Stages of preparing pepper seeds for sowing

Pepper is the combined name of one genus of plants belonging to the Solanaceae family. In nature, the culture is found in the form of shrubs, herbaceous plants, lianas.

Pepper is picky about growing conditions. Many gardeners confirm that they often face various difficulties in cultivating a crop. The fact is that the plant reacts quite sharply to any changes in environmental conditions, so most often pepper can be found in greenhouses.

The fruits of sweet bell peppers or any other variety ripen within 150-200 days. During the fruiting period, it is recommended to organize the necessary conditions for the active growth of the peppers. So, in the open field it is better to grow vegetables from seedlings, which you can buy in a specialized store or grow yourself.

In the second case, you need to carefully approach the purchase of seed. Poor quality and defective specimens are unlikely to germinate. It should be borne in mind that the seeds of peppers quickly lose their germination, so the shelf life of the seeds does not exceed 3 years.

Let's take a look at some tips for choosing quality seeds.

• It is worth buying seed at trusted points of sale. Before purchasing seeds, you should read the reviews about the store. Also, if necessary, you can request a quality certificate for a product from a sales outlet if the seeds seem to be bad.
• The priority will be seeds with an unexpired shelf life. You should also pay attention to the quality of the packaging. If it is dented, frayed, or has other damage, then the seed is most likely stored incorrectly.
• The characteristics of the seeds should be suitable for the weather and climatic characteristics of the region., in which the cultivation of pepper is planned.
• Seed packaging should contain all the information about the features of planting and the rules for growing the variety. It should also contain information about the manufacturer's address, GOST.

When the required material is purchased, you can start selecting it. Ignoring this procedure will lead to uneven seed growth, as well as the death of half of the crop. To select seed, you need to take a dry sheet of paper. Next you will need:

1. pour the seeds onto the leaf;
2. manually separate large seeds from small ones;
3. Transfer medium-sized seeds separately.

Additionally, gardeners are advised to pay attention to hollow seeds. You can determine them using a container with a saline solution, where you need to transfer the seed product for 5-7 minutes. After that, it remains to remove the seeds that have floated to the surface. The rest will need to be removed from the water, rinsed under warm water and dried.

The next stage after the selection of seeds is their protection from diseases, which is provided by the preventive treatment of the material with special compounds. Effective means for strengthening immunity and preparing seeds for sowing will be as follows.

• Potassium permanganate in solution. To do it, you need to pour 1 g of the drug in 250 ml of water. It is recommended to soak the seeds in the solution for 20 minutes.
• Hydrogen peroxide. The seed is kept in a 3% solution poured into a glass of water for 20 minutes. After this time, the seed is taken out, thoroughly washed under running water and dried by transferring it to a napkin.
• Fitosporin-M. The solution is intended to prevent the development of fungal diseases that pepper is susceptible to. To disinfect the crop, you will need 150 ml of water and 1 g of the product. It is necessary to withstand the seeds for 1-2 hours.
• Brilliant green. A solution consisting of 100 ml of water and 1 ml of brilliant green. It will be processed in half an hour.
• Garlic infusion. Quite an effective tool for preparing seeds for planting. For cooking, you need 3 cloves of garlic, 100 ml of water. Before use, the solution must be allowed to stand for a day. It is recommended to soak the seeds for half an hour.

When the disinfection stage has been passed, you can start pre-sowing stimulation of seeds in order to accelerate the appearance of the first shoots. Gardeners recommend using special preparations for this, among which are especially popular:

• "Zircon";
• Energen;
• Epin.

The second most popular way to wake up peppers is using wood ash. Ingredients for the stimulating solution:

• warm water - 0.5 liters;
• ash - 1 tablespoon.

The resulting mixture is left to stand for 2 days, and then a cloth is moistened in the solution, where the seeds are then placed. The stimulation period is 3-5 hours. When the time is up, you can put the peppers in the snow or in the refrigerator.

Finally, the last method of stimulation is stratification by bubbling. The treatment provides the required amount of oxygen for the seeds to sprout faster. To carry out the procedure, you will need an aquarium compressor and a container in which there will be water. The seeds are transferred to a cloth bag, and then immersed in a container and a compressor is turned on. The duration of the procedure is from 12 to 18 hours.

Before planting seeds, you will need to go through two more stages, one of which is soaking. It is needed to give the first sprout to break through from the seed. For this:

1. take cotton, napkin, cloth or washcloth;
2. moisturize the material;
3. transfer seeds to the surface;
4. cover with another layer of moistened material on top;
5. place the seeds in a humid environment and warm.

It is carried out in two stages in several approaches. Usually, the procedure is started when there are first shoots. Conditions:

1. the seeds are alternately placed on the windowsill in the room, and then transferred to the refrigerator or to fresh air, where the temperature does not drop below +2 degrees;
2. 12 hours are allocated for each period of cold-heat;
3. the average number of repetitions is at least three.

Hardening is a great way to strengthen the pepper's immunity to various diseases and changes in weather conditions. However, this does not mean that after hardening the plant can be grown outdoors. Better to play it safe and plant the crop in a greenhouse.

When all the stages have been passed, you can start planting seeds. There are several recommendations, taking into account which will allow you to get a high-quality harvest.

• Drainage will ensure rapid growth of the crop and prevent root rot. Drainage can be eggshells or expanded clay, which will retain excess moisture and prevent it from reaching the plant. The second layer of drainage will be fertile soil, previously prepared for planting.
• Water the ground abundantly the day before planting. If, due to the water, the soil begins to settle strongly, it is worth adding earth to the desired level.
• Seeds are recommended to be laid out in paths if growing through a pick is planned. The maximum distance between neighbors in a row is 3 cm, between rows - 5 cm. After planting, the seeds must be sprinkled with a layer of fertile soil or humus. The total thickness of the backfill should not exceed 1.5 cm.
• The container in which the seeds are planted should be carefully tightened with cling film or cover with a transparent cover to allow access to sunlight. The finished seedlings must be rearranged in a warm place.

The first sprouts will indicate the need to remove the film. In the absence of a sufficient amount of light, gardeners are advised to use a phytolamp, the rays of which contain the required spectrum of radiation to saturate the pepper with the necessary elements.