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Gary350
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

Has anyone Germinated Pepper seeds in Warm Water

It has been too cold and wet for pepper seeds planted in the garden to germinate & grow. Now I put seeds in jars of 100° water to see if they germinate, has anyone done this? Water will cool down to room temperature in a few hours I hope seeds grow. If seeds sprouts I will plant them directly in the garden.

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applestar
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Peppers want to be less wet when germinating. Sometimes I’ve had pepper seeds that won’t sprout for over 3 weeks but sprout after I’ve given up on them and allowed them to nearly dry out.

They like temperatures in at least high 70’s and up to low 90’s to germinate. It does help to soak them first like you have, but now try draining them and putting them in barely moist medium — moistened sand, toilet paper, cheap paper napkin — avoid strong paper towels or cotton ball etc fibrous material that the roots and sprouts can get tangled up in.

Something that will keep the humidity and moisture in — Small Ziplock parts bag works, pill boxes, etc. (need to open and let them breathe once a day or so, and open a gap after first one germinates (one method I use is to stick one or two drinking straws into the container from a gap)

And put them on or in a device that can maintain the desired temperature range 24/7 — yogurt culturing or bread dough proofing box are ideal.

I’ve tried something similar in a bucket with aquarium water heater — this almost worked except the zip bags I was using didn’t keep the seal and let the water deep in, making … the seeds too wet. Some of them sprouted but others never recovers (except for a few that … yeah sprouted after they had nearly dried out in the discard pile)

Once the root grows, you have until the sprout loop emerges and the leaves try to open to plant the sprouted seeds in potting mix, OR carefully manage the moisture level and keep in bright enough location for the seed leaves to open and green up — you can still plant them like this but no later.

imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Most pepper seeds will germinate as long at the temperature is at least 68 degrees at night. They don't like it colder. Very hot peppers that come from India and the Caribbean want it closer to 80.

I do soak pepper seeds overnight in water, but I don't warm it.

For hard to germinate seeds, gibberelic acid or potassium nitrate to help seeds germinate faster.

Use mask, eye protection and avoid getting powder on your skin.

I only had to do this for fatali which is ridiculously hard to germinate. Everything else works fine if you have the patience to wait until the weather warms up.

https://pepperseeds.ca/index.php?route= ... ation_id=7

pepperhead212
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Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

I wouldn't try to germinate any seeds submerged in water constantly, but I do soak pepper seeds in saltpeter solution solution overnight. And always in warmth - either the strips of vermiculite tray I sprout them in, or those petri dishes, placed on a layer of moistened PT, which can also be done on spoons, in a ziploc. I always keep them at 85-90°, as the hot peppers much prefer the heat.



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