Starting Pepper Seeds

[Bigdog]

[quote="Mark"]
This reminds me its time to start preparing for growing peppers from seeds. I'll do a "how to" post on this subject if anyone is interested.

Mark
Yes, Please post a "how to" on peppers (or chilies as some call them). I especially like the hot, New Mexico varieties.

Bigdog

[willkat98]

I recall a thread a while back that Mark had packed with info on starting from seed.

I'll take a look tonight.

and my Avatars name is Super Peanut

[Mark]

Actually Bill, that thread was mainly about a specific technique for container grown peppers with "LOF" that I experimented with last year. The literal fruits of my labor are posted here:

http://www.bandera-brethren.com/modules.php?set_albumName=container-grown-habanero-system&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

What I'm thinking about doing is a thread specific to starting pepper plants from seeds because now is the time to get started. Hows that sound?

[brdbbq]

Go for it.

[parrothead]

my Avatars name is Super Peanut

Super gay peanut maybe.

[willkat98]

Um Greg, your pig is done.

[Mark]

Step 1: Get some seeds.
Most of my seeds come from my own plants. I just save them instead of throwing them away with the other plant waste as I am cooking or freezing or whatever. Some people say it’s best to just leave them in the pepper pod to dry. I think not, as many will rot before they dry. Instead, take the seeds out of the fresh pod and just put them on a napkin labeled so you can remember what kind of seeds they are several months later.

Starting in February and March, places like Walmart and Walgreens sell off last years seeds for about ten cents a pack. Not much variety though. Certainly no habanero’s and poblano’s.

Lots of speciality mail order and/or web sites for pepper seeds. Here’s a few:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/index.html?ct=hg
http://www.pepperjoe.com/cgi-bin/web_store/web_store.cgi?page=seeds.html&cart_id=9831407_5859
http://www.greendealer-exotic-seeds.com/seeds/HottestChilesWorld.html
http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/browse_category.asp?category_id=4987&UID=2004010913182564

Oh yeah, another source for seeds. The supermarket. Just buy some whole peppers of the kind you want to grow and save the seeds. Considering what 30 seeds over the Internet cost with shipping, this is MUCH cheaper. I've done it. It works just fine.


Step 2: Plant your seeds.
Proper seed starting space is premium real estate. The following is what I do to maximize it. Any good nursery should be able to supply you with black plastic seed starting flats. These measure roughly 12” by 18” overall and the “grid” is about 100 to 120 ½” to ¾” squares with a little round hole in the bottom of each square. So each flat will start 100 to 120 plants. Nursery’s also sell water tight trays for the bottom and clear acrylic domes designed to fit the flats.

Being chronically cheap, I improvised. I got used flats from a local nursery that would have been thrown out and used some "surplus" but much heavier duty restaurant storage trays made of transparent plastic for the tops and bottoms. I had to trim the flats to fit, but everything was free anyway.

As for the seed starting medium, you won’t be needing much of it so just buy a bag of the good ****. Theoretically, the stuff should be sterilized, along with the flats, etc. To do that, the soil can be baked in the oven and the other stuff just washed off in the bath tub with some water and a little bleach (assuming your wife won’t be there). Screw that I say. Never had a plant disease problem yet (knock on wood).

The ideal germination temp for pepper seeds is around 80 to 85 deg. F. I have several old water bed heaters and heating pads that I use for this. I place them between the tray and the flat. Be careful; you can melt the flat and/or tray. I know. I’ve done it. It ruins the flats and kills the plants.

Step 3: Keep them warm, watered and wait.
Don’t soak them and don’t let them dry out. This is at least a daily ritual at first. Some pepper seeds only take days to sprout and some take weeks. Be patient. Like Q, this is a labor of love. Once they have sprouted their second set of leaves, they can be transplanted into larger flats. Get the plants out of the flat by nearly soaking the whole flat and then pushing them out one at a time with the eraser end of a pencil inserted in the little holes. I usually go to 2” grids next and then to 4” grids before they get planted outside in the ground. If you let them dry out too much just once during this period of months, it's back to square 1 (the little ones). If you don’t think you have this much patience, buy your plants form the nursery.

Additional references

Growing Chile Peppers
http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/kitchen/handbooks/chile/4.html#easy

Starting Hot Pepper Plants From Seed
http://www.pepperjoe.com/articles/one.html

HOT PEPPER GROWING TIPS
http://www.batnet.com/rwc-seed/Pepper.growing.tips.html

[willkat98]

Now I think I'm gonna have to start them seeds you sent, after I do a little research (great links)

[Mark]

Do you think my seed starting post should be moved or copied to its own thread?

[Mark]

BTW: My avatar's name is "stick in nose, not in ass"

[badger]

Mark, I added you seed recipe in the Recipe section.

[parrothead]

Now I think I'm gonna have to start them seeds you sent, after I do a little research (great links

If ya want to do it right, you should see Mark's basement. It's basically a huge grow room. Unfortunately all I saw growing was peppers though.

[chad]

Uh huh!

You know that the heat from the lights can be seen from the narc sensors in the airplanes, don't ya?? Infrared is amazing!! :D

[Mark]

Thanks John

[Mark]

Uh huh!

You know that the heat from the lights can be seen from the narc sensors in the airplanes, don't ya?? Infrared is amazing!! :D

No wonder the black helicopters are allways hovering over my house.

[chad]

Yep, when you see the speed ropes being dropped it might be a good time to break out the good beer!! It's gonna be a LONG night!! :D

[Mark]

I located the thread tht Bill remembered by searching this site for LOF. And yes, there was some good seed info. Especially interesting was something about a habenero that could mature in 60 days (meaning more of the season to pick them). Pretty impressive since ordinary habs take twice that long to mature . Anyway, here's the thread:
http://www.bandera-brethren.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=411&highlight=lof

[Mark]

Oh yeah, another source for seeds. The supermarket. Just buy some whole peppers of the kind you want to grow and save the seeds. Considering what 30 seeds over the Internet cost with shipping, this is MUCH cheaper. I've done it. It works just fine.

[rbinms33]

Mark,

Quick question....I froze some of my habaneros so they wouldn't rot before I got to them. You think those seeds would still be any good after being frozen?

[Mark]

Probably. It's worth a try. In nature, seeds freeze and still germinate. Based upon how many "volunteer" tomato and tomatillo plants I get every year it works.

Try this; take some of your frozen hab seeds and place them on a damp napkin in a bowl and put the bowl some where warm (around 80 deg. F.). Like on top of your frige or a heater duct. Keep it damp (not wet) and see what happens. If they do start to sprout, plant them as explained earlier. Considering pepper seeds can take weeks to germinate, I'd get started now.

[Mark]

I just ordered 100 of the follwoing hab seeds because they are supposed to mature in 60 days:

Twilley Seed Co. http://www.twilleyseed.com/
Otis S. Twilley Seed Co., Inc.
121 Gary Road
Hodges SC 29653
Phone# 800 622 7333. Their fax number is 864 227 5108

New Product:
#434 Habanero Orange Devil 60 days. green, 70 days deep orange. First hybrid Habanero. It tends to suffer less in cool conditions than regular Habanero. Productive, thin walled. Loads up early with 1X1¼ in.
Sounds like something us short season gardeners could use.

[rbinms33]

Thanks, Mark. I'll try it.

[BBQchef33]

Quick question....I froze some of my habaneros so they wouldn't rot before I got to them. You think those seeds would still be any good after being frozen?


They are definately good. I always freeze the seeds from the prior years pickings to stop them from getting damp and germanating early. I learned that after loosing batches of seeds left in the shed. when the time came to use them, they were useless. since then I've been keeping them in the freezzer over the winter.

[Mark]

I know that freezing is how botanists store rare seeds.

One other potential problem with saving your own seeds that I forgot to mention is that different types of pepper plants can cross-polinate. It happened to me once. The cross was between bells and poblano's. They tasted and looked like it too. So the seeds from those would produce the same hybrid had I saved and later used them.

[rusold]

When I lived in NJ I couldn't find any peppers other than green/red and banana(long yellow pepper). I found a seed company in Florida and ordered every kind I could think of - maybe 10 kinds from poblanos to habs to mirasol .... I did the basement grow thing (pretty much what everyone has described) - escaped the black helicopters and planted them all.

I don't know if it was soil, climate, or incest but basically I ended up with various shaped green/red/yellow peppers and NO heat - pretty boutful havest tho - Jersey is called the Garden State for nothing

R

[Mark]

Did ya separate the sweets from the hots? Supposed to.

[brdbbq]

When I lived in NJ I couldn't find any peppers other than green/red and banana(long yellow pepper). I found a seed company in Florida and ordered every kind I could think of - maybe 10 kinds from poblanos to habs to mirasol .... I did the basement grow thing (pretty much what everyone has described) - escaped the black helicopters and planted them all.

I don't know if it was soil, climate, or incest but basically I ended up with various shaped green/red/yellow peppers and NO heat - pretty boutful havest tho - Jersey is called the Garden State for nothing

R

I think it's location. Father in Law has same problem up in the Catskills.

[rusold]

Probably is locatiion the mildest thing I had was New Mexico/Anaheim peppers.
A question on using seed from plant from the garden or grocery - I know that most proprietary tomato types have been "bred" or tinkered with so that the seeds are sterile - this isn't true with peppers?

One last note - all my references say plant seeds 8 weeks before last frost and plant two weeks after but you still need warm temps or they will sulk on you

R

[chad]

I'm heading to St. Augustine this weekend and will be on the lookout for Datil peppers -- products and seeds. Supposedly they are decended from true Spanish peppers and grow well in the north Florida area.

I'll give a report and share finding next week.

[Mark]

Not for sure what you mean rusold but yes "packaged" seeds of all types are often treated. Fungicides and such. Tomatos seeds appear to be especially vulunerable. Fusarium wilt among other diseases.

[Mark]

Quoting rusold: "One last note - all my references say plant seeds 8 weeks before last frost and plant two weeks after but you still need warm temps or they will sulk on you."

8 weeks is a good rule-of-thumb, however 12 to 14 weeks is better for peppers that take a long time to produce mature fruits; like typical habaneros and poblanos.

BTW my hybrid habanero seeds came in yesterday (along with Bill's care package; thanks Bill). Supposedly only 60 days to maturity. Anyway, the package says it contains 100 seeds and treated with a fungicide. If any cold climate bretheren want some, let me know by PM. I don't plan on growing 100 habanero's