When spring comes, the vegetable garden will be stocked again. Peppers are also the first choice for many hobby gardeners. Because the vegetables are tasty and versatile, and with a little care, a bountiful harvest can be achieved. Cultivation is also usually successful in a bucket on the balcony or terrace. But when is the right time to sow the peppers? The following guide explains the ideal way to grow pepper plants.v
Table of Contents
sowing
Before the seeds are sown according to the instructions, they should be pre-treated. So it is helpful to soak the pepper seeds in lukewarm water for a day or two before sowing. Then proceed as follows when sowing:
- use a well-moistened substrate
- but not wet
- Only sow peppers in small doses
- one to a maximum of three seeds per pot
- lay on earth
- then cover thinly with sieved substrate
- apply warm water using a spray bottle
- place at desired location
soil condition
For the soil in the growing pots, it is sufficient if normal growing soil from the trade is chosen. Alternatively, you can also mix a little garden soil with sand and a little compost and spread it over the pots. If the plants are later planted outdoors, the garden soil should be loosened up well and enriched with compost for the first growth spurt. Further fertilizing is no longer necessary over the summer. Pepper plants are annuals and die in the autumn after the last harvest.
Matching vessels
No extra pots are required for growing from seeds. Egg cartons, small yoghurt pots and similar containers are also sufficient here. Ideally, small holes are made in the bottom so that waterlogging is avoided when watering and the excess water can drip out downwards. To avoid puddles of water, the pots can be placed on small plates or plastic lids. Since, according to the instructions for growing, only one seed should be placed in each pot to make it easier to plant later, the containers you choose do not have to be particularly large.
location
Different locations can be chosen for the advance according to the instructions. However, these must be wind and weather-protected as well as warm and light, so that the seedlings quickly stretch out of the ground. The following locations are well suited for pre-cultivating the pepper plants:
windowsill
It is easy to set up the small growing pots with the pepper seeds on the windowsill, especially when there is neither a greenhouse nor a cold frame available. When pulling on the windowsill, proceed as follows:
- South window is ideal
- set up prepared pots or seed trays
- cover with foil
- this creates a warm, humid climate
- is also ideal over a heater
- if the window sill is cold, place a heating mat underneath
- Germination temperature for soil at 25° Celsius
- Avoid mold formation, ventilate the foil daily
- Always keep soil moist
- after two to three weeks, seedlings skewer
When the first seedlings appear in the pots, the foil is removed completely. The soil must now continue to be kept well moist. Waterlogging, on the other hand, must be avoided. As soon as the ice saints and thus the last night frosts are over in May, the young plants can move to the garden bed or the pot on the balcony or terrace.
Frühbeetkasten
So that the pepper plants can later be planted outdoors more easily, they should not be sown directly into the ground in the cold frame, but also in small pots. Be sure to place the box in full sun as the seeds will only germinate when the ambient temperature is warm enough. When growing in a box, the following should be observed:
- Sow peppers in pots
- Always keep soil moist
- Always leave the cold frame covered
- air briefly on dry days
- otherwise mold could form
- leave open more often with the first sprouts
- Sun must not burn the tender plants
- possibly protect with a protective net
- keep the soil moist
- plant outdoors in May after the ice saints
Glasshouse
In the greenhouse, the seeds can be sown directly into the ground. Because the plants can remain here, even if they have grown larger and are about to be harvested. The advantage of growing in a greenhouse is that the plants can produce a good harvest even in a rainy summer because they are protected from wind and weather. Only a few rays of sunshine can also heat up the greenhouse and thus bring the desired warmth of at least 25° Celsius early on. When sowing the peppers, the following should be observed:
- Pepper plants are usually slender and tall
- between the seeds distance of 50 cm all around
- are sown more, prick out later
- Keep the bed well moist
- cover with foil after sowing
- Ventilate daily to prevent mold growth
- if the first seedlings appear, remove the foil
- keep watering well
- protect against snails
When the first small plants appear, they can be supported with a stick for straight growth. The soil must always be watered well. If it gets warmer in May and June, the greenhouse can also be opened and ventilated better. The plants themselves do not need to be transplanted here.
time
March is the right time to start growing and sowing the peppers. It is important here that the seeds are not scattered outdoors, because it is still too cold here. It is therefore essential to start with pre-cultivation on the windowsill, in the cold frame or in a greenhouse. Why an earlier point in time should not be chosen, even with pre-breeding in a pot, has the following reasons:
- still too dark overall in February
- Lack of brightness has a detrimental effect
- Seedlings only become long-stemmed
- weak shoots are formed
- Cotyledons suffer from chlorophyll deficiency
- is also called fading
