Back in early February I started growing peppers from seed. This year I have four varieties I am growing. Marconi Rosso, Cayenne, NuMex Joe E. Parker, and Yellow Devil Habanero.
Germination
Using the paper towel method (storing seeds inside a lightly moistened paper towel in a ziplock bag) on all the seeds, I was amazed to discover the cayenne seeds were the first to sprout roots on day 3. All the other seeds were from purchased packs, but the cayenne were from a fruit I dried out and stored myself.
After three weeks, I haven't had any of the habaneros show any signs of life. Not sure why. I tend to overdo things, so maybe I kept the seeds too wet, or laying them directly on the heat mat wasn't ideal. I decided to try direct sowing a few seeds from the experiment, and also a few fresh seeds, in case dryness plays a factor. (Many experiments on YouTube demonstrate that pre-soaking seeds delays pepper seed germination results.)
Indoor Grow Setup
Inside I grow my seedlings with a simple propagation tray. I use an adjustable dual arm LED grow light and underneath is a seedling heat mat set to maintain 80 degrees F.
Nearby, I put some banana peels into jars of water. I am hoping I can extract potassium in this way to use as fertilizer on these peppers later on when they are more mature and transplanted in the garden.
Progress
Each time I buried a germinated seed, I marked the location with a toothpick. Never seen anyone else use toothpicks, but I find it very helpful every time I have more germinated seeds to sow, so I don't accidentally plant too many in the same pot, forget to plant some in ignored pots, and it also ensures that new seeds are always evenly spaced away from other hidden seeds.
100% of the cayenne seeds have germinated. Marconi Rosso were germinating about a week later. NuMex is the slowest, and as I said earlier, none of my habaneros have germinated yet. For some reason, I have a hunch that the hottest peppers are likely the hardest to grow.
The soil I used came from Walmart. The bagged soil was unique in that it has trace nutrients ideal for seedlings. The consistency is very soft, woody, and pre-moistened, which I really appreciated. It seems pretty sterile, because I have seen no sign of gnats, mold, or moss.
Some of the sprouts are commencing to develop true leaves. In a week I will separate the strongest seedlings from the weaker ones, and pot them up into larger pots. A week after transplanting, I'll have them spend daylight hours out in the greenhouse, which seems to give most plants a boost and eases hardening off stress.
In March I'll start growing tomatoes from seed.
Bonus Snow
We were hit with quite the blizzard last night. Had to cancel all of my work for the day, and make the best of my time at home.
Quite a few inches. Some places as thick as 10". Not very much melted, so we'll likely be iced in for another day at least.
@futuremind the fact that I'm seeing two posts about peppers in one day might be a sign 🤣
Those winter photos are fantastic. Good luck with your gardening project :)
Nice new snow photos 🙂 I have some fresh snow pics from yesterday but am still recovering from clearing the snow and haven't got around to a post yet. We grew some peppers from seed last year and had more success than I expected in Vermont. Bell peppers, sweet peppers and jalapeno. I would love to try some habanero, cayenne too. I like the hotter pepper but I think our growing season here is too short. btw I like the tooth picks tip 👍 Good luck with the habaneros 🤞
Hey awesome tutorial and reminder that I should start thinking about germinating my chili, jalapeño and habanero seeds. Ghost pepper too! I have always just planted the seeds but the paper towel method may start them out stronger!
Here in Australia, my green tomatoes aren't looking like ripening for the season. The weather hasn't been consistently warm enough. The peppers should keep going in the greenhouse til Easter.
Here's a wierd one..m though I've had two crops of hot jalapenos, the fruit from this season hasn't got ANY heat to them at all. I don't understand. Same plants!
Maybe my tastes have changed, but recently when I eat jalepenos, all I really taste is tangy sweet pepper flavor, barely any heat. Either my heat tolerance is much higher, or I am guessing there is a wide range of flavors possible from jalapenos based on how they are grown.
Best luck in Australia.