Hello, I'm new to planting and gardening, but I love cooking and have found peppers to be one of my favorite ingredients. A friend recently gave me dried Pepperoncini peppers that he got from Italy and told me they were easy to plant and maintain!
Unfortunately I'm not an avid gardener, and have the added bonus of living in Minneapolis. So after a bit of research, here are some of my remaining questions.
1) I've read that peppers respond well to loam based potting soils with a specific pH level, what soil would you recommend for sowing the seeds indoors?
2) The last typical frost in the Icebox of America is May 10th, about 75 days from today (2/23). Should I stick to the 70 day indoor starting period, meaning I'll be planting in the next week?
3) I live in a West facing townhouse with vaulted ceilings and skylights, which provide good midday sun. Does a sun plant need to be directly on a window sill, or can I get away with placing it on the ledge of my loft under a skylight to try to avoid the bone chilling cold that the window puts off?
4) Finally, what size pot should I use? I was going to throw a handful of seeds about a quarter inch down into the soil to increase my odds, is that the best idea?
Thanks in advance for all of your advice and help, I'm new to this, but hopefully I'll ease my way in to this exciting hobby!