For pepper seeds, warmer soil temperatures mean faster, and better, germination. These flat, waterproof, electric mats are placed under newly seeded containers or trays and raise the soil temperature about 10 to 15 degrees above room temperature. One of the most critical tips for starting pepper seeds is to spend the $20 to $30 needed to buy a heat mat. Do not reuse seed-starting potting soil and do not mix it with garden soil or even compost prior to use. Select a high-quality, peat-based, sterile potting soil formulated specifically for seed starting and you’ll have the most success starting peppers from seed. Peppers are prone to damping off and botrytis, two fungal diseases that can wipe out a tray of seedlings in short order. You can also purchase new trays and flats each year. I use a 10 percent bleach solution (9 parts water to 1 part bleach) to kill any pathogens clinging to my seeding flats and nursery trays before using them to grow new seeds each season. Though it’s tempting to reuse seeding flats from year to year, don’t do it, unless you sanitize them first. If you don’t use timers, there’s a good chance you’ll forget to turn the lights on and off as necessary. Use automatic timers so the lights run for 18-20 hours per day. Raise and lower the shop lights so the bulbs are constantly two to three inches above the plant tops. As far as tips for starting pepper seeds goes, buying a few shop lights fitted with fluorescent tubes and hanging them from the ceiling on adjustable chains will do wonders. A sunny windowsill will do just fine for most other garden seeds, but pepper seeds grow much better with a closer, more intense source of light. Though you don’t need a special grow light to start peppers from seed, you should have a supplemental light source of some kind. That will give the plants two to three weeks to germinate, followed by a good two months to grow before moving them outdoors. Start sowing pepper seeds about 10 to 12 weeks before the last expected spring frost for your region. Peppers are one seed that you’ll want to start a bit earlier than other garden plants. ![]() ![]() Sometimes it takes two or three weeks for them to poke out of the soil. Unlike some other flower and vegetable varieties whose seeds germinate just a few days after planting, peppers take a good bit longer. ![]() Today we share 12 tips for starting pepper seeds to put you on the road to success. Peppers, whether hot or sweet, can prove challenging to some gardeners. While marigolds, tomatoes and basil are among the easiest, others require a bit more finesse. But, not all plants are easy to start from seed. Seed starting allows you to grow dozens of plants from seed for the same price as buying a handful of them from a garden center. Though you do need a few pieces of equipment, after a small initial investment, you can use those tools for many years. Starting your own garden seeds isn’t hard, nor is it expensive.
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