![]() If you’re growing an extremely hot pepper- such as Bhut Jolokia- be aware that the seeds can potentially take weeks to germinate. The hotter the pepper, the longer it seems to take to germinate. Much, much cooler temperatures- say, the sort that you’d find in a cold basement- may result in seeds not germinating at all!Īssuming you are not growing seeds in a cold basement, but don’t have a heat mat to start your seeds upon, you can probably expect your sweet/bell peppers to germinate anywhere between 7-20-ish days, and your hot peppers to germinate somewhere around 14-30 days. That’s fast!Ĭooler temperatures will result in slower germination. Hot peppers can take longer- but even then, they’ll probably germinate in around 14 days or so. This is why many people invest in a heat mat for seed starting, because that’s just too hot to keep a room at during winter and early spring, for a lot of us! At these temperatures, you can expect to see sprouts as soon as 4-7 days of sowing. The ideal soil heat, which results in quickest germination, is 75-80 F. Additionally, if they’re not provided with plenty of heat, even sweet/bell peppers can take a long time to come up! Hot peppers take longer to germinate than sweet and bell peppers, as a general habit. These pepper seeds have all sprouted, so next we’ll thin them out and transplant them, so they have more room to grow. Hot peppers germinate and grow very slowly, so a little extra time helps them get a bit more size to them before it’s time to go out to the garden. General advice is to start sweet/bell peppers 8-10 weeks before your estimated final frost date, and to start hot peppers 10-12 weeks before your estimated final frost date. If your seeds simply refuse to germinate no matter what you do, check the date- they might just be too old. We’ve found that we can use a packet of pepper seeds for 2-3 years after it’s purchased, but once it hits the 4-5 year mark, the seeds stop performing as well. Ten-year-old pepper seeds likely won’t germinate at all! Five-year-old pepper seeds probably won’t give you a huge flush of healthy seedlings. Peppers, in particular, may simply refuse to grow after being kept for a couple of years. When sowing seeds, you’ll have the best results by using fresh seed meant for growing this current year. ![]() Can’t really grow anything without them!Ī variety of heirloom pepper seeds from Bake Creek Heirlooms (). ![]() Have you ever wanted to make your own paprika powder? You can easily do so simply by growing the seeds of a paprika pepper! (And, hey, if you’re interested, we’ve got an article on how to grow and make your own paprika powder right HERE!)Īll you really need to grow yourself a batch of peppers is plenty of sun, heat, a decent amount of water, and a healthy helping of compost (plus a little sprinkle of granular and liquid fertilizer– peppers like to be spoiled a bit).Ī garden is optional! Peppers can grow just fine in pots, if your space is at a premium.Īnd, of course, you’ll need seeds and soil. Growing from seed means you’ll have access to varieties you simply can’t find plants of in garden centers. And oh, how waiting for those fruits to turn color can be torture to the eager gardener!ĭespite the wait, growing peppers from seed can be incredibly satisfying. Whether they’re big, glossy bell peppers, unique heirloom sweet peppers, or bright and fiery hot peppers, they all start the same way: as a little seed, tucked up all warm and cozy in a bed of soil.Īll peppers require a bit of patience, when it comes to harvesting: they take their sweet time about it, first growing plenty of foliage, then blooming, then setting fruit. When you grow them from seed at home, you can choose from a wide variety of flavorful and colorful peppers! About Peppers
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