- Author: Denise Godbout-Avant
Pepper seedlings take anywhere from one to six weeks to germinate, depending on the variety. When the weather and soil are warm enough, if you want to have pepper plants ready plant in your garden, now is the time to start the seeds.
This is part one of a two-part series. This article focuses on growing and caring for your pepper seeds. The second article will cover potting the seedlings, “hardening-off,” and transplanting them into your garden.
What Is Needed
- 6-pack seedling tray(s) with a clear lid (humidity dome)
- Good quality seed-starting soil
- Seeds
- Water
- Heat mat (optional, but very helpful)
- Grow lights and timer
- Liquid plant starter fertilizer
- Oscillating fan (helpful, but not required)
- Latex gloves (if planting hot peppers, but not needed with dry seeds)
Beginning Steps: Planting the Seeds
- Fill clean seed trays with damp seed starting soil.
- If using new seeds, plant one/cell; if older or have low viability rate, plant 2-3 seeds/cell. Follow instructions on the seed packet, but the rule of thumb is planting depth is twice as deep as the seed is wide. For pepper seeds, this would be about ¼ inch deep. Cover the seeds with soil.
- If the soil is not already wet, add water. It is best to always water from the bottom so not to disturb the seed. Add enough water into tray until it is about ¼ inch. Do not overwater! Dump out any excess water that has not been absorbed in 15 minutes. Peppers dislike soggy roots, so let the soil dry out a bit between watering.
- Cover the tray with the clear dome lid to help keep the soil warm and moist.
- Place the tray in a warm spot. It is recommended to put it on top of a heat mat, which provides a consistent heat source and helps speed up germination. The ideal temperature is 80-90°F. If it is too cold the seeds may not grow.
- Once the seedlings sprout, remove the dome cover and turn off heat mat.
Pepper Seedlings Care: Light, Fertilizer and Air Circulation
- The seedlings need to be watered consistently, but do not like wet soil. Always water from the bottom. Allow the soil to dry out a bit between waterings, but keep it moist, never letting it dry out completely.
- Provide light as soon as they germinate! If pepper seedlings do not get enough light, they will get “leggy” because they are reaching for a light source. To keep them thick and compact, it is best to use a grow light, which is hung up a few inches above the tray and keep it on for 14-16 hours per day. The light should be close to the plants, but not touching. As they grow, move the light higher.
- Once the true leaves begin to form, it is time to start fertilizing using a liquid plant starter fertilizer. Following label directions, start with a weak dose at first, gradually increasing as the seedlings get larger.
- Once most or all the seeds in a flat have germinated, they need to have some airflow, so remove the plastic lids and run an oscillating fan over them on the lowest setting for a few hours each day (you can plug it into the same timer being used for the grow light). An alternative to the fan is to gently brush your hands over the top of the seedlings a few times each day. This will strengthen them and prevent mold in the trays.
Some pepper varieties grow faster than others, but in one to six weeks, your pepper plants will have started to outgrow the trays. Now will be the time for the next steps of transplanting to pots, “hardening” them (a vital step!), and finally, planting into your garden. This will be covered in the second part of this article, which will be posted towards the end of February.
With thanks to Tim Long, UC Master Gardener, for his expertise on growing peppers from seedlings.
Author: Denise Godbout-Avant, UC Master Gardener since 2020
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- Author: Anne Schellman
- Editor: Roger A Duncan
Want fall color in your landscape next year?
Read about the trees you've noticed around town that are currently “popping” with color. And, if you plant a tree now (or in early spring), you can have fall color in your landscape next year! Here are some excellent tree species to choose from that thrive in our area (USDA Zone 9b):
Chinese Pistache – Pistachia chinensis
The Chinese pistache is Ed Perry's favorite tree. Ed was the Environmental Horticulture Advisor for over 35 years at UC Cooperative Extension in Stanislaus County. He chose this tree not only for its fall color, but because it produces good shade and has “well-behaved” roots. Opt for the male cultivar ‘Keith Davey.' Female cultivars have colorful berries which although pretty, are considered messy and not suitable for over a patio.
Height: 30-50'
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Water needs: Moderate. Does well in lawns.
Note: You can't go wrong with this tree! Also, it is not closely related to the nut bearing pistachio tree.
Maple Trees – Acer rubrum
Light needs: Plant in full sun or partial shade.
Height: 40-50'
Water needs: Regular water. Does well in lawns, but water separately from the lawn.
Note: Sprinkler water will not be enough for this tree.
Bradford Flowering Pear – Prunus calleryana ‘Bradford'
This flowering pear has cheerful white blooms in spring and produce fall color during cool winters. Their roots are well-behaved so they can be planted near sidewalk. Please note, many cultivars of flowering pear have problems such as mistletoe and fireblight. Make sure you choose a Bradford pear. After bloom, this tree does drop small fruits that are messy.
Height: 40-50'
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Water needs: Moderate. Does well in lawns.
Note: although bred to be fruitless, the Bradford pear cross pollinates with other pears which is why it produces inedible “fruit.”
Japanese Maple Trees – Acer palmatum
Light needs: Plant in partial shade, some species (‘Emperor One') are adapted to full sun.
Height: 6-20', varies. Do some research before choosing your tree.
Water needs: Regular water.
Note: This tree can give year-round interest!
Ginkgo – Ginkgo biloba
This ancient tree existed long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. In fact, fossils of gingko leaves have been discovered from the Jurassic period! Ginkgo trees leaves turn a beautiful golden color in fall. Choose a male cultivar such as ‘Saratoga' or ‘Autumn Gold.' Female cultivars produce fruit that some people consider unpleasant.
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Height: 30-50.'
Water needs: Moderate water; can tolerate drought but won't look healthy.
Note: Excellent street or patio tree, also does well in a lawn.
Liquidambar – Liquidambar styraciflua
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Height: 50-60.'
Water needs: Regular water.
Note: Surface roots can crack sidewalks and come up in lawns.
Tree Notes – Choosing a Tree
When choosing a tree, look for one with leaves growing along the entire stem. Avoid trees that resemble a mature tree (with a long stem and a heavy top). The leaves are necessary to help the tree develop a strong trunk.
Tree Notes – Planting
Planting a tree correctly is essential to having a healthy tree. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Remove the tree stake.
Step 2: Dig a hole twice as wide but the same depth as the container.
Step 3: After removing the “root ball” (area of soil and roots) from the container, set it in the hole.
Step 4: Make sure the top of the root ball is lined up with the surrounding soil or a little higher.
Step 5: Fill in around the root ball with removed soil, do not cover over the root ball with soil. Make sure the root ball is still showing and is level with the ground.
Step 6: Create a basin around the base of the tree and water well.
Tree Notes – Staking
If you remove the stake from your new tree and it falls over, return the tree. Healthy trees should not fall over and do not need to be staked. In fact, a tree that can't stand upright that grows into a mature tree is likely to become a landscape hazard** in the future.
Allowing your new tree to sway with the wind helps it develop a strong trunk and root system. The only time it is recommended to stake trees is in areas with heavy wind. In this case, two stakes should be used, and then removed after one year. Learn more about tree staking in the Planting Landscape Trees publication below.
Tree Notes – Water
All newly planted trees need regular water for the first 2-5 years after planting. Regular water means keeping the soil moist but not too wet or allowing it to dry out. Once their roots are established, trees need deep water once or twice per month during the dry season (May-October), depending on temperature, tree species, soil type, and other factors.
Resources
Stanislaus County Tree Guide
Looking for more tree recommendations? Visit our publications page and scroll to the bottom of the page to click on our “Trees in Your Home Garden” publication at https://cestanislaus.ucanr.edu/Gardening_Publications/
Planting Landscape Trees
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8046.pdf
*University research has shown that adding amendments such as compost and fertilizer to planting holes does not help trees; in fact, it can cause problem. Read more at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=46215
**worried you may have a hazardous tree in your landscape? Download this free guide for tips on how to inspect it. https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8365.pdf
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h4>- Author: Ben Faber
It seems like the simplest thing is the hardest. Recently, I was called out to evaluate why newly planted trees were failing at two sites and they both had a common problem. In one case, the trees had been planted too deeply at the beginning. At another, a large amount of planting amendment had been incorporated, and over a year's time, the trees had settled, so that they too had their graft unions covered with soil. In the latter case, the trees' unions were 4-8 inches below grade. It seems appropriate to review basic planting practices. In the best-case scenario, trees are planted from February to May, but depending on the area, they can be planted at other times, as well. So, I just got a call about planting, so it's probably time for a refresher.
Often times the grower harkens to the old adage: “dig a $5 hole for a 50-cent plant.” And so a lot of time and money and energy are put into that hole. Nothing costs $5 anymore. Trees cost closer to $50, so there might be a greater urge to do it all right. So the first thing first is forget the planting mix and those mycorrhizal inoculums. They either don't work or they might just damage your expensive tree.
Adding organic matter to a planting hole appears to be a promising step towards achieving that five-dollar hole. It seems logical that steer manure, peat moss, compost, etc. would improve poor soils by increasing aeration, nutritional value, and water holding capacity. And it does - in the immediate vicinity of the planting hole. Eventually, amended planting holes will have negative consequences to plant health.
The initial results are positive; roots grow vigorously in this ideal environment as long as irrigation is provided. But what happens when these roots encounter the interface between the planting hole and the native soil? Native soil contains fewer available nutrients, is more finely textured and is less aerated. Roots react much in the same way as they do in containers: they circle the edge of the interface and grow back into that more hospitable environment of the planting hole. The roots do not establish in the native soil, eventually resulting in reduced growth rates.
Soil water movement is problematic as well. Amended backfill has markedly different characteristics than surrounding native soil; it is more porous and water will wick away to the finer-textured native soil. In the summer, moisture within the planting hole will be depleted by the plant but not replaced by water held more tightly in the native soil. When irrigating, water will move quickly through the amended soil only to be held back by the more slowly draining native soil. The resulting bathtub effect, where water accumulates in the planting hole, floods the roots and eventually kills the plant.
Finally, all organic material eventually decomposes. If you've incorporated organic matter, within a few years that organic matter will have become ash and the bulk has turned into carbon dioxide. The soil will have settled and if you have followed the rule of thumb of 25% by volume, the trunk stem probably will have sunk below grade and the bud union will be buried. The buried union only exacerbates the flooding problem during irrigation or wet conditions. This was the problem that I went out to see.
Basic planting steps
1) Dig a hole somewhat wider, but no deeper than the sleeve that the tree comes in. Making the hole wider (18 inches) allows room to manipulate the tree by hand and remove the sleeve once it is in the hole. Making the hole deeper than the sleeve allows for soil to accumulate around the graft union. Even if the hole is backfilled to the “appropriate” depth, because of subsidence of the loose earth, the tree can become buried. Do not put gravel in the bottom of the hole. This is commonly thought to improve drainage. It does not, it makes it worse.
2) Gently tamp loose earth around the tree. Do not back fill with a planting mix. This creates a textural discontinuity which interferes with water movement both to and anyway from the tree. The fill soil should be free of clods to avoid air gaps and poor contact between roots and soil. Do not cover the root ball with soil; the irrigation water needs to come into direct contact with the root ball.
3) The trees should be watered as soon as is practical after planting.
4) Using drip irrigation the, the emitter should be near the trunk, so that water goes directly onto the root ball. Shrinking and swelling of the polyethylene tubing can move the emitter off the ball.
5) After about 4-6 months the drip emitters can be moved from the trunk to 6-8 inches from the tree. Moving the emitters avoids keeping the trunks wet and reduces the likelihood of crown rot.
6) In most situations, newly planted trees should be irrigated every 5-10 days with 2-5 gallons of water for the first 2-4 months until the roots get out into the bulk soil. Depending on what the weather is like, they still might require frequent irrigations, because the rooted volume holding water is still small. After the first year in the ground, another dripper can be installed on the opposite side of the tree. As the tree grows the number of drippers should be increased or the system converted to fan or microsprinklers.
And in the case of mycorrhizae, they are wonderful. They are nature's gift to all of us. They aid plants in their uptake of nutrients, improve plant health and may actively transmit information from one plant to another. They are a diverse range of fungi associated with plant roots and are everywhere – even Antarctica. And that's the point, introducing them to the planting is not going to help. They are there already, a sea of them. Putting a few nursery-grown spores into a planting hole when there are already highly adapted fungi present just does not happen easily. So not using a planting mix and not adding mycorrhizal inoculum is going to make that hole a little bit cheaper.
In root rot conditions
Planting in ground that has had root rot can add some new steps to the planting process. On relatively flat ground (
The key to root rot has always been dependent on irrigation management. There is nothing more important than getting the right amount on at the right time. If you are doing interplanting into an existing orchard where trees have died, it is imperative that the new trees be put on their separate irrigation line so that they can be irrigated according to their needs. Simply putting a smaller emitter on the young trees compared to the older trees means that they will still be irrigated on a cycle that is not optimum for their survival. It doesn't matter if you are using clonals; they will die just as easily with poor water management as a seedling.
Check out the pictorial guide to proper tree planting
- Author: Anne Schellman
The trees around the Ag Center are Oklahoma Redbud trees (Cercis canadensis ‘Oklahoma'). This tree has a “cousin” that is a CA native, called the Western redbud, (Cercis occidentalis) which you may have noticed is blooming in the foothills.
Redbud trees may be single stemmed or multi-trunked trees. Both grow quickly and have heart-shaped leaves that turn golden in fall. They make an excellent street or patio tree since their roots do not disturb the sidewalk.
Both trees need regular water for the first few years until they are established. Once established, the Oklahoma redbud tree needs moderate to regular water, while the Western redbud tree needs less.
Thinking about planting a redbud tree? Spring is a great time! For tips on how to plant a tree, see our post, Planting and Pruning Ornamental Trees at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=30091
- Author: Bruce A Linquist
- Editor: Consuelo Baez Vega
As I write in late March, no one is out in the fields yet. It is too wet. This suggests that planting will be later than normal. On a positive note, I did see that NOAA has forecast a drier than normal April. Anyways, with this I would like to suggest some thoughts for planning.
First, from our Yield Contest data, we have seen that it is really important to ensure good stand establishment. In late years, it is easy to get in a rush and skip steps. While this may be necessary, make sure you do your best to get a good stand. You want an evenly spaced 25 established plants per square foot.
Second, a late planting will probably mean a later harvest. With late harvests, one risks fall rains which can further delay harvest and reduce grain quality. On your late fields, think about planting earlier maturing varieties such as M105, M-206 and M-210. These varieties have good yield potential but are about 5-7 days earlier (more in the southern part of valley) the M-209 or M-211. These longer duration varieties should be planted in earlier fields if possible.
Third, do not over fertilize with nitrogen as this can further delay harvest. For more on this, see the other topic I have written on for this newsletter.