Content
Pepper is one of the most popular crops for greenhouse and outdoor cultivation. Pepper seedlings grow well even in less than ideal conditions. Refers to plants that are unpretentious to the environment and care. In cold climates, peppers are best grown only in greenhouses. In them, you can create the most suitable conditions for plant growth, and, as a result, obtain a generous harvest. In such a shelter, seedlings are not afraid of wind, drafts and rains. Frequent occurrence of such weather events can destroy the sprouts.
Peppers love moist soil, and this is very difficult to achieve in an open area. It is easiest to maintain humidity in greenhouses. In some northern regions of Russia, growing pepper in the open field is generally contraindicated.
Having appreciated all the advantages of growing pepper in greenhouses, questions arise: how to properly prepare peppers for seedlings for the greenhousehow to prepare the soil for planting, how to properly care for seedlings, when to plant seedlings. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Sowing seedlings
As always, growing any vegetable crop begins with sowing seeds. Sowing pepper should be started in mid-February. However, due to the short daylight hours, you will need to use additional lighting (special phytolamps). If you have a nice and warm greenhouse, then you can start sowing earlier, and then already at the beginning of April, the seedlings can be replanted.
In order for the sprouts to sprout faster, it is necessary to soak the seeds in water or a special solution. For the first case, place the seeds in cheesecloth and immerse them in hot water (no more than 50 ° C) for 15 minutes. Next, put cheesecloth with seeds in the freezer for 24 hours. But to save time, you can simply soak the seeds in a special solution (Energen, Zircon, etc.) for 30 minutes. Such procedures will make the plant strong and help it grow faster.
For some reason, some believe that pepper should not be carried out. pick, since the leaves can easily come off, and then they will recover for a long time. But still, most gardeners are of the opinion that picking is simply necessary in order for the root system to develop correctly. In order not to risk it, it is better to immediately sow seeds in pots with a volume of about half a liter. Each container can hold 3 seeds, keeping a distance of 2 centimeters.
The seeds are placed three to four centimeters deep. Using a spoon, compact the soil and spread the seeds, and sprinkle with dry soil on top, making sure that the layer does not exceed 4 cm. And again slightly compact the soil. Cover the cups with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until germination. The first shoots should appear after a week. If the soil temperature is less than 27 ° C, the peppers will sprout later. It is also necessary to ensure that the temperature does not exceed forty degrees, otherwise the seedlings will die.
It is necessary to place containers with seedlings on those windowsills that receive the most sunlight. If this is not possible, you can arrange a great place for seedlings in the greenhouse. There you can build special racks with shelves for containers. They will not take up much space, but it will significantly save you time and effort.After all, the greenhouse already has all the necessary devices for plant care, watering and lighting. And also you will not need to carry the seedlings to the greenhouse for planting, since they will already be in place.
Also, keep in mind that there is high humidity in the greenhouse and this can cause the rack to collapse. So, choose moisture resistant materials.
Greenhouse preparation
If you decide to plant seeds in a greenhouse, then you need to create the appropriate conditions for their growth and development. The room needs to be ventilated, and the soil should be thoroughly warmed up, because pepper loves warmth, and this will grow much faster.
You also need to do the following:
- wash and disinfect containers for sowing pepper;
- warm up the room and the soil, and then maintain a stable temperature;
- prepare the necessary tools and fixtures.
Soil preparation
The success of pepper cultivation depends largely on the quality of the soil. In order for the seedlings to fully grow and develop, you need to take a responsible approach to the selection and preparation of the soil.
High-quality soil should have the following characteristics:
- The soil must be fertile, clayey is not suitable for these purposes.
- The soil should not be too dense. Choose soil with a loose texture.
- The content of larvae and residues of the root system of other plants in it is unacceptable and weeds.
- The soil should be moderately moist.
You can prepare such a soil yourself or buy it in a store. If you decide to prepare the soil yourself, you will need a large container and the following ingredients: humus, garden soil, and sand. All this must be mixed and passed through a fine sieve, this will saturate the soil with oxygen. The ideal soil for growing seedlings is ready. To disinfect the soil from fungi and bacteria, you should warm up the soil in a water bath. Next, let it restore its structure, dry it out a little and you can start planting seeds.
Preparing a container for growing seedlings
A variety of containers are used to germinate seeds. Some gardeners prefer boxes and cassettes, others prefer cups. To choose the right dish, you need to decide whether you will make a pick or not. It is not necessary to dive the pepper, so you can safely sow seeds in boxes, and then immediately transplant them into the ground from there. Also, if you do not have time to pick, you can plant the seeds in special peat cups or tablets. This will greatly facilitate transplanting seedlings.
Top dressing of seedlings
Start feeding pepper seedlings you can start after at least three full-fledged sheets are formed on the sprout. Alternatively, the following mixture is used for this purpose:
- superphosphate - 125 grams;
- potassium salt - 30 grams;
- urea - 50 grams;
- water - 10 liters.
Mix all the components and water the seedlings with the solution. After that, you need to water the sprouts with plain water. After the appearance of 3-5 leaves, it is advised to additionally highlight the seedlings (every day for 12 hours).
The next feeding should be done after the appearance of four sheets. And when there are 7-9 true leaves on the stem, this means that the process of flower formation has begun. During this period, seedlings are especially in need of replenishment. Several times during the cultivation of pepper, it will be necessary to add soil to the container.
Pepper seedlings hardening
Hardening the greenhouse pepper is very important at this stage of development. Especially if you are going to grow it outdoors. After all, if you transplant pepper without preliminary preparation, it simply will not withstand temperature changes.The delicate tops of the plant can burn in the sun, and this will delay the growth of seedlings for a long time.
Hardening should be started 2 weeks before planting. She needs to be gradually accustomed to changes in temperature during the day and night, as well as to the sun and wind. For this, the plants are taken out to the balcony or windows are opened. They start with 15–20 minutes and increase the time each day. Before planting, you can leave the seedlings on the balcony overnight.
When to plant seedlings
You can start planting seedlings in the greenhouse from mid-May. By that time, the soil should warm up well, which is very important for such a heat-loving plant. The soil temperature should be at least +15 ° C, if it is even a few degrees lower, the pepper will noticeably lag behind in growth. By the time of transplantation, at least 12-13 leaves should have formed on the stem. The height of the seedlings is about 25 centimeters.
If everything is already prepared for planting, and the seedlings themselves are fully ripe, then you can start transplanting. Let's consider how to do this so as not to harm the plant.
Planting seedlings in a greenhouse
Planting pepper seedlings will not be difficult even for inexperienced gardeners. To easily get the seedlings out of the cups, you need to water the plants well and let the soil get completely wet. Next, carefully take out the sprouts from the container and put them in the holes. They should not be very deep, because the root of the pepper is superficial and does not go deep into the ground.
Additionally, fertilizers can be added to each hole to make the soil more fertile. For these purposes, humus is used with admixtures of mineral fertilizers.
Some features of the planting technology depend on the variety of pepper. Tall and undersized varieties are planted at different distances from one another. The distance between the rows of tall peppers should be about 50 centimeters, and between the peppers themselves - up to 40 centimeters. This distance will allow the spreading bushes to grow fully. But undersized bushes can be planted more densely. About 30 centimeters are left between the plants, and 40-50 centimeters between the rows. It is imperative to keep this distance so that the pepper does not interfere with the sun's rays to its “neighbors”. This can result in sprout pulling, yellowing and leaf fall.
After fertilizing, it is necessary to pour water into the hole, and gently, holding the pepper, fill in the soil. Further, the soil around the seedlings is slightly compacted and mulched with peat. For the first time after planting, the pepper should be covered with a film on top. Plants can be opened after they are completely rooted and take root in a new place.
Seedling care
Frequent changes in weather conditions can unexpectedly affect pepper seedlings. After all, this culture is considered one of the most capricious. Peppers need good and frequent watering, and they also love warmth. It is not difficult to create such conditions in a greenhouse, however, it is impossible to completely protect the plant from external factors. Only in the southern regions does pepper grow unhindered and ripen quickly. In the northern parts of the country, this process needs to be constantly stimulated with fertilizers. In such regions, it is not advised to plant peppers in open ground, so gardeners prefer film shelters and greenhouses.
Neighborhood with other crops, as well as its predecessors, is of great importance for pepper seedlings.
This neighborhood has a positive effect on both plants.But it is better not to plant pepper together with cucumbers.
The following rules will help you grow great, high-yield peppers:
- water the soil abundantly using special water sprays. It is important that it irrigates the entire plant completely. A small amount of water can cause red burns on the sheets. You don't need to water the pepper very often;
- it is necessary to maintain a stable temperature in the greenhouse, from sudden changes the plant will slow down in growth;
- feeding should be frequent and regular. About once or twice a week is enough for the pepper to receive the necessary micronutrients;
- to obtain a sufficient amount of solar radiation, it is necessary to place greenhouses in open places, without tall trees and buildings;
- the soil can be loosened, but this should be done very carefully, because the pepper has a superficial root system, which is very easy to touch. To keep the soil loose and retain moisture well, mulch the soil. For this, you can use ordinary leaves or hay (straw). It is also practiced to add special loosening additives to the soil;
- conducts a constant thorough examination for the presence of spider mites, which are most often found in greenhouses. Stock up on drugs to combat this pest;
- in the period when the first buds appear, one lower inflorescence should be removed on each bush. This will help the pepper develop well. It is also necessary to remove all lower leaves before the first fork of the stems.
Conclusion
These are all the requirements for successfully growing peppers in a greenhouse. At first glance, they may seem daunting. But many gardeners argue that the result is worth the effort and time spent. With this kind of care, you will get a very generous harvest. And having tried to grow delicious homemade peppers, you are unlikely to want to buy it in the store. After all, no one knows where and how it was grown. And homemade vegetables are always grown conscientiously.
