Reasons why pepper seedlings grow poorly

5.02.2018 Pepper Diseases and Pests

Little pepper plants with water drops on them in peat (coal) balls, isolated on white

Difficulties in growing pepper seedlings can appear in any gardener, this is a capricious culture that requires painstaking care and attention. Various problems arise, and each of them requires its own solution.

Let us examine the topic in more detail: why pepper seedlings grow poorly and how to fix the situation.

Content

1 Why pepper grows poorly
2 Reasons for poor growth
3 Reviews

Why pepper grows poorly

The proper cultivation of pepper consists of several important stages, non-observance of which can lead not only to a slowdown in the development of plants, but also to their complete withering. In order for pepper seedlings to grow well, its cultivation should be taken very carefully and not to lose sight of a single trifle. What do we have to do:

prepare seeds, soil and containers;
correctly calculate the timing of sowing seeds;
create the necessary microclimate in the room;
properly water and feed;
provide good lighting.

Each item is very important, all the nuances need to be thought out in advance, and not try to save time. After all, the main goal is to grow healthy and strong seedlings of pepper, which in the future can give a good harvest.

Reasons for poor growth

Anything can be the reason for slowing or stopping pepper growth! Each item from the list above includes several recommendations, ignoring which will inevitably lead to problems.

Seeds, especially those collected independently, need to be sorted and pickled. For these purposes, use solutions of salt and manganese. To sort the seeds, prepare a mixture of tsp. salt per 250 ml of water, place the seeds in it, mix thoroughly and discard all the popped up grains. To protect seeds from disease, they are placed in a 1% potassium permanganate solution for 10 or 15 minutes. If desired, the grains can be processed in growth stimulants, heated or hardened, and also soaked for germination.

The soil needs to be prepared light and loose, it also needs to be disinfected, calcined in the oven or spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate. You can not take the land from the garden and flower beds. You only need to buy a special mixture suitable for growing pepper seedlings. Preparation of containers is also important, containers are thoroughly washed, disinfected and drainage holes are made.

When determining the timing of sowing, you should rely on the information on the packaging. Early varieties are sown 60 days before planting, and late varieties no less than 75 days. Consider climatic conditions and the place where pepper will grow (indoor or outdoor). At the time of transplanting, the soil should warm up to 15 ° C. Too early sowing will lead to a decrease in yield, and if ripe fruits are late, you can not wait.

What to do if pepper seedlings grow poorly

At the first signs of a slowdown in plant development, you should carefully examine the bush itself, the soil and pay attention to the general growing environment. Almost any problem can be solved, most importantly, to deal with the cause exactly.

Shine

With insufficient lighting, the seedlings stretch, become pale, weak, brittle and lose their immunity to diseases and negative weather factors. The best options for additional illumination of the culture are fluorescent lamps, phyto-lamps or LED lamps for seedlings.

In the daytime, young shoots turn to the window, at this time you need to turn on the lamps and leave them until 7 or 8 pm.Once the bores have acquired well-developed cotyledon leaves, the light can be left for 3 days. In the future, for good development, peppers need to provide 10-14 hours of lighting per day. In April, when daylight hours increase, the lamps can be turned on from 6 to 12 and from 16 to 19 hours, as well as in cloudy weather.

If there is no lamp, you can use this trick - a sheet of plywood or cardboard is glued with foil and installed opposite the window so that the reflecting part is directed towards the light. You can use this method when direct sunlight does not fall on the foil, otherwise the material will reflect them, and delicate leaves will get burned.

Humidity

There is one very important rule - the soil should always be moderately moist, from the moment of sowing the seeds until the seedlings are planted. It is impossible to allow even short-term drying of the earth. Dry air does not tolerate pepper seedlings, plants need to be sprayed (in the morning), especially with central heating. And pepper does not like drafts.

Top dressing

Top dressing is the key to future crops and the health of seedlings in general. The first procedure is carried out at the stage of formation of 2 real leaves, you can prepare a mixture of 3 g of superphosphate, 0.5 g of ammonium nitrate and 1 g of potassium fertilizer per liter of water. After 14 days, top dressing is repeated, the ingredients are the same, but in a double amount (the volume of water is the same). The last fertilizer seedlings are carried out before planting the plants in a permanent place, 8 g of potash fertilizers per 1 liter of water.

You can buy special fertilizer for seedlings or use folk recipes - infusion of nettle and ash. To feed the slowly growing seedlings, they use sleeping tea, a glass of tea leaves for 3 liters of boiling water, and insist for 5 days. To avoid the development of a black leg, all dressings are carried out in the morning.

Temperature

Boxes with seeds are kept warm, as soon as shoots appear, the temperature in the room should be at least 15 degrees, this will prevent stretching of seedlings. When the seedlings are straightened, the temperature is increased to 23 or 35 ° C (in the daytime), and reduced to 18 degrees at night. Pepper stops growing at a temperature of 12-14 ° C.

The temperature in the room affects the speed of pitting seeds:

28–32 ° C - seedlings will appear on the 4th or 7th day;
24–26 ° C - seeds will hatch after 2 weeks;
21–22 ° C - the first bores appear in 20 days;
Below 20 or 40 ° C - critical temperatures at which pepper does not rise.

The importance of observing the temperature regime is due to the fact that pepper is a heat-loving crop. In the initial stages of growth, creating the necessary conditions is especially important.

Watering

It is forbidden to transfuse seedlings of pepper, this will lead to root rot and the development of the black leg, underfilling is fraught with a slow death of the plant. After planting the seeds, the earth is moistened (from the spray) every 2 or 3 days, and with the appearance of true leaves, the procedure is carried out every day. During these periods, seedlings need a moderate amount of moisture. As soon as the sprouts get stronger, you can switch to rare, but plentiful watering.

You need to water the peppers under the stem, without eroding the soil at the roots, it is advisable not to get on the leaves. Water should be at room temperature, settled or thawed. Peppers can become sick or rot from cold or chlorinated water.

Another reason for poor seedling growth can be an incorrect pick - you need to transplant the peppers very carefully, without disturbing the roots. With each bush you need to grab a lump of earth, covering the roots as a whole. In general, peppers do not like transplants very much, you can minimize discomfort by growing seedlings in separate containers.

Reviews

Ilya.It seems to me that most of the problems that arise when growing pepper seedlings are associated with poor seed quality and picking. I trust only trusted companies and grow peppers in separate pots or bags. I always take the soil from planting and do not add anything to it, I just calcine in the oven. Seedlings are always strong, crops are good.

Maria. When I was just starting to grow pepper seedlings, I got confused in terms, then got used to it. For illumination I use phyto-lamps, as for me, this is the best option. I can’t say that pepper, in a particularly capricious way, every culture needs attention. Proper watering, warmth and care are always paid off by the quality of seedlings.