How to Soak and Sprout Chili Pepper Seeds of the Solanaceae Family and Germination Time
The Capsicum genus consists of annual or limited perennial herbaceous plants. The fruit is usually conical or oblong. In chili pepper cultivation, the germination rate of chili pepper seeds is a concern for growers, so what methods are there for sprouting chili pepper seeds? How many days until they germinate?
1. Seed selection:
Be sure to select seeds that are plump, uniform in size and of high purity. Remove soil and impurities from the seeds, so as not to affect germination or cause seed rot.
2. Disinfection:
(1) Soak the seeds in a 10% copper sulfate solution; this has the effect of preventing and controlling anthracnose and bacterial leaf spot. The method is to first soak in clean water for 4-5 hours, then soak in the solution for 5 minutes, rinse clean and then sprout.
(2) Use a zinc sulfate solution at a concentration of 0.2%-0.4% and soak the seeds for 12 hours at 20°C-25°C; this can suppress the occurrence of chili pepper viral disease.
(3) Soak in cold water for 3-4 hours, then transfer into a 500-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim and soak for 1 hour, then rinse clean with water; this can kill or attenuate the chili pepper virus.
3. Seed soaking:
Before sprouting, soak the seeds in clean water at 20°C-30°C so that the seeds absorb enough water and sprout faster. The soaking time varies depending on seed maturity and water temperature. The more fully mature the seeds, the longer the soaking time; lower water temperature also requires a longer time. Chili pepper seeds need to be soaked for 6-8 hours.
4. Sprouting:
Drain the soaked seeds, wrap them in gauze with good air permeability, and make sure the seeds are loose, not pressed too tightly.
For sprouting chili pepper, place the selected seeds in warm water at about 30°C and skim off the shriveled grains, then soak in warm water at 60°C for 15 minutes, then lower the water temperature to 35°C and soak for another 10-12 hours. Remove, rinse clean with water, put into a clean wet cloth bag and place at 28°C-30°C to sprout. Chili pepper seeds will sprout in 5-6 days.
Methods to Increase the Germination Rate of Chili Pepper Seeds
(1) Soak the seeds first, then scald them
Farmers generally first scald chili pepper seeds with hot water for disinfection and then soak them, but according to repeated trials, it is better to soak the seeds well first and then scald them for disinfection. This is because directly scalding dry seeds for sterilization treatment causes a small portion of blighted seeds and old seeds, due to their low vigor, to easily die under the intense high temperature and lose their germination ability, whereas soaking first allows these seeds to swell in the water and increase their resistance, thereby raising the germination rate.
(2) Water quantity for soaking seeds
Generally, just enough to submerge the seeds is fine. Do not add too much water, so as not to dilute the nutrients inside the seeds and affect the germination rate.
(3) Water temperature for soaking seeds
To increase the germination rate, the water temperature should be kept at about 30°C. This allows the seeds to quickly enter the suitable temperature stage for growth vigor and enhances the germination capacity of the seeds. To maintain the water temperature, the seeds can be soaked while kept warm in an incubator or under a cotton quilt.
(4) Soaking time
According to repeated trials, it was found that a long soaking time prolongs the sprouting time, and the sprouts produced after such prolongation grow weakly, the seedling emergence rate is low, and disease resistance during the seedling stage is also poor. If the water temperature can be maintained at 30°C, the best soaking time is 2 to 4 hours (h).
(5) Seed disinfection
In order to make chili pepper seeds sprout more, as long as the seedbed soil is properly disinfected, after the seeds are treated with hot water high-temperature sterilization, chemical sterilization treatment may be omitted. But after full emergence of seedlings, immediately spray 600-fold chlorothalonil or 400-fold copper-ammonium mixture to prevent and control seedling-stage diseases. To stimulate chili pepper seed germination, seeds can be soaked in a 200-fold cytokinin solution.
(6) Scalding seeds with hot water
Scalding seeds with hot water uses the high heat of water to kill pathogens on the seed surface and lurking inside the seeds. It is also a necessary means of breaking seed dormancy and increasing seed vigor. When scalding seeds, the water temperature should be strictly controlled between 55-58°C, and the duration should last 20 minutes; only in this way can the goal of killing pathogens without harming the seeds be achieved. To maintain the water temperature, add hot water when the temperature is low to keep it steady. To make the seeds heated evenly, stir the seeds continuously. If the seed quantity is small, scalding can be done in a thermos bottle. Rinse the scalded seeds with clean water, let the moisture dry, and then they can be sprouted.
(7) Sprouting methods
Wrap the soaked seeds in cloth and place them in a spot at about 30°C to sprout; the heat of an electric light can be used. If the seed quantity is small, wrap them in cloth, put them in a clean plastic bag, and place it inside a close-fitting shirt to use the human body's constant temperature for sprouting. During sprouting, turn the seeds frequently, rinse them with warm water once a day, and after washing shake off the water before sprouting again. With the above methods, the sprouts generally all emerge after 2 days, with very good results.