Sweet Perennial Peper - Seed Starter with Ferry Morse

[Schila]

Hello

I planted on a seed started from Ferry Morse 12 pellets of Sweet Perennial Pepper, mostly known in my country as "Aji Dulce". It is a variety of the Capsicum Chinense related to the habanero pepper. This seeds took almost one (1) month to sprout up to this point. Who knows what to do next? Should I put them in a pot? Should I put them all together? If anyone has grown this before or habanero pepper or has used Ferry Morse seed starter, I would appreciate the information.

Here are the pictures

[url]https://www.myphotos.yahoo.com/s/215j3baet7i4lj7peor6[/url]

[digitS']

I am not going to be able to give you a useful answer, Schila, just wanted to try to clear some things up.

Habañero peppers have been in my garden and I started them from seed and grew them like any of my other peppers. However, this area doesn't have a long enough season for them to mature properly. So, I went back to my jalapeños, Thai hots, super chilis, etc.

Habaneros are one of those Capsicum chinense peppers. But, all peppers are really from America and, all are perennials even those called Capsicum annuum. They will survive winters if there is no frost and become bushes. I guess there was some confusion when they named these plants a few centuries ago.

My best guess, based on my limited experience with habañero, is that you can grow them just like other peppers.

Steve

[Schila]

Thank you Steve, but this is my first time growing anything that has to do with peppers. So I don't know what to do with these pellets. When do I transplant them to the ground? or should I put them in a pot until they are bigger?

[rainbowgardener]

To start with, if the seeds have sprouted, take the cover off them immediately!

For next time, peppers are very slow to sprout without warm soil, preferably bottom heat. I start mine on a heating pad. That way they take a week or so instead of a month. But even after that, peppers are slow growing. Start earlier. I start my pepper seeds in January or latest first of Feb.

But since you are in TX and have a long growing season, you may yet get some peppers.

Once you have the cover off, I'd leave them alone for a little while, being very careful not to over water. Bottom water only and not too much.

Once your plants have true leaves, I would get them out of the peat pellets. Put them in potting soil in plastic containers (can be drink cups, sour cream containers or anything as long as you put plenty of drainage holes in the bottom). The peat holds too much moisture, they do much better in plastic.

And what are you doing for light? They will need LOTS of light, very close to them. Browse around this section and find pictures of how people start seeds indoors.

[Schila]

Wow I sure have a lot to learn. I didn't know that about heating pad, but anyway I wouldn't have been able to use heating pad. Myhusband and I work and he doesn't like to leave anything plugged to an electrical outlet.
It sured took a long time to sprout.

[digitS']

You got some very good advise, Schila.

I don't use a heating pad either . . . well, sometimes for my back . . .

The top of the fridge may be a good place for starting pepper seed. It works okay for me. (Everything else does really good.) It is always about 70°F on the top of the fridge even if the house temperature is down around 60°, overnight.

About the only problem I have up there is not checking soon enuf and getting some stretching of seedlings looking for more light. I'm not even sure if checking them twice a day is even enuf. But, pepper seed take the longest to germinate for me.

Well, I've gone off on info that is of no immediate help again but you've got great suggestions from Rainbowgardener.

Steve

[soil]

like said most all peppers are perennial. ive had jalapenos that were 4 years old. bell peppers that lived to 3, lots of peppers that lived to 2 years of age.

this year I'm growing the manzano tree pepper(also the rocoto tree pepper), supposed to be hardy down to 23 or so degrees and can live up to 15 years.

[rainbowgardener]

Your husband is very cautious. I couldn't start seeds under those conditions at all. My seed starting operation is pictured here:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12209&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=120

I have two heating pads that are on 24 hrs a day in Feb and March and 16 fluorescent tubes that are on 16 hrs a day, all through the day when I am at work. I have done this for years with no problems.

Does he unplug the refrigerator when he goes to work too?

[Ferry-Morse]

Hi Schila.

You can transplant the plant still in the pellet into another pot with mix or soil or directly into the garden. When they do get ready to place them in the garden, be sure and harden off the plants by taking them outside a little while each day and increase the time outdoors until they are acclimated to the outdoor climate.

Thanks.

Hello

I planted on a seed started from Ferry Morse 12 pellets of Sweet Perennial Pepper, mostly known in my country as "Aji Dulce". It is a variety of the Capsicum Chinense related to the habanero pepper. This seeds took almost one (1) month to sprout up to this point. Who knows what to do next? Should I put them in a pot? Should I put them all together? If anyone has grown this before or habanero pepper or has used Ferry Morse seed starter, I would appreciate the information.

Here are the pictures

[url]https://www.myphotos.yahoo.com/s/215j3baet7i4lj7peor6[/url]

[applestar]

I grew 2 Aji Dulce plants last year -- my seeds came from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. They started out slower than other 6 or so varieties of hot and sweet peppers.

In my climate, it took them a while to start producing, too, but by the end of the season, they were very sturdy 3 ft x 3 ft plant and fruiting well.

Before frost arrived, I dug them up, trimmed 1/3 of the foliage, put the rootball in a plastic grocery bag and put them in my unheated garage under a stoplight. Before the garage temp got down to freezing, I trimmed down the branches to stubs, and brought them inside to overwinter. There is a thread called Winter Pepper Torture in which I posted details and photos.

I'm ready to plant them outside again.