What causes leggy pepper seedlings? How should they be dealt with?

Peppers are a vegetable we cannot do without in our lives, and pepper seedlings also affect their yield and quality. However, during the seedling-raising process, leggy seedlings very easily occur, seriously affecting the growth and development of peppers. So how should leggy pepper seedlings be dealt with? Follow the editor and take a look.

1. Causes of leggy seedlings

1. Unsuitable temperature and humidity

The main reason pepper seedlings become leggy is the relatively high air temperature inside the greenhouse, weak light, and a large day-night temperature difference, excessive humidity and excessive nitrogen fertilizer application. When pepper seedlings grow in such an environment, it very easily causes the seedlings to grow spindly, with vigorous vegetative growth, and a leggy phenomenon appears.

2. Excessive density

Many farmers believe that the denser the planting, the higher the yield, so when raising seedlings they often plant them very densely. This is a mistaken idea. If planting is too dense, the permeability of the seedbed is poor, which causes higher humidity in the seedbed, and this also very easily forms leggy seedlings.

2. Solutions

1. Strengthen seedling-stage management

To prevent leggy seedlings from appearing, management after pepper seedlings emerge is key. The principle is to combine promotion and control, and appropriately raise the night temperature. After the seedlings are fully emerged, the day-night temperature difference should be kept at about 25-26 degrees and 15-17 degrees. Extend the light exposure time as much as possible. Because the photoperiod in winter and spring is short, the covering should be removed in time after emergence so that they receive normal light. In summer and autumn, when light is intense, gradually remove the covering after emergence.

2. Ventilate to reduce humidity

Higher humidity during seedling raising not only affects seedling growth, but also very easily leads to pests and diseases. Therefore, increase ventilation as much as possible, reduce the humidity in the greenhouse, increase the dry matter content of the seedlings, and make them grow robustly.

3. Water reasonably

During the seedling stage, pay attention to watering frequency. During emergence, in order for the seedlings to come out of the soil, the soil should be kept moist. After emergence, appropriately reduce the amount of watering and just keep the soil alternated between dry and moist. During hardening off, in order to improve the drought resistance of the seedlings, do not water unless there is drought.

4. Transplant at the right time

Transplanting at the right time is also important. When pepper seedlings reach a seedling age of 90 days, they can be transplanted. The transplanted pepper seedlings should not be too small, otherwise the root system will be too small and they will not easily survive, nor should they be too large, otherwise early yield will be affected. Because seedlings are raised in different seasons, peppers grow at different speeds, so the seedling age of peppers planted in different crop rotations is different and should be adjusted appropriately according to the timing.

The above is an introduction to the causes of leggy pepper seedlings and the solutions. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please keep following us.