Starting Peppers?

[Smiles Jr.]

I hate you all! I start seeds either too erly or too late and then kill them trying to harden them off. I am ENVIOUS!

Oh, don't worry, I do my share of that too. Too early, too late, and I always have a hard time with the hardening. I'm hoping the greenhouse will help with the hardening process.

I have found that using a fan on the seedlings really helps to make them hardy. I have also found that an oscillating fan is better than a non-moving fan. The sudden rush of air as the fan sweeps past the seedlings every few seconds seems to provide exercise for the tiny plants just like the breezes outdoors. A fan also is very good at minimizing damping-off fungus at the soil level in the starter pots. In the past I have lost many little plants to damping where the main stalk just rots off at the soil line. Sometimes it happens over night and there is no cure once it happens. Here is a good write-up on damping-off.

 

[digitS']

February 17th was a day that lives in pepper infamy. It was about 20 years ago and I decided it was an appropriate calendar date to start peppers and some other things. The fact that the morning temperature was below zero F made no difference to me!

Much too early - even tho' peppers take a long time to grow in the somewhat low indoor temperatures that we keep them. Unlike an awful lot of things, peppers must like it in the high 70's throughout their lives, maybe close to 80. I hasten to say that this is far, far from true with lots of things that we are starting early, like broccoli and cabbage. Even tomatoes will grow into tall, weak things - in the low-light situations where they are usually kept and they will need repeated potting-up because it will be too cool outdoors to set them out.

A couple of years ago, I felt that my protected growing situation (and skills) were adequate to start early again. What really lured me in was a very mild winter. I planted on February 20th. As is my habit, I planted more seeds in about a week. As I continued to follow this week to 10 days too early schedule, I began to realize that the mild winter was giving way to a very cloudy, cool spring. The spring lingered and lingered!

Last year, I did better. Still, we had only 1 day with a low in the single digitS', that winter! Again, however, we had a lingering spring . . . I did better with my scheduling but it was difficult to deal with a record rainfall in March, April snow storms, wild and windy May, and Junuary!

Once again, we have had a mild winter, altho' there were enough days with mornings in the single digitS' to make me feel like there was, indeed, a winter! There is also, still snow in my yard. I will wait until March 1st, about as late as ever, to sow my 1st pepper seeds. Again, I will put more seed in about week later. But, you see what I'm talking about here? The difference between February 17 or 20 as too early and March 1 as a late date!

Back to GT's topic:

Hot
Thai Hot
Super Chili
Jalapeno M
Garden Salsa
Italian
Carmen
Marconi
Giant Marconi
Bells
Snapper
The Big Early
Yummy

digitS'

 

[MontyJ]

I may start some herbs next weekend since they are usually slower to get growing and I can hold them in containers. Peppers? Not until early-mid March. I generally plant out around May 21 so that's plenty of time to get them up and hardened off.

 

[897tgigvib]

Depending on the variety, but many Peppers can be started as early as November. Most of the annuums can be started a few weeks before you'd start your Tomatoes. With Peppers it is a good idea to know which species you have. I wish more seed companies would list which species their Pepper varieties belong to.

 

[Greenthumb18]

My pepper seeds came in the mail yesterday. I will plant them all this week, need to get seed starter mix though.

Cant wait to get them planted.

 

[GardenGeisha]

I have started some peppers and they are up. I hope they do well. They often get too gangly.

If you wouldn't mind voting for my recipe with garden vegetables in it below, I sure would appreciate it, as I need your help! I'm trying to win a trip for a friend who is in need of cheering up. All you need to register to vote for the recipe is your name, e-mail address and password. Date of Birth and phone number, etc., are not required, even though they are on the form:

http://biggestoliveoilcookbookcontest.com/recipe/249

 

[HotPepperQueen]

Well, as you can tell by my screen name- peppers are my FAVORITE thing to grow and eat! This is what will be in my 2013 pepper garden:

Goliath Jalapeno
Cayenne Purple
Serrano
Aji Dulce
Santa Fe Grande
Anaheim
Poblano
Golden Habanero
Tobasco
Fushimi Sweet
Chocolate Bell
King of the North Bell
Garden Sunshine
Sweet Banana
Hungarian Wax

 

[897tgigvib]

what, no Manzano Roccota Rojas?

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I started my peppers today.

Red Mercury
Lipstick
Albino Bullnose
Orange Sun
California Wonder
Canary Bell
Sweet Bell Mix ( It has 5 different kinds, so you do not know what it will be. I had some that were purple last year).

I may start a few different kinds next month. This is a little early. I started mine last year in March.