When should chili peppers be started from seed? Grow them this way for higher yields
Chili pepper, also known as long pepper, bell pepper, ox horn pepper, and sweet pepper, is a fairly common annual or weakly perennial plant in China, and it is grown in many regions of the country. To achieve high yields of chili peppers, besides basic management techniques, you also need to raise strong seedlings to promote plant growth. So when should chili peppers be started from seed? How do you raise them for high yields?
Chili pepper seedling time:
The time for raising chili pepper seedlings varies by region. Generally, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River sow from October to November, North China and Northeast China sow from February to April, and South China sows from December to January of the following year. In southern regions, chili pepper seedlings take 90 to 100 days, while in the north about 60 days. The standard for strong seedlings before transplanting is: thick stems with short internodes, thick and dark green leaves, intact stems and leaves free of pests and diseases, a well-developed root system with white lateral roots, 9 to 14 true leaves, intact cotyledons, and a well-developed root system.
Seedling-raising techniques:
1. Seed soaking and disinfection. Soak the seeds in warm water at 50 to 55°C, with enough water to submerge the seeds. Stir constantly until the water temperature drops to about 30°C, then stop stirring and continue soaking for 8 to 12 hours before removing them. Next, soak the seeds in a 10% trisodium phosphate solution or a 2% sodium hydroxide solution for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse them several times. After washing clean, germinate them. This is generally done at a constant temperature of 28 to 30°C. During germination, turn the seeds frequently, and wash the seeds once a day with clean water mixed with 0.02% boric acid. Once the germination rate reaches 60%, they can be sown.
2. Seedbed preparation. First prepare nutrient soil by mixing 6 parts fully decomposed organic fertilizer with 4 parts topsoil from a field where onions and garlic were grown. Mix evenly and sift, then add a small amount of carbendazim and chlorothalonil to control diseases. The seedbed can be prepared in a sun-facing cold frame or a solar greenhouse. For each square meter of seedbed, apply 5 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 0.25 kg of diammonium phosphate, then dig deep and rake level, ready for sowing.
3. Sowing. When sowing, first water until the water is about 6 cm deep. After the water seeps away, scatter a very thin layer of mancozeb-treated soil, sow evenly, generally about 10 grams per square meter. After sowing the seeds, cover with another very thin layer of treated soil, then scatter and cover with 0.8 to 1.0 cm of nutrient soil.
4. Seedbed management. Before emergence, keep the daytime temperature at about 30°C and the nighttime temperature at 18 to 20°C. After the seedlings emerge, lower the temperature appropriately and increase the day-night temperature difference to prevent the seedlings from growing leggy. When the seedlings grow to 2 true leaves, they can be pricked out and transplanted. Generally, prick out seedlings in the pricking bed at a spacing of 10 cm × 10 cm, or transplant single plants into 8 cm × 10 cm nutrient pots. During the pricking period, control the daytime temperature at 28 to 30°C and the nighttime temperature at 18 to 20°C. Shade the seedlings when they wilt around noon. When the seedlings are fully emerged, after the first true leaf appears, after the seedlings recover from transplanting, and at the 4-leaf stage, cover with 0.5 cm of nutrient soil each time. During the seedling stage, also increase light exposure as much as possible, reaching more than 8 hours per day. From 7 to 10 days before transplanting, harden the seedlings at low temperature, keeping daytime at about 20°C and nighttime at 12 to 15°C.