How to germinate pepper seeds for seedlings?

Often gardeners face difficulties when planting bell peppers. Some find this variety difficult to grow. The key to the success of the future harvest is high-quality seedlings. It is best to grow healthy plants at home on the windowsill. How to properly prepare the seeds before planting is described in this article.

Peppers take a little longer to germinate than cucumbers or cabbages. In warm climates, some gardeners sow seeds in the ground with the onset of favorable weather and wait for seedlings to appear. This is done if the planting material was purchased from a trusted manufacturer. It has a high degree of germination and is protected from pests and infections. Usually, the information on the packaging tells whether the seeds have been pre-treated or not.

Dry-planted peppers take a little longer to germinate when weather conditions change, and the plants are not as strong as those grown in seedlings.

If there is any doubt about the quality of the seed material, you can try to germinate it before planting.. This is done with old seeds purchased from a private trader or collected independently. They are recommended to be pre-treated, but before that you need to get rid of unsimilar seeds.

To do this, use the following methods.

• Pour the seeds on a dry, even surface and select the largest without defects. It is believed that the larger the size, the stronger the seedlings will be.
• A few tablespoons of salt are dissolved in half a glass of water, the grains are placed in the solution for 30 minutes. Empty and dead float up, and with live embryos sink to the bottom.

None of these methods gives a 100% guarantee of pepper seed germination. Sometimes all the seeds in the saline solution can float to the surface, and from those selected, even the largest ones will give weak sprouts. How well certain species sprout can be found out only after germination.

In temperate climates, it is customary to plant peppers for seedlings in containers.

To activate the embryos of future plants, it is necessary to create a suitable environment, they need:

• humidity;
• heat;
• Fresh air.

At a temperature of +15 degrees, the seeds begin to revive, but they will germinate for a long time – up to 2 weeks. The optimum temperature at which sprouts will quickly appear is +25 degrees. In warmer conditions, above +30, plants may die.

Seeds should not be placed in water or very wet soil. During the day without access to oxygen, they will die. With a lack of moisture, the development of future plants will be delayed. As a rule, seed is placed on a damp surface, but not on a wet one. A film is pulled on top or covered with glass to create a greenhouse effect – these are the most suitable conditions for spitting sprouts.

The film or glass is periodically removed: 1-2 times a day for 30-40 minutes, since the seedlings will die without access to fresh air. Planting material must be ventilated, the humidity level checked and, if necessary, sprayed with a spray bottle.

Before you start planting, the seeds must first be prepared: disinfect and place in a humid environment. Planting material purchased from a trusted supplier does not actually require special preparation: it is already sorted, treated with a special composition to protect against diseases and stimulate growth. The grains are not germinated before planting, but the first sprouts appear soon enough.

Material for sowing, collected with your own hands or purchased from other gardeners, is best disinfected. This will protect not only future seedlings from possible diseases, but also neighboring crops. Spores of fungi or mold may remain on the shell, and there are microorganisms in the soil, before which the sprouts will be defenseless.

To carry out such a procedure, the seeds are poured into cheesecloth and wrapped in a bag. Each is tied with a fabric ribbon, the name of the variety is written on it. Gauze bags are placed in warm water with a temperature of approximately +40 degrees and soaked for 60 minutes.

After disinfection, the grains can be germinated, but it is good to carry out additional processing to stimulate germination. They are placed in a special solution that nourishes and stimulates the formation of roots. Growth stimulants are available in specialized stores: preparations Epin, Zircon, Ecogel, Baikal-M. The solution is prepared according to the instructions on the package and the seeds are soaked in it for several hours. Some gardeners do not trust synthetic products, using only settled thawed snow for grains. There are other compounds that fill the embryos with moisture and activate growth.

What nutrient mixtures can be prepared from improvised means.

• Ash solution – 1st. l. insist on 1 liter of water for a day, stirring from time to time. In the resulting infusion, soak for about 12 hours or use for germination.
• honey solution – 1 tsp per 1 liter, the composition is mixed. It improves germination and speeds up the germination of seeds. Suitable for sprouting.
• Aloe juice well disinfects and stimulates the emergence of seedlings. Sprouts become more resistant to negative factors, quickly hatch and grow. The aloe leaf is cut, washed. A longitudinal incision is made in the pulp and opened like a booklet. Seeds are evenly placed in the recess, the edges of the sheet are connected and wrapped with a damp cloth, and then with a film. So leave for 24 hours.

Any variety of pepper has a long growing season, and it is better to sow it for seedlings a little earlier than tomatoes. The rules for preparing seeds for spicy and sweet species are the same. Both species begin to germinate from mid-February or postpone the dates to the first week of March. The seeds of this crop can germinate for quite a long time – up to 2 full weeks.

Everyone can grow pepper at home. Traditionally, they do it this way: a piece of natural fabric is placed on a plate, and seeds are poured on top. Pour water into 3-4 mm. Put in a warm place, moisturize daily – the fabric should not dry out. Soaked grains do not begin to hatch immediately, much depends on how correctly they were prepared, where and how the germination process took place.

To obtain seedlings according to this scheme, you will need cotton pads and small bags with zip fasteners. They are signed with a ballpoint pen, the name of the variety is pasted with adhesive tape or adhesive tape. Four or five holes are pierced in polyethylene for ventilation.

Cotton circles are immersed in warm water, removed and squeezed lightly. Seeds are laid out on each disk, and covered with another cotton circle on top. The resulting layers are placed in a bag and cleaned in a warm place. For 2-3 days, each is checked for the level of humidity and ventilated. Moisturize if necessary. Sprouts at home may appear on the 4th day.

Suitable for a large amount of seed material and in the absence of time. This easy method has one inconvenience – the roots of the seedlings can get tangled in the cotton wool or grow into it. It will be difficult to take them out so as not to break off the ends. Can be cut and planted with a piece of cotton.

Perforated paper is a safer material than cotton wool. Sprouted roots are easy to remove from wet pulp without damage. This method will require a shallow cup or disposable tableware.

Paper napkins or toilet paper are laid on the bottom in several layers, moisten and distribute the seeds of bell pepper. Pull the film on top or cover with a lid. It is recommended to ventilate twice a day, moisturize when dry.

With this method of germination, you will need foam rubber sponges, which are used for washing dishes or for taking a shower. It is better to choose a small size multi-colored: each variety is convenient to highlight with the help of color. Two long slits are made in the middle part of the sponge, the foam rubber is moistened and seeds are placed in the slit. Wrap in foil and keep warm. The structure must be checked, ventilated and moistened every day.

For germination, you will need a plastic bag and toilet paper. The package is folded in the middle and placed on the table, 2-3 paper layers are distributed on top of it. Wet with a spray bottle. They retreat one centimeter from the edge and distribute the grains in rows. Polyethylene is folded into a tube and an elastic band from a stationery set is put on top. The name of the variety is attached to the roll. The “snail” is placed in a glass filled with water by 2-3 cm.

For this option, ordinary sawdust is taken, but wood filler for animals is also suitable.

The composition is poured with boiling water and left to swell, after about an hour the liquid can be squeezed out. The resulting mixture is poured into containers with a layer of 4-5 cm. Part of the sawdust is left. The grains are laid out evenly and covered with a thin layer of the remaining granules no more than 0,5 cm. Cover with film or glass. Seedlings with two leaves are transplanted into separate cups.

For seedlings, hydrogel is used in the form of granules or any other. Suitable even for small seeds, perfectly retains moisture. The granules are filled with water in the amount indicated on the package and soaked. The swollen gel is cut into plates or mixed to a state of jelly, placed in wide shallow containers. Seeds are distributed on the surface of the hydrogel and covered with mica.

After the appearance of the leaves of the cotyledons, they are transferred to the soil with a fragment of the hydrogel. You can leave the seedlings to the dive stage, but so that the plants do not lag behind in development, they are fed with complex additives.

It is difficult to say which of these methods is the best. Each gardener chooses the most effective and convenient option for himself.

In spring, the days become longer and the sprouts already have enough light. Seedlings are placed on a bright and heated windowsill. Young plants are transferred to the beds in 60-80 days. It can be planted in open ground or greenhouses when frost stops and warm weather sets in.

Beginning gardeners often face failure when planting seeds for seedlings. There are reliable methods that guarantee 100% germination. Experienced vegetable growers share their secrets on how to make sure that all seeds germinate.

• Peppers are planted in the last week of March or the first two weeks of April.
• Sowing material is taken 3, and sometimes 5 times more than seedlings are required for planting.
• Seeds must be fresh, otherwise all efforts will be in vain – the old ones give weak, non-viable seedlings.
• Soak for 2 hours in this mixture: Zircon growth stimulator – 4 drops per 1 liter and a weak pink solution of potassium permanganate.
• The solution is drained, and the grains are laid out in a moistened cloth (preferably non-woven) and in a container with a lid.
• The jar is placed on the battery. It is necessary to look into it from time to time for ventilation and control.
• The roots should hatch quickly – after 3 days.
• After that, they are sown in separate containers, the soil is preliminarily shed with hot water.
• 2-3 seedlings are sown in one cell, sprinkled with 5-10 mm soil, covered with a film and put in heat.

Seedlings grown in this way are not dived, but kept until transplanted to the garden in the same containers.

If there is absolutely no time to prepare pepper seeds before planting, you can do it quickly. The trick is to activate future plants in a short time. To do this, they are first left for 20 minutes in warm water with a temperature of up to 40 degrees. The main thing is that the temperature does not drop: the container is placed on a battery or heating pad. After the seeds are removed and placed in a cold weak pink solution of potassium permanganate for a quarter of an hour. Take out, dry and sow.

Seeds awaken in a humid environment at a temperature of 26-30 degrees in terms of 3 to 7 days. In some cases, they germinate a little longer – up to 10-14 days. But there are situations when the seed swells during soaking and does not germinate for a long time or hatches, but very badly.

This can happen for the following reasons.

• Temperature too low or too high the environment.
• Water for soaking contains chloride compounds: it is better to use filtered or settled for several days.
• Lack of air closed containers are recommended to be aired more often.
• The main reason is the seed material. This happens if he is old, weak or overdried. Overdried grains sometimes germinate for more than 10-15 days. It is better not to use seed older than 5 years, the likelihood of sprouts is minimal. Only the first two years are considered fresh seeds, in the 3rd year the germination rate decreases by 2 times, and in the 4th year only every tenth seed will hatch.
• It is now popular to ferry seeds before planting. or very hot liquid, but this method is dangerous for future shoots. After such a procedure, all the embryos often die.

For more information on how to germinate pepper seeds for seedlings, see the following video.