Procrastination pays off!!!

I started some pepper seeds about a month ago. I used seeds from a Habanero and a Bell pepper from the grocery store. In the past I have always germinated the seeds in the soil, Miracle Grow Seed starting mix. I have had very poor success with Habaneros in the past so this time I placed the seed on paper towel, wet it, folded it and placed them in a zip lock bag which I put in my heated seed starter. The seed starter is a heat mat in a domed 72 cell box, from Canadian Tire, it keeps the temp right around 25c, about 80 degrees.

The Bell peppers took off, 39 of the 40 germinated in 4 days. The Habeneros did nothing.....for weeks. Then after about 20 days 3 showed a tap root. I planted them and one did very well the other two died off, probably too dry. The rest I left, for about another two weeks. When I checked them another five had germinated and three of them had sprouted, shed their seed pod completely. This now seems to be a decent technique as in the past I have had trouble with the seed pod shedding. The only down side was the tap root on one of them had worked it's way into the paper towel and was damaged. On the few that have come up recently I have left a tag of paper attach when planting to avoid root damage, seems to work great.

The difference between the two peppers is amazing, the Bell peppers are flourishing, 3" tall and the Habaneros are just starting to set the first true leaves.

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