For all vegetables, the yield depends not only on the variety and level of agricultural technology, but also on how well you placed them in the garden or greenhouse, on whether they have enough light and what are the soil and the level of occurrence on the site groundwater, but especially in sweet and bitter peppers. Suitable soil for their cultivation - almost half the success, and pepper reacts to all the little things: not only to its fertility or chemical composition, but also on mechanical, that is, what is more in it - sand or clay, into which lumps it gets lost - into large or small, and also what kind of fertilizers were introduced into it.

The choice of soil for planting

The best ground for pepper is light loamy or sandy loam soil with a structure in the form of small lumps and with a large proportion of humus, rich in nutrients, but always without excess nitrogen... On weakly acidic soils, the yield of pepper deteriorates, especially in early varieties, and on strongly acidic soils, it generally grows very poorly. A suitable acidity for growing peppers is pH 6-6.6 (for seedlings and young plants - up to 6.8), and the best pH is about 6.4. If the indicator is less than 6, lime materials should be added to the soil - chalk, hydrated lime or lime tuff.

Fertilizing the soil

Soil analysis should be carried out in order to know exactly how much fertilizer should be placed under the pepper as the main fertilizer. If the soil is too poor, the average doses, which are usually indicated in reference books, may not be enough, and if the soil is richer in nutrients, the pepper may receive too much nitrogen. This should not be allowed, because the pepper will begin to "fatten" from this - it will grow a lot of stems and leaves, and will give very little fruit (or even not at all). Not by chance nitrogen fertilizers he should always be given less than leafy vegetables and root crops, and on inexhaustible chernozems they can not be added to the ground at all. For the same reason, pepper should not be fed with manure in any of its forms - for this vegetable there is too much nitrogen in it. On alkaline soils, potash fertilizers have to be excluded. Even under the pepper, in no case should you apply or use for fertilizing fertilizers containing chlorine (as well as pouring with chlorinated water), such as ammonium chloride, potassium electrolyte and some other potassium salts - it is very sensitive to this substance, the plants will they won't get sick and a good harvest.

Fertilizers for pepper are embedded in the soil in advance, from autumn or a few weeks before planting seedlings, most often mixing organic fertilizers with mineral. Of organic fertilizers, pepper responds better to fermented bird droppings, although more often humus or compost is introduced into the soil for plowing for it - 7-10 kg per 1 m 2, and in some areas - non-acidic peat (this is without sufficient experience and accurate knowledge of it acidity is undesirable, you can over-acidify the soil). If you only use mineral fertilizers, on average there should be 1.5-2 times more of them than if they were added to organic ones.

The average amount (without soil amendments) of mineral fertilizers that are most often used: 15-20 g of urea, 40-50 g of superphosphate and 20-25 g of potassium sulfate per 1 m 2. On ordinary medium-fertile soils, the ratio between nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium should be 2: 2: 1 (here we mean not the weight of the fertilizers themselves in grams, but only the presence of nutrients); on the poor - 2: 1.5: 1 with a greater total number; on good chernozems - 0.5-1: 2: 1 or no nitrogen at all.

In addition, if you have such an opportunity, add wood ash to the fertilizers - it contains the necessary nutrients, and pests with diseases will bother you less.

In order for the crop to be larger and so that the plants are less sick, it is very important to observe the crop rotation. The best precursors for peppers are legumes, onions, pumpkin seeds, and perennial herbs(turnover of their layer), permissible early cabbage, but after potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants or physalis, in no case should it be planted.

The place for the pepper should be well lit by the sun and protected from strong winds.

Peppers belong to the Nightshade crops. Therefore, the rhizome in adult plants is rather delicate. What can we say about the sensitive young growth, which is extremely demanding on the composition of the soil. Watering and feeding is often not enough to create strong healthy seedlings, the situation is much more serious. Needed good soil, which will provide the vegetable crop with minerals and give a start to active development. That's why soil preparation for pepper seedlings- the very first point, the implementation of which gardeners must think about.

Most gardeners, especially inexperienced ones, sow pepper in ordinary soil from their own garden. Some go further and buy a versatile composition from the flower department. Both are fundamentally wrong without first studying the soil.

So, good land for pepper should differ in the following characteristics:

• loose, breathable structure that will allow moisture and oxygen to penetrate to the rhizome;
• good permeability of the liquid without the formation of a hard crust on the garden bed;
• the obligatory presence of organic compounds;
• the composition must be enriched with minerals (phosphorus, potassium, iron, nitrogen);
• acidity should be low or neutral (no more than 7 pH).

And soil with the following characteristics is not suitable for peppers under any conditions:

• with the content of pest larvae, fungal spores;
• with high acidity (it contributes to the development of "black leg" and keel);
• clay soil (too dense, the roots will begin to "suffocate" and not receive enough moisture);
• which is completely peat mass.

If you buy a mixture for young growth in a store, choosing the right one becomes easier than ever. On each package, the manufacturer records the composition of the soil, the level of acidity and other characteristics.

Important! Some manufacturers may be cunning and indicate the ingredients is not entirely honest. Therefore, to create strong seedlings, it is still recommended to prepare the soil mixture for the peppers yourself.

Components for pepper primer

In the soil self-made each component has its own function. The soil is enriched with all the necessary substances and allows the seedlings to develop qualitatively. So, for good result most often the following ingredients are selected:

• peat mass;
• humus;
• leaf substrate;
• turf;
• baking powder.

It is not necessary to use all the ingredients when mixing, but several ingredients must be present in the soil. More information about each of them can be found in the table below.

Table 1. Required ingredients for preparing the soil for pepper seedlings.

Name	Description	Peculiarities
Humus or compost	Contrary to the opinion of some summer residents, humus and compost are not at all the same things. Compost is a mixture of deciduous residues that rot in containers or compost heaps. Part good compost should be included: phosphate rock; land from the garden; peat. Despite the fact that compost is similar to humus, it can be used instead of it only 2 years after laying it for overheating. For sowing seedlings of peppers, it is not recommended to take fresh humus.	Good humus is best for quality organic feeding for nightshades. Humus is rotted manure. It can ripen up to 5 years and is unique for almost all plants, from vegetable to flower. Humus must be mixed into the soil of your own production. But if the latter is not available, you can take high-quality rotted compost.
Baking powder	These elements serve to give airiness to the soil. As a rule, for this, a sandy composition of a large fraction is taken, but it can also be replaced with the following elements: sawdust - in addition to looseness, give the soil lightness; sphagnum - additionally protects rhizomes from diseases due to its bactericidal properties; vermiculite - retains liquid in the soil and protects the roots from drying out; perlite - reduces the risk of developing fungal diseases and maintains optimal temperature soil.	Any of the suggested ingredients would be an ideal loosening agent. If desired, you can combine these elements with a lower dosage.
	There are 3 types of peat mass: lowland; transition; superficial (with the highest acidity). Sensitive root system nightshade is capable of accepting only the first two varieties. If only a surface variety is available, it must be mixed with lime and ash to reduce acidity.	Peat improves the structure of the soil, making it porous. In addition, it saturates it with nutrients and enriches it with nitrogen. However, you need to choose only the peat that is suitable for the peppers.
Leaf land	Formed from fallen leaves after overheating. In another way, it is called leaf humus due to the abundant concentration of useful components. There are two ways to get it: go to the forest and dig up the required amount of land under the tree; do it yourself. Cooking leafy soil is not much different from composting in terms of timing and algorithm. Fallen leaves are collected, and then stacked in heaps mixed with soil. Such heaps need to be watered periodically to help the foliage in overheating. They use the soil of their own preparation after absolute decomposition: after 1-2 years.	As for the first method: foliage and soil can only be dug out from under certain trees. Vegetation from aspen, maple and oak will not work. Birch and linden leaves are considered ideal raw materials. When cooking on your own, it is worth adding urea, lime and a little humus to the leafy ground. These ingredients will help speed up the decomposition.
	This is the surface part of the soil in which the highest concentration of minerals and nutrients... Their beneficial features persist for several years. There are 3 types of turf: heavy (contains clay mass); medium (with a low concentration of clay and a large volume of sand); lightweight (100% sand).	A light and medium sod substrate is added to the soil mixture for sowing pepper. It is best to shoot in August or September / October with dried foliage. Until the next season, the soil is left in wooden boxes.

Humus prices

humus

Soil recipes for pepper seedlings

If, nevertheless, it was decided to prepare the soil with your own hands, it is necessary to prepare all the necessary ingredients in advance. The procedure is carried out in the fall. The components of the future soil mixture are distributed in packages or buckets, after which they are left for the winter to freeze.

Some gardeners use their own gut to mix pepper potting soil. Others should check out the tried and tested pepper soil recipes:

1. Humus, garden soil, sand, peat. Mix in equal proportions.
2. Sod, compost, peat and soil are mixed in similar parts. Pour ash into the resulting composition: 1 glass per 10 kg.
3. Sod land + garden soil together with sand and peat. All components are taken in one serving.
4. Nutritious peat with humus and a small amount of phosphate.
5. One part of sand and peat + two portions of sod substrate.
6. Leafy substrate, turf, humus in equal proportions.
7. Wood shavings and sand in one part + three parts of sod composition.

Any other baking powder can be used instead of sand in any of the recipes. It is not recommended to add fresh humus, manure and not disinfected sod to the ground for peppers. Any recipe can be supplemented with superphosphate and potassium sulfate as top dressing.

Important! When buying a ready-made universal mixture, you need to carefully study its composition. As a rule, such soil mixtures are 90-100% peat.

Soil preparation for sowing

So, the soil was mixed in the fall and left to winter. At the beginning of the next season, it’s time to remember him. It is recommended to finally prepare the land 7-8 days before the planned sowing. As a rule, sowing of pepper on seedlings occurs in the last week of February / early March.

Preparation includes defrosting and disinfection. The last procedure can be performed in several ways:

1. Insecticide or fungicide treatment... These chemicals are only permitted if gardeners are in doubt about the quality of the soil mixture. For example, the composition was bought in a store or unreliable components were used during creation (possibly earth from the forest). When treating the land with drugs, one should not forget about gloves and the recommended dosage.
2. Steaming... The earth is treated with hot steam for a couple of hours. After such disinfection, the soil is placed in waterproof bags or jars with a tight lid.
3. Calcination. The soil mixture is poured into a refractory container. The oven is heated to 55 ° C and a container of earth is placed there for several hours. Some summer residents advise using temperatures much higher, but in such conditions good microorganisms can also die.
4. Disinfection. The earth is well spilled with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

The process of disinfecting the soil can disrupt its nutritional properties. Therefore, you should additionally feed the land. However, it is not necessary to oversaturate it: in too "fortified" soil, the pepper will start to ache and subsequently may dry out.

Most optimal way fertilizers - feed the land with compositions with potassium gutamate... These can be drugs "Gumi" or "Baikal".

Fertilizer prices Baikal

fertilizer Baikal

Is it possible to add soil to seedlings?

Typically, pepper seedlings do not require soil sprinkling while growing. However, in case of urgent need, you can add soil so as not to cover the first cotyledonous leaves. For bedding one of two options is used:

1. Remaining soil after mixing.
2. Ground after treatment with a strong tea brewing solution.

The soil is added in several stages.

Important! When the lower part of the seedlings hardens, the bedding stops. Otherwise, you can provoke decay and inhibition of the development of the rhizome.

Preparing the soil for planting seedlings

In order for it to remain strong and healthy until it turns into an adult bush, the soil at the pepper's permanent residence also needs to be prepared. In the matter of planting, gardeners are divided into two camps: some are used to planting peppers in a greenhouse, others prefer open ground.

In the greenhouse

Still, peppers are thermophilic plants, so they ripen best in greenhouse conditions. Land preparation consists of several stages, they are presented in the table below.

Table 2. Stages of preparation of greenhouse land for planting pepper seedlings.

Stages	Implementation
Primary digging	Occurs in the fall of the pre-disembarkation season. It is necessary to dig up the ground and add organic fertilizers to it along the way. It can be humus, compost or manure of no more than 5 kg per 1 m² of land. During wintering, the mixtures will be milled in the soil and make it fertile.
Secondary digging and fertilizing	Re-digging takes place in the spring before the direct disembarkation. So, this time they add to each bed: potash and phosphorus mixtures (40 grams per 1 m²); nitrogen fertilizers (25 grams per 1 m²); you can use the composition of your preparation: humus + a glass of ash + double superphosphate glass + 25 grams of nitrate.
Loosening and creating holes	After high-quality fertilization, the soil must be loosened. It will become airy and porous. They are loosened to a depth of about 25 cm, after which holes are made. Each is well watered - about 1.5-2 liters of water.
Warming up the air	On the eve of planting peppers, you need to create a suitable microclimate in the greenhouse. For this, the air is heated. The temperature must be above 15 ° C, otherwise the peppers will become sick and can no longer absorb the nutrients. For soil, a temperature of 25 ° C is recommended.
Planting seedlings and mulching	The seedlings are transferred to the prepared holes along with the clod of earth in which they ripened. The first leaves should be at the level of the garden bed. Then the soil around the plant is well compacted and covered with mulch to avoid evaporation of the liquid and protect the seedlings from weeds. Straw or peat is used as mulch.

After planting the seedlings, the greenhouses should be regularly ventilated. This is best done after watering. You also need to periodically loosen the peppers. A couple of days after transferring to the greenhouse, it is recommended to spud the plants after watering. Make a mound no higher than 4 cm, which will help young peppers take root well.

In the open field

Land in open ground prepare in the same way as a greenhouse. It is only required to pre-arrange the beds and spill them with settled water. It is important to choose the right area for the garden: it should be well lit, without wind and drafts.

In open ground, seedlings are moved at the end of May. By this time, she should already be strong and immune to disease.

Important! If the pepper gets all the nutrients it needs from the ground, its ripening period is shortened by 1-2 weeks. From the fertilized soil, pepper gives bountiful harvest much earlier than a plant without feeding.

You can find out more about how to grow peppers in the open field by reading on our website.

How to store soil

As a rule, gardeners store untreated soil in a garage or on a balcony. In winter, the temperature there remains at around 0 ° C. However, the soil after processing requires completely different storage conditions:

• the place must be dry and protected from direct sunlight;
• no medicine or food should be kept nearby;
• the required air temperature is not lower than -30 ° C and not higher than + 40 ° C (it is better to store at negative temperatures).

If all storage conditions are correctly observed, you can extend the shelf life of the soil by several years.

Soil prices

soil earth

Experienced gardeners offer some tips to help you grow healthy pepper bushes with a bountiful harvest:

1. About a month before the planned sowing, the soil components are placed in a warm place so that they defrost and warm up. And after 2 weeks you can start mixing.
2. Fertilizers should be in moderation. If the components for the soil have been selected correctly, the soil is already becoming fertile. Top dressing is added in a small amount, otherwise the pepper will begin to dry out from an excess of food.
3. Liquid fertilizers are applied only after at least two real leaves appear on the seedlings.
4. Turf, garden land and humus is pre-sieved. All foreign objects, stones and remnants of roots must be completely removed from these compounds. Knead the earth lumps so that the soil is completely homogeneous.

Thanks to the development of technology, it became possible to grow peppers without land at all. To do this, use coconut washers, a mixture of sand and sawdust or peat pillows. Some summer residents grow pepper on plain paper. This unusual method allows you to maintain the sterility of the seedlings.

Video - Preparing the soil for peppers

A good harvest always means several things. All of them are important: the quality of the seeds, their proper preparation for sowing, the choice of variety, conditions and care. But there is one parameter, the influence of which is most important. This is the qualitative composition of the soil in which the seedlings are grown. The yield of all seedlings (and in our climate, most vegetables are grown through seedlings) depends to a large extent on a properly composed seedling soil.

There is no one universal soil that meets the needs of all plants. Each garden culture requires an individual approach. Any plant has its own requirements for the soil mixture. But there is general rules, which allow you to create a basic soil in order to then optimize it for one or another crop with minimal labor costs.

Initial requirements for seedling soil

Depending on the type of plants that are grown as seedlings, the soil mixture can be composed of different components mixed in certain proportions. But in all cases, it is necessary to comply with the initial requirements for seedling substrates.

1. Fertility... The soil must contain in sufficient quantities all the substances necessary for the sprouts to develop quickly and successfully.
2. Nutritional value... This means that the content of all components is balanced, organic elements are present in the soil and there is a mineral component, moreover, in the form and compounds available to plants.

Looseness... The soil is made loose and light so that the amount of air they need penetrates to the roots of the seedlings.

Moisture capacity... This indicator means that the soil is able to absorb and retain moisture well.

Acidity... The pH indicator, that is, the acidity of the soil, is very different for different plants, but in the seedling soil in which the seeds germinate, it should be from 6.5 to 7.0, that is, with a neutral reaction.

Disinfection... No, we are not talking about complete sterility. Of course, bacteria and microorganisms should live in the soil, but not pathogens or fungal spores that can instantly destroy young shoots or prevent seeds from sprouting.

Purity... This indicator means the presence of only the necessary components, without the presence of metal particles, industrial waste and other foreign impurities.

Soil components

In the land intended for sowing seeds, components of organic and inorganic origin must be present.

Organic ingredients:

• soil - sod, leaf, garden;
• vegetable compost;
• rotted cattle manure;
• peat - lowland and high-moor;
• sphagnum, coconut fiber, seed husks, bark, sawdust;
• wood ash.

Peat is one of the popular components of seedling soil mixtures.

It is not necessary that absolutely all of the components from the list are present in the soil, but most are. It is better to mix the soil from three different soils: vegetable garden, which can be taken directly from the ridge (unless, of course, sick or insect-affected plants grew there); leafy (from leaves rotted with the ground); turf (which is obtained by cutting turf). Soil is the basic element of the seedling substrate.

Compost - rotten plants - must be mixed with rotted manure, which is called humus. This is the supplier of the necessary substances.

Advice! Do not sow vegetable seeds in humus, compost, or low moor peat. Too much a large number of organics will force the sprouts to excessively increase the leaf mass to the detriment of root formation. As a result, the seedlings will not take root well when they are planted in a garden bed or in a greenhouse soil.

Peat will definitely be needed, it is he who makes the soil fertile. Lowland contains about 70% organic matter, riding, consisting of sphagnum, makes the structure of the soil loose.

Peat is found in most seedling soil mixtures. It is obtained from the swamps. This is not to say that it is a non-renewable resource. From decaying organic components under the influence of natural processes, it is formed in swamps, but very slowly - over thousands of years. In addition, peat is a part of the natural ecosystem - if it is completely removed from the bogs, or at least a serious deficit is created, the ecological balance will be upset.

This is why scientists have been trying over the past decades to find a replacement for peat. And finally they found it. More and more producers of seedling soil mixtures are switching over to the use today.

Benefits of coconut fiber.

1. It is 100% organic without chemical impurities.
2. They know how to absorb and retain water, working like a sponge, retaining moisture for plants and not removing nutrients from the soil.
3. The layer of soil in the pot or container with the substrate containing the coconut fiber remains dry, which prevents the growth of soil fungi.
4. Coconut fiber has a pH level of about 6, so it normalizes the overall acidity of the entire substrate.
5. Fiber contains phosphorus, potassium, and others needed by plants substances in significant quantities.

Coconut fiber prices

coconut fiber

Also, sunflower seed husks, tree bark, rotted sawdust, dry moss and other rippers are used to loosen the soil. Wood ash is added to normalize soil acidity.

Advice! Do not add more nutrients to the soil - an abundance of fertilizing is appropriate during the growing season, the seeds inside which the plant embryo have a sufficient supply of substances to form and release a full-fledged sprout. Enhanced nutrition is not required for the seed.

Inorganic components:

• river (in extreme cases, quarry) sand;
• perlite;
• vermiculite;
• expanded clay;
• mineral supplements.

Advice! Do not crush the components of the soil mixture too much and do not sift the mixture through a sieve with small cells - the fine-grained substrate will sour and "float" after each watering.

It is an excellent component of seedling potting soil. This substance has a number of significant advantages.

1. Sterility - spores of fungal diseases and pathogens of infectious diseases do not settle in perlite.
2. The absence of insects - they simply do not start in the substance.
3. Lack of seeds weeds- they do not take root in the soil mixture with perlite and do not sprout.
4. Stored in original condition for a long time - perlite does not decay.
5. Light weight - perlite is very light.

Vermiculite- porous, eco-friendly material, which contains a record amount of magnesium, potassium and calcium necessary for sprouts already in the early stages of life.

Drains the soil, acting as an organic leavening agent and helping to improve the structure and water holding capacity of the soil.

- a polymer compound, which, due to its properties, also serves to maintain a high moisture capacity in the soil.

Advice! To simplify the watering procedure and maintain the required moisture content, add hydrogel to the prepared soil before sowing.

Price for hydrogel

hydrogel

In addition to the mandatory components, the following elements are also included in the soil mixture:

• ash;
• urea;
• potassium sulfate;
• potassium chloride and sulfate;
• ammonium nitrate;
• superphosphate.

What should not be in the soil

This small but important point is often overlooked. Amateur gardeners neglect it, as a result, all efforts to draw up the correct soil are wasted.

The following components should not get into the soil mixture:

• clay;
• fresh manure;
• not rotted plant residues;
• tea leaves, coffee grounds and other similar waste;
• salty sea sand.

Clay will make the soil heavy, impermeable to moisture and air, dense. Not rotted organic matter and coffee / tea will cause decay processes - they can begin to decompose, increasing the temperature of the substrate, which will be detrimental to many seeds and seedlings. Also, the decomposition of organic matter will entail the release of nitrogen, which will evaporate, depleting the substrate.

Soil for various crops

The table below shows the soil composition for each vegetable crop of the most commonly grown.

Table. The composition of the soil mixture for common vegetable crops.

The culture	Components of the soil mixture and their proportions
	About 2 kg of garden soil, 1 - humus, ½ kg of sawdust (rotted), fine-grained tree bark or coconut fiber. For 6 kg of finished substrate - 40 g of ash, 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of urea.
	5 kg of turf soil, 5 kg of high peat, 2.5 kg of sand, 2 kg of humus, 1/4 kg of lime, 1/2 kg of ash or dolomite flour.
	6 kg of peat or 3 kg of leaf soil and coconut fiber, 2 kg of sod soil, 1 kg of humus, 1 kg of sand, ¼ kg of lime.
	4 kg of peat, 2 kg of sod soil, 1 kg of rotted sawdust or coconut fiber, 1 kg of humus.
	2 kg of peat, 2 kg of sod soil, 2 kg of humus, 1 kg of coconut fiber or rotted sawdust, 1 kg of sand. For 6 liters of the mixture - 40 g of ash and 15 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate.
	8 kg of peat, 2 kg of sod land, 1 kg each river sand, mullein or humus, or 2 kg of vegetable compost, 1 kg of sawdust or coconut substrate. For 6 kg of the mixture - 10 g of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride, 20 g of superphosphate and 45 g of ash.
	2 kg of leafy soil, 2 kg of humus, 2 kg of peat or coconut substrate, 1 kg of sand. For 6 kg of the mixture - 50 g of ash, 15 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of superphosphate.

How to prepare a soil mixture

In the process of preparing the soil for sowing seedlings, it is recommended to follow the instructions and follow step by step recommendations... It is necessary to start the procurement of components in the fall. They are also mixed in the fall. Then the finished soil is sent for freezing, which will serve as additional sterilization.

Important! Do not add mineral nutrients during the mixing stage. Nutrient additives are introduced into the soil in spring, after the main sterilization, before planting seeds, in the form of solutions.

Step-by-step instructions for preparing soil

Step 1. Prepare all the necessary ingredients that you plan to add to the substrate. They must be dry and in separate containers.

Step 2. Spread an oilcloth or other suitable bedding on the floor in the utility room, or use a large container (basin, trough, tray, pallet) in which you will mix the soil components.

Step 3. Take a measuring container (glass, mug, etc.) or prepare the balance. Prepare your tools - a shovel, small rakes - and put on gloves.

Step 4. Measure the right amount necessary components, place in a container or pour on an oilcloth, mix thoroughly.

Step 5. Pour the finished substrate into small bags (ideally no more than 20 liters). If the bags are plastic bags, punch a few small holes at the top to allow the soil to "breathe".

Step 6. Set the bags of soil in the barn, a utility room, where it will keep subzero temperature.

If speak about middle lane, then watermelons here (as well as some other crops - for example, melon) are preferable to grow through seedlings. In reality, there is nothing complicated in this process, the main thing is to know and how to do it.

Decontamination procedure

Harmful microorganisms contained in garden, leaf, turf, peat, sand, humus and other essential components of the seedling substrate can harm the seeds, introducing infection and reducing their germination. To prevent this from happening, the substrate must be disinfected. This is a very important procedure and should not be neglected if you want strong, healthy seedlings and fruitful plants.

There are four ways to disinfect a substrate:

• freezing;
• steaming;
• calcination;
• etching.

You can limit yourself to one way, but it is better to combine any of the first three, followed by etching.

Important! Freezing is carried out during the winter. All other methods begin to be used in January - February, when it is time to prepare the soil for sowing.

Freezing

The method of disinfection by freezing is that the bag with soil is left in a room where subzero temperatures are maintained in winter. If there is no such room, closer to spring the soil is taken out into frost and left for a week at a temperature of about -10 ° C ... 15 ° C. Then the frozen soil is returned to the heat and allowed to thaw for a week. During this time, all the germs of weeds and pests that were not destroyed by the first freezing will "wake up" in it. After that, the soil is again sent to the frost. And so two or three times.

Well-grown seedlings guarantee a rich harvest of vegetables from their garden, therefore it is extremely important to ensure the optimal composition of the soil in which the seeds will germinate. Correct soil for seedlings, it must meet certain requirements: be not too acidic, moderately porous and loose. The components of the substrate may differ depending on the specific crop, but if necessary, you can also use a universal soil mixture that is suitable for cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes.

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General requirements for soil

The composition of the soil mixture for growing seedlings can be different depending on the requirements of a particular vegetable crop. But there are certain characteristics that it must meet:

• the content of all nutrients required by the plant for rapid growth and normal development;
• balance of macro- and microelements necessary for the development of crops, in the forms available to them;
• sufficient access to the roots of air plants - the structure of the soil mixture should be light and loose;
• increased moisture absorption and the ability to retain it for a long time;
• neutral acid reaction - for this, the pH level should be in the range from 6.5 to 7;
• absence of microbes, pathogenic bacteria, weed seeds, industrial waste, heavy metal salts and other harmful impurities that can negatively affect the development of young plants.

Soil mixture components

Many beginners make the standard mistake when they take ordinary soil from their garden for seedlings. Poor quality land causes problems when growing seedlings. In this case, you have to buy plants ready for planting from more experienced specialists.

To avoid a negative result, you need to mix the seedling soil yourself. Any seedling soil mixture consists of organic and inorganic components mixed in different proportions.

Organic Ingredients:

• Humus - is rotted manure or parts of plants, therefore it is the most fertile soil of all varieties of soil.
• Peat - must be part of the seedling soil mixture. This substance provides access to the required amount of moisture and makes the soil friable.
• Leafy soil - differs from other types of soil in that it has a high rate of friability. However, it is poor in nutrient content and therefore cannot be used as the main component of a mixture. Most often, leafy soil is harvested in forest belts where deciduous trees grow. The soil from under a willow, chestnut or oak should not be taken, as it contains too many tannins that slow down the growth of seedlings.
• Sod land - is a sod cut into squares. It is prepared in the fall and stored in stacks.
• Sphagnum moss - also used to soften the soil.
• Grain husks and sunflower husks are used as natural leavening agents.
• Wood ash - used as a top dressing. Birch is the most appreciated.
• Dried and crushed eggshell from raw eggs - used as top dressing.

Inorganic constituents:

• River sand. It is pre-washed to remove all impurities, until the water becomes clear. The sand should be light, since the intensely colored composition contains a lot of iron and manganese salts, which are harmful to plants. Sand is the optimal baking powder and helps the skeletal parts of young plants to develop.
• Perlite is an environmentally friendly substance with neutral acidity. This material is not subject to decomposition and decay, has a high absorbency. It is added to increase soil looseness and air permeability to reduce the likelihood of compaction and the formation of a hard crust on the surface. Perlite gradually releases the moisture absorbed into it to the plant, which ensures optimal soil moisture and prevents root decay.
• Vermiculite is an environmentally friendly substance with a high porosity index. Has properties similar to perlite, but also contains small amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium.
• Hydrogel - is an inert polymer with high moisture capacity. It is used to reduce the number of irrigations and create a constant moisture level in the soil mixture.
• Fluff lime - added to the soil to reduce acidity.
• Shredded Styrofoam - Can be used as drainage.
• Expanded clay - also used for soil drainage.



What should not be added to seedling soil?

To grow high-quality seedlings, it is necessary to ensure that the following are not included in the prepared soil mixture:

• fresh manure;
• tea brewing;
• not rotted foliage.

During the decomposition of these components, the amount of nitrogen in the soil decreases and heat is released, which is detrimental to plants. When the soil temperature rises above +30 degrees, the root system of vegetable crops dies.

Clay should not be added to the seedling soil mixture. This substance compacts the soil and makes it heavy, impairing the ability to pass air and moisture. Such a substrate causes disease in delicate seedlings and can lead to the death of young plants.



Soil composition for different crops

Many novice gardeners prefer to use ready-made soil mixtures from the store. In this case, there is a high probability of acquiring low-quality soil that has an acidic environment due to the excessive peat content. Such land, even with the addition of mineral fertilizers, will not allow obtaining high-quality seedlings.

Experienced summer residents prepare the soil for seedlings on their own. To mix the soil components, it is convenient to spread a large piece of polyethylene on the ground and pour out required amount of each ingredient.




Culture name	Soil composition	Mineral additives (per 10 liters of soil)
Eggplant	2 parts of humus, 1 part of peat, 1/2 part of rotted sawdust. 1 bucket of garden soil, 1/2 cup birch ash	80 g superphosphate; 10 g of ammonium nitrate; 20 g potassium sulfate
Cabbage	Sod, humus and peat in equal proportions. 20 parts of turf, 5 parts wood ash, 1 part of river sand and peat. 12 parts peat, 4 parts turf, 1 part coarse sand	15 g of urea; 20 g superphosphate; 25 g dolomite flour; 10 g potassium sulfate
Cucumbers	2 parts of humus and peat, 1 part of rotted sawdust. Sod and humus in equal amounts. 6 parts of peat, 1 part of humus, mullein, rotted sawdust and river sand. Humus, turf, peat and rotted sawdust in equal parts	8 g of ammonium nitrate; 10 g of superphosphate, dolomite flour and potassium sulfate
Pepper	2 parts of humus, 1 part of sod. An equal amount of humus and peat. 3 parts of humus, 2 parts of sod. 2 parts of peat, 1 part of sod. 4 parts of peat, 2 parts of sod, 1 part of rotted sawdust and humus	Same as for eggplant
Tomatoes	16 parts of peat, 4 parts of turf, 1 part of mullein. Pour 3 liters of birch ash into each bucket of potting soil. 6 parts of peat, 2 parts of rotted sawdust, 1 part of mullein. Add 3 liters of birch ash to a bucket of mixture with this composition. An equal amount of humus, peat, turf and rotted sawdust. In a bucket of mixture, stir in 1.5 tbsp. wood ash	As for eggplant

If necessary, you can mix in a universal potting mix suitable for growing cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage. Such a soil mixture consists of 2 parts of land from the garden and 1 part of rotted compost, peat and river sand. Mineral fertilizers are added to the prepared substrate, depending on the type of vegetable, the seeds of which will be sown.

Vegetable pepper is an atypical culture for Russian climatic and soil conditions, and therefore demanding and capricious. But gardeners have long been accustomed to growing peppers even in the open field. The success of this event and the yields largely depend on the quality of the soil. In the article we will tell you what the soil and soil should be for pepper, we will consider the optimal indicators of moisture and acidity of the soil.

Soil requirements for growing peppers

Peppers have an extremely delicate root system that reacts negatively to external influences and unsuitable soils. Failures in growing this crop are often associated with such mistakes of vegetable growers:

1. Growing seedlings in small cups. As the root system grows, the peppers need to be transferred to a larger volume of soil. If this is not done, the soil cannot provide the plant with normal nutrition and air exchange.
2. Overdrying the soil. If the soil dries up, the concentration of salts in it increases, and this negatively affects the condition of the plant.
3. Landing in heavy, cold or acidic soils. The roots of peppers in such soils suffer from a lack of oxygen, toxic effects, freeze and stop growing. Plants are oppressed, get sick and die.

When starting to grow peppers, it is important to take into account their requirements for the soil: structuredness, moisture and air permeability, heat supply, low acid content (pH 6.0-7.0), low salt content, high humus content. From this point of view, the soil types prevailing in Russia can be divided into suitable and unsuitable for growing peppers:

Soils for growing seedlings of peppers

The pepper harvest begins with seedlings. And you can grow strong seedlings only on a good substrate. Today, stores offer a large number of ready-made soil for peppers. However, many of them contain only peat, and high-quality seedlings will not work on pure peat. Such compositions will have to be improved with humus and vermiculite in a ratio of 2: 1: 1.

If you do not want to improve yourself for your own money, you can pay attention to the following seedling mixtures:

Name	Advantages	disadvantages
"Biogrunt" from "Udmurttorf"	The mixture includes vermiculite and vermiculite. The nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content is optimized for seedlings.	Slightly sour (5.0-6.5)
"Baby" from "Fasco"	Contains a mixture of various peat, sand and dolomite flour. Has a suitable pH - 6.0-7.0.	Sometimes there are extraneous inclusions.
"BIOGrunt Ecoflora for vegetables" from "Hera" ( )	It contains a mixture of peat, sapropel, vermiculite, dolomite flour, sand. Lush, light, without impurities. Acidity 5.5-7.0.	Not detected.

Tip # 1. It is better to germinate pepper seeds in peat tablets to avoid the traumatic stage of the dive. When the roots are visible from below, place the seedlings together with the tablets in a peat pot with a good seedling mixture.

Determination and correction of soil acidity on the site

Determining the pH of a soil solution is not difficult. Most precisely, this is done by a special device, which must be inserted with a probe into the ground and read the value on the display. If you don't have a pH meter on hand, litmus strips can help. To use them, it is necessary to take a soil sample from the greenhouse from a depth of 15-20 cm, place it in gauze and hold it for 15 minutes in distilled water. After that, dip the strip into the solution and compare its color with the scale on the package.

Acidic soil will require deoxidation. This can be done in several ways:

1. Introduction of dolomite flour (450-500 g per 1 m 2).
2. Wood ash application (1-1.5 kg per 1 m 2).
3. Introduction of the "Lime-Gumi" deoxidizer (200 g per 1 m 2).

If it turns out that the pH of the soil is higher than 7.0, a reverse correction will be required - towards a slight acidification. To do this, in a bed for peppers, you need to close up sphagnum peat at the rate of 1.5 kg per 1 m 2. Strongly alkaline soil can be improved with ammonium sulfate - 40 g per 1 m 2. It is very important to use large doses of organic fertilizers on such soils.

On saline soils, gypsum is effective - 200-500 g per 1 m2.

Determination and correction of soil moisture on the site

Pepper is a moisture-loving culture. With a lack of moisture in the soil, the dropping of flowers and ovaries is often observed. The bulk of the suction roots of the pepper are located in upper layers soil, therefore it is important not to allow even the slightest drying out.

On the other hand, waterlogging of the soil is also contraindicated for pepper. This is especially true for young plants. Excess water leads to inhibition of growth processes, since the roots do not receive enough oxygen.

You can determine the need for watering visually, according to the state of the earth lump. For this, a handful of soil is taken from a depth of 15-20 cm. If it crumbles without gathering into a lump, the soil is overdried. If it does not disintegrate upon compression, no watering is needed. If it sticks to the hand, it leaves dirt, the soil is waterlogged.

The optimum soil moisture in different periods varies within the following limits:

Tip # 2. For constant monitoring of soil acidity and moisture, it is better to purchase a tester that combines both functions - a pH meter and a moisture meter. It is very convenient, for example, the device "Luster Leaf Rapitest", to which a manual of the required level is attached.pH and humidity for 100 plants.

A good meter for soil parameters - irreplaceable assistant farmer.

Determination and correction of the mechanical composition of the soil

The granulometric composition of the soil is determined by the ratio of particles of different fractions in it. Depending on the proportions, the soils are divided into clay, loam, sandy loam and sandy. Determine the type of soil on your site using the simplest Kachinsky method. For this, a lump of soil is moistened with water to make a "dough". The damp lump is kneaded and rolled into a 3-5 mm thick sausage, and then rolled into a ring.

• With sandy soil, this experiment will not work at all.
• Sandy loam will allow you to roll a sausage, but it is very unstable, and it will not curl up into a ring.
• A sausage made of light and medium loam will also be loose, the ring folds up with difficulty, disintegrates.
• Heavy loam forms a cracking ring.
• Clay soil rolls off without problems, and the ring from it will turn out to be solid.

Loose light and medium loam and sandy loam are suitable for growing peppers. Heavy loams, clays and sandy soil should be cultivated as follows:

Improving soil fertility for growing peppers

An important indicator of soil fertility is the content of humus and minerals in it. The need for pepper in nutrients is very high, therefore, it is advisable to add the following fertilizers to the pepper bed:

Fertilizer	Appointment	Application
Manure (horse, goat, rabbit)	An increase in the content of humus, microbiological activity, enrichment of the root zone with carbon dioxide necessary for photosynthesis, imparting looseness to clay soils and viscosity to sandy ones.	Embedding in the soil before planting the peppers. On clay soils- to a depth of 10-12 cm, on sandy ones - 20 cm.
Compost	Enrichment of the soil with humus and mineral elements in forms available to the plant, increasing microbiological activity, improving the structure of the soil.	Embedding in the soil before planting, mulching peppers after planting in the ground.
Sapropel	Soil enrichment with ash elements - phosphorus, zinc, potassium, copper, as well as biologically active substances. Increasing the moisture-absorbing properties of the soil, cleansing from bacteria and fungi.	Embedding into the soil before planting at the rate of 3 liters per 1 m 2, to a depth of 10 cm.
Composted sawdust	Loosening of heavy soils, increasing their moisture and air permeability, enriching the soil with carbon, increasing microbiological activity.	Spreading over the bed under the peppers a week before planting the seedlings, shallow embedding, mulching after planting.
Peat compost	Improvement of soil structure, enrichment with humus, nitrogen and other minerals, increasing microbiological activity.	Embedding into the soil before planting at the rate of 2 kg per 1 m 2. Subsequent mulching of peppers.

It is important to remember that you cannot apply fresh manure for peppers, otherwise you can get a lush vegetative mass to the detriment of the harvest.