Detailed Explanation of Autumn Chili Pepper Seedling Raising Methods and Timing

Chili peppers are cultivated in both the north and south of China, usually grown as a vegetable or condiment; they are rich in nutritional value and also have important medicinal value. We all know that chili peppers are mostly cultivated in spring, but some are also planted in autumn. So, what are the seedling raising methods and timing for autumn chili peppers?

1. Seedbed selection

Choose a plot with plenty of sunlight, fertile soil, and good water sources, where chili peppers, Chinese cabbage, eggplants, tomatoes, or potatoes have not been grown in the previous crop, as the seedbed. Because these crops belong to the same family and share the same diseases, continuous cropping makes them prone to disease. The seedbed area should be 1% of the field area. After the seedbed plot is selected, irrigate it with enough bottom water before sowing.

2. Seed soaking

Before sowing, sun-dry the seeds for 2 days, soak them in clean water for 3-4 hours, then soak them in a 10% trisodium phosphate 1000-fold aqueous solution for 10 minutes, rinse them clean with water, and then soak them in 55°C warm water for 10 minutes. Stir continuously, and replenish warm water at any time to maintain the water temperature at 55°C, then remove and germinate for 24 hours until sowing.

3. Land preparation and sowing

When the soil of the irrigated seedbed plot turns yellow, apply per fen of land 300 kg of decomposed high-quality coarse manure (or 50 kg of decomposed chicken manure), 1.5 kg of urea, 5 kg of superphosphate, and 15 kg of plant ash. After spreading the fertilizer evenly, shallow-plow 15 cm, harrow fine and level, and make wide high beds, which is conducive to early sowing, transplanting, and root development. The bed length is 7-10 m, the bed width is 1.2 m, the bed surface width is 0.85 m, the spacing is 0.4 m (width of the top of the ditch), and the ditch depth is 0.1 m. Take some fine soil from the ditch and temporarily pile it at the edge of the field for covering soil. Sow immediately after the beds are made. Evenly scatter 200 g of dry seeds per bed surface, and after covering with soil, cover with 0.9 m wide plastic film. Pull the film tight and smooth, and press the two sides and two ends firmly and tightly. After the plastic film is covered, use plastic film to make a small arch shed over the bed, with a shed height of 0.5-0.6 m. The actions of land preparation, sowing, and film covering should be quick to prevent soil moisture loss. Seedling raising in small arch sheds can also be carried out in plastic greenhouses or solar greenhouses.

4. Seedbed management

① Temperature: control the daytime temperature at around 25°C; at night at around 12-15°C. When 60-70% of the seedlings emerge, remove the plastic film. When the temperature rises at noon, pay attention to ventilating and cooling to prevent seedling scorching.

② Water: the soil moisture for raising young seedlings should preferably be on the lower side. When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, if the soil is dry, water with a watering can. At 4-5 leaves, if dry, fill the ditch with water so that the water slowly seeps into the soil in the bed; irrigate thoroughly to reduce the number of irrigations.

③ Thinning: when the seedlings have 1-2 true leaves, thin them out, remove the weak and keep the strong, pull out weeds, and prevent crowding. The plant spacing is 3-4 cm, and about 17,000 seedlings are kept per bed, which can plant 2 mu of field.

④ Hardening off: 15 days before transplanting (mid-April), make an opening at the top of the small arch shed for ventilation to harden off the seedlings, so that the seedlings gradually adapt to the external environment and the transplanting survival rate is improved.

The seedling raising time for autumn chili peppers is generally in September, when the temperature is suitable and favorable for the overwintering crop of chili peppers.