Timely sowing pepper seeds for seedlings is the key to a high-quality, rich harvest. By investing a lot of time and effort in growing vegetables, each farmer hopes to get a decent result. As experienced vegetable growers advise, sowing should be carried out taking into account climatic conditions, favorable days of the lunar calendar and varieties of pepper. How the date of the lunar calendar affects the growth of seedlings and how to correctly sow seeds is discussed later in the article.

The optimal timing of planting pepper for seedlings according to the lunar calendar in 2019

Since ancient times, people believed that the location of the heavenly bodies has a positive or negative effect on the growth of vegetable crops. In the climatic conditions of our region, the cultivation of peppers in open ground directly from seeds is rarely practiced. In order to get a decent crop, it is necessary to sow seeds for seedlings from winter to grow healthy and strong planting material. Start growing seedlings in 2019 is necessary in the last week of February or in early March.

Did you know? February, as the shortest month of the year, can be completely devoid of the full moon. Surprisingly, in 2018 in January and March there were two full moons, while in February - not a single one.

With proper observance of the rules of agricultural technology, young sprouts will just "ripen" by the end of May - early June, that is, in the optimal time for planting in open soil. If sowing is necessary in the northern climate, then the first weeks of March will be the most suitable period. In the southern regions, crops are cultivated at the end of February. In addition to the generally accepted timing for sowing seedlings, many farmers are guided by the dates of the lunar calendar, which determines the favorable and unfavorable period.

The moon, passing in a circle of zodiac signs, has a direct effect on the growth of crops:

• when the moon is in the waning phase, plant juices begin to move toward the root system, which leads to the development and strengthening of the roots;
• when the moon is in the growth phase, the reverse process is carried out - the movement of juices from the roots to the apex, which contributes to the development of the vegetative mass of the culture.

Favorable and unfavorable days for sowing

Given the phase and zodiac sign in which the only Earth satellite is located, experienced gardeners determined a favorable period for sowing seeds in 2019. As mentioned above, sowing events are advised to start in the last weeks of February. On the 19th of this month, the Moon is in the full moon phase, so it’s not worth sowing. This is followed by a decrease phase, which is also considered unfavorable. It is necessary to sow peppers for seedlings, starting from February 22 to March 2 of the current year inclusive. Culture is actively growing during the period of the growing moon and in the phase when the satellite is in the sign of Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio and Libra.

An unfavorable period for work is considered to be the days of the new moon, full moon, lunar eclipse. The seedlings sown at this time will be characterized by slow growth, poor development, poor immunity, and a tendency to many ailments.

Important! The zodiac sign Aquarius, Aries and Leo are considered infertile, so at this time it is better to wait a bit with sowing seed material.

How to plant pepper for seedlings on the lunar calendar in 2019

In 2019, experienced vegetable growers recommend sowing work according to favorable dates on the lunar calendar. At the same time, picking a plant and applying fertilizers can also be carried out, given the phase of the moon.

Sowing

In order to grow high-quality, healthy seedlings, you should, in addition to taking into account favorable days, observe some basic rules:

1. The choice of capacity. Since peppers negatively relate to further picking, the ideal option is to use special peat cassettes or individual plastic containers with a diameter of not more than 10 cm. In the absence of such, you can use plastic or wooden boxes.
2. Seed preparation. Before sowing, the material should be properly prepared. For this, the grains are poured with warm water and kept for 5-6 hours. Then they are wrapped in wet tissue for 2-3 days for germination. If the seed material is old, more than 3-4 years old, then it can be treated with a growth stimulator (Zircon, Ovary), which will significantly accelerate the germination of the sprouts.
3. Preparation of soil mixtures. Pepper seedlings prefer light, loose, nutritious soil, which can be prepared by mixing garden soil and humus in equal proportions. Before use, the soil is recommended to be disinfected with any available method: calcine in the oven, spill with a solution of potassium permanganate, freeze for a day.
4. Sowing seeds. In the soil, you need to make a small depression, up to 1.5 cm, and plant one seed in it. Sprinkle the seeds with dry soil, cover with plastic wrap or a plastic cup and place in a warm place at a temperature of + 24 ... + 26 ° С. When sowing seeds in one container, the distance between grains should be about 3 cm.

Pick

As mentioned above, pepper seedlings react negatively to transplants, so experts advise sowing seeds in a separate container if possible. If the crops were carried out in a common container, then when 3-4 full leaves are formed on the sprouts, they need to be dived into separate pots. The substrate for transplantation can be chosen the same as for sowing - a mixture of humus and garden soil. Adult seedlings require careful care and care, which consist of simple activities:

1. Watering. It is necessary to ensure that the soil in the pots is always slightly moistened. Too dry soil can cause sprouts to dry out, and too wet can cause root rot.
2. Lighting. Almost any seedlings sown in February need good lighting, the duration of which is at least 15 hours. To organize the required amount of light, additional lighting devices should be installed.

Pick-up is recommended on such dates: March 3, 4, 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26, 30, or April 4.

Fertilizer

If the soil mixture from the store was used for planting the plant, then there is no need to additionally feed it. In a mixture prepared independently at home, fertilizers are initially laid, in the role of which humus acts, therefore they also do not need additional nutrition.

Did you know? The alkaloid capsaicin gives the sharpness of pepper. There is a special scale of vegetable burning, according to which the sweet fruit takes the last position with scores from 0 to 100. Carolina Reaper with the index of 2 million 200 thousand points is recognized as the most burning.

When you need to plant pepper seedlings in a greenhouse and open ground according to the lunar calendar

Sprouts of peppers are quite whimsical, so when transplanting them into open soil or a greenhouse, some important rules must be observed.

By the period of planting seedlings in the ground, it should have:

• height of about 25 cm and above;
• 10-12 full leaves;
• stalk as thick as a pencil.

Transplanting seedlings into open ground is subject to:

• stable temperature indices of air + 17 ° С and earth + 15 ° С;
• disappearance of the risk of recurrent night frost.

In the southern regions and the middle lane, seedlings should be planted at the end of May:

In the greenhouse, seedlings are allowed at the age of 50–75 days after emergence. Vegetable growers do not recommend overexposing sprouts at home, as this can adversely affect the quality and quantity of the crop. It is better to plant sprouts in a greenhouse, starting in mid-April, provided that the soil is well warmed up. According to the lunar calendar, favorable days for planting are considered: April 20, 22, 28, 29, April 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and May 19.

Important! The colder the region, the later the time for planting seedlings in the ground.

Peppers are quite a whimsical vegetable crop, which requires careful care and care even at the stage of sowing seeds for seedlings. In order to grow high-quality seedlings, you need to follow many rules, including taking into account the favorable days of the lunar calendar. Indeed, according to many gardeners, the Earth’s moon satellite has a direct impact on the growth and development of all garden and vegetable crops.