Homegrown Peppers

Posts Tagged ‘germinating pepper seeds’

Germinating pepper seeds can be a wee bit frustrating at first, mainly because it takes so long for the seeds to germinate. But once you have done it a few times, it’s pretty easy.

Why should you try germinating pepper seeds, instead of just buying plants at your local garden center? One reason is because the selection at your garden center is very likely limited. At best you’ll find 10 pepper varieties, more often less than that.

Usually the gorgeous ornamental-appearing peppers don’t show up in the garden center; these have to be grown from seeds. Two wonderful varieties that come immediately to my mind are Explosive Ember and Sweet Pickle.

Pepper Germination Rates

First of all, don’t expect a 100%  seed germination rate from your pepper seeds.  While you just might get 100%, in my experience in growing many, many varieties, 75% is more the norm.  So I plant 25% more seeds than I need, and if they all germinate and thrive, I can sell or give away the extras.

Germination rates vary according to how long ago the seeds were harvested, as well as how the seeds have been stored.  Generally, you want to use pepper seeds within 2 years, but they can germinate long after that time, too. 

For example, I have some 10-year-old seeds that I planted a week ago, and I fully expect that some will germinate.  I just planted a lot extra, because I knew the germination rate was going to be low.  However, some of these seeds are rare varieties, so they are worth trying.

I tend to buy my pepper seeds online, but I’ve been known to pick up a pack at the garden shop from time to time.  Either way, you don’t know for sure how old those seeds are.  Always plant extra.

Germinating Pepper Seeds – Warmth and Humidity

When germinating your pepper seeds, the two most important things are heat and humidity.  Peppers like plenty of warmth, and germinate best at soil temperatures of 80 to 85 degrees. 

While those seeds are sitting in the warm soil, they need to be kept damp, but not wet.  They need the moisture to soften the seed coats, so the plants can be born (so to speak).  I like to use a windowsill greenhouse when germinating pepper seeds; the top of the greenhouse keeps in the humidity.  And a bonus is that these little mini-greenhouses are inexpensive, so you can have lots for many windowsills.

However, if you live in a cooler climate, you may want to use a heat mat under your peppers to be germinated.   Please don’t use a household heating pad; that could be dangerous.  Instead, get one that’s waterproof and made for keeping seeds and seedlings warm.

If you are planting pepper seeds directly outside, wait until the soil temperature has reached at least 65 degrees and that they get full sun, to heat the soil even more. Remember to keep the soil damp, but not wet.

That’s it for now!  If you want to read more about seed starting for peppers, read my posts on seed starting part 1 and seed starting part 2.  Enjoy!

Growing peppers from seeds isn’t as hard as you might think.  The absolute hardest part is waiting for the seeds to germinate and poke their little heads above ground!  (Well, that’s the hardest part for me, at any rate.) 

So let’s take a look at what needs to happen in order to grow pepper plants from seeds.

Pick Your Pepper (Seeds)

First is to consider your climate, and where you plan to grow your pepper plants.  Pepper plants love sunlight and warmth, so if you live in the Pacific Northwest, you’re a bit more challenged than someone who lives in the desert Southwest or Deep South.

If you live in a cooler climate, pick plants that produce peppers early in the season.  It will take longer for the peppers to grow and mature, so an early season pepper is best.   One bell pepper that is amazingly early (just 48 days from transplant) is Park’s Early Thickset Hybrid.

(Note: You don’t have to live in the Pacific Northwest to enjoy this pepper — you can grow it about anywhere.)

One further note about the Pacific Northwest climate is that hot chile peppers won’t get as hot where you live, compared to if you grew them in a warmer climate.  Not sure why that happens, but be aware of it.  Of course, deppending on the variety, they can be pretty hot anyway!

OK, say you live in a moderate climate; congratulations, you can grow about anything!  If you have a fairly short Summer, you may want to stick with the earlier varieties (less than 60 days from transplant).  But if you have a longer Summer, take your pick!  One early-to-mid season bell which ripend to red that I like is called Karma Hybrid.

If you’re looking for a neat hot chili pepper to grow that produces and produces and then produces some more, think about Jalapeno M.

Every time I have grown jalapenos, the plants have produced beyond expectations. I’ve always had plenty to eat, and plenty to share with family, friends and neighbors. In fact, one plant (planted in the garden in a large hole filled with compost) had so many peppers I almost considered selling them (the peppers, that is). It grew huge and was covered with jalapenos.

OK, so most of my jalapeno plants didn’t go to quite those lengths, but each one has produced plenty of peppers for eating and sharing.

OK, you’re in the really southern climates with long summers and mild winters. You can grow just about anything as well, but hot chile peppers in particular love the climate. Of course, being a hot, hot, hot pepper lover, I choose habaneros and scotch bonnets. A nice one is this particular habanero.

A word of warning for those of you who live in super-hot climates with strong summer sun — think about growing your peppers in dappled shade, or so they don’t get full sun from about noon to three. Living in South Florida, my Summer peppers do much better if they aren’t in full sun during the hottest part of the day.

And if anyone wants to check out more pepper seeds, take a look at this link for more varieties.

To Be Continued…

This post has gotten longer than I had planned, so here’s part two of growing peppers from seeds, with the actual planting instructions.