Starting peppers from seed

[old fashioned]

Good to see I'm not the only one recycling my plastic food containers that way! I really like the bottles from bottled water/soda/juice as little protective 'mini-greenhouses' over plants when I first set them out in the garden. I cut off the bottom and bury it partway into the soil around a young plant, to protect it from weather and predatory squirrels until it really takes off. I can leave the lid on to hold in humidity (a big plus in the dry desert climate I live in) or unscrew it for ventilation.

I do that too, and also use plastic milk jugs and after the plants get going I'll also cut off the top. It still keeps in some heat and protects the plant from some bugs/slugs and helps water/fertilizer stay put where it belongs. I don't do this for the whole garden, but a few selected plants or varities. Works great for tomatoes, peppers and melons.

 

[obsessed]

Pepper seeds start pretty easy for me. I fill paper toilet roll cut in half with seed starting soil and place in a container like steves and put on top of the fridge. The fridge gives the heat the seeds need to germinate. I like the toilet paper roll or like the jiffy peat potsor the biodome because then i dont have to do too much handleing or separting after they sprout.

 

[Ariel301]

Well, since I had the incubator already running, I tested it out by putting a few little pots of broccoli seed in there...they sprouted in two days! I may have a winner there, peppers are going in tonight.

 

[insiderart]

As already mentioned, warm temperatures are the key for pepper germination. We used to have heat mats in the greenhouses for those nitpicky seeds. Like large heating pads. I'm not sure how safe it is to use a home heating pad, but you can probably look at some horticultural supply places for heating mats.

 

[ninnymary]

Pepper seeds start pretty easy for me. I fill paper toilet roll cut in half with seed starting soil and place in a container like steves and put on top of the fridge.

Obsessed,
Do you transplant them into a larger pot or plant directly into the ground with the toilet paper roll? If you transplant with the tp roll how big are the plants?

Mary

 

[ducks4you]

If you've saved any of those cone-shaped tomato cages that NEVER are big enough for indeterminate tomatoes, they work well for peppers.

 

[patandchickens]

Another vote here for "considerable soil warmth is the key". I've never had any problems with peppers, but I have always started them on a heating mat or in an always-very-warm location. Actually the worst time I've had with peppers is probably in this house I'm in now, b/c I start seeds in my 55 F basement and even with a heat mat underneath that's still a bit cooler than peppers really appreciate. And I still get probably 75%+ germination... just have to keep them as warm as possible once they are up and growing.

Some *hard* seeds need sandpapering or acid-treating, but I've sure never heard of anyone doing that with *peppers*.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[HiDelight]

Hi Ariel301,

I grew my first crop of peppers from seed last year & they were very slow in germinating. I also started them too late -- I am going to sow mine next week, to give them a better start & I will probably continue to grow them indoors as our weather here in the UK is so unpredictable. Last year was very wet & cold. I did , however, get a good late crop from the few plants that I kept inside on my windowsill.

I found these UK sites very useful. I hope they help! Good luck.

http://www.thechilliking.com/growing_intro.shtml

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/chilipepper.htm


:rose Hattie :rose

I just took a chance and ordered some scotch bonnet pepper seeds I am sure I will have to use some supplemental light on them ..I am going to grow them in pots and this time succeed!!!

that second link is awesome ..so is this entire thread! thanks! such great info!

 

[obsessed]

Mary - How I plant them is more of how late am I question. I have planted the toilet paper rolls directly in the ground after the first leaves have sprouted (and even without first leaves). I just usually loosen the roll a bit. If they are real young and it is still cool I will cover them with a milk jug. I do this for more than just my peppers.

Like I sowed a few tomatoes in the beginning of January. And they all germinated and are starting to get real leggy in their tp/ milk jug homes. There is about 6 individual tp pots in one milkjug. So today I took each of the tp rolls and planted them into individual milkjugs and pots. I was very careful to unroll the tp rolls and i don't even think I disturbed the roots. Around the tp rolls I put some organic miracle grow soil. they will stay like that in the milkjugs outside till planting time. Which I am aiming for Early March.

But if it was already early March and they had barely sprouted I could have just planted them in the ground. Like I said it is a more of how late I am.

Anyway I have like 32 tomato plants for me and my neigbor. And that may seem like a lot but I am aiming for too many tomatoes. And in all likely hood I will get busy with work and kids and will lose a few.

Let me know if this helps!

 

[oberhaslikid]

You can accelerate seeds with hard shells like peppers by soaking seed in a cup of weak tea.The acid in the tea will help break down the seeds hard shell so it can pop through faster.There for germination is shorter.