I have no basement and no garage. My back porch is the part of the house that gets no light as it faces north and is completely shaded for most of the day. The HOA Nazis will be out wagging their finger if I throw them at the front of my house. Where does one set up this whole growing rig? Do you have those lights hanging from the ceiling? I'm really trying to start growing some of my own plants because I need to financially, but man I don't know where I would put all of that in my house. Any tips? People who live in condos or apartments or houses like I do with no basement or garage probably are wondering the same. Any tips you could provide would be most appreciated!
@@lockergr Hey there - We currently live in an apartment as well! We recently upgrated to a Mars Hydro grow tent (4 ft long by 6 ft high by 2 ft wide). However, this video is actually showing the seedlings in a closet with a light hanging from the closet shelf! We definitely had to get creative and work with what we have for now. This past summer, we rented out a 50x50 garden plot in our town for $20 and grew all of our pepper there. We hope to have a yard of our own in the near future. No matter what, there are costs associated with growing peppers inside, but maybe you can get creative!
@@PepperGeek Wow, you really are using your space creatively! I have a house just no basement or outdoor storage. I suppose I could repurpose my dining room since I never use a formal dining room. I eat in my kitchen nook all the time. I'll look into that setup you bought. I technically have some space behind a fence that I could try and grow in but that is only if the HOA Nazis don't notice and sadly that entire part of my yard is infested with poison ivy pretty bad. I'll use pots for now until I fall into a more ideal home for growing crops. I think it's outlandish that a homeowners association can prevent you from growing your own food in your yard, but they can.
I’m in so. California, can I take the dried seeds from my store bought chili peppers,plant them and leave it outside to germinate n grow??..(in a pot)...it’s 80-90 degrees weather right now
I’m fortunate to have old school cast iron radiators in my house by the window sills. I put a piece of marble on top so it doesn’t get too hot and Also makes a flat surface for the seed trays. If you have these types of radiators and a window that gets a lot of sun take advantage!
@@buzzardscry1383 I was wondering this ,cause I have a HARD time getting any seeds to grow, I’m new to growing peppers,but I put everything in pots,in so cali where it’s 80-90 degrees,with adding worm castings,good soil n water..that’s not enough!?😥
Same here. I'm on Long Island, weather has been meh, but, my seeds are sprouting. Never had luck with plants I start inside. Seeds know what to do, just throw them in dirt.
A little information. Those seed starting soils have nat eggs. You should boil hot water and mix it in bucket to kill eggs first. Let it cool off before planting seeds
@@brendas9095 get those Mosquito bits to add to water used on plants. And those yellow sticky traps. If you don’t get the larva killed in the soil the cycle keeps on going endlessly. I got aphids for first time ever. It was all my error as I used an open bag of potting soil trying to be frugal🥴
I germinated mine with good soil from my garden, in a paper egg carton, I used morning and afternoon sunlight to keep them warm, and took them in at night, it took a week here to see the first seedling pop-up, I like to keep things simple. Thanks for showing the technical Gadget way of doing things:-)
@@Marianafxfigueira didn't use any cover, but avoided the strong, overhead, afternoon sun, which would have dried them out, only gave them early morning and late afternoon sun. I also kept the soil in the egg compartments moist all the time. I generally don't use plastic, I don't think it's compatible with plants, water sitting in plastic containers always gets slimy, so I always avoid plastic. I transplanted them to the ground last week, and they looked great this morning :-) Best to you.
@@dawnbern2917 thank you for responding! So by moist you mean giving them water once a day (in the night ou morning before the sun exposure) or when you felt like it? I am sorry for asking but I never saw anyone doing the same as I do. Normally I always see people using plastic and i wanted simpler stuff. I just dont wanna kill my first try on peppers! Wish you the best and thank you in advance. I hope your peppers grow strong ahaha what kind are they? Mine are ghost and habanero
@@Marianafxfigueira I watered several times a day, I made sure the soil did not look dry on top. I just stuck my fingers in some water and dribbled it on top of them. These are sweet red peppers (typically difficult to germinate from seed), heirloom California Wonder, so I want to save the seeds for next year. The plants look great now, the peppers are green and small still. Thank you Garden Sister!
i literally threw 4 red pepper seeds in a terracotta pot with potting soil on an after thought after making an omelette and thought "what the hell" They are cranking and ready to produce. I also live in nyc. so its not this complicated and grow your own.
This is something I've never tried until this year. I was at Walmart buying Bell Pepper seeds ($1.90 for 30 seeds). I need a Bell Pepper from produce (.74 cents for 80+ seeds and we ate the pepper) I planted the packaged seeds and the produce seeds to see if they would germinate, they did! They germinated at the same rate and in the same starter tray using potting soil without a heat mat. We've also germinated 24 Cherokee Purple Tomato plants from a produce tomato. They are usually $3.50 each if you buy the plant. I understand hybrid seeds may not germinate but I haven't run into that scenario yet. Hope this helps someone.
Greetings from the South of Russia. I mix the soil mixture from the store and the one I take after the horses, and put it in a large container on the gas stove over low heat. I stir when the moisture begins to evaporate. I keep it under the lid
Starting seeds for the first time. Everything has come up. I planted in mid-March, zone 5A. I planted in 3" pots right off because I don't need a zillion plants and it will save a transplant and will give the plants plenty of room to grow. I grow in my basement and use a mat. Works fine. One thing I did was in my three in inch pots I did 3/4 of wicked good potting soil and 1/4 starter mix on the top. That way once the plants start rooting they will be encourged to grow down to get to the good soil. Try it and thank me later.
This will do the opposite of what you're intending as water will mix up the nutrients in the soil so your entire pot is full of nutrients which makes it easy for the roots making them weak. The entire point of using planting soil without nutrients is to make the roots struggle to find nutrients making the roots stronger and bigger. Roots will grow down searching for nutrients either way using the nutrients stored in the seed, yours will just stop searching as they'll find nutrients right away, so what you're doing may make the sprouts seem like they're growing really well but their root system will be weak which they'll suffer for later. When you want the roots to grow deep the best way to do it is add nutrients to the water and water them from the bottom after they've sprouted, this way you also have control over how much nutrients you're giving so the sprouts don't die from over fertilizing. So I think what you're suggesting is pretty bad advice, there are reasons why nobody uses your method, and it's not because nobody though of it in the 12000 years or so we've been doing agriculture.
I've tried a few things with great success and a few others with failures. I'd say that seed depth, moisture, and temperature are the most important factors here. You can also just use compost (sifted to remove large wood bits), peat moss, cotton, a napkin, or sawdust. As long as you keep them humid and warm (and preferably away from direct sun) they will sprout.
Awesome information and very detailed. Thanks. I have 9 of 14 different pepper plants sprouted. But here in Mongolia its a challenge. Cold negative temperatures 🌡 and mostly all peppers must be grown indoors. Thanks for the information and help.
My boyfriends mom worked as a help for elderly people and one day she brought home peppers from the garden of one of her clients. I deseeded them, used the peppers for cooking and dried the seeds. I put some in a little pot, watered once and forgot about it for a few months. I then planted a tiny cactus in there that I rescued (started getting mushy and all, it's fine now) and obviously watered it. A few days later they started sprouting and I thought it's from the cactus but no 🤣 I repotted the cactus but the peppers died off because I didn't have any room for them. Over the last year I started a form of pepper seed mix with sweet and spicy ones and when I make some room I will try germinating them again
I germinated 3 different variety of hot peppers in less than 24 hours. I clip the small tips off and soaked them in cups of water overnight. To my amazement most started germinating. My intent was to soak them then plant them. I never thought they would germinate. 😊
Wow, good stuff! Just revisiting this info, as I am about to plant my seeds in OCTOBER!!! Still starting the tomato seeds at Christmas, but this year, I am doing 'mater cuttings only - you guessed it - now. I use my water heater closet as the germination space, as it keeps everything close to 90F and DRY. Once they germinate, I'll turn the lights on. I know this sounds extreme, but here in Charlotte, this works perfectly for me. Thanks again, for all of your great info.
I germinate pepper seeds by putting them in the cabinet above my freezer, where the temperature hovers in the high 80s. Sometimes, I pre-sprout them on a coffee filter.
I took the leap last year for heavy duty trays-Where have these been my whole life? Yes, this year I got root air pruning cell packs from Bootstrap Farmer and they are also heavy duty and like them. No more cheap crappy trays. I’m germinating pepper seeds in baggie with damp paper towel in covered drain tray domes on heat mat.. if the hibiscus seeds germinated in 2 days then it will definitely work for peppers.
Dude you did such a great job with this video! Awesome info, the format, the labeling of sections, I & from a marketing perspective & a potential buyer, I even really loved your affiliate product placement! Loved that you just went right into the helpful content, it made me want to keep watching. Appreciate you and I hope your good work continues to be rewarded! GREAT JOB!
I live in Florida. I have had trouble germinating peppers. 88* outside feels like 103*F. I am trying some indoors in a wet paper towel in a plastic bag. I have given up on seed cells and trays. I am going to plant in wide pot and just transplant from there. It has worked for everything else.
I'm in Florida, too--Central Florida. I did everything right, but nothing happened. It was just so very hot I think it fried them (even though I kept them in dappled shade). I want to start some now for a fall planting, and I'm thinking I should put them in the Florida room this year. It's bright and sunny and warm, but not sweltering, because our rabbit lives there, and in the morning and evening we open the sliders and let her come in for playtime. I might toss some in the garden planter, too, just to see what happens. I read somewhere that bell peppers were tricky to germinate. The only thing is now we're getting torrential rain every afternoon, so I don't know if that will be too much moisture. Florida is not as easy to grow in as some think--it's often extremely hot, too dry, or too wet. 😂
@@loribragg2947 Hi Lori! Actually, I just sterilized 3 trays of 18 and I got 30 small peppers to germinate and are 3-6" tall now. I used starter soil and watered frequently it worked MUCH better in summer than Fall, Winter or Spring. Bell peppers need and love the heat. But here in FL watering daily is a must. I water 2x daily because I have them in containers. If it storms, God waters them for me. Don't listen to UA-camrs in other areas who say to water once per week or you will have dead plants. 🌞 So far so good. I have lost many during transplant before. Will see how this goes
@@pinschrunner Thanks for the imput. I tried again using the methods in this video, and it was a bust again. But I'm not sure if the seeds were viable (they sank in water, but still--nothing). It is so hot outside that even with watering our plants (even established plants from last spring) they seem stressed. The heat is so intense here in Citrus County that there is no dew in the morning--the heat evaporates it! I don't give up easily, and will keep trying, but it IS frustrating. We bought four bell pepper plants this past spring, and they did well at first, but now it's so hot they're only producing peppers the size of plums. 😬😂
We are fortunate to live in Middle TN - the 4th rainiest area of the nation (I rarely have to use irrigation), temperatures warm-hot but not hellish and a lengthening growing season that is now April - Nov. thanks for the overwintering video - my peppers (and tomatoes!) are still living. I always plant esoteric types - mainly heirlooms. But this year, for the first time in 15 years, several packages (from my usual dealer) refused to germinate - not a single seed. I have an entire room devoted to plants with shelving, heat mats, water access huge sheets of glass, etc but Marconi , Sweet Cubanella were a bust and only one (1) Corno di Toro. Oddly, Shishitos and Habanadas did fine. Same with tomatoes - Sweet Cherry, Krim, Oaxacan were a bust but Brown Sugar and Pimentos did fine. I noticed that for almost all that didn't germinate, I used a different seed soil. Could this be the case? I use tap or rain water - nothing special. Any hints? Going out of the country for a month but will be able to start seeds last week in March and with the long growing season I am starting to stagger plantings. Are there some heirlooms that germinate better? Thanks
It could be that the soil 1) retains too much moisture and the seeds rotted before they could germinate or 2) the soil is too coarse and either the roots couldn't make good contact with soil particles or the seedlings couldn't "get out" (were blocked by bigger pieces). Normally those are the reasons if the soil itself is the problem. Hope all the other seedlings are doing fine 🤞🏼☺️
@@mkpetersen1607 Thanks. I'm convinced its the soil - I tried to save a few pennies, I found a vid guaranteeing 99% germination. Incredibly a friend had followed something almost like this. It's long but not complex - seeds in fridge for days, black tea, soaking, wait times, sprinkling perlites, spraying daily, etc But he said it was just incredible.
Thanks for tips. Peppers are the one thing I struggle to germinate and normally get only 2 germinated. I end up buying plants from local nursery, but I continue to try.
Try vermiculite for a germinating medium. I use this in a small pint blueberry container and transplant out of it just as the first true leaf starts to pop as there is no or very little nutrients in vermiculite. I've never had consistent results with peat based seed starter with peppers. They grow in it just fine or seem to anyway. You can also fertilize in the vermiculite with a fertilizer at half strength to buy some time before putting the seedlings in individual pots.
Thanks for sharing these tips... I love growing peppers & am pretty successful at growing what I grow out of pepper plants, but I think i would be more successful with your technique of placing them on a heat mat, so thanks for sharing😊😊
Hello, I used a moist paper towel and put ib the ziploc then i used bamboo paper plates to put the bags alsp covered it with paper towel I placed them on top of the satellite box for it is warm all the time. It works the tomatoes germinated in 3-4 days and the peppers germinated in 5 days make sure your seeds are vaible and new. Thank you for sharing. Subscribed
@@PepperGeek ye thats the ones, bit slow to germinate at first but they sprang into life at the same time as my reapers, im in the uk so theyre now in my greenhouse now, very warm here at the moment, so all good. love the channel
I had really great success germinating scorpion peppers in the dark! I got a bag of 28 seeds and germinated them in the cupboard where I keep my mini-freezer, and 26 of them germinated. Not sure what the temperature was in there, but the results were good.
I’ve followed your germination tips and have had some good success. My habbys have sprouted and one even sprouted with three leaves at the very start, which kind of surprised me.
I put my starts in direct sunlight all day then brought them inside in the evening because the nights were in the 50s and they germinated faster than the papers that stayed outside.
Thanks for your videos, have been extremely helpful as i am new to gardening, but since i live in Miami Fl. many of the advises on timing about when to start seeds and when to plant them thereafter do not apply to me and i am sure to many more gardeners in this area, it would be very helpful if you could in a few words add some comments on the topics that afect this area which because of the blessings of mother nature we do not suffer the winters but have particular problems with the heat and humidity on this areas around us. Thanks in advance.
I buy a plastic shower curtain at the dollar store and lay it down to protect my work surface area. You can actually cut it in half and still have plenty of coverage.
I used a plastic bag with damp paper towel inside a domed tray on heat mat and hard hibiscus seeds sprouted in 2 days. Using that method for peppers as it worked great.
Little bit off the subject of growing peppers, but I had an idea you take cardboard box fold in both sides of the box. Put half the box into the ground. fill it all the way up to the top with potting mix. Put the soil around the box and plate your pumpkins squash and zucchini in it the box. The box will decompose into the ground. and you won't have to worry about adding extra fertilizer etc.
Put the whole mess inside a box, big enough for a few inches or air circulation all around, with a rack to lift the tray 2-3inches above the heating mat.(add some insulation over the top like a thick blanket) It will create a much more even heat, and be especially effective in colder homes where the heat mat may be overheating the bottom to keep up with heat loss while the top layer with the seeds may still be too cool. Of course it needs checked twice per day and I like to remove cell packs when they have just over 50% germination so they don't stretch for light.
I’ve seen mixed reviews about humidity domes. I’ve had success without them but it was much harder to keep the mix damp especially while using a heating mat. This year I plan to use them but needed an extra little nudge in that direction!
Interesting. I'm doing 16 varieties, at a minimum 3 of each and almost all are superhots but so far after 10 days only about 30% have germinated. I've never had it take this long so that's why I'm here and I did basically what you did so I guess its just a waiting game. A bit nerve wracking, most of mine are extremely rare and uncommon, so if they don't germinate there's no getting more and certainly not in time to grow them this year. Fingers crossed!
A ton of mumbo jumbo gunk! I'm growing peppers with standard potting mix, morning sun and regular watering... no problem! A container, light and soil with good drainage is all that's needed. Mother Nature will take care of the rest!
Hi, i'm a beginner and my first seedlings are a fact. But now i see that they close their first 'leaves' again, especially at night. Is this normal behaviour or because they don't have enough light? Thanks in advance!
Yep, it would be nice if they gave some low budget less high-tech options. I germinate in random plastic food container, and cover it with plastic wrap to keep moist.
@@ramz1455 I do tomato seeds directly in soil, peppers with the paper towel method. Most peppers with a heat mat and the paper towel method take 1-3 weeks to germinate (I have some padding between the mat and the bags the paper towels/seeds are in to avoid temperatures getting too high). I then put the sprouted (or mostly sprouted) seeds into soil in small compartments, still on the heat mat, and it takes another 1-3 weeks for them to come up and display their leaves. So 2-6 weeks total depending on variety and health of the seeds. (Side note: just this year I started putting the heat mat on the same timer that controls my grow lights, and it seems superior to just running it all the time). Overall the paper towel method is more work than just planting in soil, but it lets you know a lot sooner what seed is viable and lets you more carefully choose how many viable plants to put in each seed starting cell (and, thus better manage space in your pots down the road). I also work with a lot of saved seeds and seeds that are harder to germinate, so the paper towel method helps with that too, instead of having to wait up to 6 weeks to figure out a whole packet of seeds are duds.
@@davidniemi6553 Thank you David, I've switched to the paper towel method with peppers due to a loss of seedlings with damping off. Hopefully I'll get some seeds sprouted, thanks again. :)
I have great results with most “hot” peppers here. Bell peppers and that ilk don’t fare very well! We’re in centex and have a sandy/well enhanced soil type. Would love to do better with other peppers!
Thanks for the video, I would have definitely ruined my seeds. I bought a few plants from Bonnie Plants and destroyed them, used too small of containers, over watered them and I got green habaneros...
Awesome and i have a question i planted my bell pepper yesterday and water them but today's the soil is still moist should i water them again or tomorrow?? Or if the soil is dry
Hi @Pepper Geek, I'm in zone 10b and just got my seeds in the mail (June 2022). Should I go through with germinating the seeds indoors or should I just put the seeds straight into the garden soil outside? It's really hot here and through your videos it looks like the indoor germination process is for climates where it freezes... it isn't freezing anytime soon where I live. Thanks for all your information!!!
Hm, it is worth a shot. I'm not exactly sure the best time of year to sow in 10b, but assuming it doesn't freeze you should be able to now. The seedlings will be vulnerable to pests, animals, and intense sun, so be sure to take care of them until they grow up a bit!
Hi, sure! If you’re referring to before the seeds sprout, just keep the environment humid to avoid the seeds drying out. We spritz the surface of the soil daily about 5-6 sprays per seed cell. This helps avoid the surface drying out, especially if you have dry air. Once the seeds sprout, remove the humidity dome and keep the soil moist but not soggy. We bottom water every few days and pour out excess water from the basin after the soil has absorbed it.
Pepper Geek: Nice video. I've had multiple failures germinating bell pepper seeds, despite following a similar method, and using a heat mat. The past 2 years I've had a 100% failure rate, despite new, high quality seeds, and waiting over 5 weeks for germination! The only difference I notice is that I keep a light over my seeds from day 1, and you don't seem to put any light over yours prior to germination. Could this be why I'm not having germination? Desperate for answers. TIA!
Hmm..well the grow light isn’t necessary, but it shouldn’t hurt germination. The only other culprit I can think of are: - planting too deep - allowing surface of soil to dry out - not enough oxygen, fan daily As long as seeds have moisture, warmth and oxygen you will get good germination (with viable seeds, of course).
A germination / seed saving question -- have you ever tried germinating seeds from frozen peppers? I've read it generally works and that freezing can preserve seeds for a long time. But the one pepper I intentionally tried germinating seeds from after being frozen failed to yield anything. Was that just bad luck or are special techniques or precautions necessary for frozen seeds? Related to this, I never notice any volunteer peppers in the spring, unlike tomatoes which readily provide volunteers every year.
We tried it this year with freshly-frozen rocoto peppers, but the seeds never sprouted. It could have been that we didn't dry the seeds before freezing, or that the rocotos simply take a long time to germinate. Seeds can be frozen, but they should be dried beforehand.
@@PepperGeek That's too bad -- I had hopes I could germinate seeds from peppers that had been frozen whole -- which certainly are not dried first. The variety I tried was a healthy straightforward C. Annuum, but I'll do another test or two to confirm.
It is definitely possible. We have a video about saving your own seeds from peppers, which is what we do with a lot of peppers each year. If you want, you can plant fresh seeds right away too.
hi, i always watch your videos, since im a chilli lover, now i decided to grow my own peppers, i ordered reaper seeds online, but i got scammed, they we're not reaper seeds, now i ordered pods this time to make sure they are really reaper😅 but it arrived late because of some event here in my place and roads we're blocked, now the reaper pods turns really bad, they smell awful, can i still plant those seeds? 😅
Such a great & helpful video, thanks for sharing your passion & knowledge! One question, once the seeds have germinated & you've removed the heat dome, moved the trays under lights, do you leave the heat mat on, or turn it off completely thereafter? Thanks again!
What’s up with the thick string of lights in your kitchen? Dude, they make lights that look much better than what you’ve got going on back there. Great video btw. 💕
Wow, that's hot. Yes you can probably sow outdoors, but watch out for animals that like to nibble on young leaves. Also, 30C is fairly hot. You may want to consider planting in partial shade to keep the plants cool.
See our eBook 'Growing Perfect Peppers' here: peppergeek.com/ebook
I have no basement and no garage. My back porch is the part of the house that gets no light as it faces north and is completely shaded for most of the day. The HOA Nazis will be out wagging their finger if I throw them at the front of my house. Where does one set up this whole growing rig? Do you have those lights hanging from the ceiling? I'm really trying to start growing some of my own plants because I need to financially, but man I don't know where I would put all of that in my house. Any tips? People who live in condos or apartments or houses like I do with no basement or garage probably are wondering the same. Any tips you could provide would be most appreciated!
@@lockergr Hey there - We currently live in an apartment as well! We recently upgrated to a Mars Hydro grow tent (4 ft long by 6 ft high by 2 ft wide). However, this video is actually showing the seedlings in a closet with a light hanging from the closet shelf! We definitely had to get creative and work with what we have for now.
This past summer, we rented out a 50x50 garden plot in our town for $20 and grew all of our pepper there. We hope to have a yard of our own in the near future. No matter what, there are costs associated with growing peppers inside, but maybe you can get creative!
@@PepperGeek Wow, you really are using your space creatively! I have a house just no basement or outdoor storage. I suppose I could repurpose my dining room since I never use a formal dining room. I eat in my kitchen nook all the time. I'll look into that setup you bought. I technically have some space behind a fence that I could try and grow in but that is only if the HOA Nazis don't notice and sadly that entire part of my yard is infested with poison ivy pretty bad. I'll use pots for now until I fall into a more ideal home for growing crops. I think it's outlandish that a homeowners association can prevent you from growing your own food in your yard, but they can.
I’m in so. California, can I take the dried seeds from my store bought chili peppers,plant them and leave it outside to germinate n grow??..(in a pot)...it’s 80-90 degrees weather right now
Fahrenheit. What's that?
Another tip that I personally use is to warm the water prior to watering, so as not to shock the seedlings with cold water.
I use warm water for watering.
I’m fortunate to have old school cast iron radiators in my house by the window sills. I put a piece of marble on top so it doesn’t get too hot and Also makes a flat surface for the seed trays. If you have these types of radiators and a window that gets a lot of sun take advantage!
Nice! Great way to get the temperature up
Top of water heater also adds heat gently but you’ll need a grow light in that case.
Wow that's a great Idea, I was kinda wondering the same about our radiators if I could Jimmy up something above it for my scotch bonnet seeds ..
I'm sure his way is the best but I just throw mine in the wet cold dirt and they shoot up.
That's what I do. It works also
@@buzzardscry1383 I was wondering this ,cause I have a HARD time getting any seeds to grow, I’m new to growing peppers,but I put everything in pots,in so cali where it’s 80-90 degrees,with adding worm castings,good soil n water..that’s not enough!?😥
@@Deborah412 too much fertilizer can burn them. I toss them in a wet napkin for like 2-3 days then toss them in soil
@@milesstripling373 hi my friend I love your video I love it very much I thank you very much you are doing a great job God bless
Same here. I'm on Long Island, weather has been meh, but, my seeds are sprouting. Never had luck with plants I start inside. Seeds know what to do, just throw them in dirt.
A little information. Those seed starting soils have nat eggs. You should boil hot water and mix it in bucket to kill eggs first. Let it cool off before planting seeds
I bake mine in a catering pan,
What about the part where you water the seeds with 2% milk?
Omg no wonder I have soo many nats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Brenda S Yep, it's cococoir and they love it. I usually just rehydrate the big block of it with boiling water and it kills everything
@@brendas9095 get those Mosquito bits to add to water used on plants. And those yellow sticky traps. If you don’t get the larva killed in the soil the cycle keeps on going endlessly. I got aphids for first time ever. It was all my error as I used an open bag of potting soil trying to be frugal🥴
I germinated mine with good soil from my garden, in a paper egg carton, I used morning and afternoon sunlight to keep them warm, and took them in at night, it took a week here to see the first seedling pop-up, I like to keep things simple. Thanks for showing the technical Gadget way of doing things:-)
did you do any cover on top? like a tupperware top? i am deciding if i do that after sunlight idk, help
@@Marianafxfigueira didn't use any cover, but avoided the strong, overhead, afternoon sun, which would have dried them out, only gave them early morning and late afternoon sun. I also kept the soil in the egg compartments moist all the time. I generally don't use plastic, I don't think it's compatible with plants, water sitting in plastic containers always gets slimy, so I always avoid plastic. I transplanted them to the ground last week, and they looked great this morning :-) Best to you.
@@dawnbern2917 thank you for responding! So by moist you mean giving them water once a day (in the night ou morning before the sun exposure) or when you felt like it? I am sorry for asking but I never saw anyone doing the same as I do. Normally I always see people using plastic and i wanted simpler stuff. I just dont wanna kill my first try on peppers! Wish you the best and thank you in advance. I hope your peppers grow strong ahaha what kind are they? Mine are ghost and habanero
@@Marianafxfigueira I watered several times a day, I made sure the soil did not look dry on top. I just stuck my fingers in some water and dribbled it on top of them. These are sweet red peppers (typically difficult to germinate from seed), heirloom California Wonder, so I want to save the seeds for next year. The plants look great now, the peppers are green and small still. Thank you Garden Sister!
i literally threw 4 red pepper seeds in a terracotta pot with potting soil on an after thought after making an omelette and thought "what the hell" They are cranking and ready to produce. I also live in nyc. so its not this complicated and grow your own.
This is something I've never tried until this year. I was at Walmart buying Bell Pepper seeds ($1.90 for 30 seeds). I need a Bell Pepper from produce (.74 cents for 80+ seeds and we ate the pepper) I planted the packaged seeds and the produce seeds to see if they would germinate, they did! They germinated at the same rate and in the same starter tray using potting soil without a heat mat. We've also germinated 24 Cherokee Purple Tomato plants from a produce tomato. They are usually $3.50 each if you buy the plant. I understand hybrid seeds may not germinate but I haven't run into that scenario yet. Hope this helps someone.
Awesome! I love saving seeds from fresh peppers - the varieties are always super hardy and strong in the garden.
Sometimes the seeds are cross pollinated though
@@aliabdelaziz905 That's why it's important to only buy Monsanto super seeds
As said, they may produce a whole different looking and tasting veg if it was hybrid or cross pollinated heirloom.
I got 100% germ on store bought peppers bit were seedless and palm size (about 50-75% of a small store pepper). Good for me!
Greetings from the South of Russia. I mix the soil mixture from the store and the one I take after the horses, and put it in a large container on the gas stove over low heat. I stir when the moisture begins to evaporate. I keep it under the lid
You can use a regular heating mat that you use for your sore muscles.
I discovered your channel today. A dedicated channel to peppers! Respect!
Starting seeds for the first time. Everything has come up. I planted in mid-March, zone 5A. I planted in 3" pots right off because I don't need a zillion plants and it will save a transplant and will give the plants plenty of room to grow. I grow in my basement and use a mat. Works fine. One thing I did was in my three in inch pots I did 3/4 of wicked good potting soil and 1/4 starter mix on the top. That way once the plants start rooting they will be encourged to grow down to get to the good soil. Try it and thank me later.
Kool
This will do the opposite of what you're intending as water will mix up the nutrients in the soil so your entire pot is full of nutrients which makes it easy for the roots making them weak. The entire point of using planting soil without nutrients is to make the roots struggle to find nutrients making the roots stronger and bigger. Roots will grow down searching for nutrients either way using the nutrients stored in the seed, yours will just stop searching as they'll find nutrients right away, so what you're doing may make the sprouts seem like they're growing really well but their root system will be weak which they'll suffer for later. When you want the roots to grow deep the best way to do it is add nutrients to the water and water them from the bottom after they've sprouted, this way you also have control over how much nutrients you're giving so the sprouts don't die from over fertilizing. So I think what you're suggesting is pretty bad advice, there are reasons why nobody uses your method, and it's not because nobody though of it in the 12000 years or so we've been doing agriculture.
@@daniel4647 Noted. TY!
@@daniel4647shush
I've tried a few things with great success and a few others with failures. I'd say that seed depth, moisture, and temperature are the most important factors here. You can also just use compost (sifted to remove large wood bits), peat moss, cotton, a napkin, or sawdust. As long as you keep them humid and warm (and preferably away from direct sun) they will sprout.
Careful with sifting it though as you may accidentally just get a bunch of clay soil
Direct sunlight was a positive for mine
Awesome information and very detailed. Thanks. I have 9 of 14 different pepper plants sprouted. But here in Mongolia its a challenge. Cold negative temperatures 🌡 and mostly all peppers must be grown indoors. Thanks for the information and help.
Wow! Might be the first person from Mongolia to comment. Hope your peppers do well this year!
My boyfriends mom worked as a help for elderly people and one day she brought home peppers from the garden of one of her clients. I deseeded them, used the peppers for cooking and dried the seeds. I put some in a little pot, watered once and forgot about it for a few months. I then planted a tiny cactus in there that I rescued (started getting mushy and all, it's fine now) and obviously watered it. A few days later they started sprouting and I thought it's from the cactus but no 🤣 I repotted the cactus but the peppers died off because I didn't have any room for them. Over the last year I started a form of pepper seed mix with sweet and spicy ones and when I make some room I will try germinating them again
I germinated 3 different variety of hot peppers in less than 24 hours. I clip the small tips off and soaked them in cups of water overnight. To my amazement most started germinating. My intent was to soak them then plant them. I never thought they would germinate. 😊
Wow, good stuff! Just revisiting this info, as I am about to plant my seeds in OCTOBER!!! Still starting the tomato seeds at Christmas, but this year, I am doing 'mater cuttings only - you guessed it - now. I use my water heater closet as the germination space, as it keeps everything close to 90F and DRY. Once they germinate, I'll turn the lights on. I know this sounds extreme, but here in Charlotte, this works perfectly for me. Thanks again, for all of your great info.
I germinate pepper seeds by putting them in the cabinet above my freezer, where the temperature hovers in the high 80s. Sometimes, I pre-sprout them on a coffee filter.
I took the leap last year for heavy duty trays-Where have these been my whole life? Yes, this year I got root air pruning cell packs from Bootstrap Farmer and they are also heavy duty and like them. No more cheap crappy trays.
I’m germinating pepper seeds in baggie with damp paper towel in covered drain tray domes on heat mat.. if the hibiscus seeds germinated in 2 days then it will definitely work for peppers.
Dude you did such a great job with this video! Awesome info, the format, the labeling of sections, I & from a marketing perspective & a potential buyer, I even really loved your affiliate product placement! Loved that you just went right into the helpful content, it made me want to keep watching. Appreciate you and I hope your good work continues to be rewarded!
GREAT JOB!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed how we put things together :)
This guy really is the best!
I live in Florida. I have had trouble germinating peppers. 88* outside feels like 103*F. I am trying some indoors in a wet paper towel in a plastic bag. I have given up on seed cells and trays. I am going to plant in wide pot and just transplant from there. It has worked for everything else.
I'm in Florida, too--Central Florida. I did everything right, but nothing happened. It was just so very hot I think it fried them (even though I kept them in dappled shade). I want to start some now for a fall planting, and I'm thinking I should put them in the Florida room this year. It's bright and sunny and warm, but not sweltering, because our rabbit lives there, and in the morning and evening we open the sliders and let her come in for playtime. I might toss some in the garden planter, too, just to see what happens. I read somewhere that bell peppers were tricky to germinate. The only thing is now we're getting torrential rain every afternoon, so I don't know if that will be too much moisture. Florida is not as easy to grow in as some think--it's often extremely hot, too dry, or too wet. 😂
@@loribragg2947 Hi Lori! Actually, I just sterilized 3 trays of 18 and I got 30 small peppers to germinate and are 3-6" tall now. I used starter soil and watered frequently it worked MUCH better in summer than Fall, Winter or Spring. Bell peppers need and love the heat. But here in FL watering daily is a must. I water 2x daily because I have them in containers. If it storms, God waters them for me. Don't listen to UA-camrs in other areas who say to water once per week or you will have dead plants. 🌞 So far so good. I have lost many during transplant before. Will see how this goes
@@pinschrunner Thanks for the imput. I tried again using the methods in this video, and it was a bust again. But I'm not sure if the seeds were viable (they sank in water, but still--nothing). It is so hot outside that even with watering our plants (even established plants from last spring) they seem stressed. The heat is so intense here in Citrus County that there is no dew in the morning--the heat evaporates it! I don't give up easily, and will keep trying, but it IS frustrating. We bought four bell pepper plants this past spring, and they did well at first, but now it's so hot they're only producing peppers the size of plums. 😬😂
@@loribragg2947 I got 30 out of 45 germinated and started. Carpenter/fire ants eating at and ruining my others. Peppers do well between 50-85*F
We are fortunate to live in Middle TN - the 4th rainiest area of the nation (I rarely have to use irrigation), temperatures warm-hot but not hellish and a lengthening growing season that is now April - Nov. thanks for the overwintering video - my peppers (and tomatoes!) are still living. I always plant esoteric types - mainly heirlooms. But this year, for the first time in 15 years, several packages (from my usual dealer) refused to germinate - not a single seed.
I have an entire room devoted to plants with shelving, heat mats, water access huge sheets of glass, etc but Marconi , Sweet Cubanella were a bust and only one (1) Corno di Toro. Oddly, Shishitos and Habanadas did fine. Same with tomatoes - Sweet Cherry, Krim, Oaxacan were a bust but Brown Sugar and Pimentos did fine. I noticed that for almost all that didn't germinate, I used a different seed soil. Could this be the case? I use tap or rain water - nothing special. Any hints? Going out of the country for a month but will be able to start seeds last week in March and with the long growing season I am starting to stagger plantings. Are there some heirlooms that germinate better? Thanks
It could be that the soil 1) retains too much moisture and the seeds rotted before they could germinate or 2) the soil is too coarse and either the roots couldn't make good contact with soil particles or the seedlings couldn't "get out" (were blocked by bigger pieces). Normally those are the reasons if the soil itself is the problem. Hope all the other seedlings are doing fine 🤞🏼☺️
@@mkpetersen1607 Thanks. I'm convinced its the soil - I tried to save a few pennies, I found a vid guaranteeing 99% germination. Incredibly a friend had followed something almost like this. It's long but not complex - seeds in fridge for days, black tea, soaking, wait times, sprinkling perlites, spraying daily, etc But he said it was just incredible.
used the black tea germination method, first year pepper grower!
Cheers! Good luck
Thanks for tips. Peppers are the one thing I struggle to germinate and normally get only 2 germinated. I end up buying plants from local nursery, but I continue to try.
Temperature, moisture and planting depth 👍🏻
Try vermiculite for a germinating medium. I use this in a small pint blueberry container and transplant out of it just as the first true leaf starts to pop as there is no or very little nutrients in vermiculite. I've never had consistent results with peat based seed starter with peppers. They grow in it just fine or seem to anyway. You can also fertilize in the vermiculite with a fertilizer at half strength to buy some time before putting the seedlings in individual pots.
Thanks for sharing these tips... I love growing peppers & am pretty successful at growing what I grow out of pepper plants, but I think i would be more successful with your technique of placing them on a heat mat, so thanks for sharing😊😊
Thanks for watching, hope that helps!
Awesome video, a challenging in Chicago. Weather always changes 😌
Hello, I used a moist paper towel and put ib the ziploc then i used bamboo paper plates to put the bags alsp covered it with paper towel I placed them on top of the satellite box for it is warm all the time. It works the tomatoes germinated in 3-4 days and the peppers germinated in 5 days make sure your seeds are vaible and new. Thank you for sharing. Subscribed
i'm growing willy chilis for the first time this year, so far so good.
We've got a plant too, also known as Peter pepper, right?
@@PepperGeek ye thats the ones, bit slow to germinate at first but they sprang into life at the same time as my reapers, im in the uk so theyre now in my greenhouse now, very warm here at the moment, so all good. love the channel
I had really great success germinating scorpion peppers in the dark! I got a bag of 28 seeds and germinated them in the cupboard where I keep my mini-freezer, and 26 of them germinated. Not sure what the temperature was in there, but the results were good.
Ok this video answers a bunch of my questions and addresses many of my issues in having with my seedlings. Thank you so much.
Nice walk through and super clean setup!
I’ve followed your germination tips and have had some good success. My habbys have sprouted and one even sprouted with three leaves at the very start, which kind of surprised me.
I put my starts in direct sunlight all day then brought them inside in the evening because the nights were in the 50s and they germinated faster than the papers that stayed outside.
Thanks for your videos, have been extremely helpful as i am new to gardening, but since i live in Miami Fl. many of the advises on timing about when to start seeds and when to plant them thereafter do not apply to me and i am sure to many more gardeners in this area, it would be very helpful if you could in a few words add some comments on the topics that afect this area which because of the blessings of mother nature we do not suffer the winters but have particular problems with the heat and humidity on this areas around us. Thanks in advance.
Thanks. Great info. Just ordered my heat mat while watching this video.
I buy a plastic shower curtain at the dollar store and lay it down to protect my work surface area. You can actually cut it in half and still have plenty of coverage.
Great idea.
That seed flat is insane!!
Heat mat is a must for starting seeds
We swear by ours!
Great information. Went from zone 5b to 4a so want to make sure my peppers get a great start this year. Have never used a heating mat. Subscribed.
I used a plastic bag with damp paper towel inside a domed tray on heat mat and hard hibiscus seeds sprouted in 2 days. Using that method for peppers as it worked great.
Little bit off the subject of growing peppers, but I had an idea you take cardboard box fold in both sides of the box. Put half the box into the ground. fill it all the way up to the top with potting mix.
Put the soil around the box and plate your pumpkins squash and zucchini in it the box. The box will decompose into the ground. and you won't have to worry about adding extra fertilizer etc.
Instant subscriber here! This will be my first year growing chillies. Thank you! 😃💗
serrano peppers are so abundant..i had hundreds of peppers from a few plants
Love my peppers and ,
Thanks for the teaching Sir and your Lady
Super hots can take over 1 month to sprout!
Thank you so much for these awesome videos!!
Glad you enjoyed :)
I am going to start a garden this summer I will grow pepers
I put the light about 4-5 inches above and works great.
That's great! For stronger LEDs, however, this can be too close. Depends on the wattage for sure.
i put my seed pot near heater and cover it seed germinate fast🌶
Very informative, best video I've seen yet.. ty
Put the whole mess inside a box, big enough for a few inches or air circulation all around, with a rack to lift the tray 2-3inches above the heating mat.(add some insulation over the top like a thick blanket) It will create a much more even heat, and be especially effective in colder homes where the heat mat may be overheating the bottom to keep up with heat loss while the top layer with the seeds may still be too cool. Of course it needs checked twice per day and I like to remove cell packs when they have just over 50% germination so they don't stretch for light.
Now I know what I did wrong! Great video thank you for sharing your knowledge
If you have a limited budget.. Buy the heating mat. Skip the special trays and soil. Seeds don't like to be cold...
I’ve seen mixed reviews about humidity domes. I’ve had success without them but it was much harder to keep the mix damp especially while using a heating mat. This year I plan to use them but needed an extra little nudge in that direction!
I like the tall humidity domes, they seem to need less fanning out, though they are bulky.
Great video thanks for sharing. Happy growing stay safe and peace ✌🏻
thx for the video, just planted 50 here in Plymouth Uk with tray on a heated matt. fingers crossed they work out
This was super informative , thanks!
Great to show us how to grow pepper
When I used 100% soil it took 3 days to sprout and in cocopeat it took me 20+ days. It’s better to use 80% soil and 20% compost and sand.
Thank you so much
Thank you for the quick and concise video. To show my appreciation, I used a couple of your affiliate links.
Thank you
Thanks man, good info
Best pepper videos out there !
Thanks for all the help and tips you guys 👊😎
Excellent video
Thank you for the detail!
You can always use yogurt cups just put some holes in the bottom.
This video is great
Interesting. I'm doing 16 varieties, at a minimum 3 of each and almost all are superhots but so far after 10 days only about 30% have germinated. I've never had it take this long so that's why I'm here and I did basically what you did so I guess its just a waiting game. A bit nerve wracking, most of mine are extremely rare and uncommon, so if they don't germinate there's no getting more and certainly not in time to grow them this year. Fingers crossed!
A well produced video throughly enjoyed it thank u
Thanks for the great tips!
Got me wanting to grow peppers now
success...😏
@@PepperGeek can I buy a few peppers 🌶 off of u
this is a great video and no over long crap
:) thank you
Bootstrap rocks !!
A ton of mumbo jumbo gunk! I'm growing peppers with standard potting mix, morning sun and regular watering... no problem! A container, light and soil with good drainage is all that's needed. Mother Nature will take care of the rest!
Hi, i'm a beginner and my first seedlings are a fact. But now i see that they close their first 'leaves' again, especially at night. Is this normal behaviour or because they don't have enough light? Thanks in advance!
Yes, that's normal behaviour for seedlings (late answer, lol)
Yep, it would be nice if they gave some low budget less high-tech options. I germinate in random plastic food container, and cover it with plastic wrap to keep moist.
I’m in zone 3a and I try and get mine started in early February
I use the paper towel method for my tabasco seeds, and the germination rate is 95%, but this works too
how long did it take to germinate? do you sowed them into the soil once you see a root tail?
@@ramz1455 I do tomato seeds directly in soil, peppers with the paper towel method. Most peppers with a heat mat and the paper towel method take 1-3 weeks to germinate (I have some padding between the mat and the bags the paper towels/seeds are in to avoid temperatures getting too high). I then put the sprouted (or mostly sprouted) seeds into soil in small compartments, still on the heat mat, and it takes another 1-3 weeks for them to come up and display their leaves. So 2-6 weeks total depending on variety and health of the seeds.
(Side note: just this year I started putting the heat mat on the same timer that controls my grow lights, and it seems superior to just running it all the time).
Overall the paper towel method is more work than just planting in soil, but it lets you know a lot sooner what seed is viable and lets you more carefully choose how many viable plants to put in each seed starting cell (and, thus better manage space in your pots down the road). I also work with a lot of saved seeds and seeds that are harder to germinate, so the paper towel method helps with that too, instead of having to wait up to 6 weeks to figure out a whole packet of seeds are duds.
@@davidniemi6553 Thank you David, I've switched to the paper towel method with peppers due to a loss of seedlings with damping off. Hopefully I'll get some seeds sprouted, thanks again. :)
Great video
My first seedling died because I pulled it before I saw this video. But it took me 3 days for the seedling to sprout
You had me at rocoto seeds....subscribed
Yesss!
I have great results with most “hot” peppers here. Bell peppers and that ilk don’t fare very well! We’re in centex and have a sandy/well enhanced soil type. Would love to do better with other peppers!
Excellent video, I'm starting Trinidad Scorpion and Ghost peppers, wish me luck ✌
Thanks for the video, I would have definitely ruined my seeds. I bought a few plants from Bonnie Plants and destroyed them, used too small of containers, over watered them and I got green habaneros...
Excellent video, great narration!
Thank you!
Thanks
Awesome and i have a question i planted my bell pepper yesterday and water them but today's the soil is still moist should i water them again or tomorrow?? Or if the soil is dry
nothing beats a moist paper towel in a plastic bag on a heat mat. i get seedlings in 3 to 4 days
I'm going to try this with a radiator
The part of the temperature machine is not for everyone... good for the ones that can jump into that.
Hi @Pepper Geek, I'm in zone 10b and just got my seeds in the mail (June 2022). Should I go through with germinating the seeds indoors or should I just put the seeds straight into the garden soil outside? It's really hot here and through your videos it looks like the indoor germination process is for climates where it freezes... it isn't freezing anytime soon where I live. Thanks for all your information!!!
Hm, it is worth a shot. I'm not exactly sure the best time of year to sow in 10b, but assuming it doesn't freeze you should be able to now. The seedlings will be vulnerable to pests, animals, and intense sun, so be sure to take care of them until they grow up a bit!
@@PepperGeek Thanks for the info!
Can you give some advice for watering after the initial planting and moistening?
Hi, sure! If you’re referring to before the seeds sprout, just keep the environment humid to avoid the seeds drying out. We spritz the surface of the soil daily about 5-6 sprays per seed cell. This helps avoid the surface drying out, especially if you have dry air. Once the seeds sprout, remove the humidity dome and keep the soil moist but not soggy. We bottom water every few days and pour out excess water from the basin after the soil has absorbed it.
Pepper Geek: Nice video. I've had multiple failures germinating bell pepper seeds, despite following a similar method, and using a heat mat. The past 2 years I've had a 100% failure rate, despite new, high quality seeds, and waiting over 5 weeks for germination! The only difference I notice is that I keep a light over my seeds from day 1, and you don't seem to put any light over yours prior to germination. Could this be why I'm not having germination? Desperate for answers. TIA!
Hmm..well the grow light isn’t necessary, but it shouldn’t hurt germination. The only other culprit I can think of are:
- planting too deep
- allowing surface of soil to dry out
- not enough oxygen, fan daily
As long as seeds have moisture, warmth and oxygen you will get good germination (with viable seeds, of course).
@@PepperGeek Thanks! Really a head-scratcher for me. I've successfully sprouted all kinds of other vegetable seeds, but the peppers won't pop.
A germination / seed saving question -- have you ever tried germinating seeds from frozen peppers? I've read it generally works and that freezing can preserve seeds for a long time. But the one pepper I intentionally tried germinating seeds from after being frozen failed to yield anything. Was that just bad luck or are special techniques or precautions necessary for frozen seeds? Related to this, I never notice any volunteer peppers in the spring, unlike tomatoes which readily provide volunteers every year.
We tried it this year with freshly-frozen rocoto peppers, but the seeds never sprouted. It could have been that we didn't dry the seeds before freezing, or that the rocotos simply take a long time to germinate. Seeds can be frozen, but they should be dried beforehand.
@@PepperGeek That's too bad -- I had hopes I could germinate seeds from peppers that had been frozen whole -- which certainly are not dried first. The variety I tried was a healthy straightforward C. Annuum, but I'll do another test or two to confirm.
Great stuff! Do you have a video dedicated to sowing from your own harvest? If that is even possible
It is definitely possible. We have a video about saving your own seeds from peppers, which is what we do with a lot of peppers each year. If you want, you can plant fresh seeds right away too.
I assume when you take the lid off you also remove them from the heating pad?
You did a good job.
hi, i always watch your videos, since im a chilli lover, now i decided to grow my own peppers, i ordered reaper seeds online, but i got scammed, they we're not reaper seeds, now i ordered pods this time to make sure they are really reaper😅 but it arrived late because of some event here in my place and roads we're blocked, now the reaper pods turns really bad, they smell awful, can i still plant those seeds? 😅
Thanks for sharing😁👌👌
As promised starting to watch ALL your videos omg that are a lot to go
Thank you this was helpful
Such a great & helpful video, thanks for sharing your passion & knowledge! One question, once the seeds have germinated & you've removed the heat dome, moved the trays under lights, do you leave the heat mat on, or turn it off completely thereafter? Thanks again!
What’s up with the thick string of lights in your kitchen? Dude, they make lights that look much better than what you’ve got going on back there. Great video btw. 💕
my country averages 30 deg celcius all year round. Can I just skip the indoor portion of this guide?
Wow, that's hot. Yes you can probably sow outdoors, but watch out for animals that like to nibble on young leaves. Also, 30C is fairly hot. You may want to consider planting in partial shade to keep the plants cool.