Chili peppers are a common vegetable , and many people grow them at home because they are easy to cultivate and have a high yield. So, how many days does it take for chili pepper seeds to germinate? Let's find out below.
How many days does it take for chili seeds to germinate?
Chili seeds germinate relatively easily, usually within 7-10 days. When sowing chili seeds, be careful not to sow them too deep; just cover them with soil.
How to sow chili seeds?
1. Soak the seeds
Before germination, prepare a basin of clean water and soak the seeds for 2-4 hours. Then soak them in a 1% copper sulfate solution for about 5 minutes, then rinse them thoroughly with clean water. This can help prevent blight and anthracnose. Soaking them in a 10% trisodium phosphate solution for about half an hour can help prevent viral diseases.
2. Wash and germinate.
After soaking the seeds in the solution, rinse them repeatedly with clean water. After rinsing, continue soaking for 6-10 hours. After removing them, rinse them 2-3 times with warm water. Finally, place them in a well-ventilated environment, wrap them in a towel or gauze, put them in a container, and cover them with a damp cloth. During germination, maintain the temperature at 25-30℃. Before the seeds show white sprouts, turn them over constantly and rinse them with warm water daily to ensure even heating.
3. Sowing
Water the seedbed, scatter the germinated seeds onto it, and cover with a thin layer of soil. To better retain moisture and warmth, cover with plastic film. After planting, maintain the soil temperature at around 20℃, and the daytime air temperature at around 25-34.7℃. Seedlings should emerge in about a week.
4. Transplanting
Once the chili peppers have two leaves, they can be transplanted. After transplanting, water them thoroughly and ensure they are shaded and well-ventilated. Once they have established themselves, you can care for them normally. Chili peppers prefer sunlight and should be placed in a sunny location; full sun is best to encourage more fruit production. During hot, sunny summer days, provide appropriate shade to prevent sunburn.
5. Fertilizing
Generally, apply fertilizer to the chili peppers every two weeks or so. Well-rotted organic fertilizer or diluted general-purpose fertilizer can be used to water the chili peppers. When the chili peppers are in the seedling stage, nitrogen fertilizer should be the main fertilizer. After the chili peppers flower and bear fruit, you should switch to fertilizer with high phosphorus and potassium content.
6. Watering
Watering chili peppers should follow the principle of watering only when the soil is dry, and watering thoroughly when watering. They have some drought tolerance but are not tolerant of excessive moisture. Water should be controlled appropriately before flowering to prevent excessive vegetative growth. During the fruiting period, avoid excessive dryness, otherwise fruit drop may occur. If the chili pepper plant grows relatively tall, the branches at the base of the main stem can be pruned and supported with a stake.
