Pepper is a favorite vegetable, an integral part of most summer dishes and preserves. And not in vain: the content of vitamin C, it is much faster than even citrus, including lemon. Pleases and a variety of tastes, which vary depending on the content of microelements in them. There are sorts of pepper of three groups: bitter, semi-acute and sweet.
The birthplace of pepper is solar Mexico, so it's easy to guess that this is an extremely thermophilic culture. That is why this perennial plant in the middle belt is cultivated as an annual. And in connection with the fact that the average period from the appearance of shoots to ripening of fruits is 100-130 days, and they begin to rise at a minimum soil temperature of 15-18 ° C, the cultivation begins with the planting of pepper seeds for seedlings.
How to grow pepper from seeds?
The main question that beginners are asking gardeners is when to plant the seeds of pepper. His seeds very quickly lose their germination and, as a result, can not give a good harvest. To do this, prepare a solution of common table salt at a rate of 30-40 g per liter of cold water and place the seeds in it for 10 minutes. After this period of time, you should remove all the pop-up seeds - this is a poor-quality material. Next, a disinfection procedure should be carried out by placing the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then - fed with a solution of trace elements or wood ash, which contains all the necessary substances.
Another important stage in the preparation of pepper seeds is their hardening, this is necessary in order for the heat-loving plant to withstand the possible temperature changes in our climatic conditions. To do this, disinfected seeds are placed on a plate, covered with a slightly moist, well-pressed gauze and then kept for 4-5 days according to this scheme: during the day at a temperature of 20-22 ° C, and at night they are put in a refrigerator with a temperature of 2-3 ° C. gauze periodically moistened and carefully squeezed.
Next, stratification of pepper seeds should be carried out, because dry, unextended seeds grow much longer. Each vegetable grower has its own method, how to germinate the seeds of pepper. We bring to your attention a few simple options:
- Soak the seeds, put them in a container on the bottom of which you should put a wet napkin, cover and put in a warm place. This is very convenient, since it is not necessary to monitor the level of humidity. After 4-5 days in such conditions, the seeds will germinate.
- Prepared seeds put on a slightly soaked gauze and remove it in a warm place.
Preparation of soil for growing pepper from seeds
The main requirement for soil for cultivation of pepper seedlings - it should be light, loose and well let in oxygen. You can buy in a specialized store a ready mix, or you can cook it yourself. To do this, mix:
- garden land - 3 parts;
- wood ash - liter bank;
- sawdust wood - 2 parts;
- superphosphate - 3-3.5 matchbox.
The finished mixture should be treated for disinfestation on steam or in a microwave oven for 15-20 minutes.
Planting pepper seeds
Sow seeds should be necessarily in moistened soil at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other, because if the seedlings are too thick, she will need a pick, which can adversely affect its development. The best option is to plant each seed in a separate plastic cup. After sowing the seeds are sprinkled with earth, and the containers are covered with glass and placed in heat. In the open ground seedlings can be transplanted after 60-70 days after planting the seeds.