potted peppers

[veynom]

Hi. I'm new to gardening and decided to grow a variety of plants on my small balcony in containers. While the other plants have already started to sprout, I noticed that my peppers have yet to show any signs of life. How long does it usually take from the time of planting until I can see some green-like activity sprouting? I live in the desert of southern utah, and I've heard that peppers thrive well in hot climates. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

edit: spelling

[Roger]

Hi there! Some of my peppers have taken as long as three weeks to germinate; some sooner, depending on the variety and the local conditions. I wouldn't worry too much until a couple of weeks have passed and they still havn't sprouted.

[Franco]

It took my friend over a month for his to sprout. We're 16 and he's not the brightest or most responsible kid ever so there could be some reasoning behind the late germination.

[veynom]

Is it better to cover the starter containers, I.e. the egg-carton like pods used for growing starters, with like plastic or say, a milk jug to keep them warm? I've heard by covering them with something like saran wrap that it reduces the amount of waterings per day you have to do. Is this true?

[sungirl]

I covered a tray of tomato seedlings one year with saran wrap and it seemed to produce a greenhouse effect of sorts in that it was protected from the elements, kept relatively warm and yes, I watered less because the wrap kept the soil moist. I pulled the plastic wrap back off the edge of the tray to exposure the seedlings to direct sunlight to stimulate growth. It was a successful year!
I have also protected plants in general with coverings depending on the expected weather. I found it did help alot especially for a rainstorm or if we were expecting a cold spell for a few days.