How to grow pepper seedlings at home without picking

Bell peppers grow in every garden, regardless of climate. In our country, gardeners actively sow their peppers in late winter, which helps them get a high-quality harvest.

Peppers are grown from seedlings due to their long growing season. This vegetable not only needs warmth, but also requires special care. Therefore, it's best not to transplant seedlings.

If pepper grows at home

Pricking out is considered essential when growing from seedlings. This involves not only transplanting the seedlings into different containers but also pinching out the main root. This procedure helps:

•         provide the crop with a large feeding area;
•         discard underdeveloped, infected peppers;
•         regulate the growth of seedlings so that the seedlings do not stretch out;
•         activate the development of lateral roots and the entire root system

Transplanting stresses the plant, so it takes a long time to establish itself in its new location after transplanting. Peppers' root systems are very sensitive. But to grow peppers without transplanting, you need to pay special attention to the containers, planting time, and soil.

How to choose a container?

When transplanting peppers, the seeds are first placed in shared containers. This helps create a favorable climate for all the future seedlings. Furthermore, small peppers don't require a lot of space. Once the seedlings have grown a little, they are placed in individual pots.

What is the method without pricking out? Peppers are planted in different small containers, and then the containers are selected based on their size. Seeds can be sown in small plastic or paper cups or mini-cassettes. These containers should be prepared in advance, depending on the number of peppers. If there are many, two seeds are placed in each container, then the weakest seedling is determined and removed.

The containers for transplanting are also prepared immediately. Transplanting and pricking out are different concepts. The former involves placing the plant in a larger container along with a lump of soil. The root system remains intact, and the plant remains healthy.

Make a hole in the bottom of each cup to allow water to drain from the soil. It's advisable to use trays or stands to prevent the soil from cooling down from windows.

Peat pots and tablets are popular today. The former is convenient because you can immediately transplant the seedlings into a hotbed or greenhouse. Peat decomposes, thus freeing the pepper roots.

Sowing seeds in pellets is beneficial because when 3 or 4 leaves appear, they can be planted in containers with peat moss. However, if this type of container is used, the peppers need additional moisture, otherwise they will dry out. Peat immediately absorbs moisture, which can cause a lack of moisture for the plants.

Priming

Soil quality is crucial for the crop's development. You can use a store-bought soil mix, but one that doesn't consist solely of peat. The best soils for peppers include: turf, leaf mold, peat, humus, and processed river sand.

If the purchased mixture consists solely of peat, sand and soil are added to ensure looseness and better aeration. When purchasing soil from a store, carefully read the list of ingredients.

Seedlings are grown in the spring, but the soil is prepared in the fall. You can use meadow turf or forest soil dug from under deciduous, but not coniferous, trees. In winter, the soil freezes, so before planting the seeds, it should be brought indoors and warmed. The soil should be steamed, sifted, and treated with a potassium permanganate solution.

Sowing time

When should you plant pepper seeds, and what factors determine this? To determine the right time, consider:

•         pepper variety and its characteristics;
•         weather features of the region;
•         conditions where the vegetable will grow

Peppers are typically grown in greenhouses and hothouses, where they yield larger crops. Open ground cultivation is only suitable for this crop in the south, and it's best to avoid experimenting with it in colder Russian regions.

Some gardeners create "warm beds" for peppers: they plant the vegetable under arches covered with film or non-woven material.

The best time for sowing is late February or early March. For more precise information, consult the lunar calendar.

Early ripening peppers are sown before the end of March, as they need time for the seeds to germinate; mid-season and late ripening peppers are sown until mid-March, so that the fruits have time to form.

Sowing procedure

Before placing the planting material into the ground, these seeds:

•         sorted and calibrated, especially if they are not purchased;
•         etched with potassium permanganate;
•         sprout

The potassium permanganate solution should be pink in color. Place the seeds in bags for about 20 minutes. Then rinse in clean water and dry thoroughly. To ensure rapid and uniform sprouting, soak the seedlings in a solution of EPIN, sodium humate, or Ideal fertilizer.

For germination, use moist material and flat containers. The optimal temperature is 25 degrees Celsius; if water is scarce, water the seeds. Once at least some of the seeds have sprouted, begin sowing.

The soil is distributed among the prepared cups, 1-2 per cup, watered, lightly sprinkled, and covered with plastic wrap. The containers are placed in a warm room and checked regularly for sprouts.

As soon as the seedlings emerge, the film is removed, the seedlings are moved to a brighter area, and the temperature is reduced to 18°C. The crop is left in these conditions for 5-6 days without watering.

Care

The seedlings need to be provided with water, carefully loosened, and of course, fed.

For a week, the young plants are kept in fairly harsh conditions: at moderate temperatures and without watering. This is necessary for root growth and to prevent the peppers from becoming stretched. After a week, the seedlings are watered carefully, ensuring that no water gets on the leaves, as this can cause disease. Neither excess nor lack of water is acceptable.

Seedlings kept indoors should be fertilized twice. Complex or specialized formulations, such as AGRICOLA and KEMIRA, are suitable for this purpose.

Protection

Peppers can't grow without light; they require sun. This vegetable requires at least 12 hours of daylight. If plants were planted in March or February, they typically don't get enough light. Therefore, gardeners use grow lights and fluorescent lamps.

But it is worth keeping in mind that at the end of spring the sun can shine very brightly, so in the evening the peppers on the south side should be covered.

The crop also needs protection after transshipment. Cover the vegetable with curtains or a newspaper "shield" for 2-3 days. This will prevent leaf burns and the seedlings from wilting.

Temperature

For seedlings to grow well and thrive, they need warmth. However, inexperienced gardeners believe peppers thrive in warmer temperatures. But it's not that simple: the required temperatures vary at each stage of plant development.

Before planting outdoors, harden off the seedlings by placing them on a veranda or balcony with open windows or vents. The peppers are gradually acclimated to cool temperatures, starting with 15-20 minutes. In moderate climates, the plants can be moved outdoors, where they acclimate to the unfamiliar conditions. This is especially true for those living in private homes. These seedlings adapt better to greenhouses and develop faster.

The final planting of peppers is carried out in warm weather, at an air temperature of 16-18 degrees.

As daylight hours increase, experienced vegetable growers provide seedlings with 12 hours of light in early May. Peppers can be covered from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. This will result in an earlier harvest.

Reviews

"In my opinion, peppers don't need to be pricked out at all. I used to do it, but it only caused the seedlings to suffer. Although I always transplant peppers carefully. I was advised that it's better to sow the seeds directly into pots. They grow better that way. And when I plant the vegetable in a greenhouse, its root system remains intact and the plant takes root easily." (Elena)

"I grow my small peppers in peat pellets soaked in water. When three leaves appear, I transplant them directly into larger containers, where they remain until they reach the open ground. The plant beds must be mulched and drip-watered. Then you'll have a fantastic harvest." (Andrey)

To transplant or not to transplant? Every gardener decides for themselves. Expert opinions on this matter vary. However, growing pepper seedlings without this procedure is completely safe, as the plant's roots don't need to be pinched.