Peppers and eggplants have long been not uncommon in our gardens, although they are very thermophilic. The seedling method of cultivation solves the problem of a long growing season, and thanks to the efforts of breeders, we get more and more stable varieties and hybrids that bear good fruit even in the northern regions.
Many summer residents have noticed that when growing these crops with dipping, their seedlings suffer much more than, for example, tomatoes or basil. It is much preferable to sow both pepper and eggplant directly in separate containers.
The seeds of these plants are characterized by tightness, so it is recommended to soak them before sowing — either in ordinary water, or with the addition of a growth stimulant. For soaking, it is convenient to take ordinary cotton pads, spread the seeds on them, cover them with the same discs, moisten them and put them in a container with a lid.
Prepare the seeds for soaking
Cotton wool is thoroughly moistened with water (it is good to use thawed) or a solution of a stimulant, cover the container with a lid and send it to a warm place before germination. The temperature should be +25…+28 degrees Celsius (77-82.4°F).
As a rule, after two days, the pepper seeds dive, and the eggplant seeds swell quite well, so you can start sowing. The soil is suitable for storing ordinary nutrients.
On sale there are many different containers for growing seedlings, but you can do with homemade cups. First, sew the sleeve from agrofibre. The width of such a sleeve can be arbitrary, in our case it is 12 centimeters (4.7 in) from the fold to the seam. The height of the cylinder can also be selected as desired, for example, 17 centimeters (6.7 in).
Agrofibre cups
Fill our cups with earth and pour the solution to prevent fungal diseases. In the ground in the center, they make landing pits about 1 centimeter (0.4 in) deep. Put the sprouted pepper seeds in them one by one and close them.
Sowing pepper
Eggplant seeds are laid two at a time in each recess. If later it turns out that both sprouted seedlings, single, more powerful ones are left, and the second one is pulled out (do not pull out!).
Cover the container with the crops with a transparent lid and leave in a warm place until the seedlings appear. The air temperature should be kept elevated all this time: + 26…+27 degrees Celsius (78.8-80.6°F). Every day, the crops should be ventilated, opening the greenhouse for 5-7 minutes.
Cover the crops
After the seeds germinate, the lid can be gradually removed and the room temperature can be lowered.