Transcript Pepper Propagation

Pepper Propagation
Presented by Matt Shofner
Step 1: Materials
A. Seed Starting Tray: comes
with seed tray, watering tray
and humidity cover.
B. Quality Seed Starting Mix:
sterile soil, preferably
organic.
C. Heat Mat with Thermostat
(recommended)
Normal germination
time for exotics 3-6
weeks, 7-10 days
with heating mat at
86 degrees
Step 2: Planting
1. Moisten planting
medium (soil) and fill
seed tray cells. Plant 1-2
seeds per cell 1/8” deep.
4. Once your sprouts
break the surface of the
soil, get your grow lights
on. Hang lights 1-2 inches
from top of seedling.
There are many different types of grow lights. Be
sure to follow manufacturer guidelines. Seedlings
can be grown on windowsills, but the plants tend
to be spindly, weak, and may not survive
transplanting. Yet another option is a greenhouse.
2. Mark cells if planting
more than one variety per
tray. Place humidity cover
in place and keep out of
direct sunlight until seeds
sprout.
3. Place covered tray on
heat mat, setting
thermostat for 86 degrees.
Set 3: Transplanting
Transplanting to containers: If you start seeds in flats,
transplant when seedlings are still very young. Watch
for the emergence of the second pair of true leaves and
transplant soon after.
Fill the containers with soil mix. Carefully dig out
seedlings. A tablespoon or narrow trowel works well for
transplants.
Hold each seedling by one of the leaves, not by (or around)
the stem: You could crush the tender stem, or if you grasp the
stem tip, you could kill the growing point and ruin the
seedling’s further growth.
For very young seedlings, poke small holes into the soil mix
with a pencil. For larger seedlings, hold the plant in the pot
while you fill in around the roots with soil. Firm the soil gently
with your fingertips.
Step 4: Hardening Off
Begin 7 - 10 days before your transplant date.
Place plants in a sheltered, shady spot outdoors. Under a
tree or even on your back porch is fine. --Leave them for
3-4 hours and gradually increase the time spent outside
by 1-2 hours per day.
Bring plants back indoors each night.
Young, pampered seedlings that were grown either
indoors or in a greenhouse will need a period to
adjust and acclimate to outdoor conditions, prior to
planting in the garden. This transition period is called
"hardening off". Hardening off gradually exposes the
tender plants to wind, sun and rain and toughens
them up by thickening the cuticle on the leaves so
that the leaves lose less water. This helps prevent
transplant shock; seedlings that languish, become
stunted or die from sudden changes in temperature.
Hardening off times depend on the type of plants
you are growing and the temperature and
temperature fluctuations. So be flexible when
hardening off your seedlings and be prepared to
whisk them indoors if there's a late freeze and snow.
After 2-3 days, move the plants from their shady spot
into morning sun, return them to the shade in the
afternoon.
After 7 days, the plants should be able to handle sun all
day and stay out at night, if temperatures stay around 50
degrees F. Keep an eye out that the soil doesn't dry and
bake the plants, if the weather is warm.
After 7 -10 days your plants are ready to transplant. Try
to do so on a cloudy day and be sure to water well after
planting.
Step 5: Planting In Your Garden
To transplant into the garden, wait until:
last frost date for your zone has passed,
the soil temperature is around 65 F,
night time temperatures are above 50 F, and
your seedlings are hardened.
Peppers are warm season crops that grow best at
temperatures of 70-80 F during the day and 60-70 during
the night. Ideally, transplant on an overcast day or an
evening. If days are hot and sunny, provide temporary
shade for the first few days.
Choose the Right Site
Plant peppers in full sun, in fertile, well-drained soil.
Peppers like a pH of 6.5-7! Planting in partial shade will
reduce yeild and lengthen the time required to produce
and ripen fruit.
Plant Your Peppers and Water In
Generally, allow 12-18 inches between stems, and 24-36
inches between rows. Crowding peppers too much will
result in tall, spindly plants.
Dig a hole for each plant that is a bit larger than the root
ball of the plant. Hold the plant by the root ball (not the
stem) and place in the hole. Set the plants slightly deeper
(up to an inch) than they were grown in the container,
and more if they are leggy.
Fill in the hole with garden soil, then press firmly around
the plant base to form a slight depression or moat around
the stem to accumulate water. Water deeply. Check plants
daily for the first week and water at first sign of wilting.
During the growing season, water deeply on a consistent
schedule, preferably in mornings, to supply moisture to a
depth of 6 inches. Be careful to avoid overwatering. Avoid
shallow, frequent watering which will encourage shallow
roots. Many people have good results with watering every
5 days to one week unless plants are in containers, which
dry out quicker than garden soil.
Decide on Mulch
The best choice for mulching peppers is to wait until roots
have grown deep (around the time of flowering) then
mulch plants with a heavy layer (3-4 inches) of organic
mulch. This delay allows time for the soil to warm
considerably, and the plants to establish deep roots. Mulch
helps retain soil moisture, prevent some soil-borne
diseases, and reduce or eliminate weeds.
Fertilize after about 6 weeks when plants are beginning to
flower. Use organic fertilizers.
Raised Bed Gardening
For space efficiency and high yields, it’s hard to beat
a vegetable garden grown in raised beds. Raised beds
can improve production as well as save space, time, and
money. They also are the perfect solution for dealing with
difficult soils such as heavy clay. In addition, raised beds
improve your garden’s appearance and accessibility.
One reason
raised beds are
so effective for
increasing
efficiency and
yields is that
crops produce
better because
the soil in the
beds is deep,
loose, and fertile.
The quickest and easiest way to
make a raised bed is simply to add
lots of organic matter, such as wellrotted manure, compost, or
shreddedleaves to your garden soil.
In the process, mound up the
planting beds as the organic content
of the soil increases.
My preferred method for raised bed gardening is to
first remove the sod grass. Next, I line the edges
with landscape timbers and add organic topsoil,
composted manure and peat moss in equal parts.
Some gardeners also add expanded shale (shown in
my hand below), which helps keep soil aerated.
We keep a large composter going all
year. All garden waste from gardening,
mowing and pruning as well as organic
household waste is composted. Note: it is
not a good idea to compost meat, dairy,
or feces from carnivores. Our composter
provides enough organic content to keep
2 raised beds rich in organic compost and
mulch year-round.
Exotic Peppers SHU (Scoville Heat Units)
Left: Bhut Jolokia (Ghost
Pepper), 1 million SHU
Jamaican Hot Chocolate:
400,000+ SHU
Left: Douglah, 1.2 million
SHU
Right: Thai Chili, 300,000
SHU
Exotic Peppers SHU (Scoville Heat Units)
Moruga Scorpion: 1.2 million
SHU
Carolina
Reaper, the
hottest
pepper in
the world!!
Butch T Scorpion: 1.5 million
SHU
2.2 million
Scoville Heat
Units!!