Maryann
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 11:55 am
Location: Etna, CA

those cute little sweet peppers

I have yet to find starts or seeds for those peppers you find in the produce isle. red, orange, yellow ... I wa told that they are sterile but I am saving the seeds anyway. Can I just plant them wet or even attached to the inner membrain? I don't have to dry them do I? I am new and excited about this. I am doing raised beds with the mix from Square Foot Garden. I keep thinking of more and more that I want to grow, I have to be careful though, our growing season is just a bit over 90 days. Next year I am going to try the winter sow vegetables
anyway back to the peppers
any clue?
~maryann~

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rootsy
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Posts: 435
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 1:58 pm
Location: Litchfield, Michigan

I take it you are speaking of sweet bell peppers? Can't find seed or seedlings? Seedlings are a dime a dozen around here... actually 29 cents each after tax to buy from a local supplier (greenhouse) or about 18 cents each if I start em and raise them myself. Seed is pretty easy to find... at least online... maybe it is a regional issue where you are???

I just finished putting in my test plot for peppers to evaluate some different colored bell varieties for next year.. 60 or so... half a dozen different varieties.

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Pebbles
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Posts: 142
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:44 am
Location: Lancashire UK

Maryann

I am a novice at gardening. However, your question about the seeds from shop bought peppers is something that I experimented with back in March.

I think I bought orange or yellow peppers. I just took a handful of the seeds from inside (without the membrane) I didn't dry the seeds, I just planted them in a pot with some compost and left the on my window sill. 3 weeks later they sprouted.

They are now in separate pots in my greenhouse. They are around 3 inches high at the moment and doing well. I hope they continue to grow and produce fruit.

Hope that is of some help for you.

I did the same with a Kiwi fruit from the supermarket. (I know this is the veg forum but just wanted to let you know. I took the seeds out, didn't dry them and now I have 25 or so little kiwis growing.

It is so exciting all this experimentation.

Good luck.

TZ -OH6
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Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: Mid Ohio

I know the peppers you are talking about. They are not bell peppers, they are about the size and shape of a jumbo jalapenos. They are nearly seedless, possibly from hormone application, but the seeds they do have should be viable. I would let the seeds dry for a day or three and then put them on wet paper towel in a plastic bag to see if they sprout. As soon as they sprout (about a week should do it if the seeds are good) put them in a small pot of potting mix.

They are probably three different hybrids and may not turn out exactly like what you ate.

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BrianSkilton
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Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:59 pm
Location: South Dakota

Save the seeds, don't listen to people that say they don't work. I've saved loads of pepper seeds from the grocery store and they all grew lovely plants with...some have started to produce little peppers. If they where saved from a hybrid you don't exactly know what parent the pepper plant will produce, but you never know you could get a very good tasting pepper from seeds saved from a hybrid. In fact the seeds saved from the store did better then the seeds you can buy, go figure. Anyway yes I would dry them, not unless your going to plant them right away. I still would dry them. Scrape all the seeds into a paper towel fold it up and leave it for a few days or a week. Then take a metal food saver dish with lid, fill it with dirt, get a heating pad (one that stays on and doesn't shut off in an hour) place it under the food saver/heater. OR just put the seeds in a warm place to germinate. Hope that helps a little.



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