What to do to make pepper seeds germinate faster. Germinating pepper seeds before planting

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Homemade vegetables are much cheaper than store-bought ones. But it is not main reason. Their advantage also lies in the fact that when harvesting their own harvest, everyone knows not only from what seeds, in what soil they were grown, but also what fertilizers they were fed with. And of the many vegetables, many cultivate different varieties of peppers. Since the plants have a fairly long growing season (up to 150 days), they are usually grown in seedlings. Germinating pepper seeds at home - the process is simple and anyone, even a novice gardener, can do it. What stages does it consist of?

Germinating pepper seeds at home

Pepper from a seed - how to grow?

If you plan to grow peppers in a heated greenhouse, then seeds for seedlings can be sown at the end of January. If the greenhouse is without heating, then no earlier than the end of February. Since peppers are light-loving plants, on short days and cloudy days they need to be provided with additional lighting, for example, ultraviolet lamp. This is usually done in the morning and evening.

Growing pepper seedlings is not particularly difficult. Due to the long growing season, it does not retract very much if it is left for a little longer. In addition, peppers are quite hardy and not very demanding on growing conditions. The main thing is to maintain the air temperature - 22-25 degrees, moisten the soil. But to harvest a rich harvest of healthy fruits, it is necessary to observe some nuances:

Reject seeds. To do this, you need to place the seed in a saline solution (15-20 grams of salt per 0.5 liter of water) and leave for ten minutes. All floating seeds are rejects and are not used for sowing. Drowned seeds should be washed with warm water. clean water and dry.
Prepare seeds for sowing. This is necessary in order to avoid various diseases and not introduce infections into the greenhouse. To do this, it is enough to place the planting material for 20 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate (add one gram of the product per liter of water). Most often, the method is used for seeds collected independently. Purchased planting material has already been disinfected by the producers.
Disinfect. The seeds are treated with growth stimulants “Etin”, “Zircon”, succinic acid(6 mg). Home remedies include aloe juice and potato juice. Then the seeds need to be dried, but not washed.
Soak. In order for the seeds to germinate well, they need to be soaked. The seeds are placed in a damp cloth, placed on a flat plate, which is placed in a warm place, at a temperature not lower than 22 degrees. Experienced summer residents, it is recommended to use melt water for soaking, as it helps to activate all biological processes and stimulates seed growth.

After germination, you can harden the seeds. To do this, they are placed in the refrigerator overnight. The procedure is carried out three times. Some vegetable growers carry out a bubbling procedure. But this is a rather labor-intensive process and requires at least an aquarium pump, so the method has not been widely used.

It is recommended to plant pepper seeds in individual containers - peat pots or tablets, plastic cups, since the crop has a weak root system and does not like picking. Deepen the seeds no more than one centimeter. If, nevertheless, sowing is done in common containers, then picking is done after about 16 days.

Germinating pepper seeds at home involves the use of special soil consisting of peat (3 kilograms), earth (1.5 kilograms), sand (1.7 kilograms), ash (0.7 kilograms). Additionally, before sowing the seeds, it can be calcined in the oven. For good growth strong and healthy plants, only loose and nutritious soil is suitable.

See also video:

Peppers are conventionally divided into 2 groups based on taste.

Sweet (vegetable). It is also called Bulgarian. For the specific aroma of fruits, the content of vitamins and other substances and compounds necessary for the body Bell pepper belong to the group of the most valuable vegetable crops.
Pungent (bitter, spicy) has a burning taste due to the presence of the alkaloid capsaicin.

Hot pepper is mainly used as a seasoning for dishes and pickles, and sweet pepper in technical and biological maturity as a table vegetable for fresh salads, stewing, pickling, fermenting, preparing individual dishes in the form of purees, stuffing with cereals, vegetables, meat.

These vegetable crops have a long growing season. To obtain a harvest of biological maturity, they need 90-180 days. There is no such a long warm period in the vast majority of regions of Russia, so they are grown through seedlings with subsequent planting in open ground or in greenhouses, under shelters, in high greenhouses and other premises that maintain the required temperature, humidity and lighting.

The specifics of preparing seedlings are the same for both groups of peppers – sweet and hot.

Technology for growing pepper seedlings

When to plant pepper seedlings?

In order for the seedlings to be ready for planting in the open ground of the southern regions, the seeds are sown in prepared containers in the last ten days of February - the first ten days of March. Moreover, early and middle varieties are sown in February, and late varieties in March.

In central Russia, sowing for seedlings is carried out from February 10 to 25 and it is better to sow early, middle and late varieties with a gap of 2-3 weeks.

Preparing soil mixture for pepper seedlings

As with other seedling crops, we prepare a nutrient mixture in advance. Its composition includes: turf or leaf soil (2 parts), humus (1 part) or high peat (2 parts) and sand (0.5-1.0 part). The mixture is mixed and disinfected using one of the physical methods (freezing, steaming, calcination). You can treat the soil mixture with a 1-2% solution of potassium permanganate. After drying, mix with a solution of trichodermin, planriz or other fungicides that promote the proliferation of beneficial microflora while simultaneously destroying fungal pathogens. Before filling the container, add nitroammophoska 30-40 g and a glass of wood ash to a bucket of soil before filling the container. In the absence of ready-made complete fertilizer, you can use a mixture of 15-20 g of nitrogen, 30-40 g of phosphorus, 15-20 g of potassium fertilizers and a glass of wood ash.

Preparing Pepper Seeds

Pepper seeds germinate in 2-2.5 weeks. To speed up the emergence of seedlings, self-harvested seeds must be prepared for sowing. It is better for beginning vegetable growers to purchase seeds in specialized stores. They go on sale already processed and prepared for sowing.

When preparing on your own:

We divide the seeds into fractions. Dilute a spoonful of salt (30 g) in 1 liter of water and dip the seeds into the solution for 5-10 minutes. The defective lungs will float to the top. High-quality ones will sink to the bottom of the container with the solution. Drain the light seeds and wash the heavy ones under running water and dry until fluffy at room temperature.
To increase immunity, we harden the seeds. During the day we keep them in a warm room at a temperature of +20..+22ºС, and at night we place them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, where the temperature fluctuates between +2..+3ºС. We carry out hardening for approximately 3-5 days. Be careful when hardening. Only dry, ungerminated seeds are hardened.
To prevent diseases of young seedlings, the seeds are disinfected.

Pepper seed dressing is carried out in several ways:

The simplest is treatment in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate. Dissolve 1 g of the drug in 0.5 liters of water and lower it into the solution in a gauze bag for 15-20 minutes. We rinse the seeds from the disinfectant solution under running water.
You can disinfect (treat) seeds from bacterial infection with blackleg, basal and root rot, and wilts in a solution of one of the biofungicides phytosporin-M, alirin-B, gamair SP, trichodermin, albite according to the recommendations. We do not wash the seeds.

We enrich the seeds in a nutrient solution using growth stimulants epin, ideal, zircon, novosil, ribav-extra and others. You can use complex microfertilizers microvit, cytovit. Moreover, treatment with stimulants, microfertilizers and biofungicides can be combined in one solution (prepared as a tank mixture). Place the seed material in a gauze bag in a nutrient solution for 12-15 hours. Without washing, scatter on paper or natural (not synthetic) fabric and dry at room temperature until free-flowing. Simple and effective method pre-sowing enrichment of seeds with microelements, this is soaking in a solution of wood ash. Infuse 2 tablespoons of dry ash in a liter of water for 24 hours. Strain the solution and place the seeds in a gauze bag for 3-5 hours. Then (without washing) spread it on paper or a dry napkin and dry it until it flows at room temperature.
Pepper seeds germinate very slowly, so they are germinated before sowing. Seeds prepared for sowing are scattered on a thin cloth folded in several layers in a shallow saucer. Let's moisturize it. Cover the same on top and leave at a temperature of +20..+25ºС. We wet the material every day, sometimes 2 times a day. In such a humid chamber, the peppers will grow and germinate in 2-3 days. Lightly dry the seeds and sow them in the prepared container.

When processing seeds yourself, be careful and careful. Follow the recommendations exactly. Do not try to increase the concentration of solutions, temperature, soaking duration or other preparation methods. Instead of improvement, you may get a negative result.

Preparing seedling containers for peppers

The amount of prepared nutrient mixture and containers depend on the area allocated for growing the pepper crop. With a seeding pattern of 5x4 or 6x3 per square meter. m of usable area, 500 seedlings are removed. If you need a little pepper, seedlings can be grown at home - on a windowsill or in a specially designated warm and bright place in individual containers (cups). With this type of cultivation, picking seedlings is not required.

Sowing pepper seeds

I moisten the soil in the prepared container and apply a specially made grid with ready-made circuit sowing If there is no grid, then with a stick I draw the soil into squares corresponding to the diagram. In the middle of each square or in a separate container (a glass, a peat-humus glass, special cassettes) I place 1-2 seeds.

I sow the seeds at 1-1.5 cm, cover them with film or glass and place them in a warm place (temperature 25°C) indoors or place the boxes in a greenhouse. To obtain healthy developed seedlings, it is very important for this heat-loving culture maintain the temperature regime in the seedling structure.

From sowing the seeds until the emergence of seedlings, the temperature of the soil mixture should be maintained at +20..+28°C. Peppers are characterized by low germination energy, so in cold soil the seedlings are unfriendly and late.
During the first month from the emergence of seedlings, the temperature regime of the soil changes and is +15..+17°C at night, and +20..+22°C during the day. During this period, for the first week we maintain the air temperature during the day within +14..+16°C, and at night we drop it to +8..+10°C. Subsequently, before hardening, we maintain the air temperature at night at +11..+13°C, and during the day +18..+25-27°C, shading on sunny days. A pattern of temperature changes is necessary to prevent seedlings from stretching.

In boxes, seedlings grow up to 30-32 days of age. With the appearance of 1-2 true leaves, we place the seedlings into another container, including individual containers with a feeding area of 8x8 or 10x10 cm. When transplanting, we immerse the seedlings in a moist soil mixture up to the cotyledons. We place containers with picks in openwork light partial shade or use temporary shading from the sun. Seedlings in individual containers do not grow.

Caring for pepper seedlings

Caring for seedlings before planting in open ground or permanently in a greenhouse consists of maintaining optimal humidity, temperature regime and sufficient supply of nutrients.

Watering pepper seedlings

The soil should be moist without drying out. I water every 2-3 days. After the formation of 3-4 leaves, I switch to daily watering. I always heat the water for irrigation to +20..+25°C. After watering, I mulch the soil, usually with dry sand. To avoid fungal diseases of the root system, I water the seedlings once every 2 weeks with a solution of biofungicides (trichodermin, planriz and others). Due to the high humidity, I thoroughly ventilate the greenhouse (without drafts).

Top dressing

I feed the seedlings twice. I carry out the first feeding in the phase of 2-3 true leaves. mineral fertilizers containing 50 g of granulated superphosphate, 30 g of ammonia and 20 g of chlorine-free potassium per 1 sq. m area in dry or dissolved form (per 10 liters of water). After fertilizing, watering is required to wash away any remaining fertilizer. They can cause chemical burns to young leaves. I carry out the second feeding 7-10 days before permanent planting with the same composition. But, if the seedlings grow vigorously, then I do not use nitrogen fertilizers in the second feeding.

Hardening off seedlings

I harden the seedlings 2 weeks before planting. I am gradually limiting the amount and rate of watering. The top crust of the soil mixture is allowed to dry out. I lower the temperature in the greenhouse to the level of outside air. When growing seedlings in a house or apartment, I take the seedlings out into an unheated corridor, first for 4-6 hours, increasing the stay in natural conditions to around the clock.

Timing for planting pepper seedlings in a permanent location

Pepper seedlings are planted in open ground when the soil warms up in the main root layer (10-15 cm) to +14..+16°C and the threat of spring weather has passed. return frosts. This period falls on the third ten days of May to the first half of June. Before planting, seedlings are watered abundantly to reduce damage to the root system. Sluggish seedlings do not take root well and lose their first buds.

Characteristics of pepper seedlings for planting

The age of seedlings ranges from 60-80 days depending on the variety. Seedling height 17-20 cm, 7-10 well-developed leaves. IN Lately V southern regions Peakless growing of seedlings is used according to the 8x8 or 10x10 cm scheme. When 4-6 leaves are formed, such seedlings (naturally after hardening) are planted permanently. The survival rate is high, the harvest is excellent. Plants don't get sick.

Sweet pepper varieties

At home, it is better to cultivate varieties rather than hybrids. They are characterized by increased resistance to growing conditions and do not require special care like hybrids.

According to the ripening period, pepper is divided into early, middle and late with transitional forms (mid-early, mid-late, etc.).

Early varieties of pepper

Early varieties form a harvest in technical ripeness after 95-110 days and in biological ripeness 10-12 days later. For growing on summer cottage The best varieties are considered to be: “Duel”, “Winnie the Pooh”, “Health”, “Red Elephant”, “California Miracle” and others.

Mid-early pepper varieties

The harvest is formed at technical ripeness on the 110-125th day: “Topolin”, “Swallow”, “Victoria”, “Flight”, “Prometheus”, “Yellow Bouquet”, “Gift of Moldova” and others.

Mid-season

IN last years Mid-season varieties are popular and recommended for garden plots: “Fat Baron”, “Bogatyr”, “Prometheus”. They form a harvest at technical ripeness on days 128-135. They are distinguished by excellent taste, fleshy fruit walls and large weight - up to 140-200 g.

Late ripening varieties

Late-maturing varieties and hybrids are popular for warm regions and for cultivation in cold areas in greenhouses. Recommended hybrids: “Nochka F1”, “Paris F1” and varieties “Albatross”, “Flamingo”, “Anastasia” and others.

Hot pepper varieties

Early ripening: “Gorgon”, “For the mother-in-law”, “Fiery Maiden”, “Mother-in-law’s tongue”, “Jubilee”, “Spark” and others.

Mid-early: “Adjika”, “Double Abundance”, “Astrakhansky 147”, “Miracle of the Moscow Region” and others

Mid-season: “Red Fat Man”, “Bully”, “Elephant Trunk” and others.

Late ripening: “Vizir”, “Hercules”, “Habanero”, “Little Prince” and others.

Attention! As usual, we ask you to write in the comments to this article about your methods and tricks for growing pepper seedlings. Please do not forget to indicate in which region you grow them and at what time you sow and plant them permanently. Thank you!

What could be more beautiful than the awakening of a new life, especially if this happens with our participation. Every gardener opens new season from germination and sowing of seeds. I want to see the shoots quickly, but pepper is one of the slow-witted ones, it germinates much slower than radishes or cucumbers. Of course, it’s easier to sow with dry seeds and wait, but it’s much more interesting to germinate it first and make sure it germinates. Moreover, today many methods have been invented; you can experiment with each and become a real guru in this area.

Why germinate pepper seeds

Germinating seeds is an optional procedure. Many gardeners sow peppers with dry seeds for one simple reason: they choose good seeds productive hybrids from trusted companies. Such seeds are more expensive, there are few of them in the package, and they are coated with a glaze of stimulants and disinfectants. You can’t soak and sprout, and you don’t need to. Shoots appear quickly and amicably.

Seeds in colored glaze do not need to be germinated

Untreated seeds can be soaked and germinated. The main thing is to know why to do it. The intake does not affect the rate of emergence of seedlings. Judge for yourself. At room temperature (+20 ⁰C... +22 ⁰C) peppers from dry seeds germinate in 7–10 days.

You can find information about 15–20 days, but I have not encountered such peppers. Maybe this is the maximum period of germination at the lowest possible temperature - about +16 ⁰C. Most gardeners will not wait 3 weeks for peppers to sprout; they will go out and buy others that sprout faster.

Pre-germination, even in the most advanced method, lasts at least 3-4 days, that is, after so many days the roots of the seeds hatch. You sow sprouted seeds and wait another 4-5 days for germination. As a result, we get: that the whole process of germination lasts about the same time as waiting for seedlings to sprout from dry seeds. You are only adding more work to yourself.

However, germination is simply necessary if there are doubts about the germination of the seeds: the expiration date has passed, you bought them from an unreliable seller, or you collected your own and you don’t know whether they will sprout. In these cases, germination will help identify viable seeds and discard empty or dead ones.

Video: how a seed germinates (fast motion)

I am sure that germination gives absolutely nothing, especially if you buy good seeds processed by the manufacturer. However, having missed farming over the winter, I’m starting to experiment. And we sow peppers along with eggplants very first. So they fall under hot hand) I think most gardeners germinate seeds for this reason only. Rather, I want to see sprouts and awaken sleeping life.

Conditions for germinating peppers

Seeds germinate when placed in a favorable environment - this is high humidity, oxygen access and optimal temperature:

Seeds wake up at +15... +16 ⁰C, however, the germination process will take a very long time - 2–3 weeks to a month. After lying in the ground for so long, they are more likely to rot than to germinate.
The most high speed germination is observed at +25... +30 ⁰C.
With prolonged exposure to heat above +30... +35 ⁰C, the seeds die.

Humidity also has great importance, and its level greatly affects the ability of seeds to breathe. Pepper seeds should not float in water or sit in a very damp substrate for more than a day. Without oxygen they will suffocate. Drying out is no less dangerous. The material in which you will germinate the seeds must be moistened so that water is not squeezed out of it, and covered with film to maintain moisture. Take out the seeds every day, ventilate and, if necessary, moisten.

Everything you need for germination: water, air, heat, and for further growth - also nutrition

Methods for germinating pepper seeds

Craftsmen have already invented many methods. The essence of each is to awaken the seeds. In most cases, this is a modernized “grandmother’s” method of germination in a damp cloth. Only, instead of a rag, they use modern household items. However, there are also innovative ones, for example, germination in a hydrogel, as well as extreme ones - with pre-treatment with boiling water.

Germination on cotton pads

This is the easiest way. I use it when there are a lot of seeds and little time. I take clipbucks 15x20 cm according to the number of varieties. These are bags that snap on top. They are sold in departments disposable tableware. I put a label on each one with the name of the variety. Self-adhesive labels are also easy to buy at the office. I pierce each bag in several places with a toothpick for ventilation. Then I take a cotton pad, spread out the seeds, and cover with a second one. Now I spray them well and squeeze them if necessary. excess water and place it in the appropriate clipbucks. All! The first two days I don’t check anything at all. There is air and moisture there. Sprouts appear no earlier than 3–4 days. The method is not suitable for those who are too busy and forgetful. Seeds left unattended can germinate into cotton wool and will be difficult to separate without breaking the roots.

You can mark different varieties this way

Germination on toilet paper or napkin

Take a disposable Plastic container with lid.
Cover the bottom with several layers of toilet paper or napkins.
Wet the paper with water from a room sprayer or syringe.
Spread out the seeds and cover the container with a lid.

Pepper seeds are placed on top of the wet toilet paper

This is also a simple method, but safer for seeds. Even if the roots become overgrown, they can be easily separated from the soggy paper.

Germination in a sponge or on foam rubber

Will need regular sponge, which we wash dishes with. If there are many varieties of peppers, you can buy several small sponges different colors- each for a separate variety. And to save space, it’s better to take one large one and do the following:

With a sharp knife, make cuts to the middle of the sponge, and if it has a hard layer, then to it.
It is more convenient to make cuts with a sharp stationery knife
To know which variety is which, mark the first row with a permanent marker or make a cut. In your gardening notebook, write down: in what order the seeds were laid out, for example, 1 - Candy, 2 - Single, etc.
Mark the first row with a number or notch
Soak the sponge in the melt water and squeeze until it is just damp.
Soak the sponge well in water and wring it out
Place the seeds evenly in the slots in one row. If there are a lot of seeds, repeat all steps with the next sponge.
Place the seeds in the slots
Place the sponges in a container or other container and wrap them in a bag.
To retain moisture, place sponges in a bag

Sprout under conditions favorable for peppers, open, ventilate, check every day.

Germination in a snail (rolled paper, diaper)

Fold a simple plastic bag in half lengthwise and spread it on the table. You will get a strip the same width as toilet paper.
You can cut the bag or film
Spread toilet paper on top in several layers (5-6). You can use napkins or paper towels.
Place toilet paper on the film
Wet the paper.
Wet the paper from a sprayer or syringe
Spread the seeds out 1 cm from the top edge.
The seeds should be spread evenly along one edge
Roll it up.
Roll the cellophane and paper with seeds into a roll
To know which variety it is, wrap the roll in a seed bag. Secure the entire structure with rubber bands, tape or thread.
The roll is wrapped in seed bags and can be secured with an elastic band.
Place the roll of seeds in a glass or tall container filled with water in a 1–2 cm layer. Wait for germination.
Rolls with seeds should be placed with the bottom edge in water

The good thing about this method is that you do not get seeds with root buds, but shoots. But it is impossible to grow seedlings in such a snail, since it has no nutrition. At the latest, 5–7 days after the sprouts appear, they will need to be planted in the ground. To do this, unfold the snail, carefully separate the plants from the paper and plant them in pots.

Video: germinating seeds in a snail and sponge

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xuRA_evmzgI

Germination in hydrogel

Those who have not yet adopted hydrogel can begin to master this material by germinating seeds on it. There are two types of hydrogel:

Aqua soil with granules in the form of balls, cubes and pyramids.
Soft to powder.

For germination, it is recommended to take one that consists of granules, preferably square ones. Round ones are used for decoration. Powder is not suitable at all. After soaking in water, it turns into jelly. The seeds fall inside and suffocate without oxygen. This hydrogel is used in indoor floriculture, mixed with soil to retain moisture.

Use a hydrogel consisting of granules

The process for germination is very simple:

Fill the granules with water according to the instructions. Please note that they increase 10-15 times, that is, a teaspoon is enough to germinate pepper seeds.
Drain off excess water and spread the seeds over the surface, pressing lightly. Granules that are too large can be cut with scissors.
Cover the container with gel and seeds with film or glass.

The method, as in the case of the snail, allows you to obtain seedlings with cotyledons, but you can not rush to plant them, but grow them until the first picking. However, this will require more hydrogel - a layer of 3–5 cm, and the emerging seedlings will have to be watered with a solution of fertilizer for seedlings, that is, fed.

Video: seedlings of peppers and eggplants on hydrogel

Germinating pepper seeds in sawdust or cat litter

IN modern conditions it's easier to find wood filler for cat litter than simple sawdust. The filler is pressed dehydrated granules, so they must first be soaked.

If sawdust is not available, wood cat litter is suitable.

Start with disinfection. Place sawdust or filler in metal utensils(plastic may be deformed) and pour boiling water over it. Let the granules swell well.
Stir the sawdust with a spoon or spatula, making sure that all areas have undergone heat treatment and the granules have crumbled.
When the sawdust becomes warm, squeeze out the excess water and transfer it into a container for germination in a layer of 3-5 cm. Leave a little for sprinkling the seeds on top.
Spread the pepper seeds evenly over the surface of the sawdust and cover the top with a layer of no more than 0.5 cm.
Cover with film and keep in conditions favorable for seed germination.

Sowing in sawdust is very similar to usual - in the ground

It is difficult to find sprouted pepper seeds in sawdust; fortunately, there is no need to do this. Wait for the sprouts with cotyledons to appear and plant them in pots.

Germinating pepper seeds with boiling water

In none of the above methods I specifically indicated the number of days after which sprouts will appear, because I don’t believe the screaming headlines: “The seeds sprouted in a day (an hour, 6 hours, etc.)!” And I don’t want to repeat them. While treating my own seeds with boiling water, I understood the essence of the trick. And this is what happened. After scalding seeds for the first time in my life, I was worried and after a few hours I began to check what happened. And I discovered that one seed already had a long root sticking out, and all the rest were intact, not even swollen. Of course, my eyes widened. I’m shocked: is it really true that they germinate so quickly from boiling water? I sowed this seed, but it did not sprout. All the others hatched on day 3-4 and grew well. This is the only time that I can voice: after treatment with boiling water, high-quality pepper seeds from reliable manufacturer, which subsequently sprouted shoots and seedlings, germinated for at least 3 days. And what sprouted earlier died, but then I still didn’t understand why.

And recently I saw a video where a female video blogger literally boiled nigella onion seeds wrapped in a rag for 30 minutes. As a result, when they were taken out of the boiling water and unwrapped, it turned out that most of them had white sprouts. It’s good that this gardener said that not a single one of these seeds sprouted.

Video: shock! The seeds hatched after 30 minutes

It turns out that under the influence of boiling water, the shell of the seeds softens, the embryo inside begins to unfold, a tender root breaks through and immediately dies in boiling water. This probably happened to my pepper seed because it was the only one out of all ten that had a damaged shell. Boiling water got into the crack, which led to a fatal consequence. Therefore, you can only keep seeds in boiling water for a few seconds, and only if they are not mechanically damaged. Although damaged ones and without boiling water, most likely, they will not sprout.

Methods for treating seeds with boiling water that you can trust:

Take two cups. Pour boiling water into one, and into the other ice water. Place the seeds in a linen or gauze bag alternately in one or the other. Hold each for no longer than 3 seconds. Repeat this several times, ending with cold water.
Dip the seeds in boiling water for 1-2 seconds, then immediately cool under cold water.
Place the seeds on top of: sawdust, toilet paper, cotton pads, sponges or soil and pour boiling water over them. The water should be completely absorbed and not remain on the surface.

By the way, one of the reasons for the non-germination of seeds after treatment with boiling water is that too much water was poured. If the seeds don’t cook, they will simply suffocate. The substrate for germination must be moist and loose.

If you use boiling water, pour as much of it as the soil or other germination material can absorb.

There are many ways to germinate. Knowing the principle of this process, you can experiment and create your own technologies. Or you can buy good seeds and sow them dry without any hassle. If there is a lag in terms, it will be small. And taking into account the time that you will spend on germination and possible mistakes If you are a beginner, then there is no reason at all for this agricultural practice, except to check the seeds for germination or to keep yourself busy interesting experiments with boiling water or try to get seedlings of peppers on aqua soil.

The question of how to germinate pepper seeds is now of interest to almost all gardeners: from beginners to “garden gurus.” After all, it’s not for nothing that there is a proverb: “Live forever, learn forever.”

I try to follow it to the best of my ability, every year I try new methods for me.

Now I would like to dwell in more detail on the question of how to germinate pepper seeds for seedlings at home.

Since pepper belongs to vegetable crops with a long growing season, up to 140 - 160 days, it becomes clear the need to grow its seedlings to obtain an early, full-fledged harvest. After all, how offensive it can be to pull out plants covered with small unripe fruits in the fall!

A lot of recommendations are given on the timing of transplanting seedlings. permanent place. For different regions they differ significantly. The main criterion that determines the possibility of planting seedlings in a permanent place, a greenhouse or open ground, is the soil temperature at the planting depth. For peppers it should be at least 13 degrees.

Now I live in the north of Sweden. Peppers can only be grown here by seedlings in greenhouses or beds under double cover. Let's look at how to germinate pepper seeds for seedlings and the timing of their pre-sowing processing.

Some gardeners choose to sow dry seeds, without any pre-treatment, already in the first ten days of February.

This method has two immediate disadvantages:

Pepper sprouts stretch towards the light, which is clearly not enough if you do not illuminate them for 10 - 12 hours. Such seedlings are rarely stocky and strong;
Quality planting material may turn out to be low, the shoots will not be friendly.

This way, the containers for the stretchers will remain empty. But there is usually not enough space on tables and window sills.

Therefore, I propose to take a different route. (Here you can remember the heroes of everyone’s favorite movie “Enjoy Your Bath”), namely, start sowing later, in late February - early March. This can be achieved by using “activated” planting material.

Each gardener decides for himself how to awaken pepper seeds. Nowadays, methods of pre-germinating seeds using various growth stimulants, such as Epin, Zircon and others, are popular.

Some gardeners prefer growth stimulants prepared at home. Last year I germinated pepper seeds on Epin, and I was pleased with the quality of the seedlings. This spring I decided to try stimulants such as a steam bath and hydrogen peroxide.

How to quickly germinate pepper seeds using hydrogen peroxide

The process of stimulating seed germination consists of several stages. It can be represented schematically like this:

Soaking - to soften the shell and penetrate moisture inside the seed
Etching - for surface disinfection
Stimulation - to accelerate the “awakening” of seeds

The soaking step in water is necessary to avoid chemical burns during pickling and allows you to reject obviously poor quality ones. If purchased seeds have already been processed, you just need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for sowing them.

Since I mainly use my own, I carry out the pre-sowing treatment “in full”:

I soak them in melt water, which saturates them with oxygen, treatment duration is 1 hour
I etch it by keeping it in a warm (40 degrees) solution of Fitosporin for half an hour
I put toilet paper on a piece of polyethylene, spread pepper seeds on it, and moisten it generously with 3% hydrogen peroxide. I roll up the “knuckle” and keep it at a temperature of 45 degrees for 20 minutes.

After such a short-term exposure to hydrogen peroxide, I did not notice any visible changes on the seeds, nevertheless, I immediately sowed them in a snail with soil, which I covered with polyethylene on top. Before the emergence of seedlings, such a mini-greenhouse was constantly at a temperature of 26 - 28 degrees.

Hooray! The first “loop” appeared on the 5th day after sowing. Over the next 3 days, half of the seeds treated with peroxide have already sprouted. The control group of seeds, without any treatment, had not yet sprouted by this time.

How to germinate pepper seeds in a steam bath

It doesn’t take much time to germinate pepper seeds in a steam bath. This method can rightfully be classified as an “express” method. The main processing steps are the same as those described above, that is

soak in melt water for 1 hour
disinfected in a warm solution of Fitosporin
I give the seeds a steam bath for 3 hours.

To do this, I put the seeds on strips of polyethylene and toilet paper and twist the “shanks”. I place them vertically in the jar. I pour a 1.5 centimeter (approximately) layer of boiling water onto the bottom.

I place this jar in a larger container, at the bottom of which boiling water is also poured. I cover the entire “structure” with a plastic bag. I keep it at a temperature not lower than 55 degrees for 3 hours. After this treatment, sprouts appear on some seeds!

As in the case of treatment with peroxide, the first shoots appeared already on the 5th day after sowing in the ground. However, despite the fact that I only planted seeds with sprouts, their germination rate is still inferior to those treated with hydrogen peroxide.

Shoots of untreated, dry seed began to appear only on the 10th day.

The development of the “plants” took place under the same conditions. By appearance they were no different from each other. Only the germination percentage was different. Here the clear leader was seeds treated with hydrogen peroxide.

The time has come to pick seedlings. The photograph shows that the seedlings tolerated this operation equally well.

45 days have passed since we started working with pepper seeds. After successfully picking the plants into separate containers, they are in the same conditions. Nevertheless, the difference is already noticeable - plants whose seeds were treated with hydrogen peroxide, in the photo on the right, are ahead of others.

If you have not yet decided how to germinate pepper seeds, I can recommend you the two methods described above. Manipulations do not take much time, are not labor-intensive and do not require the use of any expensive means.

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Bell pepper is unpretentious plant, which grows in southern latitudes without any problems. Difficulties in growing this crop in conditions middle zone and to the north are associated with the long growing season of the plant. If you know how to properly plant pepper seedlings, you can get bountiful harvest not only in the greenhouse, but also in the open ground.

Even the earliest ripening variety of bell pepper has a growing season of up to 140 days, and the time from germination to harvest ripening is at least 90 days. Plus, the germination time of seeds ranges from 10 days to 1 month.

Thus, if you have seeds of an early or mid-season variety, then sow bell pepper seedlings should be started no later than mid-February (northern regions), early March (middle zone).

Germination rate of bell pepper seeds depending on air temperature:

26-28 ºC – 8-10 days;
20-24 ºC – 13-17 days;
18-20 ºC – 18-20 days;
14-15 ºC – up to 1 month;

You can speed up the process of seed germination by pre-soaking and preparing them.

Seed preparation

Preparing seeds for sowing consists of disinfecting, stimulating and soaking them.

Before starting preparation, you should discard low-weight seeds, since they will grow into weak plants or they will not sprout at all. To do this, the existing seed material is poured into water. After a few minutes, all the seeds that remain on the surface of the water are discarded. Work continues with sunken, which means full-weight, seed material.

Disinfection of seed material is carried out with a solution of potassium permanganate (in common parlance, potassium permanganate). To do this, dilute a slightly pink solution into which the seeds are immersed for a couple of hours. A non-chemical method of disinfection is heating in hot water(50 ºC) for 20 minutes. After which the seeds are immediately cooled in cold water.

Stimulation and feeding are carried out by special means Epin type (Humate, Zircon). The existing drug is dissolved in water strictly according to the instructions, since an overdose is extremely harmful. The seeds of bell pepper, which were removed from the potassium permanganate solution, are transferred into the resulting solution. The material is kept in the “feeding” for 20-30 minutes. Then they are washed and soaked for germination.

It is convenient to carry out germination between two cotton pads. To do this, the seeds are laid out on the surface of a disk and covered with another one. The top disk can be signed ballpoint pen, if you want to plant several varieties of pepper. Discs should be wetted sparingly. Seeds that are completely flooded will “suffocate” and die.

As soon as the peppers hatch, they need to be planted in the ground. You should not allow a visible sprout - it will easily break off during sowing. You can skip the germination stage, but this will slightly delay the germination time.

Note! Seeds that are pre-treated by the manufacturer do not require pre-sowing manipulations. The bag of such seed material says “Do not soak!” Follow this instruction - soaking such seeds will damage the nutritional and protective capsule.

Preparing the soil for sowing seedlings

You can sow sweet peppers in “purchased” soil, in peat tablets, or in self-prepared soil. Experienced gardeners They believe that at least 50% of the land for seedlings should come from their own garden. This is explained by the fact that the plant “gets used to getting” food from a certain soil mixture. A radical change of soil when planting seedlings from “purchased” soil into the garden delays the development of the plant for a long time.

Requirements for seedling soil:

neutral or slightly acidic environment;
sufficient organic content for “looseness” and moisture retention;
sufficient nutrient content;

It is not difficult to create such a soil mixture. Have to take:

two parts of garden land;
one part of peat or special soil for seedlings;
one part of humus, compost or top layer (10 cm) of meadow soil;

To increase nutritional value and adjust acidity, add the following to 10 liters of soil:

stove ash (who has it) - a handful;
lime (for those who don’t have ash) - a handful;
double superphosphate - 2 matchboxes;

It is better to fertilize with potassium and nitrogen fertilizers later, when watering the seedlings.

Note! The prepared soil mixture needs to be spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. The second way to kill pathogens in garden soil is to preheat it to 60 ºC.

Methods for sowing pepper seedlings

There are several ways to plant sweet pepper seedlings:

Classic - peppers are sown in a “common” container and subsequently planted in a larger container or individual pots.
In ready-made cassettes, 1-2 seeds are sown without picking.
IN peat tablets– sow 1 seed at a time without picking.
In twists - in rolls of toilet paper, followed by planting young shoots in large containers or individual pots.

Note! The best results are obtained by growing bell pepper seedlings without picking, planting them in separate containers. Peppers, unlike tomatoes, do not tolerate transplantation well, get sick for a long time and are stunted in growth.

Growing seedlings in peat tablets

For germinating peppers, tablets with a diameter of 3-4 cm are suitable. They are placed on the bottom large capacity and fill with water. As soon as the tablets stop absorbing water, the excess is poured out.

A seed is placed in the center of the formed cylinder (and it “grows” when it swells) to a depth of about 0.5 cm. The container is placed in a warm place. To preserve moisture, the top is covered with cling film or polyethylene.

The mini greenhouse should be ventilated at least 1 hour a day. Watering is carried out using the bottom method as the peat dries. After the sprouts appear, the cylinders are moved to separate containers with prepared soil mixture.

The mesh that envelops the peat cylinder prevents the lump from disintegrating and root system pepper is not injured. Further care consists of timely watering and lighting.

Note! If you do not want to transfer the seedlings into pots, then you should buy tablets with a diameter of 7 cm. In such cylinders, the pepper will not need additional soil.

Growing seedlings in cassettes

Growing seedlings in cassettes or individual pots with a volume of 250-500 ml produces high-quality seedlings. You can sow sprouted seeds one at a time; dry seeds are better, two in one container, followed by removal of the weaker plant. The seed is buried 1 cm into the soil and watered.

Cassettes are placed on a south or west window, or under a lamp. It is important that the air temperature is not lower than 25 ºC. As the seedlings grow, soil is added to the pot. Watering in cassettes is carried out using the bottom method - water is poured into the pan. Pots with seedlings are usually watered in the classic way.

Classic home method of growing seedlings

The “old-fashioned” method of growing pepper seedlings at home has a right to exist and even has some advantages:

When sowing in a common container, seed germination is not particularly important.
It is convenient to sow in small dishes.
When picking seedlings, weak plants are discarded.
If you follow the timing and agricultural techniques of diving, the pepper will tolerate it relatively well.
Planting in the “native” soil will prevent the plants from getting sick and taking a long time to get used to the new soil after planting in the greenhouse.

To sow, take a small container with soil and sow the seeds densely to a depth of 0.5 cm. Water the ground, cover the top with film and place the container in a warm place. After the sprouts appear for a day (two), the seedlings are transferred to warm window. As soon as the sprouts turn dark green, the first real leaf hatches - they need to be picked.

The picking box (if there are no separate containers, which is preferable) should be at least 12-15 cm deep. The seedlings are watered several hours before transplanting. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 10-15 cm, preferably in a checkerboard pattern.

Twist landing (Moscow style)

Sowing seeds for germination between strips of toilet paper began not so long ago. There are supporters and opponents of this method. The main advantage of this method of seed germination is its compactness.

The technology is as follows:

Place a cellophane tape on the table (it is convenient to use a food bag cut lengthwise).
Lay toilet paper on top and spray it with water from a hand sprayer (important! the edges of the paper and cellophane must match).
Seeds are placed on a strip of cheap (thicker and coarser) toilet paper at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other and from the top edge of the paper at the same distance
Cover the seeds with a layer of paper and moisten well.
Roll into a weak roll, effortlessly.
Place the twist in a container with a little water poured into the bottom.
Remove the structure to a warm place.

As soon as the sprouts appear, the twist is transferred to a lighted place. Planting seedlings in the ground is carried out with two developed cotyledon leaves. The roll is unrolled and cut with scissors into separate fragments with sprouts. The seedlings are planted in a permanent container, where they will develop before being planted in the garden.

Growing seedlings at home is not too troublesome if you have some skill. Follow the deadlines and agricultural techniques, give the seedlings light and warmth - bell peppers will delight you with a harvest until frost.

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