PEPPER SEEDLINGS STRETCHED: WHAT TO DO, CAUSES OF PULLING, HOW TO PREVENT

Shoots of pepper appear two to three weeks after sowing, however, after some time, problems may arise associated with the cultivation of this crop.

Shoots begin to thin and rapidly drag up.

Pulling seedlings is one of the most common problems for gardeners, the main reason being the lack of sunlight.

The main topic of today's article is pepper seedlings: what to do if pepper seedlings are drawn out?

Why is pepper seedlings drawn?

The most common reasons when young shoots are pulled up:

Lack of sunlight. Seeds are beginning to be planted from the end of February - beginning of March, but in these months sunny days are still rare. In such cases, it is necessary to additionally highlight the seedlings, through artificial sanctification (ordinary electric lamps).
Too frequent sowing and untimely thinning. This mistake is more often made by novice amateur gardeners, planting a large number of seeds in one container. As a result, the grown shoots begin to stretch strongly immediately after the shoot, fighting for a place in the sun. In this case, it is necessary to thin the seedlings, leaving a distance of 3 cm between them. Read more about the proper cultivation from seeds.
Frequent watering. With a lack of sunlight, excessive soil moisture only exacerbates this problem, and the peppers become thin and long. Watering should be limited to two times a week.
Wrong temperature. The optimum daytime temperature for any seedlings of vegetable crops is no more than 25 ° C, at night the temperature should be lower. But during the heating season, as a rule, this factor is not observed, so it is advisable to take seedlings out of the room to a cooler place, such as the corridor, for the night.
Late picks. In the phase when the seedlings appear two true leaves, their root system begins to actively form, and, accordingly, it requires much more space. With a lack of space, the plants begin to drag upwards simply out of despair.

GOOD TO KNOW! Learn about other problems when growing peppers: why does seedlings fall, wither and die? What if leaves curl? Can these problems be avoided with proper care?

If, however, the seedlings of peppers are drawn out, what should be done? To prevent plants from being pulled, certain rules should be observed at the planting stage.

First you need decide on the choice of soil. When buying ready-made land should pay attention to its composition.

Grounds fertilized with a large amount of mineral compounds, especially nitrogen, are not suitable for pepper. It is advisable to choose a universal soil intended for vegetable crops.

Planting seeds should be done at a distance of 3 cm from each other, although many instructions indicate a distance of 2 cm, which is fraught with further pulling of the pepper.

You do not need to have a large number of plants on the same window sill, because, as they grow, they will overlap each other, reaching for the light. And those plants that remain in the shadows, will be forced to stretch.

To give the seedlings more light, you can install a mirror opposite the sill or hang a sheet with foil that will be used as a reflector. When sunlight comes from one side only, the plants turn the leaves in its direction and begin to bend and stretch ugly. Periodically you need to rearrange the container with the plants the other side to the window.

Timely picks suspends the growth of pepper for some time. The instructions for the seeds indicate the dates of transplanting the plants into separate pots, usually 20 to 25 days after germination. It should be borne in mind that in the purchased finished soil seedlings germinate faster, so it is better to focus on the number of leaves.

Germination of one true leaf indicates readiness of pepper for transplantation. Experienced gardeners grow peppers in a separate container without subsequent picking, and as the plants germinate, they transplant them into wider containers.

The first top dressing of plants is carried out in the phase of two true leaves by fertilizers containing superphosphate. The following feeding is carried out a week after picking the plants. After that, the peppers are fed after their transplantation into a greenhouse or open ground.

The golden rule of gardeners: "It is better not to feed, than to overfeed," as frequent feeding not only does not bring benefits, but also harm plants.

If, after the picks, the peppers continue to be drawn out, it means that they are in adverse conditions.

You can try to rearrange the containers with seedlings to another window, the pots should be located at a small distance from each other, you should also limit watering. Favorable air temperature at this stage of pepper development is 16-18 C.

So, we told what to do if pepper seedlings stretched out and gave advice on what to do so that pepper seedlings never stretched and you didn’t have such problems.

REFERENCE! Learn about different methods of growing peppers: in peat pots or pills, in open ground and even on toilet paper. Learn the cunning method of landing in the snail, as well as what pests can attack your seedlings?