11.12.2017 13 079

Pepper seedlings grow poorly - what to do and how to help the plant?

Growing high-quality pepper seedlings is not difficult. You just need to choose good seeds. This can be done using certain methods. The article will tell you about them in detail.

What is germination

Germination is the ability of seeds to produce good seedlings And bountiful harvest.

If the seed is healthy and not damaged by diseases and pests, it will definitely sprout. At the same time, there must be conditions for its germination.

It is impossible to immediately determine germination. You need to wait 1-2 weeks. Even then, the healthiest and strongest seeds show themselves and begin to sprout.

It is important to know: There is no 100% germination of seeds. Usually this is not expected.

The germination of pepper seeds depends on the temperature in the room. Therefore, for quick and high-quality germination of seeds, it is worth placing them in a warm place. The temperature should not be below 20 degrees.

Pepper is a very capricious and whimsical crop, so it is better to place each seed in a separate container. Peat pots are suitable for this case.

Such conditions ensure good seed germination. Once they germinate, you can place the seedlings in a greenhouse. But this must be done carefully: it is not advisable to damage the roots.

What does germination depend on?

As already mentioned, a lot depends on the temperature and characteristics of the pot.

The seeds respond well to high temperatures and do not tolerate cold. You also need to help the seeds germinate using peat pots.

Before planting, it is worth checking for germination. To do this, you should take 5-7 copies, wrap them in fabric bags and put them in warm water for 24 hours, and then put on a flat dish and put in a warm place.

The bags must be damp. After a couple of days, the specimens can be planted in moist soil and wait for them to germinate.

In order for the seeds to germinate faster, they should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. This must be done within 20 minutes. Then the specimens should be washed in water and soaked in a solution: for it, take a third of a teaspoon of mineral fertilizer and mix with 1 liter of water.

You might like the article on how.

You can read about how to sow pepper seeds for seedlings.

Immerse the bags in the prepared solution for a day. This treatment has a good effect on the condition of the future plant.

Why do the seeds take so long to germinate?

Sometimes, even when all the conditions are created, they forget about the most important thing - temperature and warmth. It is because of this that seeds often do not germinate.

If the window sill is cold, there is a draft from the window, there is no need to expect quick shoots. The shoots may hatch, but quickly rot.

At the same time, you should not rush to the other extreme: placing pots on heating batteries. Typically, growing pots have small size, so the soil in them dries extremely quickly.

Take note: optimal temperature for germination - 20-25 degrees. If the room is only 15-17 degrees, you will have to wait a very long time for seedlings, often they do not appear at all. The correct temperature and warmth in the room allow you to achieve germination within 10 days.

The seedlings die from this. Therefore, it is definitely not worth placing containers with plants on the battery. Seeds should be disinfected. This will save them from infections.

How to speed up germination

There are several ways to speed up germination:

1. 1. Stimulation.

Immerse the seeds in liquid heated to 50 degrees for 20 minutes. A thermos is perfect for this purpose. Then wrap it in a wet cloth and put it in the freezer for two hours. Immediately after this you should sow.

1. 1. Attention.

Do not fanatically monitor the temperature and place the seeds in very hot places. Temperatures above 30 degrees can kill future seedlings.

1. 1. Germination before planting in the ground.

You need to take a piece of cloth or cotton wool and put it required quantity seeds, cover with another rag on top and put in a warm place. Periodically you need to monitor the seedlings: check and wet the rag. Must not be large quantity water, but the napkin must be wet.

Good to know: To help the seeds germinate better, you can use an additional light source.

Watch the video instructions on how to test seeds for germination:

Biologically, pepper is perennial. If you transplant it into a bucket in the fall and move it indoors, it will continue to develop and bear fruit for several years.
Pepper seeds lose their viability quite quickly. Therefore, they should not be purchased in reserve. If your seeds are old, then first of all you need to check them for germination.
Seed preparation begins with dressing in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate at room temperature for 20 minutes, followed by washing them in cold water. Then the seeds are soaked for 18 hours in a zircon solution (1 drop of the drug per 300 ml of water) at room temperature.
The same result is obtained by treating the seeds in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate, and then soaking for 18 hours in a solution of epin (2 drops of the drug per 0.5 cup of water) at room temperature.
To speed up germination, you can also soak the seeds in nutrient solutions preparations Ideal, gumi, potassium humate, Agricola-start, Albit, etc. according to the attached instructions. A positive effect is obtained by soaking the seeds in a solution of slurry (1:10) or ash solution(2 tbsp per 1 liter of hot water).
After this, the seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth placed on a saucer for 2 days and placed in plastic bag so that they do not dry out. The temperature must be maintained at 25 °C. You cannot place seeds on the battery; they will dry out and will not germinate.
The soil for growing pepper seedlings must be loose, moisture-absorbing, with sufficient nutrients, not acidic and free from pests and pathogens. You can prepare such soil yourself if you store soil prepared in the fall on your balcony, or you can purchase it in a specialized store without any hassle.
Very simple and reliable soil mixture, consisting of 4 parts of aerated peat, 2 parts of turf soil, 1 part of old sawdust ( Brown) and 1 part humus.
To the bucket of the mixture you need to add a half-liter jar of sand, 2-3 tbsp. l. ash, 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate, 1 tsp. urea and pour it with a warm solution of rhizoplane or a warm, strong solution of potassium permanganate.
You can use ready-made soils from the shop. It is best to take ready-made soil soil Special No. 1 for this purpose, created on the basis of “Living Earth”.
HOW TO DETERMINE SOWING TIME
The timing of sowing pepper seeds depends on the timing of planting seedlings. permanent place. Early ripening varieties Usually sown 65 days before, mid-season 65-70, and late ripening 75 days before planting in a permanent place.
The time for sowing pepper seeds, taking into account the time from sowing to the emergence of seedlings, each gardener must calculate very accurately - when he sowed, when they should sprout, when the seedlings should be planted in the ground. And this period depends on the condition of your greenhouse, on the weather, and most of all on whether you live in the garden all the time or only visit it on weekends.
The fact is that if pepper seeds are sown too early, the plants overgrow in the pots and the lower fruits begin to set. In conditions of insufficient light on the windowsill, all this leads to depletion of the plant. As a result, even when 1-2 lower ovaries are removed, the plants take root more slowly, and the main wave of fruiting is delayed. Therefore, under no circumstances should pepper seedlings be overgrown.
SOWING PEPPER SEEDS
It is better to grow peppers without picking, sowing the seeds directly into pots. But this will require a significant area of ​​​​the window sill or greenhouse. Therefore, pepper seedlings are often grown in seed boxes with subsequent transfer to “personal” containers.
To do this, on soil compacted after watering with warm water, furrows up to 1 cm deep are made every 3-4 cm and seeds are laid out in them after 1-2 cm. The less frequently they are placed, the longer the seedlings can be kept in the seed box without fear of their thickening. The box with the sown seeds is covered with film or glass and placed in a warm place with a temperature of 25...27 oC. Then it (without removing the film) is transferred to a south window or to a warm greenhouse, maintaining the temperature at a level of at least 23...26 0C.
The soil in the box is lightly sprinkled with water every 2 days using a hand sprayer.
Shoots appear at a temperature of 25...27 oC on the 7-12th day, but depending on the temperature this can happen much later. So, at a temperature of 20 oC, pepper shoots will appear on the 18-20th day, at a temperature of 16 oC - only on the 27-30th day.
With the appearance of the first shoots, remove the film from the box and move it to a sunny and warm windowsill. Lack of lighting at this time can lead to bending and stretching of seedlings.
Good advice! IN initial period For the development of seedlings, it should be switched to round-the-clock lighting. This will significantly accelerate the growth and development of plants.
For 3 days after germination, the air temperature is reduced during the day to 17...18 °C, and at night - to 14...15 °C, so that the seedlings are stocky and the roots grow well. With more high temperature the plants begin to become very elongated and root growth slows down.
The air temperature is then raised again during the day sunny weather up to 24...26 oC, on cloudy days up to 18...20 oC, at night up to 15...16 oC.
Pepper seedlings are sensitive to a lack of heat (below 12 ° C at night), which causes leaves to fall and can lead to plant death. This is also facilitated by the cooling of the soil from cold concrete window sills. Pepper seedlings do not tolerate cold air from the window.
For the first 2-3 days after emergence, seedlings should not be watered; if the soil is dry, it should be moistened with a sprayer. When the cotyledon leaves unfold, the seedlings begin to be watered with warm (30 °C) water. Plants should not be allowed to wilt, but excess water is no less dangerous, since the plants may become infected with blackleg. At the same time, it is very important good ventilation plants.
Seedlings before picking, with sufficient soil preparation, usually grow without fertilizing. But if they are very weak, then when the first true leaf appears, you need to fertilize with Agricola forward (1 tsp. liquid fertilizer per 1 liter of water), which enhances the development of seedlings and strengthens root system. The second feeding should be done when the second leaf appears (1 tsp Barrier per 1 liter of water).
When growing seedlings, you need to pay special attention to the lighting of the plants. It is interesting that if, due to a lack of light, the tomatoes stretch out, then the pepper chooses another form of protest - a “sit-in”. Plants freeze and may not grow for weeks. At the same time, their roots often rot, which is also facilitated by the low soil temperature from concrete window sills.
Boxes with seedlings must be turned every other day. reverse side to the window so that the seedlings do not stretch in one direction. If there is a lack of light, seedlings need to be illuminated fluorescent lamps. This is done with the emergence of seedlings, carrying out it from early morning for 10-12 hours in February and 8-10 hours in March. Keep in mind that if there is insufficient lighting, the buds on the first cluster may not form.
Pepper is a short-day plant. The best duration of lighting for pepper seedlings is 9-10 hours. Late varieties peppers require even shorter daylight hours. Taken together, this means that pepper needs short daylight hours, but with very high light levels.
Pepper seedlings tolerate pickling worse than tomatoes. But this largely depends on the growing conditions. If you nevertheless decide to grow pepper seedlings in a box and then pick them, then this is done in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, after watering the plants abundantly with water. Seedlings cannot be selected from dry soil, otherwise the soil will fall off the roots. But when making such a decision, it is necessary to remember that picking delays the development of plants for 8-10 days.
This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the roots. At the same time, you cannot pinch the roots of pepper seedlings, as is usually done with tomatoes, since they recover very poorly. 2 hours before picking, water the seedlings generously with warm water. The seedling is carefully dug up and taken out with a lump of earth. If you do damage the roots, be sure to treat these sections with phytosporin-M, because pathogenic organisms can enter through them.
A hole is made in the ground 5-6 cm deep, into which the seedling is lowered down to the cotyledon leaves. The latter is extremely important for obtaining good harvest, since when planting pepper seedlings in the ground, they do not bury it, i.e. all additional roots are formed only as a result of picking. Burying pepper seedlings when planting seedlings greatly delays the first harvest and reduces its total quantity.
It is necessary to ensure that the root does not bend upward when picking and that the roots of the plant have good contact with the soil. Therefore, when planting, the roots of the transplanted seedling are pressed tightly with soil so that the seedling cannot be pulled out by the cotyledon leaf.
It is more acceptable for pepper seedlings to grow them not with picking, but with transshipment, i.e. with changing the container with soil from a smaller one to a larger one, in which the seedlings are replanted with a lump of earth without disturbing the root system.
During growth, it is advisable to feed the seedlings twice. The first feeding should be done a week after picking with Planta or Kemira solution, and in their absence - nitrophoska (1 tbsp per 10 liters of water) with the addition of microelements or mullein solution (1:10). Even more useful instead mineral fertilizers fertilize them with solutions of biofertilizers - Signor Tomato, Chamomile, Planta, Ideal, New Ideal, etc.
An excellent fertilizer for seedlings is dry bird droppings. He is being bred into hot water(1:20), where it swells for 2 hours. There is no need to ferment it so that there is no smell.
If the seedlings are weak, it is useful to spray them 2-3 times with an epin solution at intervals of 8-10 days. After this, plants react less to unfavourable conditions cultivation, especially the insufficient lighting inherent in city apartments. For good education roots, you can feed the plants with potassium humate (25 ml per 10 liters of water). It is advisable to water the seedlings with a solution of rhizoplane (1 tbsp per 1 liter of water) once every 10 days.
When watering seedlings, you must remember that this should be done rarely, but abundantly, only in morning time, preferably with a pink solution of potassium permanganate, followed by ventilation. Frequent shallow watering can lead to seedlings becoming infected with blackleg. If it does appear, then watering must be immediately temporarily stopped, ventilation must be increased, and the soil must be sprinkled with a layer of calcined sand or powdered with ash.
To prevent pests from appearing on the seedlings, a week before planting in open ground, it should be sprayed with an infusion of calendula, marigolds, onions, garlic or pine extract.
V. Shafransky
Newspaper "GARDENER" No. 7, 2010.

Growing peppers in a country house or plot is labor-intensive and requires correct use agrotechnical practices. But still, despite the difficulties, care and if pepper seedlings grow poorly, you need to urgently decide what to do in order to get a rich and high-quality harvest.

There are cases when both the seeds are good and the varieties meet all the requirements, but for some reason the pepper seedlings grow poorly and what to do about it. There is only one conclusion - something went wrong, but only you can find out what exactly became the factor behind the violation by reading our material on the topic “why pepper seedlings don’t grow.”

To establish the root cause why seedlings grow poorly and what to do about it, you need to study all stages of growing seedlings. The main thing for pepper is light, heat and moisture, and the main reason - why and what to do, we will try to explain to you in the article.

The key to a good harvest at all times has been the use of clean and good-quality seeds, and when the question arises: why pepper seedlings die after germination, you need to understand all the intricacies. This work examines and presents in detail the main parts of pepper breeding technology.

Analysis of varietal qualities

Today, breeding work has made great progress and a huge assortment of varieties is available for sale. To prevent poor growth of peppers, you need to choose the right variety and very carefully study the climatic conditions of your region, the type of soil on the site, and based on these parameters, select seeds, taking into account:

1. Structure and type of soil structure.
2. Choice of fertilizers.
3. The period of planting in the ground.
4. Preferences for weather conditions.
5. Periods of fruit set, ripening and harvesting.

If in your region it is permissible to plant seedlings with different periods of fruit ripeness, then you can vary and choose seeds with different terms ripening, thereby prolonging the pleasant moments of harvesting. Taking into account all the above factors, you will not raise the question: why seedlings grow poorly.

Important! Beginning vegetable growers can be given advice: first familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the varietal indicators and carefully study the duration of the growing season, determine whether the pepper will have time to ripen and what to do if the seedlings grow poorly.

And, of course, you don’t need to stop at one variety, in case it grows bad seedlings? Once you have decided on the list of desired varieties of sweet peppers, you can safely start sowing. Since the seeds are sown at home, do not be lazy and prepare them first, thereby you will resolve the questions of why pepper seedlings do not grow.

First, read the release date on the package, and remember that seeds can be stored for a maximum of 4 years; after this time, varietal qualities deteriorate. If pepper seedlings do not germinate, grow slowly, or do not grow at all, germination should be analyzed and discarded in a three percent salt solution.

To determine viability and identify full-grain seeds, follow these simple steps:

• dissolve 30 grams of salt in 1 liter of water;
• pour the seeds into the liquid with salt;
• stir and stand for 15 minutes;
• seeds on the surface must be removed; they are considered hollow and lifeless.

Seeds that can be safely sown at the bottom; the resulting seedlings will develop well and produce a rich harvest.

This check is usually carried out immediately before sowing and with seeds that have been lying idle for a long time. For such seeds, you need to clearly develop a range of actions and know what to feed. Seeds that have passed the test must be washed and dried, and then sown.

To increase and stimulate germination, the seeds need to be soaked in clean water and place in a warm place, packed in plastic bag, there is no need to fertilize yet.

In order for the sprouts to develop well, the following conditions must be provided:

1. Compliance with sowing dates, for example, early varieties need to be sown 2 months before planting in open ground, and late varieties approximately 75 days before. This time will be enough for strong seedlings to grow.
2. The right way to grow experienced summer residents, it was noticed that after picking, the seedlings lag behind in growth and develop less.
3. Places of growth - in glass greenhouses, seedlings are planted in last days April, and in film and in open ground in the first ten days of May.
4. Weather conditions of the region.

After preliminary preparation seed material, begin sowing in special containers, cups filled with prepared soil substrate. Soil for seedlings is sold in many specialized stores; if it is impossible to buy a substrate, then I plant pepper seeds in my own prepared soil.

To do this, make the following mixture using peat, turf, sawdust and humus in proportions 4:2:1:1, respectively. Such soil will have a beneficial effect on the seeds and the pepper will soon sprout. After mixing, pour the prepared mixture with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Seeds should be planted at a depth of 1 centimeter.

After this, in order for the seeds to sprout, create Greenhouse effect, by covering with glass or film. Then the container or box with the crops is placed in a warm place (28 degrees). After just 10 days, the first peppers develop; caring for the seedlings includes watering.

To prevent the seeds from being washed out of the soil, you need to spray them with a spray bottle.

When seedlings appear, it is necessary to provide sunlight and warmth, these factors beneficially ensure germination. At the stage when 2 leaves appear, the film or glass is removed and exposed to sunlight for about 8 hours.

Insufficient lighting can lead to the appearance of negative phenomena and the pepper will grow very slowly or lead to rotting of the real leaves and underdeveloped ovaries, in addition, the stems of such peppers are curved. Most often, a lack of light can cause the pepper to grow poorly and what to do. In such cases, do you need to know how to feed the plants?

To obtain high-quality sprouts, crops need to be watered regularly, preferably in the morning with water at room temperature. Sprouts need to be protected from drafts, but in warm weather the rooms where the seedlings are stored need to be ventilated. It is not necessary to feed the seedlings during this period.

After this, the seedlings begin to grow intensively; at these moments it is necessary that the leaf plates of the pepper do not touch. If this condition is not met, the plants become elongated due to lack of space, resulting in weak shoots.

Important! If you planted a pepper and it did not sprout, then immediately re-sow it, otherwise you will be left without seedlings.

Growing methods

You can grow seedlings in 2 ways:

• with a dive;
• without picking.

Diving is carried out approximately 20 days after the sprouts appear. Peppers do not like to be picked, as their roots are very sensitive, so pinching is not advisable. If you decide to grow with picking, you do not need to allow the seedlings to outgrow.

Picking up overgrown seedlings may be one of the reasons why pepper seedlings die after germination. When the peppers sprout, vegetable growers have an idea: the first sprouts can be fertilized with liquid manure or bird droppings approximately twice.

To ensure rapid adaptation of seedlings in open ground, they should be hardened off. Hardening is a process of exposure environment seedlings are carried out by placing the sprouts on open air if the weather is favorable.

It is possible to endure this for approximately 2–3 hours. What to do if pests appear? To prevent the appearance of pests on seedlings, they can be sprayed with infusions onion peel, pine needles.

Planting seedlings in the ground correctly

For proper planting in open ground, seedlings with the following parameters:

• the height should be approximately 15-20 centimeters;
• presence of 10 leaves;
• a few buds, but no ovaries. A plant with an ovary develops very poorly after transplantation. In general, the seedling becomes frail and will not be able to bear a good harvest.

To plant seedlings, it is necessary to properly prepare land plot, it is good to protect it from wind and gusts of air, because pepper does not like drafts and can die from them. Vegetable crops do not grow in areas where tomatoes or potatoes grew last year.

Areas after cucumbers and legumes are considered ideal for peppers. When seedlings are planted in open ground, it is necessary to strictly observe agrotechnical features, because the root system of peppers is the most sensitive part, and there is no need to bury seedlings deep into the ground, this can lead to an increase in the ripening time of fruits and reduces its quantity.

Important! Should not be planted in the same bed, this can lead to cross-pollination and as a result Bell pepper It won't be that sweet.

Many people are concerned about the question: why do pepper seedlings disappear and how to water the planted plants? The optimal solution There will be mulch applied to the beds and abundant watering. Dry soil or grass is used as mulch. Small seedlings do not tolerate frost well, so during the critical period it is necessary to take care additional protection from low temperatures.

Sometimes, it seems like I planted healthy seedlings and followed all the technologies, but the peppers grow poorly and the seedlings fall. The question arises: why do peppers grow poorly? Probably, some mistakes were made; in the next section we will look at the most common shortcomings.

Common shortcomings of pepper cultivation techniques

Very often a problem arises: pepper seedlings do not grow and why does this happen?
Sometimes it happens that sprouts fall. Professionals with extensive experience have developed several common mistakes that are most often made when growing:

1. An improperly prepared soil substrate is the reason why the pepper seedlings fell. The best option The solution would be to purchase soil in specialized stores if you take soil from summer cottage, then it is strictly forbidden to take it from under flowers and other vegetable crops, such as tomatoes, eggplants, etc.
2. Consumption of expired and low-quality seeds leads to the fact that the seeds do not grow. Effective way preparation is to soak them in melt water; if there is none, replace it with aloe solution. Soaking is carried out for 2-3 days.
3. Problem: pepper seedlings not growing can be solved if you choose the right sowing time. Early varieties planted 60 days before planting in open ground, and later ones - 75–80 days. Compliance with deadlines has a strong impact on seedlings and is an important link in the growing season of seedlings. Weak or overgrown sprouts do not tolerate transplantation into open ground, so cases of plant death are not uncommon.
4. Failure to comply with the optimal temperature regime may result in the sprouts not sprouting. Pepper is very demanding of heat and the mistake of many gardeners is that the crops are often placed on radiators or other heating devices. The intervention of elevated temperatures from devices can lead to overdrying of the soil, as a result of which seedlings freeze in growth.
5. Application of diving. Experts do not recommend this as it negatively affects the further growth and development of plants. If the root system of peppers is not disturbed again, then you are guaranteed to get a bountiful harvest in the optimal time frame.
6. If pepper seedlings grow poorly and what to do - this may be due to insufficient lighting. Light for pepper, perhaps, plays the main role; with its lack, the seedlings turn out to be elongated on thin stems, that is, in the struggle for light, the sprouts stretch upward, thereby losing weight in the stems and leaves.
7. Precision in fertilizing, it should be done 2 times before transplanting into the ground.
8. Irrigation system failure. Pepper loves moisture, but when watering seedlings, you should use a spray bottle; you cannot pour water in a stream, as this can lead to death.

When growing seedlings, the question arises: why do pepper seedlings turn yellow? Sometimes you can notice yellowing of seedlings; this can be caused by the following factors:

• insufficient root development. Sometimes this happens when the roots are initial stages develop well, and then intertwine, which can even lead to the death of the sprout;
• lack of nitrogen, in these cases, when the seedlings grow poorly and the question arises of what to do - for this it is necessary to apply fertilizing, effective drug"Azogron";
• the appearance of pests that harm the root system;
• yellowing is common in open ground, this occurs because the roots are taken away nutrients at the above-ground part for rooting;
• lack of moisture, it is necessary to provide watering approximately once every 7 days. Watering should saturate the soil, while avoiding waterlogging and stagnation of water.

Pests and diseases

Then keep a close eye on pests. The biggest concern is the appearance of mites, aphids and cutworms. It is necessary to monitor the plantings very carefully and in cases of pests it is necessary to carry out treatments. Pests often damage roots and are the reason why pepper seedlings fall.

Why - solutions of onion peels, pine needles or garlic are used as preventive measures.

If you choose the wrong time to plant, it may result in a fallen seedling. Seedlings should be planted in soil heated to 15 degrees, ensuring a planting depth of 10 centimeters.

After planting, the seedlings are shed with warm water. In cold soil, seedlings will not give the desired effect and will stop growing.

Conclusion

Having carefully studied this material presented above, we hope you will be able to avoid shortcomings and mistakes when growing peppers. Properly executed agricultural technology will ensure a rich harvest of peppers and eliminate poor growth of peppers and questions about what to do about it.

Unfortunately, when growing pepper seedlings, gardeners make numerous mistakes that sharply worsen the quality of the grown seedlings, and sometimes lead to their death. Try to get rid of them this year:

1. The components for the soil mixture are incorrectly selected
You cannot take soil from the beds where you grew vegetable crops. You also cannot take soil from a flower bed where flowers grow and use it to grow seedlings. It is advisable to take humus from a 3-4 year old heap, and turf soil from an area where perennial herbs grow for several years.

2. Poor seed preparation
Since pepper seeds retain their germination rather poorly, they should not be purchased in reserve. Of the many possible schemes for pre-sowing preparation of pepper seeds for sowing, the following three schemes are most preferable:
- Treating the seeds in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then soak them for 18 hours in a Zircon solution (1 drop of the drug per 300 ml of water) at room temperature. Then sow the seeds or preliminary germination seeds followed by sowing.
- Disinfection of seeds in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then soak them for 18 hours in the Epin solution (2 drops per half glass of water) at room temperature. Then sowing the seeds or pre-germinating them followed by sowing.
- Treating the seeds in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then soak them for 2 days in melted snow water, which must be changed every 5–6 hours, or in an aqueous solution of aloe juice.

3. Error in determining the timing of sowing seeds
The timing of sowing pepper seeds depends on the timing of planting the seedlings in a permanent place. Early-ripening varieties are usually sown 65 days before, mid-ripening - 65-70 days, and late-ripening - 75 days before planting in a permanent place.
Each gardener needs to calculate this period for sowing pepper seeds, taking into account the time from sowing until germination, very accurately - when he sowed them, when they should sprout, when the seedlings will be planted in the ground. And all this depends on the condition of your greenhouse, on the weather, and most of all on whether you live in the garden all the time or only visit it on weekends.
If pepper seeds are sown too early, the plants overgrow in the pots and the lower fruits begin to set. In conditions of insufficient light on the windowsill, all this leads to depletion of the plant. As a result, even when 1–2 lower ovaries are removed, the plants take root more slowly and the main wave of fruiting is delayed. Therefore, under no circumstances should pepper seedlings be overgrown.

4. Failure to comply with temperature conditions
To obtain good and friendly seedlings of pepper, the soil temperature before emergence should be 25–28°C, and after emergence for 2–3 days it should be reduced to 20 degrees, and then constantly maintained within 22–25°C.
If this soil temperature schedule is not observed, pepper seeds will germinate very slowly and the emergence of seedlings may take up to 25–30 days.
But the biggest mistake at this time is placing a container with sown seeds on heating radiators. Since these containers are small, the soil in them quickly heats up above 32–33°C and dries out, which leads to the rapid death of newly hatched seeds.
If the apartment is warm, i.e. 23°C, this does not mean that the soil on the windowsill is warm. Take the time to stick a thermometer into the soil, and you will be very surprised.
To reduce the influence of these factors, it is most convenient to make a kind of window-side greenhouse on the windowsill of the south window. To do this, the window sill is fenced off from the rest of the room with film, and the temperature in it is regulated using slightly open or closed vents.

5. Growing seedlings with their further picking
Unlike tomatoes, peppers do not tolerate picking well, because... its roots are slowly restored, which increases the growing time of seedlings by 15–20 days. In this case, the whole point of growing seedlings is lost.
Therefore, it is better to immediately sow its seeds in a “personal” container, and, if necessary, do not pick, but transfer the plants, i.e. removing the entire lump of earth from the container along with the plant and replanting it into a larger container, without disturbing the root system. As a result, you can win 15–20 days, which will be required to grow seedlings.

6. Insufficient lighting for plants
Pepper seedlings do not tolerate insufficient lighting, which immediately causes the seedlings to stretch out and will subsequently lead to a decrease in yield.
But at the same time, it is a plant of short daylight hours. This means that pepper needs short daylight hours, but with very high light levels. In practice, creating such a short daylight hours is not difficult. To do this, cover the seedlings with a light-proof box or black lutrasil at 18–19 hours. In addition, seedlings grown on short daylight hours have increased resistance to low temperatures.

7. Unfavorable growing conditions
In this case, it is very useful to spray the plants 2-3 times with Epin solution at intervals of 8-10 days. After treatment with Epin, plants react less to unfavorable growing conditions, especially insufficient lighting, which is typical in city apartments. And for good root formation, you can feed the plants with potassium humate (25 ml per 10 liters of water).

8. Improper plant nutrition
In order for seedlings to grow normally already in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, it is necessary to fertilize with Agricola-Forward (1 teaspoon of liquid fertilizer per 1 liter of water), which enhances the development of seedlings and strengthens the root system. The second feeding should be done when the second leaf appears (1 teaspoon of “Barrier” per 1 liter of water).

9. Failure to comply with the water regime
The seedlings should not be watered for the first 2–3 days after emergence, but if the soil is dry, moisten it with a sprayer.
And when the cotyledon leaves unfold, the seedlings begin to be watered with warm (30°C) settled water. During the first days, it is better to water with a teaspoon, since the seedlings are easily washed out of the soil.
In no case should plants be allowed to wilt, but excess water is no less dangerous, since the plants may become infected with blackleg. Good ventilation of the plants is very important.

10. Missed the moment when pests appeared
The main pests of pepper are aphids, mites, and cutworms. It is necessary to monitor their appearance and promptly treat the seedlings, which can only be planted in the ground when they are healthy.
At home, you can spray with infusions of onions, calendula, marigolds, garlic, pine extract, or use biological agents plant protection: “Fitoverm”, “Agravertin”, “Entobacterin”, “Bitoxibacillin”, etc.

11. The time for planting seedlings in the ground is incorrectly chosen
Pepper seedlings are planted in a greenhouse or in the ground when the soil warms up at a depth of 10 cm to at least 15°C. Seedlings will tolerate replanting better if they are watered abundantly before planting and planted in holes that have been previously watered generously with hot water.

12. The watering regime was not followed after planting the seedlings
The regime of stable moderate soil moisture was not observed, i.e. without over-moistening or drying out. The roots of pepper, especially young ones, cannot tolerate even short-term drying out of the soil. To prevent this from happening, the planting must be mulched with peat, sawdust, hay, etc.

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