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thepassionatecook
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Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:58 am
Location: NJ

Starting Habaneros from Seed Indoors

Hi everyone!

I sowed a couple habanero seeds in a few starter cells with a humidity dome. I used organic potting mix with a tiny bit of hydrolyzed fish fertilizer and kept them in total darkness at 80-85 F. One seed sprouted in 7 days and other in 11 days. The 7-day sprout is about 6-cm tall, totally white with a seed top, no foliage and standing straight up. The 11-day sprout is the same, but obviously shorter at 3-cm. They both kind of look like bean sprouts in Chinese food.

After they sprouted, I set the seedlings under two high output 54-watt fluorescent bulbs that should emit the necessary light my plants need. It is currently 13 days and I notice slight greening near both seed heads. I'm happy they're turning green, but it bothers me that my seedlings have no foliage and are so white with no apparent changes other than slight greening. They haven't even broken off the seed head yet...is this normal for habaneros?
Last edited by thepassionatecook on Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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

You had dud seeds. Even in the dark, healthy sprouted seeds should be able to push off the seed coat and expand the cotyledon leaves within the first 12-24 hours of breaking the soil surface. You should apply light the day the seeds start to break the soil surface to keep them from gettnig leggy. The light will make them turn from yellow to green (some people freak when they wke up to yellow sprouts coming out of the soil.


Here is what I do to sprout rare pepper seeds so that I do not waste good potting soil and space under lights waiting for seeds that may or may not sprout. Fold over several layers of toilet paper to make a thick pillow for the seeds, place this in a covered container such as a plastic clamshell deli container cookies are sold in, covered pie plate, dish covered with plastic wrap etc. Wet the paper to saturation/soggy and place the seeds on top. Place container in a warmish area (75F or higher). I generaly see sprouts for good seed begin/maximize at 5-6 days, but stubborn seeds may take two weeks or more). Once you see the root split the seed coat, transfer to your starter soil about a half inch deep (pencil point deep). It takes another 3-5 days for the sprout to emerge from the soil.


Toilet paper is more absorbent than paper toweling and hugs the seeds so that when the container gets bumped they don't slide into each other. there is enough water present that you do not have to do a presoak, and there is plenty of oxygen (because the seeds are sitting on top) so germination is not inhibited. I have never bothered to keep the seeds in total darkness while they are sprouting.

a0c8c
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Location: Austin, TX

Waiting to get the light over head is definately why they'yre white and leggy. They though they were still covered in dirt(because of the darkness). I'm not sure about duds, but TZ appears to be knowledgable in the field of peppers.

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thepassionatecook
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Posts: 35
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:58 am
Location: NJ

Thanks for your replies.

I hope they're not duds...they seem strong and one already pryed off its seed head. Very leggy though! My fault... I was away when the seeds sprouted and didn't get to put them under lights immediately.



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