How to pick pepper seedlings: step-by-step guide and useful tips

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 picking pepper seedlings.

What is pepper picking and is it necessary to do it?

Picking is a procedure that gardeners carry out to stimulate the growth of healthy, strong seedlings. It involves transplanting grown seedlings from a large common container into individual pots with a complete replacement of the substrate.

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

Some gardeners believe that picking only harms seedlings, injuring their root system. Others say the procedure is necessary because it increases space for roots to develop and improves the absorption of moisture and nutrients by plants.

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

Pros and cons of the procedure

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 weak and sick ones;
• stimulation of the growth of strong stems to ensure better survival of plants in the beds;
• increasing productivity, since strong and healthy seedlings are the key to a good harvest in the future.

Disadvantages of the procedure:

• plants experience stress, weak specimens die;
• the likelihood of disease transmission from affected seedlings to healthy ones;
• labor intensity.

In case of violation of the picking deadlines plant development may slow down.

When to pick pepper seedlings

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

Deadlines

The right time to pick:

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

Seedlings are rarely picked at the stage of opening the cotyledon leaves, since at this time the seedlings have only a central root, and if it is 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 have a strong root system.

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

According to the lunar calendar

According to the lunar calendar, the most favorable period for picking is – 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 love 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, add 250 g of wood ash for every 10 liters of the resulting mixture.

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

Selection of containers for seating

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

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

How to pick pepper seedlings

Picking process:

1. Water the seedlings three hours before the procedure. This will reduce the risk of damage to the root system.
2. Fill the prepared containers with soil mixture, compact and moisten it.
3. Make depressions in the soil.
4. Carefully remove the seedling from the general container along with a small lump of earth so as not to injure the roots.
5. Place the plant in the prepared container.
6. Place containers with seedlings on a tray, add substrate around the seedling and compact 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 picking, the seedlings are provided with additional lightingso that daylight hours last for at least 8 hours.

Features of picking

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

Hot (bitter) pepper

Hot pepper seedlings are most often harvested using the transshipment method. In this case, the risk of damage to the roots is minimal, since the seedlings are not dug up, but rather removed from the old container and transferred to a larger pot along with a lump of earth.

Bulgarian (sweet)

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

The exception is strong stretching of seedlings before picking. In this case, the root is deepened by 1 cm.

How to care for picked seedlings

Temperature in the room with planted seedlings during the first three days it is maintained at +21°C during the day and +16°C at night. Then it is increased to +24°C during the day and +18°C at night.

Water the seedlings moderately as the top layer of soil dries. On average, no more than twice a week. The water should be at room temperature and allowed to stand for 24 hours. If the air in the room is dry, irrigate the seedlings.

After each watering, loosen the soil. This improves the access of moisture and oxygen to the roots and prevents the formation of a 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 fertilizers.

Two weeks before planting in open ground, seedlings begin to harden. To do this, it is taken outside and left in a place where there are no drafts or direct sunlight. The time the seedlings spend outside is gradually increased.

Read also:

How to grow peppers in pots

What diseases do sweet peppers have?

What to do if seedling development slows down after picking

Slowing down and completely stopping the growth of seedlings 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 picking, which causes an air space to form 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 pick 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. Place a drainage layer on the bottom of the planting containers. This facilitates the rapid removal of excess water.
2. Water the seedlings before planting. This will make it easier to remove the root system.
3. Enrich the substrate with mineral fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, for example, “Nitroammofoskaya” (1-2 tbsp. per 10 l of water). This will stimulate the growth of seedlings.

Conclusion

Despite the ongoing debate 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 picking and provide the seedlings with proper care.