too early to start pepper seed for the midwest?

[gixxerific]

I"m 5b west of St Louis. I can't remember when I started my peppers last year. I had a rough calendar I used a a guide. But I have Feb 14 and March 15 written down for starting pepper seeds.

[lily51]

Peppers take a while to germinatem, but then grow fast.
I think the hotter varieties take a bit longer.
Started my peppers too soon last year.
This year I'll be starting them in the greenhouseend of March/beginning of April.

[applestar]

So I checked my notes and I started the hot peppers 2/20 last year. They were up on 2/28. I only have a couple of pepper varieties to sow since I'm overwintering about 18 plants.... We'll see if they'll hit the ground running when I plant them out after it gets warm.

[gixxerific]

Thanks I just freed up some starter cells by potting up some spinach, Brussels sprouts etc. I think I will wait till next weekend.

[rainbowgardener]

I don't grow hot peppers, only bells, but I planted mine 3 weeks ago. They took almost two of those weeks to germinate, so are barely starting to get true leaves now. Plant already!

[sheeshshe]

I always wait till march 1st and the peppers always take FOREVER to come up. maybe I should start them now LOL if I only had soil....

[The Mad Hatter]

I started mine early January. I have since up potted twice and have them on a weekly feeding of a diluted fertilizer. Once I know the snow is gone for sure they will hit the raised beds and sit in the hoop houses. Should be able to get them out mid to late March I am hoping. I have hot peppers, bells, and tomatoes ready to go.

[img]https://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d118/Scooter6512/IMG_20110221_180503.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d118/Scooter6512/IMG_20110221_180444.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d118/Scooter6512/IMG_20110221_180455.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d118/Scooter6512/IMG_20110221_180529.jpg[/img]

These could have been started to early, but once inside the hoop houses we should be good to go till the over nights are warm enough.

T.M.H.

[gixxerific]

I don't grow hot peppers, only bells, but I planted mine 3 weeks ago. They took almost two of those weeks to germinate, so are barely starting to get true leaves now. Plant already!

Yes mam! I will thanks all again.

[Faayth]

Butting in here.

I planted bell peppers indoors on Feb 11. Everything else I planted at the same time has sprouted, but not the peppers. Should I expect to see sprouts soon, or should I start another pot?

[gixxerific]

Butting in here.

I planted bell peppers indoors on Feb 11. Everything else I planted at the same time has sprouted, but not the peppers. Should I expect to see sprouts soon, or should I start another pot?

Peppers normally take a little while to get going. Do you have heat under them that helps a lot. What are the "other" things you started?

[Halfway]

I put a batch of the superhots under the papertowels a couple days ago. The rest (Bell's, Jalapeno, Super Jalapeno etc) in about a week or so.

Seems I need more time for the super hots.

[tk421storm]

Are pepper plants more cold tolerant than tomatoes? I had thought they were both in the heat loving family that dies off with a cold snap. But now I see that everyone, even my fellow jersians are starting in February! Are they more cold tolerant than I thought?

[applestar]

Peppers need more warmth than tomatoes but they are slower to germinate and to grow. That's why you need to star them earlier -- by one to two weeks -- but will be hardening off and planting later by at least a week.

The pepper seeds also want more warmth to germinate and need to be coddled more to grow -- bottom heat helps a lot. As someone said, super hots seem to need even more on top of that, though I think some of the wilder strains are a bit more vigorous.

Conversely, at the opposite end of the extreme, some peppers can be sensitive to extreme heat and will shut down even before the tomatoes do. Again, hotter peppers seem to take the heat and drought better.

[gixxerific]

Are pepper plants more cold tolerant than tomatoes? I had thought they were both in the heat loving family that dies off with a cold snap. But now I see that everyone, even my fellow jersians are starting in February! Are they more cold tolerant than I thought?

Just to make sure everyone is on the same page here we are starting these indoors not outside.

[Father's Daughter]

I'm new at all this, so thanks for all the great information. Last year I decided very late to try peppers from seeds and only managed to get four tiny little peppers from the two plants before I had to pull them in September. The two Jalepeno plants I bought at Home Depot did great, but I'm trying to grow everything from seeds this year. I started the hot peppers 10 days ago, and they have just started to sprout. I planted the sweet ones last night. From what I'm reading here, it looks like I might have better timing this year!

[ThePepperSeed]

I started my hot peppers in late January, jalapenos started about a week ago. I'm in northern IL.

[applestar]

Wow that took a while! Approx 3 weeks then? Is this with bottom heat? Any idea as to the temperature? Also did you use a humidity cover?

[ThePepperSeed]

Wow that took a while! Approx 3 weeks then? Is this with bottom heat? Any idea as to the temperature? Also did you use a humidity cover?

germination for my super hots took 15 - 25 days and still have a few I'm waiting on. I sprout them in my basement in solo cups of potting soil. No heat pads and air temp in the mid 60's. I'm never in a hurry for them to sprout, I always start them very early

[gixxerific]

I just started some today.

[The Mad Hatter]

I am going to arrange some shelves this weekensld and move some pots around to he em off my heat able. Then I am starting some red habaneros, Roma tomatoes, pink brandywine tomatoes, bell peppers, Hungarian hit wax peppers, and some red jalapenos.

T.M.H.

[Faayth]

Butting in here.

I planted bell peppers indoors on Feb 11. Everything else I planted at the same time has sprouted, but not the peppers. Should I expect to see sprouts soon, or should I start another pot?

Peppers normally take a little while to get going. Do you have heat under them that helps a lot. What are the "other" things you started?

They sprouted over the weekend. No heat, I don't have much of a set-up right now. Just some pots in the window.

I planted carrots, cucumbers and several herbs at the same time I did the peppers.

[Halfway]

Wow, 4-5 days for the tepins and caribbean reds. Still awaiting the hot portugals.

Tepins and Reds were planned for 3 weeks or more, so now I am scrambling a bit.

Gonna be some bushy peppers when hardening!!

[wisconsingal]

I'm a bit surprised to see so many early starts for peppers. Assuming a late May/early June move to the garden for peppers, I'll be starting them mid-late March here in SE Wisconsin.

I have started them earlier in the past. This year a colder than average spring is predicted for the area so I decided to just hold back a while on peppers and tomatoes. I have limited space in the house, so for me there is no reason to rush into things.

I hope I'm making a good decision here.

[F0od]

Planted my Jalapeños in Arizona 3 weeks ago with tomatoes. They came up a few days after tomatoes. I don't keep track but it probably took a week. Gets 55-60 in my kitchen at night. I keep them in a plywood box with clear roofing as a top during the day. Can get 120 in there if I don't prop the lid open. I try to keep it around 80

[vermontkingdom]

I started my onion, leek and shallot seeds in early January and various cole and lettuce head seeds in early Feb. They are all doing great. I started 32 varieties of hot peppers and two varieties of eggplants this past weekend and tomato and sweet pepper seeds will be started at the end of March.

[aliall1]

Mine (the bell peppers anyway) finally sprouted. Still nothing from the Jalapenos yet.

[arisachu]

Mad Hatter,
Those are some beautiful plants you've got there. I'm jealous.

Also,
I just planted some banana peppers. Should I also be expecting a long germination time? I believe they have also been under some heat, but I'd have to check which container they were planted in to be certain.

[The Mad Hatter]

Mad Hatter,
Those are some beautiful plants you've got there. I'm jealous.

Also,
I just planted some banana peppers. Should I also be expecting a long germination time? I believe they have also been under some heat, but I'd have to check which container they were planted in to be certain.

Thanks for the compliments I appreciate it. I have some Caribbean reds, yellow hot wax, green bells, big boys, roma, jalapenos, and pink brandywines that are all sprouting now. Tomorrow I will start some more I think.

T.M.H.

[arisachu]

I wish I had more room to plant more/bigger plants like that.
[off-topic] It's funny, because I don't even really like vegetables (my bf will eat them and I'll probably give some away as friendly gifts, though I did promise my grandmother I'd eat the first ripe tomato), but I didn't want to plant flowers because I want to grow things with utility, I.e., ability to eat them. I'll eat some because I begrudgingly know that vegetables are so good for you, but I just am enjoying the creating life aspect of it all. Is anyone else as baffled as I am about how such big, beautiful, edible things can grow from such teeny-tiny seeds?

[rainbowgardener]

Is anyone else as baffled as I am about how such big, beautiful, edible things can grow from such teeny-tiny seeds?


YES!! Isn't it amazing... I think that's a lot of the reason why I have 16 running feet of lights in my basement and start 500 or so plants from seed every winter, most of which get given away and/or sold as a fund raiser for my church. I just love being part of the process.

Even now looking at my teeny-tiny tomato plants with their first pair of true leaves, it's hard to imagine that in just a few months they are going to be huge, thick stemmed and 6' tall!

[alaskagold]

rainbow, I just wish I had a basement to do what you do!

I have a lot of seeds planted. You guys are horrible at the itchy cabin fevered person. Oh spring, please come soon!

Most of my peppers have sprouted. Next year, I will be seeding in Jan.

[rainbowgardener]

Love basements! Our house would be so much more crowded and less useful without it. Our basement houses my seed starting operation, a tool/ work bench, a computer/desk (for the third computer), all the camping equipment, a chest freezer for the extra veggies, the collection of paint and supplies, crafting supplies, games, extra canned/paper goods, laundry sink for dirty clean up, my honey's immense collection of music equipment and instruments, exercise gear, a TV/lounge area, apt size frig and microwave for snacks with the TV (thus defeating the purpose of the exercise equipment! ) and a half bath. If we put a shower in, you could live down there!