When germinating, heat (or soil/medium heat) is the most important part of germination. You can have all the overhead light in the world, but it's useless if the soil/seed isn't hot enough.

Heck, light isn't really needed until the seeds emerge on the soil line...but it generally helps the top few mm of soil stay warm.

Heat is the difference from seeds emerging in a few days to a week...to taking weeks.

If you're overwintering any plants indoors, watch for Aphids and don't be afraid to prune the plants if they get stretchy. They respond really well to being pruned back regularly (they bush out more).

Don't try to eat a whole bhut.

Thankyou....Thankyou....Too late :)

Tim

...you dummy... :-)

If you can't afford a heat mat in your budget - ziplock bag, paper towel - place seeds on paper towel fold over then wet the towel fold and place into ziplock bag don't zip it shut, place on DVR. Works for me sprouted Bhuts, habs, 7pots this way.

Another method buy an aluminum disposable food tray with plastic lid (its like cheap starter green house except cheaper) place seedling pots with soil of choice, place seeds an dampen the soil place lid on top and set next to heat vent. You can put a few small holes in the lid to reduce the damping off fungus or mold. This has worked germinating Bhuts and habs.

Once seedlings sprout above soil then light source is needed. I use floro shop lights.

I prefer the first method over the second one.

Mark

For those that haven't found the hidden FAQ pages, there are some good ones.

Peppers
Growing from Seeds
Growing under Lights
Tips & Techniques

I agreed with Mark. Paper towel and zip lock plastic bags never failed the seeds germination according to my experiences. I tried both germination on the soil and paper towel. I got some ghost/umorok seeds from Australia. On 28th October 2012 I sowed 5 seeds. One of them I used pot soil and a small container and 4 seeds in the paper towel and zip lock plastic bags. Four of them Germinated one of them got a bit fungus but I think it can survive. My mistake was I locked the zip. Mark is right it must be unlocked. The seed on the soil is not yet germinating. I put the plastic bag on the marble windowsill, under the windowsill the room heater is there so most of the time it is warm. The windows get sunlight all the time whenever we got sunshine. Germination on paper towel is very easy to see the condition of the seeds but the soil a bit uneasy.

I am new container gardener, the first chilli plants I germinated were so funny. It were habanero chilli I took the seeds from the habanero I eat and a few days I kept it inside the refrigerator because I did not like to put anywhere so I used a small saucer and put it inside the refrigerator because it was the best place to keep it, I thought. Even the word germination I did not know before. I posted my story before here. One of my pot plants was died. I did not do anything else just I sowed the hab seeds and watered them. I forgot what I did until all those chilli seeds were sprouted. No regular watering, no special soil, no special care. Fortunately, 99.5% may be 100% :)seeds were germinated. Then it grew big and healthy and yielded fruits. I did not have any problems of aphids and did not use fertilizer NPK 3.1.4 (I use now). I did not give much attention until it was getting bigger and flowering. I'll upload the picture.

These 4ghost/umorok were germinated in zip lock plastic bag sowed on 28-10-2012. The bigger plants are yard long beans, I put together because it is on the time lapse video recording.

The seed I sowed on the soil, it is not yet germinating.

Unexpected germination, it was also my first time. These plants motivated me to become a container gardener, sounds funny :)

My second time germination method it was successful but paper towel is better for me.

The second time germination.

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion germinated in paper towel with zip lock plastic bag.

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.

Trinida Moruga Scorpion, germination paper towel. It grows very slow, ghost/umorok grow very fast for me.

Now I am germinating yellow habanero seeds from my kitchen :) may be not habanero but it looks like hab but hotter than the hab.

The seeds from my kitchen I am germinating in a zip lock plastic bag. It may be orange hab or Scotch bonnet. I think it tastes hotter than the hab.

Trick from ebay and tips from my account. I have bought this Trinidad Scorpion Butch T from ebay. I tried a few seeds to germinate in soil but failed. This time I am going to germinate in paper towel and zip lock plastic bag.

Germinating preparation 1.

Preparation 2.

Preparation 3.

Last step.

Anyone use the World Famous Tea Recipe for germination?

The water does all the work for "tea methods" as far as germinating.

The reasoning behind using the tea usually involves it's mild anti-fungal/bacterial properties, but for the most part it's believed to be minor to anecdotal at best. Some people swear by it, though.

This year I'm trying the KNO3 soak, soak the seeds in it for 24 hrs (per Grant at Junglerain) then plant, supposed to germinate in a week.
Pam

Chiliwin.....nice step by step with pics....thank you. DMF....that's some good info, I have a heat mat, so I think I'll stick with that. I've never tried the paper towel method, but I hear it's pretty effective.

Tim

Thank you Tim.

Caelian

Always my new seeds are germinated faster than the old seeds. The seed in the picture took 8 days to sprout.Paper towel germination methods is good for Small quantity seeds it is very easy to monitor the seeds I think. Sorry for the name I am not an expert, when it yields fruits I'll upload the pictures and you name the name of this plant.

When is the optimal time for me to start my seeds for growing for the 2013 Season?
HI y'all!!! Been awhile since I've talked to Ya!! Been trying to move but that has been a joke!!! What a mess!!! Haven't forgotten about my peppers though!!! :)

Seed starting depends on when you plan to put them into the ground and what plant size you want at time of transplant.

Myself, I do simple starts. I have mine ready to go into the ground by the 1st week of April and I grow my transplants to a small (by some standards) 3-4 leaf/node (not counting the "feeder" leaves) size. Doing it this way, I start germinating the last week of Feb, they're above the soil line the 1st week of March, and they're in the garden by the 1st week of April (weather permitting).

Some people like to grow their plants much bigger before transplanting, moving them up in containers as the roots outgrow the top growth. I'm not a fan of this given how long of a growing season we have here in central-NC. I'm getting harvestable green peppers in late May and ripe peppers by late June. Unless the weather plays dirty, I'm harvesting every week through early/mid-November.

I'm starting my superhots on New Years day. Last year I started my stuff in early March and my Butch T's didn't do anything but bloom by the Oct. frost. My Naga Morich plants produced but just barely. I figure Jan 1st is an easy day to remember. I have lights, both fluorescent and halide, so time indoors growing is fine.I germinate in soil on a heatmat. Last year was the 1st year I used a heat mat and I was impressed.I also use a thermostat controller set at 77deg.I've used the paper towel and bag method but I space them out and have a 1"-2" long leggy sprout before I remember or have time for them. If a person is watchful it's good so you can track progress but that's not me.

When is the optimal time for me to start my seeds for growing for the 2013 Season?
HI y'all!!! Been awhile since I've talked to Ya!! Been trying to move but that has been a joke!!! What a mess!!! Haven't forgotten about my peppers though!!! :)

Peppernovice, this was my rookie year too. Thanks to esox and a host of others on the forum I had a productive year. I learned from my readings and our forum veterans that heat for germination, close light distance and a mild blowing fan are important after seedlings are up enough to handle it. I opted to go with 2-3 gal. pots and I built a cart on wheels to accommodate 12 plants. Being able to move the plants in and out of inclement weather and take advantage of more sun I think was key. I'm even thinking of building another. This worked for me....just my humble two cents. I'm jacked for Feb./Mar. '13. Bill

When is the optimal time for me to start my seeds for growing for the 2013 Season?
HI y'all!!! Been awhile since I've talked to Ya!! Been trying to move but that has been a joke!!! What a mess!!! Haven't forgotten about my peppers though!!! :)

Tsheets is right about both the aphids and the prunning. Thank goodness. I am really bad about pruning my plants. But I've found in the GH that the aphids prefer the new growing tips of the pepper plants. I keep an eye on them and when aphids are spotted - I prune the top off of that plant and get it out of the GH. Its working great to keep the aphids under control and the plants to a reasonable size.

I guess it would apply to any plant....the best material I've found for tying plants to a stake is women's nylon stockings. A little goes a long way. Just rip or cut strips of the stocking long enough to loop around the stem and stake. No matter how small a piece you use, it retains its elasticity and doesn't cut into the plant at all. Been using them for years.

This post was edited by michelliot on Thu, Nov 29, 12 at 12:37

Women still wear nylons? (Oh, for the days of belts and garters!)

MsPeppaJo, at zone 7a I'd say right at the end of February, perhaps even a little earlier. Depends on how much light you can give them before you put them outside. Too little and they'll get leggy and might blow over.

Is there any advantage to sow seeds earlier for the next season? If I start from now, and when the climate is favorable for plants and move to outside. In fact I started germination since last few weeks and taking care of these young plants. Sometimes question coming up to my mind, am I wasting my time.

Think of it this way. You're learning how. If this crop doesn't work out, you have plenty of time to try again - maybe twice - before warm weather comes again.