Proper sowing is crucial for the development of pepper plants. We'll tell you the most important care steps so that your pepper sowing is successful!
What is needed?
If you want to grow peppers from seeds, you only need a little special equipment. Because a lot of it is found in most households anyway and can be used for sowing purposes. When it comes to the substrate, it is only advisable to use special growing soil or germination substrate. This offers the ideal conditions for growing pepper plants because it is lower in nutrients than normal vegetable soil and therefore stimulates the roots to grow. In addition to the substrate, the following utensils should also be available for sowing peppers:
- Vessel: egg carton, coconut spring pot, peat or yoghurt cup
- Mini greenhouse or foil
- Seeds
- Chamomile tea
Seeds
When it comes to seeds, the hobby gardener has two methods to choose from, as he can either purchase the peppers or get them from existing peppers. The latter is very popular: on the one hand there are no additional costs and on the other hand the effort required is very low.
The best way to obtain seeds from peppers is as follows:
- Cut the pepper lengthways
- Carefully remove the inside with a knife or spoon
- Put pepper seeds on a kitchen towel to dry
- Let dry in a sunny place for 3 to 5 days
- Store dried seeds in a paper bag frost-free
If you decide to purchase the seeds, you can do so from various specialist retailers both online and locally. To determine whether the pepper seeds are in perfect condition, they should be checked for certain quality characteristics:
- Firm, not sensitive to pressure
- Ochre yellow coloring
- 2 to 3 mm in size
The optimal conditions
Successful germination of seeds depends on various factors. Because both the time and the location as well as the temperature and light conditions are crucial. A date between the end of February and the beginning of March has proven to be the optimal time, as this gives the plants enough time to mature and produce fruit by the end of the season. The best conditions are provided by a location that is as bright and warm as possible.
- Heated greenhouse
- Window sill on a south window
- Winter Garden
- Temperature: approx. 25 degrees Celsius
- If it is too cold, germination will not take place
Tip:
Many hobby gardeners swear by sowing according to the lunar calendar and sow peppers at the beginning of March in the waxing moon phase.
Preparation
If the necessary equipment is available and the location and time have been chosen, hobby gardeners can start sowing the pepper seeds. But instead of placing the seeds directly in the soil, it is worth soaking them for several hours. This process is intended to kill fungal spores and make the seedlings grow he althier and stronger.
- Provide chamomile tea or water
- Soak pepper seeds in it for around 24 hours
- Place in a dark place out of direct sunlight
Sowing instructions
After the pepper seeds have been prepared for sowing, the next step is to sow them. To do this, first fill a growing tray (or an alternative, such as an egg carton) with growing soil. The seeds can then be used as follows:
- Distribute seeds evenly in the container
- Press about 1 cm deep into the soil
- Place a thin layer of soil over it
- Press the substrate gently
- Moisturize thoroughly
- Close container or cover with foil
Once sowing is complete, the container can be placed in a warm and bright place. A sunny windowsill offers the ideal conditions for this. However, the seeds should under no circumstances be left to their own devices, because they need to be cared for accordingly from now on.
However, the care measures are manageable and are as follows:
- Remove the foil several times a day
- This prevents mold formation
- Keep soil moist, but not too wet
- Substrate should remain crumbly
Note:
The germination time depends on the site conditions and can take up to three weeks.
