How to dive pepper seedlings: a step-by-step guide and useful recommendations

Pepper seedlings require careful care in compliance with a number of agrotechnical requirements, including picking. Due to the high fragility of plants, they are transplanted as carefully as possible and only at the right time. We will tell you in detail about the optimal timing and nuances of diving pepper seedlings.

What is pepper picking and is it necessary to do it

Picking is a procedure that gardeners use to stimulate the growth of healthy, strong seedlings.... It is the transplanting of grown seedlings from a large total capacity into individual pots with a complete replacement of the substrate.

Picking is also necessary in cases where the seeds are sown immediately in separate containers - special cassettes with cells. They are small in size and contain little land, so as the plants grow, they are transplanted into larger containers. This facilitates the subsequent planting of seedlings in open ground.

Some gardeners believe that picking only harms the seedlings, injuring its root system.... Others talk about the need for the procedure, as it increases the space for root development and improves the absorption of moisture and nutrients by the plants.

In the absence of a pick, the grown seedlings suffer from a lack of oxygen, their roots are intertwined, and the accumulation of excess moisture in the container provokes rotting of the root system.

Pros and cons of the procedure

The advantages of picking:

• providing free space for the development of the root system;
• the ability to immediately select strong and healthy seedlings and get rid of the weak and sick;
• stimulation of the growth of a strong stem to ensure better plant survival in the beds;
• higher yields, as strong and healthy seedlings are the key to a good harvest in the future.

Disadvantages of the procedure:

• plants are stressed, weak specimens die;
• the probability of disease transmission from affected seedlings to healthy ones;
• labor intensity.

In case of violation of the timing of the pick plant development can slow down.

When pepper seedlings dive

Timely picking is the key to obtaining high-quality seedlings... If you transplant plants early, they may not take root, and late transplanting complicates the procedure due to the intertwining of the roots of neighboring plants.

Timing

The right time for a pick:

• after the opening of the cotyledon leaves;
• after the formation of 2-3 true leaves;
• with 5-6 leaves.

Seedlings rarely dive at the stage of cotyledon leaf opening, since at this time the seedlings have only a central root, when injured, the plant dies.

The optimal time for the procedure is 16-21 days after germination. At this time, the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves and they have a strong root system.

Reference. When plants have 5-6 leaves, their root system expands to the sides, which causes the roots to intertwine and increases the risk of damage.

Lunar calendar

In accordance with the lunar calendar, the most favorable period for a dive - the phase of the waxing moon in the constellation Taurus, Libra or Scorpio.Unfavorable phases are new moon and full moon.

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Preparatory work

First of all, prepare a substrate suitable for peppers. - they like organic fertilizers and do not like acidic soil. To do this, mix two parts of garden soil, humus and peat and one part of coarse sand. To reduce the acidity of the soil, 250 g of wood ash is added for every 10 liters of the resulting mixture.

To disinfect the soil mixture, it is calcined in the oven. or spilled with strong hot potassium permanganate solution.

Selection of containers for seating

For picking seedlings, use plastic or peat glasses with drainage holes of 200-250 ml. In the case of late planting of seedlings in the ground, containers with a volume of about 500 ml are taken - there will be enough space in them for the development of the root system.

Reference. Before transplanting seedlings, the container is treated with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

How is picking pepper seedlings done

The picking process:

1. Water the seedlings three hours before the procedure. This will reduce the risk of root damage.
2. Fill prepared containers with soil mixture, tamp and moisten it.
3. Make holes in the soil.
4. Carefully remove the seedling from the common container along with a small clod of earth so as not to injure the roots.
5. Place the plant in a prepared container.
6. Place containers with seedlings on a pallet, add substrate around the seedling and tamp it around the stem.
7. Water the plants with settled water.
8. Remove excess water from the pan after half an hour.

Three days after the pick, the seedlings are provided with additional lighting.so that daylight hours last at least 8 hours.

Features of the pick

There are some features of the picking of pepper seedlings, depending on from its variety.

Hot (bitter) pepper

Seedlings of hot peppers are most often dived by the transshipment method... In this case, the risk of damage to the roots is minimal, since the seedlings are not dug out, but removed from the old container and transferred to a larger pot along with an earthen lump.

Bulgarian (sweet)

When transplanting seedlings of sweet bell peppers into new containers, make sure that the roots of the seedlings were located freely, did not intertwine and did not twist counterclockwise. They are not deepened deeper than before.

An exception is a strong pulling out of seedlings before picking. In this case, the root is deepened by 1 cm.

How to care for unpicked seedlings

Room temperature with sorted seedlings during the first three days, they are maintained at + 21 ° C during the day and + 16 ° C at night. Then it is increased to + 24 ° C in the daytime and + 18 ° C at night.

Seedlings are watered sparingly, as the topsoil dries out... On average - no more than twice a week. The water should be at room temperature and settled for a day. If the air in the room is dry, the seedlings are irrigated.

After each watering, the soil is loosened... This improves the access of moisture and oxygen to the roots and prevents the formation of dry crust on the soil surface.

Fertilizers are applied 15 days after picking and two weeks after that. Yeast, nettle decoction, ash solution, rotted manure or complex mineral fertilizers are used as top dressing.

Two weeks before planting in open ground, the seedlings begin to harden... To do this, she is taken out into the street and left in a place where there are no drafts and access to direct sunlight. The residence time of seedlings on the street is gradually increased.

Read also:

How to grow peppers in pots

What are the diseases of sweet pepper

What to do if, after the pick, the development of seedlings slowed down

Slowdown and complete cessation of seedling growth most often indicates damage to the root system. In this case, the problem will be solved, and the plant will recover as soon as new roots grow.

Another reason for the slow development of seedlings is insufficient soil compaction. during a pick, which creates an air space between the roots and the substrate, and the root system dries out. In this case, the soil around the seedling is carefully compacted.

Is it possible to do without picking

Some gardeners do not dive pepper seedlings. Instead they sow 2-3 seeds at once in individual containers, and when the seedlings grow, only one, the strongest, is left.

Useful Tips

Experienced gardeners recommend:

1. Fill the bottom of the planting tanks with a drainage layer. This facilitates the rapid drainage of excess water.
2. Water the seedlings before picking. This will make the root system easier to extract.
3. Enrich the substrate with mineral fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, for example, "Nitroammofoskoy" (1-2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). This will stimulate the growth of the seedlings.

Conclusion

Despite the disputes among gardeners, obtaining high-quality seedlings is impossible without picking. For the procedure to be successful, it is necessary to prepare a suitable substrate and containers for plants, choose the right time for diving and provide the seedlings with proper care.