How many days does pepper sprout and what to do with poor germination?

The reasons for poor germination of pepper seeds may vary, but most often the problem lies in improper planting conditions and incorrect crop care. Fortunately, it is quite possible to speed up the processes occurring inside the planting material by performing a few simple steps.

How quickly a pepper will rise can be influenced by various factors.

Lighting plays an important role in the process of growing peppers. The light warms up and initiates insolation of the sprouts, as a result of which they begin to reach for its source. However, an excess of sunlight can adversely affect the plant: if they fall on the roots and provoke their lightening, the seedling will begin to stretch instead of full development.

Pepper will peck in time if its habitat is a light, moderately loose soil mixture that provides oxygen access to the root system. The development of a plant on heavy or clay soil will be slow or even ineffectual. The high density of the substrate simply does not allow the sprout to hatch. If land taken from the garden is used for planting seeds, it must be supplemented with sand and vermiculite.

In order to send pepper seedlings to a greenhouse or hotbed in a timely manner, sowing seeds should be carried out from mid-February to early May. This will allow the bushes to be transplanted when they reach the age of 60–80 days, when the air warms up enough, and return frosts can not be feared.

The longer pepper seeds are stored, the later they will germinate. In principle, the ability to germinate lasts up to 3 years, but every year the material becomes less quality. In other words, old seeds are not suitable for growing. The deterioration of the characteristics of seeds also occurs due to improper storage and transportation conditions. Unripe or overdried samples do not sprout at all. High-quality seeds will quickly be spoiled if they are in a room with high humidity. This happens due to the fact that moisture raises the internal temperature of the planting material, and overheating, in turn, deprives it of its ability to germinate.

It is best to use seed from your own garden, obtained after harvesting. The grains are carefully removed from the fruit, dried and transferred to a dark place. The container in which the seeds will be located needs regular ventilation, so it is recommended to use a bag or container with holes.

Dry planting material sprouts much more slowly than pre-soaked for 6-7 hours. For the procedure, it is recommended to make a manganese solution that provides an antiseptic function, as well as strengthening the immune system of the culture. After soaking, the seeds are left in a damp cloth for a couple of days so that they hatch. Those that do not move to the next stage during this time can be thrown away. The soil before planting seeds is thoroughly irrigated with a sprinkler. The material is deepened by 0,5–1 cm or left on a moist surface and covered with a layer of loose soil. Upon completion, the container is tightened with cling film.

Vegetable grains will germinate as quickly as possible at a temperature within the range of +25 – +27 degrees, – about 10 days. If it jumps above +30 degrees, then internal processes will slow down, and the material may even weld. The minimum temperature for “activating” pepper seeds is +15 degrees, but they will develop at it for a very long time – about a couple of weeks. It is also quite possible that the seedlings will not appear on the surface. Growing vegetables at home, you will have to take into account the temperature of the soil. While the material germinates, it should not fall below +18 – +20 degrees.

Tracking the level of soil moisture has a beneficial effect on the condition of the seeds. It is important that before the sprouts appear, the surface of the container is hidden under cling film, however, condensation should not appear in the pots. To do this, landings will need to be aired daily. Immediately after the first seeds have hatched, the coating begins to be temporarily removed, first for a few minutes, and then more and more, up to half an hour. The earth itself will need to be maintained in a state of moderate humidity. If the soil dries out, then the seeds will not swell and hatch, and the seedlings that have already appeared will dry out. Too damp earth contributes to the decay of planting material.

To maintain optimal condition, it will be necessary to organize drainage holes at the bottom of the container, as well as loosen the top layer of soil in a timely manner.

Proper care is directly related to the condition of the seeds. However, fertilizers play some role in this case only if sowing is carried out directly on a permanent habitat, bypassing the seedling stage. In this case, the soil will need to be fertilized with a potassium-phosphorus mixture.

When planting pepper seeds immediately in the garden, it is better to choose the places left after pumpkins, cucumbers and carrots, as well as onions with garlic and zucchini. All nightshade, eggplant and physalis are considered bad predecessors for culture.

On average, sweet bell pepper sprouts quickly – from 6 to 14 days, but the exact period is determined depending on weather conditions, seed quality, variety characteristics and other factors. If the planting treatment is carried out correctly, then by the 15th day all the planted material should hatch. With a dry sowing method, the first shoots appear on the 8-10th day, and preliminary soaking and germination reduce this period to 5-6 days.

Young shoots of a vegetable look like stems twisted in a loop and devoid of leaf blades. The cotyledon leaves themselves are formed later.

To improve the germination of seeds for seedlings, it is worthwhile to pre-do a number of additional procedures. For example, it will be useful to check the seed material. Grains purchased from a trusted manufacturer and covered with growth stimulants should not be touched, but they are required to be collected in the garden with their own hands or bought on the market. The easiest way is to mix 30 grams of salt and 1 liter of water, then lower the material there for 5 minutes. Those grains that will germinate well will sink to the bottom, and those that are bad will immediately emerge.

Suitable for this test and ordinary clean water, heated to +30 – +40 degrees. Seeds in this case are soaked for 20 minutes, in the future they also get rid of those that have surfaced. Stimulation will achieve a good result. To carry it out, the grains will need to be lowered into water heated to +50 degrees, and left in it for about a third of an hour. After the above period, the material is wrapped in a moistened napkin and transferred to a freezer for a couple of hours.

The desired result can also be achieved by growth stimulants. Some gardeners prefer purchased preparations: Zircon, Epin, Energen. And others use folk recipes. So, the latter include aloe juice, which is diluted with clean water in a ratio of 1 to 1 and is used for two or three hours of soaking the material. If possible, it is worth collecting snow and melting it naturally. After soaking the cotton pads in the liquid, it remains to place the grains between them and leave until the roots hatch.

It is important to monitor the condition of the pepper and promptly respond to its changes. For example, if shoots do not appear well, it makes sense to rearrange the container to a more heated and well-lit place. It should not be placed directly on the battery, since too high temperatures are detrimental to the grains. If the weather is cloudy, then the seedlings will have to organize additional lighting by mounting special lamps. By the way, a good solution would be to immediately plant the peppers in separate cups or peat pots. The fact is that the plant is weakening due to damage to the roots, and it is almost impossible to avoid this during transshipment, so it is better not to disturb the seedlings once again. In the future, specimens should be transferred to a permanent habitat by the transshipment method.