon leaf formation phase, the sprout begins to turn yellow, the stem darkens, and collapses, the cause is most likely "blackleg." This is a fungal disease transmitted through the soil. The main cause is insufficient soil disinfection. The pathogen can also spread from a diseased plant to a healthy one through tools or containers. The disease can be identified by a distinctive constriction on the stem. If you see it, there's no doubt about it. Affected plants should be removed, and the soil should no longer be used.

It should be noted that seedlings initially placed separately are at less risk than those densely sown in a common container.

If seedlings begin to lag in growth, or if partial wilting is observed, but the leaves do not change color, fusarium wilt may be the cause. This can be identified by breaking the stem. An infected plant will have a brown ring inside. In more advanced cases, the leaf will still begin to change color, but it turns yellow from the bottom up, away from the stem.

Affected plants are removed, and as a preventative measure, thorough disinfection of the soil, containers and tools used is carried out, as well as mandatory disinfection of seeds.

Signs of powdery mildew include white spots and a coating on the stems and leaves. Seedling growth slows, and leaves may begin to turn yellow. Plants can be saved if measures are taken promptly. For this purpose, seedlings are treated with special bacterial fungicides.

Lately, there have been increasing complaints about a disease that literally wipes out seedlings overnight. The seedlings, which delighted the owner in the evening, are healthy and strong, but by morning they're wilted and completely withered. It looks as if they've been doused with boiling water. The exact nature of this disease is currently unknown. One thing is clear: these seedlings cannot be saved, and it's best not to use the soil after their removal.

Hardening

When the seedlings reach a height of 20-25 cm, have 7-9 leaves, and large buds, you can begin preparing them for transplanting into open ground. The most important thing is to harden them off.

To do this, the seedlings are moved to a room with a temperature of 16-18 degrees Celsius for a short period of time, gradually increasing the temperature. Afterwards, the temperature can be lowered to 13 degrees Celsius and the daily treatments can be continued.

Once the peppers have acclimated to the temperature fluctuations, they need to be exposed to direct sunlight. The time period should also gradually increase.

Three to five days before planting, you can leave the seedlings outside overnight, but only if the air is still very cold. The hardening process takes about two weeks.

Preparing the garden bed

To get a good pepper harvest, you need to take care not only of the seedlings, but also of the garden bed where they will eventually be transplanted.

The area should be protected from wind and direct sunlight, but it should not be located in a lowland or in the shade.

According to crop rotation rules, beans, cucumbers, root vegetables, or greens should be grown before peppers. Peppers should not be planted in the same spot twice in a row; they also grow poorly after tomatoes, eggplants, and tobacco.

Peppers prefer fertile, loose soil that retains moisture well and allows air to pass through. To achieve this, add sawdust, manure, and peat moss when digging in the fall.

In the spring, the soil should be thoroughly loosened with a rake. It's a good idea to add a cup of wood ash and a teaspoon of urea per square meter beforehand. If the area is completely depleted, also sprinkle a tablespoon of potassium and superphosphate on it.

After a couple of weeks, the bed should be watered with a hot solution of mullein (half a kilo per 10 liters of water) or sodium humate (a tablespoon per 10 liters of water).

Planting in the ground

By the time they're transplanted to their permanent location, the pepper should have 8-10 leaves and several formed buds. Depending on the variety, the seedling can reach 20-25 cm in height. Air temperature is also important. At night, it shouldn't drop below 16-18 degrees Celsius.

The holes are placed at a distance of 50 cm from each other, the distance between rows should be 60 cm wide.

For depth and width, use the size of the root system as a guide. It should be free-flowing, and the root collar should be at the level of the soil.

Place a spoonful of mineral fertilizer in each hole and add about 3-4 liters of water. Then carefully cover the stem with soil.

It's best to plant in the afternoon. The seedlings may be weak during the first few days, and some may even wilt. Don't disturb them. This is the adaptation period.

Pepper care

A couple of days after planting outdoors, you can begin watering. Use only settled water, applying 1-2 liters per root. This should be done every 2-3 days, or daily during dry spells. It's best to water in the evening. If the leaves begin to dry out, you can mist them at night.

It is better not to disturb the soil around the holes for the first two weeks, so as not to damage the root system, but after that, the procedure should be regular.

Two weeks after planting, the first root system feeding is performed. This is done using slurry (diluted 1:4 with water) or bird droppings (1:15). Carefully rake the soil away from the plant, apply the fertilizer, and bury it on top. This provides a two-in-one solution—fertilization and loosening.

Peppers need additional feeding during the fruiting period. Cow manure and bird droppings can be used, but for additional benefits, ammonium nitrate can also be used (see package for instructions).

When using ready-made store-bought fertilizers, it is recommended to choose those containing a minimal amount of chlorine or none at all.

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Reviews

Natalia Nikolaevna, 49 years old

I've lived in my house since childhood, and for as long as I can remember, we've always bought ready-made pepper seedlings. We grew tomatoes and eggplants ourselves, but we didn't take any risks with this one. It's actually not as scary as it seems, and the peppers are so delicious if you grow them from scratch right through to harvest. Yes, you have to worry about lighting, fertilizing, and other important aspects, but it's worth it.

Sergey Ivanovich, 58 years old

My wife has been trying to grow pepper seedlings herself for several years now. It's just not working. Whether she's choosing the wrong varieties or there's some other reason, I don't know, but once the seedlings reach 10-15 cm, they simply start to wilt and die. We have to buy ready-made ones.

Bell peppers are a favorite in every family. Growing them yourself means you can be confident in their quality and eco-friendliness. And growing your own peppers from seed to harvest is a true achievement. Be sure to give it a try. It's a rewarding endeavor.