Sunburn-too much light probably.
How many hours are your lights on?

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Hi Smoke, 8-10 hrs, I am used to sunburn leaves white from the sun. Now that you mentioned it I did one day forget to turn off the light so it was on for 24+ hrs. Guess that one time was all it took, did not think shop lights would burn. Willard thanks for the info.

By the way all the red Habs are the same age, the brown pots are pressed peat based ummmm wonder why those seedling are not doing as well. No more peat pots that's for sure.

Mark

habjolokia:
seems all the seedlings on the outsides are stunted compared to the row in the middle. I would rotate their positions so that each row gets a turn on the inside. My guess is that your have a long floro shop light and the outsides do not get enough of the light.

Hi esox;

The Bhuts are about 2 2 1/2 weeks behind due to me forgetting about the Bhuts in the ziplock bag and they dried out and had to start over. They are altogether for the pic it's usually 1 row of Bhuts and 1 row of Habs. Last season same thing with those pots and slow growth, I just thought it was me being a noob to growing peppers, but same results so will not use them. I did rotate but for some reason the Bhuts grow towards the regular light and reach for it over the plant grow light so I rotated them under the regular light and they grow straight up. Habs favor the plant grow light. I tested some Bhut seedlings by putting in the middle and they favored the reg one. I also have Ristra cayenne, Alma paprika, Billy Goat, and Bell pepper seedlings under the same light doing great and not in peat pots. I watch the rest and if they favor one or the other i move them under that light. You are correct shop light 48" I keep seedling pots in rows of two. As always I appreciate your response as well as all the others.

When will you get started? I enjoyed your 2011 blog and seed germination blog.

Habajolika:
I will start this next week. I plan to do another blog for this year as well. I do it mostly for my own benefit so that I can go back and see how things happened earlier and how I dealt with them and it is a great way to compare progress from one season to another. I am starting a couple weeks later this year as my plants were pretty big and getting tough to deal with in the weeks before I was able to put them out in the spring for good. It seems the more time they spend indoors with artificial conditions, the more problems that occur. Plus they start to take up a whole lot of room when I get them to the 1 gallon pots. I may have to go with an additional shop light this year. The link to my 2012 blog is posted below but there is nothing in it right now. I will make my first post when I finally plant my seeds in a few days.

I appreciate that you enjoyed last year's blog and hope you enjoy this year's. Take care and good luck with your season this year. By the way, where are you located?
Bruce

Here is a link that might be useful: Bruce's 2012 grow blog

Smokemaster:
I didn't realize that plants could get sunburn from artificial lights. I assumed it might not be good to leave lights on around the clock but I never considered that it might cause sun burn. Hmmmm, seems like I learn something new off this forum every day.
Bruce

Oh, sorry Habajokia: that link on my previous post was wrong. The correct one is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bruce's 2012 grow blog

Hi Bruce, thanks I hope you have a great growing season as well. I am in zone 7 in MD. Though I have been to WI, I have some family in the country Luck WI, and MN have family also. Been ice fishing and tended to the cows with my brothers lol not something I could do daily. They love hunting and fishing!

Mark

Bruce, I retract my statement above, I pondered what you said and then put my Bhuts in the middle what a difference it made, thanks for that tip I will now continue to rotate them once a week.

Ha, I am the pepper god. Any further pepper advice will be charged at the rate of 6 seeds per hour.
Bruce

Ha ha ha lol would you take any seeds? It would be worth your advice if I could pay with Kung Pao seeds as it seems there's about 40 per pod!

Bruce, I re-read my post and I must be tired, and the wording did not come out as it sounded in my head as I typed it. What I ment to say it would be awesome if I could pay in Kung Pao seeds 40 per pod at your rate of 6 seeds per hour. But in all seriousness thanks for your advice as I know you and a few others have been very successful growing and harvesting peppers that give great advice Greenman! Smoke! Thanks all! Hopefully I can join the elite!

Mark

Yah, Greenman & Smoke. I have harvested tons of advice from both of them. Without them and lots of others on this list, I would still be thinking there were only about 5 varieties of peppers in the world and Spider Mites was a soon to be released SCIFI movie.

Oh, and I dont get out of bed for less than 13 Kung Poa seeds per hour. Dried and packaged, keep the pod.
Bruce

Here is a link that might be useful: My 2012 grow blog for anyone interested

esox07: "I would still be thinking there were only about 5 varieties of peppers in the world and Spider Mites was a soon to be released SCIFI movie."

That would be scarey as he!$ I would have nightmares for sure haha!!!!

Hey, habajolokia: Did you ever determine the true cause of the darkening on your seedling leaves. I have quite a bit of that going on mine. I am also experiencing premature drop of the seedling leaves so I am wondering if lighting has something to do with it. I might just take my peppers up to the bay window on the next sunny day and give them a shot of real sunlight. Tomorrow might work. Partly to mostly cloudy skies should be a good way to ease them into some real sunlight. I am getting anxious with my seed leaves dropping early. The interesting thing is that it seems the plants that are having the problems with seed leaves dropping are the ones less affected with the dark coloring. Here is a photo.

Hi Bruce,

The only reason I found was that I forgot to turn off the lights and the long exposure to the lights caused my leaves to turn, they were on for 24+ hours when this happened to some of my plants. I run my lights between 13 and 16 hours, after the initial problem of too much light exposure it's not affected any others. Hope this helps

Mark

I am on a 16-8 schedule. I may tone mine down a bit. What type bulbs are you using. I am running three shop lights with 2 bulbs each for a total of six daylight 40W, 6500K bulbs.
Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Two 40W bulbs T-12. One is a Ecolux plant grow light 1900 Lumens. The other is a Westpointe, F40/universal/WP, cool white, 3,150 Initial & 2,860 Mean Lumens.

Mark

I have a grow lux and a wide spectrum I may put into the mix. That would still leave me with plenty of the 6500K light and would allow the other two bulbs to cover some of the lower spectrum. But right now, they are getting the real deal. I have them in my front window which will provide them with about three hours of glass filtered direct sun. I will watch them for signs of wilting especially since I am letting them get much dryer between waterings.
Bruce

Sounds good, I would add them, since you have 3 light sets IMHO. I hope the exposure to the sun gets them back on track.

Mark

Esox, your peppers need a small amount of nitrogen and potassium. The temperature is too cold for them and they are having problems with nutrient uptake.

DarJones

I was watering with Dyna-gro 9-3-6 at about 1/2 tsp per gallon. Some were saying that is causing problems so I have stopped. Temps are upper 60's. I have heat mats but was told they were no longer needed after they sprouted.
Bruce

Forgot about your mats. They'll help in the drying process.