![]() Pepper seeds require even, consistent moisture to germinate. You can also fill the seed trays full, then use a pencil or a chopstick to make a small, shallow hole in each cell that you can drop the pepper seeds into–just mark which cells you’ve completed by gently closing the hole. I like to fill a tray most of the way full with pre-moistened seed-starting mix, sow the seeds on top, and then cover the whole flat with another thin layer of soil. A good rule of thumb, regardless of what kind of seed you’re sowing, is to plant the seed twice as deep as it is wide. Pepper seeds only need to be planted ¼ to ½ inch deep-any deeper and the seedlings won’t sprout, but plant the seeds too close to the surface and they’ll be washed away the first time you water. Sow 2 seeds in each cell so that you’ll have at least one seedling sprout in each cell–you can always pluck out or tease apart double-seeded cells. The Deluxe Seed-Starting Kit contains everything you need to start 144 pepper seedlings. You can start pepper seeds in any size container you have available to you, but we prefer 72-cell flats to save space. Sow pepper seeds at the proper spacing and depth It’s adjustable, so you can use the same sower for your other seeds, too. The Dial Seed Sower is easy to load and quick to dispense, making sowing multiple flats of pepper seeds a breeze. Should you touch your eyes or lips after handing hot pepper seeds, the compound can cause an unpleasant burning sensation.īe sure to wear gloves when you sow hot peppers, or use a Dial Seed Sower to minimize your contact with the seeds. Pepper seeds are tiny! And while bell pepper and sweet pepper seeds are fine to touch with your hands, hot pepper seeds contain a chemical compound called capsaicin that can irritate your skin. ![]() Once most of the seeds have sprouted, carefully transfer the seeds to a soil-filled tray, planting each one ¼ to ½ inch deep. The bag will serve as a mini greenhouse, trapping heat and moisture and encouraging any viable seeds to sprout. Simply dissolve the compounds in water and dip hot pepper seeds in the solution to jumpstart germination.Īlternatively, you can pre-sprout pepper seeds by wrapping the seeds in a moist paper towel and placing the paper towel in an unsealed plastic bag. Each kit contains a packet of two natural compounds proven to increase hot pepper seed germination up to 50%. If you want lab precision and real results, you’ll appreciate the Pepper Seed-Starting Kit. Place pepper seeds in a bowl or jar of room temperature water for up to 24 hours to soften the seed coat and break dormancy. While not necessary, you can soak pepper seeds prior to planting them to encourage faster germination. Jiffy Peat Pellets are another great option. Seed-starting mixes are also lighter on fertilizer, which pepper seedlings appreciate. Seed-starting mixes generally have a lighter texture and hold moisture a little better than soilless growing mediums made for mature plants. Potting soil mixes are not ‘one size fits all’, so make sure you have a growing medium that is specifically designed for seed starting. 2. Use a high-quality, well-draining seed-starting mix Seeds that are less than two years old will germinate better than older seeds, and plump, cream-colored seeds are more likely to produce healthy plants than shriveled, discolored seeds. Open your pepper seed packets and inspect your seeds before you begin sowing. ![]() Your pepper seeds don’t have to be organic or heirloom–in fact, disease-resistant hybrid peppers are often easier to grow than specialty seeds–but non-GMO seeds are a must. Start with quality seedsįor the best results, start with the freshest seeds from a trusted source. But because peppers aren’t native to our climate, we have to do a little extra work to make them comfortable enough to germinate and happy enough to keep growing. ![]() Like any seed, pepper seeds want to grow–it’s what they were designed to do. If you approach pepper seeds with a little patience, a grain of humility, and our tried-and-true growing advice, you’re sure to have your best year for peppers yet. Some varieties of hot peppers take a month or more to sprout–proving that peppers aren’t necessarily difficult, but they do take time. The biggest issue some growers have is the time it takes to germinate pepper seeds. There’s no reason you can’t grow your own peppers from seed, even if you’re just getting started gardening. Peppers–especially hot peppers and chiles–have a bad rap for being difficult to start from seed, but that doesn’t have to be the case. ![]()
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