Well, you've a good solid 6 months to get educated and prepared for the 2014 pepper growing season. If you're wanting to do some gardening this year check out things to grow like lettuce, greens, cole crops, possibly beets, and other cool weather crops over on the Vegetable Growing forum. I wouldn't worry too much about the chiles this year, it's over already.

Ha! I am allergic to lettuce so I think I will stay away from growing it. I figured I had missed the pepper growing season, but if I can gain some advice, knowledge, and insight from some of the other pepper growers on here maybe I can be ready for next season. Plus if there is anything I may need to buy then maybe I can put it on my Christmas list...

Again, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Brandon, you will most likely need lights. 4 foot flourecent shop lights are fine. I would also recommend a heat mat. You can start them without it if you need to, but it makes things much easier. As for seeds, don't buy any, decide what you're interested in and let me know. Chances are i can send you it for free. I would say Dorset Naga and 7 pot yellow are probbaly the easiest superhots to grow, out of all the ones i grow, you can bet that every year, the dorset is the firs to turn red. Email me any questions you have anytime. John

Stick around here for good info on growing peppers.

There are also a few members that have great grow blogs (do they call those glogs?) and youtube channels.

Most folks start their seeds indoors in Jan/Feb under lights and transfer the seedlings outdoors in the Spring.

Look at the Hot Pepper FAQs under Gardening FAQs above. Will you be growing in-ground or in containers?

Great! Thanks for the info guys, and I will definitely take you up on the seed offer scorpion_john! Looks like I am going to get a lot of help on here and by this time next year will be enjoying some superhots!

I would think that growing Hot Peppers is a specialty branch out from general gardening. So, I would recommend to get your hands dirty with general gardening, that may include a few peppers. For a newbie, you need to know the 101 of soil composition and chemistry, fertilizers, direct planting, watering, ...
If you know how to grow from seed in the garden, then it will be easier to start inside, under light, on heat mat, which is a tying to duplicate the nature the best you can.

I would probably be trying to grow peppers in pots on my deck due to some of the varmints in the area. They seem to be much more hesitant to approach the house.

Lots of folks grow peppers in pots.

Seems the general consensus is that larger pots are better, with 5 gallon buckets being about the smallest recommended size. Some more experienced folks grow in smaller containers, but for a newbie I'd use at least a 5 gallon bucket (larger tote boxes might even be better)