Basic methods for dealing with black leg in peppers

Gardeners and gardeners have ever encountered a plant disease - black leg or root collar rot of seedlings, but not everyone knows what to do about this disease. It spreads to young shoots of immature plants. Let's figure out what kind of infection this is and how to fight it.

Causes of the disease

The cause of the disease lies in the soil in which the pepper plant is planted. This is a bacterial disease - microbes that multiply in the soil, without which the soil ceases to be fertile, and become dangerous not only for harmful plants, but also for pepper seedlings.It is not capable of destroying a healthy, strong plant, but weak, newly sprouted shoots are destroyed by these bacteria. If the plant does not die, it will not produce the desired harvest. Infected seedlings are removed from the soil along with the roots. This stops the additional spread of harmful bacteria. Microorganisms that cause blackleg live and reproduce in the soil at a temperature of 5 degrees, a moist environment helps them do this. Therefore, getting rid of this disease in peppers is problematic.

It is difficult to detect the presence of blackleg in the soil before seedlings are damaged; the bacteria are in the ground, but an infected pepper shoot looks like this:

• First, the stem becomes covered with black spots.
• Then the leg becomes thinner.
• The leaves are turning yellow.
• The trunk becomes soft.
• The plant dies.

Unremoved diseased peppers will increase the presence of microbes in the soil several times. Surviving sprouts will not produce the same yield as a healthy plant, so if you find blackleg on vegetable crops, you should immediately take measures to destroy microbes.

Improper care of pepper seedlings also causes the spread of the disease. Precautions when growing pepper seedlings:

• do not over-wet the soil,
• use clean, uncontaminated soil,
• do not allow the seeds to thicken,
• maintain the desired temperature,
• avoid air deficiency,
• Pick the seedlings in time.

Which plants are susceptible to the disease?
Blackleg disease affects seedlings of the following vegetable crops:

• cabbage,
• Bell pepper,
• cucumber,
• tomatoes,
• flowers.

As a rule, these are weakened shoots or just beginning to grow.An adult plant that has suffered from blackleg will continue to grow, but will become weakened and develop much more slowly than a healthy one. In soil contaminated with microbes, the next seedling will also become sick. There are methods to combat this infection.

How to deal with black leg in pepper

The disease spreads more often in soil with high acidity, so for prevention purposes it is necessary to reduce it. For this purpose, lime, chalk, dolomite flour and ash are used. At the first signs, you need to disinfect the soil with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (3 grams per 10 liters of water). After treatment, the plants should not be watered for 3 days. Formalin solution also effectively disinfects the soil. The development of the disease in the soil is stimulated by nitrogen fertilizers, so you need to be careful with them. Infected seedlings are treated with ash or coal to kill bacteria. Pepper plants that are not cured in time are treated with Fitosporin, Batholith, Fitolavin.

If 1-3 sprouts are locally infected, they are removed and the soil for seedlings is completely replaced. Further use of soil contaminated with bacteria is possible, but only after disinfection.

You can protect against this disease by a simple but effective method - hilling. To do this, the sprouted seedlings stop watering for 2-3 days, after which the soil around each sprout is hilled up. Water is poured between the plants with the condition that the stem remains dry. This procedure is carried out throughout the entire period of seed growth. Thinning is done by cutting off excess plants so that the roots remain unharmed. This method, using healthy soil, guarantees the growth of high-quality pepper seedlings.

If a large number of seedlings are infected, they are urgently collected into separate containers with disinfected soil. They are placed in a shaded place for 5-6 days; after the seedlings have taken root, they are placed in a sunny place. The first watering should be done with the drug Fitosporin or Maxim. These control methods will save the harvest.

Prevention

In order to please the harvest with delicious peppers in the new year, this disease is prevented. Before planting, disinfect the container in which the plant will be planted. The earth is also disinfected - calcined in the oven or over steam. Reduce acidity with ash. You should not use unripe compost, as bacteria most often develop in such an environment.

Before planting, pepper seeds are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for 3 hours, only after that they are planted in the ground. Seedlings should be watered moderately; excess moisture will cause the disease.

When plants are planted densely, more seedlings will suffer from infection; it is recommended to plant seedlings in separate pots. Seedlings should be placed on a windowsill with sufficient light and an air temperature of 18 to 25 degrees. The film is removed during seed germination; it creates an air deficiency for the plants.

For planting, you cannot use soil in which tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers previously grew.

To destroy bacteria when planting a large number of seeds in the ground, Trichodermin is added. This is an excellent remedy that fights more than 60 types of soil microorganisms that cause plant root rot. Designed for the prevention of infectious diseases of the roots of indoor plants.

Seedlings in peat tablets are protected from infection by this infection. The tablets are impregnated with fungicide and are sterile; in this case, the seedlings are dispensed with without picking.They, along with the tablet, are transplanted into separate pots.

Basic rules for growing peppers

So, we figured out what kind of infection this is, where it can appear and how to deal with black leg in pepper seedlings. To grow healthy seedlings, you need to follow simple instructions. Then you will end up with a great harvest.

1. For sowing, seeds soaked in potassium permanganate are used.
2. Before sowing, the pots are washed with soap or a solution of potassium permanganate.
3. The soil is disinfected before planting.
4. It is better to germinate seeds in separate containers to avoid contamination of an entire batch of seedlings.
5. Hilling up is an effective way to combat blackleg.
6. If infected, it is important to immediately take measures to neutralize the soil and seedlings.
7. If several seedlings become infected, they must be immediately removed along with the soil.