You are starting already? What region do you live in, Southern Mexico?

We wont be starting for months from now, although I dont have to 'start', as I'm growing mine as perennials in my greenhouse, so they are already started! I'll let them keep growing from year to year til they wont grow anymore!

Hi HighlanderNorth, I am in zone 7 and last season started in Feb and just want peppers sooner this season especially with my Ghost. That's nice that you have a greenhouse, I dream of having a professional size greenhouse.

Yes FINALLY!! I have not begun to sow but I received a few chile books this christmas and now my grow list for 2012 has doubled. I can't wait. I'm still looking for some organic aji amarillo seeds. (hit me up if you can assist).
BTW I have loads of seeds that I have harvested, dried in packets that I will mail for free to whoever is interested.
Just send an email to thepeppermeister@yahoo.com
I can offer the following free seeds:
B.A. Cayenne
Indian Cobra
Las Cruces (rare)
Big Jim
Limo (limited)

Here is a link that might be useful: Check out my chile pepper blog for recipes, tips and gardening info.

Yup, I've got a scorpion just beginning to peak out it's first leaves, my overwintered bhut is still going strong, the NuMex Halloween test plant I did in September is flowering nicely, and I just planted a kiwano (melon) today, just to see how it goes.

I won't be starting the bulk of my stuff until at least February, but having a few things ahead of the curve can't hurt. =D

Just an update, my Red Hab seeds sprouted roots 20 out of 25. Moved them from the ziplock bag and paper towel to soil now keeping them warm and waiting for the green seedling to poke through then move them under the lights. The others not so much with roots breaking out except some of the Bell pepper seeds have little root peaking out will leave a day or two then plant.

Good start Hab. I am beginning to get anxious. With the warm weather we are having this year up here, it makes it tough to hold back. Seems like spring is just around the corner.
Bruce

Hi Bruce, no ice fishing this year eh! Might as well get started on seeds then lol but at least you have your overwintered peppers to care for. How are the clippings doing besides the one that died? My one in water is going strong still no roots.

Mark

Mark:
I still have the two left. Both still have a couple leaves on them and they are still green. It almost seems like it would be faster to go the seed route. But I am really doing it as an experiment anyway so I am just going to let the go and see what happens. I also have my one bhut and two Hot Hung Wax plants that I am overwintering. So, I am not totally going cold turkey right now. I haven't ice fished for several years but if I was going this year, I would have to be really careful where I was going. There are lots of areas wide open that normally are quite safe by the time January comes around. I just hope they don't get this global warming thing fixed. I am looking forward to growing a coconut tree in my front yard pretty soon. :)
Bruce

Update, don't forget about your seeds on the DVR esp. Those that take longer to germinate. Forgot about my Bhuts and the paper towel dried out completely so did the seeds. Had to start over with the Bhuts.

Bruce I hope it turns out we all end up in zone 8/9 would be ideal, I would like a Mango tree in my yard :-)

Hey guys, I've mailed out a lot of seeds. I'm all out of the Cobra, Big Jim and Limo. But I still have more B.A. Cayenne, Las Cruces, and now organic Serrano chile.

Here is a link that might be useful: For more info on Peppermeister's 2012 Free Seeds Giveaway Click Here

Update; Red Hab seedlings with 1st set of true leaves, 1 Ristra Cayenne seedling came up, 1 Bell seedling, potted Bhut seeds that rooted. Thanks to Ottawapepper I now have a few Alma Paprika that rooted will pot them either tomorrow or Sat. Waiting on 7pot, Dragon Claw, Billy Goat, and Peppadew to root. Will try to post a pic over the weekend.

Pic update the larger seedlings are my Red Habs, smaller are the Ghost since I had to start over on them.

You guys are really making it tough for me to hold off on starting my seeds. I just know I won't be able to make it another two weeks.

So those Red Habs are about 3.5 weeks right now? They look nice and healthy.

Bruce

Mark:
By the way, my two clippings are still doing fine. However, I decided to remove the top of the plastic soda bottle the other day and within a half a day, they were looking very distressed. They really need that humidity it seems right now. Once I put the top back on, they came almost all the way back. I will let them go a while longer but then I will have to start easing them out of the enclosed ecosystem. I will crack open the top a little at a time. If they wind up dying, that is OK. But they need to get on with things or they won't be worth keeping around anyway.
Bruce

Hi Bruce

Yes 3.5 weeks, no special heat source just inside temp about 70 degrees lower at night. I keep the light inches from the seedlings to keep them from growing leggy. Interesting that your clippings need that humidity setup, at least in that setup you got roots and mine is doing nothing. I hope they survive for you.

Update on the 2012 season,

I had to give away about 16 seedlings because of space, the pics are what I have left.

The Alma Paprika are noticeably yellow compared to the rest in the pics.

This Hab I tried to graft onto but it failed, benefit is that its branched off into two and looks like it will turn bushy. I then clipped a Bhut for the same results.

All looking good plants there habajolokia. Well under way for the year.
Bruce

Beautiful plants. Can't wait until mine look like that.

I finally got my seeds started today! I feel like I'm behind already, LOL!

Yup, I planted a dozen bhuts a month ago because I was incredibly bored and antsy to get started. Didn't end too well (damping off, leggy, all the normal stuff for starting too early with too little sun).

But now its time to get serious. Got Bhuts, Butch T's, and Douglahs in a self watering starter tray under the good lights.

Bring it on!

97% germination this year! All came up within 4-10 days including Bhuts. I had 72 seeds in 36 cells, only 2 have not come up. I used a heat mat, and a controller set to 26C (79F) all under a dome in soilless potting mix under 2 T5H0's. I've culled down to 35 plants of various varieties. The two that didn't come up were in the same cell (hmm). Planted on Feb 10, I already have true leaves coming up.

Good start to the year.

Today will get up to 72 degrees, time to harden off, got these guys in morning sun don't want to burn or bake them, will pull inside before the afternoon, getting them ready for the spring and summer.

Peppers include, Bhut Jolokia, 7pot, Billy Goat, Dragon Claw, Red Hab, Ristra cayenne, Peppadew. Alma Paprika, and Green/Yellow bell.

Tonight's project re-pot!

with the nice weather you could probably leave them out longer, just make sure they are shaded from direct sunlight.
I put mine out today for the first time. Supposed to hit 80 in Central Wisconsin today and maybe tomorrow. I just put them under the shade of a tree where they will get a touch of mottled sunlight for the rest of the afternoon.
Bruce

Very nice!

Josh

Thanks Bruce and Josh, the taller ones did not do to well wind was a bit much should have had a fan indoors, the smaller ones are doing fine wind does not do much to them. Took the advice leaving them out longer. Brought the bigger ones in until I get better support for them chopsticks maybe.

Mark

Yes, Mark, I find that wind is a bigger issue that how much sunlight to give them while hardening off. A 6-12" plant that isn't used to the wind will be trashed by less than a 10mph wind. The trick is to find sunny warm days with little to no wind or find a spot that is well sheltered from the wind yet gets the right amount of sun exposure. A cardboard box is one solution. And as for support, check out bamboo skewers. There are dirt cheap and work great for plants up to about 10". They are about a foot long and you can get them at dollar stores, probably walmart and other places. maybe check the craft section at walmart. But you get about 30 for a buck. Once your plants get any bigger, you will probably need something more substantial. Your plants look just about the right size for the bamboo skewers.
Bruce.

Looks good!! I was also going to recommend bamboo skewers. I had to do that for several pepper / tomato plants last year. I think the skewers are a couple inches longer than most chopsticks, and they're plenty sturdy for the job. Well, at least the ones I bought are...there may be (probably are) different sized of skewers. :-) There's also safety in numbers..If you can get them close enough they will help support each other.

Update of a few of my favorites; more and more I am slowly introducing them to the wild outdoors!

Ristra Cayenne, exploded with growth not sure why it took off faster and better than the rest that were started at the same time but I cant complain except I had to break out my old plant bulb because it out grew my shoplights

This is what happens to a tiny seedling with 3 sets of true leaves then you attempt to graft and when it fails this was the outcome, better results IMHO this is a Red Hab

First time growing Billy Goat

Red Hab with flowers

My home made SWC project (peppadew pepper)

Did not want to spend too much time uploading all my peppers just too many pics, so selected a few of my favs.