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Pricking out peppers

JesseDJesseD Posts: 23
in Problem solving
I’m new to sowing vegetables and flowers indoors as I’ve always cheated and bought young plants from the garden centre, or only grown things that can be direct sown. It was all going well until I tried pricking out. Pricked our sweet peppers and potted into individual pots, more or less as deep as they were. Maybe slightly deeper. Watered them. Within a minute they were all completely flipped. An hour later they’re still dropped onto the soil. Did I do this wrong?

Posts

  • JesseDJesseD Posts: 23
    Here is a photo of the pepper seedlings. I am hoping this is normal and they’ll perk back up as they looked so healthy before?
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391
    It'll be transplant shock and could be caused by picking-out in the sun or using cold water to water them.  Keep them warm and out of direct sunlight and they will hopefully pick-up.  Covering them with a polythene bag will help them recover.  I now use small modules instead for peppers and grow one seedling per module.  The whole module of compost, plant and roots can then be moved to a small pot without disturbing the roots much.  In general, I usually transplant seedlings in the evening which allows them overnight to recover before getting lots of light which stresses them until the roots get going again.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • JesseDJesseD Posts: 23
    Thank you! I transplanted indoors at a sunny windowsill and watered with cold water. Oh well, live and learn. I’ve now moved them out of the sun as you’ve suggested and am searching for a suitable polythene bag. Would a plastic propagator top do as well, as I have lots of those?
    Next time I’ll try your way of planting into modules. Thank you so much for responding. 
  • JesseDJesseD Posts: 23
    Rik56 said:
    They'll be fine - make sure they are firmed into the compost (mind the stem) and well watered - they will soon pick up.
    Thank you, I’m watching them ever so slowly straighten themselves up. Does this always happen when potting up seedlings? Did I prick them out too soon?
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391
    In general, best wait until the first 'true' leaves appear (at that point there'll be 4 leaves on each seedling.)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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