How to improve the low germination rate of pepper seeds?

Pepper is a very popular vegetable in our daily life, especially in places like Hunan, Sichuan and Chongqing, where people basically cannot do without spice, and the hotter the better. There are now many varieties of pepper, so the annual yield is also very good, but growers all know how many seeds are needed at sowing time to grow that many seedlings, and a lot of seeds are wasted. So today I want to share with you how to improve the germination rate of pepper seeds. Let's take a look.

1. Soaking the seeds

To improve the germination rate of pepper seeds, we definitely need to treat the seeds before planting. Since some of the pepper seeds always have poor viability, to improve seed viability we first need to soak the seeds. Usually the seeds are placed in water at around 30 degrees to soak, and the amount of water only needs to cover the seeds, so that too much water does not affect the internal components of the seeds. Next, the soaking time should not be too long; it is enough to soak the seeds through, which generally takes about three hours. Then take the seeds out and drain off the water.

2. Scalding the seeds

After the water on the pepper seeds has drained, we need to move on to the next step, scalding the seeds. Scalding the seeds can kill some bacteria on the outside of the seeds and at the same time stimulate seed viability. Here I should mention that before scalding the seeds you must first soak them, because scalding them directly will make the seeds lose the ability to germinate. We need to prepare hot water at around 50 to 60 degrees for scalding the seeds, then put the seeds in and stir gently so the seeds are heated evenly. After 15 to 20 minutes, take the seeds out, rinse them clean with clear water, and let the water dry off, then you can move on to sprouting.

3. Sprouting

To improve the germination rate of pepper seeds, sprouting is a very key step. First we need to wrap the treated seeds in cotton cloth, then place them in an environment at a temperature of around 30 degrees to sprout. We can use heat energy to keep them warm, and we can also put the wrapped seeds into soil, then cover them with soil and spread a layer of straw or plastic film on top to keep them warm. But if heat energy is used for sprouting, the seeds need to be turned from time to time, so the sprouting speed and effect will be better.

4. Sowing

When about 80 percent of the pepper seeds have sprouted, we can sow them, and whether sowing is done correctly is what ultimately determines how well the seeds emerge. First we need to prepare the seedbed for sowing. The soil of the seedbed generally needs to be broken up fine and leveled. Before sowing, water the soil thoroughly, then scatter the seeds evenly, cover them with soil, and spread a layer of straw on top to keep them warm. If you are still worried the temperature is not enough, you can add a layer of plastic film on top, but once the seeds show sprout tips, the film must be removed in time, otherwise the seeds will be scorched.