Planting in peat tablets is an ideal variant for the cultivation of pepper seedlings.
This method eliminates the risk of damage to the delicate roots of this capricious culture during transplantation, and therefore, makes it possible to get strong and healthy plants and, as a consequence, a great harvest.
We select peat tablets for pepper
Tablets for seeding - discs pressed from peat of various kinds. For planting pepper should choose discs from peat low acidity.
Sour Peat Copies designed for flower crops, and it is not recommended to plant vegetable seedlings in them.
On top of each tablet is covered with a special paper mesh, impregnated with a fungicide. It helps to preserve the shape of the disk when it is wetted and protect the seeds from infection with fungal diseases.
In addition to peat disk composition includes trace elements and growth stimulants.
Tablets are suitable for planting pepper maximum diameter of 70 mm. Peat creates ideal conditions for growing pepper seedlings. Substratein which the root system is placed, as breathable as possible and wherein it has enough nutrients.
TIP. Refuse to buy too cheap peat tablets. They are not placed in the forming mesh and, when used, will simply crumble and lose their shape. Do not take pills for pepper, which also contain coconut fiber in addition to peat, they dry out too quickly and the roots suffer from a lack of moisture.
When to sow pepper
Unlike planting in the soilrecommended for peppers in February, sowing in peat tablets can be postponed until March(from 1st to 10th).
Pepper will develop in them faster, because will not need to dive.
And the number of trace elements will help them gain strength.
Seed preparation rules
The process of preparing pepper seeds for sowing in peat tablets is carried out in the same way as for ordinary sowing in the ground.
- Seeds are pickled in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes.
- Then they are washed and placed in a damp cloth for 6-7 days.
- Germination should take place at a temperature of 25-26 degrees.
Cooking pills
For sowing, peat tablets are placed on a pallet in such a way that the pits for seeds are on top. The number of pills is calculated on the basis of one piece for one seed.
You can use a plastic box of cake, after sowing it you can cover the box and you will solve the problem of creating greenhouse conditions.
Currently, special deep pallets with special grooves for placing peat pellets have been put on sale. These cassette containers are ideal for tablets., and inside them the peat is uniformly filled with moisture and does not dry out in the process of germinating seeds.
In addition, such special tanks in most cases are equipped with special, ideally suited lids. This immediately solves the problem of creating greenhouse conditions for germination..
Tablet surface begin to gradually moisten. This should be done in about half an hour. Water is added gradually, as it is absorbed into the peat discs. The tablets will gradually increase in height, their diameter does not significantly change.
Wetting should be carried out with slightly warm water.. Cold liquid will be slowly absorbed, and too hot can destroy the forming grid and the ground will be scattered. For disinfection in water, you can add a small amount of potassium permanganate.
How to plant seeds
Hacked seeds are laid out in the wells of tablets.
If their depth is insufficient, take the hole with a blunt object.
Experienced gardener recommend put two seeds in each well, as some may not germinate.
If there are two shoots in some pills, the one that needs to be removed is weaker.
TIP. It is better not to pull out an extra sprout from the soil, but simply cut at the level of the soil. Pulling out an unnecessary copy, you can damage the roots of the remaining pill.
By placing the seeds in a pill, on top of them sprinkled with a layer of soil in this way, so that the surface of the fossa equals the main. No need to water sown seeds, since the tablets are sufficiently saturated with moisture.
Crops covered with a transparent cap to create greenhouse conditions and put in a warm (22-25 degrees) and bright place.
In the process of germination the lid is periodically opened for ventilation. Also, do not allow the accumulation of condensate on the surface, wiping it with a napkin.
Shoots in tablets will appear in 7-10 days. Immediately after the appearance of the first shoots, the cap should be removed. The temperature for 3-4 days is reduced to 17-18 degrees..
For further growth you need to pick up place with maximum illumination and a temperature of 24-25 degrees. At night, the temperature should be no higher than 15 degrees, which contributes to the hardening of plants. In the same time do not let the temperature drop below 12 degreesotherwise they will start to die.
Planting care
Caring for peppers grown in peat tablets consists of watering with warm settled water. Do not water the seedlings too often.. Determine the time of watering can be as pills. As soon as they are slightly reduced in size, they need to be moistened.. Water is poured not on the surface of the tablets, but in the pan.
Do not pour too much water when watering. Excess will not be absorbed into peat, and water will stagnate and interfere with root breathing. Pepper roots can cause a fungal disease due to excess moisture.Blackleg". All non-absorbed water immediately drain from the pan.
Pepper feed in peat tablets do not need, as the content of nutrients in them is enough for the entire period of plant development.
The best place to put pepper is east or west windows. In the north he will not enough light, but on the south - too high temperaturethat the pepper does not like. In wet and cloudy weather, seedlings require lighting with special or fluorescent lamps.
The process of growing peppers
As soon as sprouts form 3-4 true leaves, their planted in pots for further rearing. As a signal for immediate transplantation, the roots from the bottom of the pill also serve.
Convenient to use for planting cardboard packages from dairy products or juices. When planting pepper in the ground such containers can be cut easily without damaging the rootsand plant pepper with a lump of earth to a permanent place.
The volume of the pot should be large enoughso that the roots have enough space for development. If you put the sprout in a small container, the roots, reaching the edge, will go in the opposite direction and the growth of the bush will slow down due to their entanglement.
When landing such a specimen in a permanent place, plant development will begin only after the tangled roots die off and new ones grow in their place. This will significantly slow down the formation of pepper on the fruit.
ATTENTION. Do not use clear plastic bottles as pots for planting. The roots of the plant must be in opaque containers, otherwise their development will slow down.
Pots or boxes must have drainage holes to remove excess liquid when watering. The containers are covered with a small amount of soil, then the sprout is placed inside, together with the peat tablet in which it is located. The pill is arranged in such a way so that its surface height is slightly below the edge of the pot. The roots protruding from the bottom of the tablet are evenly distributed over the soil surface.
The remaining space is filled with soil., tamping it with a light tapping on the edge of the tank. Planted sprout watered. Next watering planted sprouts should be made in 5-7 dayswhen the roots of the pepper adapt to the new soil.
The soil for planting pick special for peppers and tomatoes. Independently, the substrate for planting is prepared from humus, peat, turf and sand in equal quantities.. Per five liters of mixture add a tablespoon of mineral fertilizer and half a cup of ash.
In the process of growing pots I turn different sides towards the window. If this is not done, the development of the shoots will be uneven.
If you plan to grow peppers in the greenhouse, you can plant the seedlings in peat tablets immediately to a permanent place, without first growing them in pots.
Growing peppers in peat tablets gives excellent results. They produce strong, healthy plants that can be planted in the ground without damaging the root system.
Useful materials
Read other articles on pepper seedlings:
- Proper cultivation of seeds and whether to soak them before sowing?
- How to grow black pepper peas, chili, bitter or sweet at home?
- What are growth promoters and how to use them?
- The main reasons why the leaves are twisted at the shoots, the seedlings fall or are pulled out, and also why the shoots die?
- Terms of planting in the regions of Russia and especially the cultivation in the Urals, in Siberia and the Moscow region.
- Learn yeast based fertilizer recipes.
- Learn the rules of planting Bulgarian and hot peppers, as well as dive sweet?
In conclusion, we offer you a video on how to properly use peat tablets:
