Patience is required when sowing peppers. Because the seedlings need more warmth, light and time than other types of fruit vegetables to sprout from the soil. The idea of being able to sow the peppers as early as possible in order to get flowers and harvest-ready pods more quickly is obvious.
When and how should you sow peppers?
When sowing peppers, you should start from the beginning of March, as sowing earlier often leads to weak shoots. You need seed trays or growing pots, growing soil, germinable pepper seeds, a mini watering can or spray bottle and a mini greenhouse or foil. Place pepper seeds in moist substrate, cover thinly with soil and keep moist and warm at 25°C.
When is the right time to sow peppers?
Sowing peppers before the beginning of March is not worth it. If there is a lack of brightness, the seedlings form weak shoots whose cotyledons suffer from a lack of chlorophyll.
If you sow peppers in a greenhouse or on the windowsill in a timely manner, you benefit from several advantages. The plants produce flowers earlier and produce ready-to-harvest pods more quickly. The pepper seedlings are also protected from wind, weather and snail attacks.
What do you need to sow peppers?
- Sowing trays or growing pots
- Growing soil or substrate
- germinable pepper seeds
- Mini watering can or spray bottle
- Mini greenhouse or foil
The best start for sowing peppers
You can use yogurt cups or pots made of peat or egg cartons. Compostable containers are particularly practical because the young plants can be planted directly later without damaging the root balls. Special sowing soil is suitable for filling the containers. This is finer crumbly and lower in nutrients than potting soil.
The substrate should be moist, but not dripping wet. Sow peppers in doses by placing 1 to 3 pepper seeds in each container. Peppers are not light germinators but dark germinators. Therefore, cover the seeds thinly with sifted soil and spray with warm water.
To ensure the required warm, humid climate, place the seedlings in the greenhouse or covered with foil in a south-facing window. The ideal temperature for germination is 25° degrees. Now ventilate the pepper seedlings briefly every day to avoid mold formation. And then? Wait and drink tea;-).
What to do when the first seedlings sprout?
The germination time depends on the quality and external conditions such as light, temperature and humidity. 3 to 4 weeks later, when the first pair of cotyledons appear, remove the cover. Now it is important to keep the substrate moist without causing waterlogging. After the last night frosts you can plant the peppers in the garden. To do this, select the optimal location with sufficient planting distance in good time.
Tips & Tricks
Sort out seedlings that are weak or malformed. They are not suitable for cultivation. Place powerful young plants outdoors for a few hours longer each day to harden off.