To save pepper seeds, choose fully ripened peppers to ensure they are fully developed and mature. Water your pepper plants 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) a week, using inches or centimeters as an indicator. Place the seeds in a bowl of cool water and gently swishing them around with your hands. If you need to water the seeds daily, add a mini greenhouse lid or humidity dome to the seed tray to trap in moisture and keep the environment warm.
When saving seeds from peppers for next year, it is recommended to clean them first to remove non-viable seeds. A small fine mesh strainer can be used to do this. This guide covers everything from the best method to use, when to start, and planting instructions, to germination time. Pepper seedlings need consistent watering, but they do not like wet soil. Always water from the bottom, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings but keeping it moist. Provide light as soon as they germinate.
Soak the seeds in a cup of water for 8 to 10 hours, then use a wet paper towel to baggy the root until it pops and the root is about 1/8 – 1/4in long. Water them when the soil feels dry at the top but is still moist when you stick a finger in to the first knuckle. They do well in containers and can be watered every two to three days in hot and dry conditions. In cooler and more humid climates, water intervals can be extended.
In general, pepper plants should be watered about once per week and allowed to thoroughly drain. Watering plants in inches or centimeters only indicates how much rainwater would need to accumulate in a container.
📹 Watering Pepper Plants – When To Water (And When Not To) – In Depth Guide
In this video, we discuss the process of watering peppers. Watering is a tricky topic, because it will be different for each grower.
📹 Germinating Pepper Seeds FAST – How To Plant Pepper Seeds
Every year, we grow dozens of different pepper varieties from seed. In this video, I’ll show you how to germinate pepper seeds fast …
I germinated mine with good soil from my garden, in a paper egg carton, I used morning and afternoon sunlight to keep them warm, and took them in at night, it took a week here to see the first seedling pop-up, I like to keep things simple. Thanks for showing the technical Gadget way of doing things:-)
This is something I’ve never tried until this year. I was at Walmart buying Bell Pepper seeds ($1.90 for 30 seeds). I need a Bell Pepper from produce (.74 cents for 80+ seeds and we ate the pepper) I planted the packaged seeds and the produce seeds to see if they would germinate, they did! They germinated at the same rate and in the same starter tray using potting soil without a heat mat. We’ve also germinated 24 Cherokee Purple Tomato plants from a produce tomato. They are usually $3.50 each if you buy the plant. I understand hybrid seeds may not germinate but I haven’t run into that scenario yet. Hope this helps someone.
Starting seeds for the first time. Everything has come up. I planted in mid-March, zone 5A. I planted in 3″ pots right off because I don’t need a zillion plants and it will save a transplant and will give the plants plenty of room to grow. I grow in my basement and use a mat. Works fine. One thing I did was in my three in inch pots I did 3/4 of wicked good potting soil and 1/4 starter mix on the top. That way once the plants start rooting they will be encourged to grow down to get to the good soil. Try it and thank me later.
I’ve tried a few things with great success and a few others with failures. I’d say that seed depth, moisture, and temperature are the most important factors here. You can also just use compost (sifted to remove large wood bits), peat moss, cotton, a napkin, or sawdust. As long as you keep them humid and warm (and preferably away from direct sun) they will sprout.
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Wow, good stuff! Just revisiting this info, as I am about to plant my seeds in OCTOBER!!! Still starting the tomato seeds at Christmas, but this year, I am doing ‘mater cuttings only – you guessed it – now. I use my water heater closet as the germination space, as it keeps everything close to 90F and DRY. Once they germinate, I’ll turn the lights on. I know this sounds extreme, but here in Charlotte, this works perfectly for me. Thanks again, for all of your great info.
Hello, I used a moist paper towel and put ib the ziploc then i used bamboo paper plates to put the bags alsp covered it with paper towel I placed them on top of the satellite box for it is warm all the time. It works the tomatoes germinated in 3-4 days and the peppers germinated in 5 days make sure your seeds are vaible and new. Thank you for sharing. Subscribed
Thanks for your articles, have been extremely helpful as i am new to gardening, but since i live in Miami Fl. many of the advises on timing about when to start seeds and when to plant them thereafter do not apply to me and i am sure to many more gardeners in this area, it would be very helpful if you could in a few words add some comments on the topics that afect this area which because of the blessings of mother nature we do not suffer the winters but have particular problems with the heat and humidity on this areas around us. Thanks in advance.
We are fortunate to live in Middle TN – the 4th rainiest area of the nation (I rarely have to use irrigation), temperatures warm-hot but not hellish and a lengthening growing season that is now April – Nov. thanks for the overwintering article – my peppers (and tomatoes!) are still living. I always plant esoteric types – mainly heirlooms. But this year, for the first time in 15 years, several packages (from my usual dealer) refused to germinate – not a single seed. I have an entire room devoted to plants with shelving, heat mats, water access huge sheets of glass, etc but Marconi, Sweet Cubanella were a bust and only one Corno di Toro. Oddly, Shishitos and Habanadas did fine. Same with tomatoes – Sweet Cherry, Krim, Oaxacan were a bust but Brown Sugar and Pimentos did fine. I noticed that for almost all that didn’t germinate, I used a different seed soil. Could this be the case? I use tap or rain water – nothing special. Any hints? Going out of the country for a month but will be able to start seeds last week in March and with the long growing season I am starting to stagger plantings. Are there some heirlooms that germinate better? Thanks
I took the leap last year for heavy duty trays—Where have these been my whole life? Yes, this year I got root air pruning cell packs from Bootstrap Farmer and they are also heavy duty and like them. No more cheap crappy trays. I’m germinating pepper seeds in baggie with damp paper towel in covered drain tray domes on heat mat.. if the hibiscus seeds germinated in 2 days then it will definitely work for peppers.
My boyfriends mom worked as a help for elderly people and one day she brought home peppers from the garden of one of her clients. I deseeded them, used the peppers for cooking and dried the seeds. I put some in a little pot, watered once and forgot about it for a few months. I then planted a tiny cactus in there that I rescued (started getting mushy and all, it’s fine now) and obviously watered it. A few days later they started sprouting and I thought it’s from the cactus but no 🤣 I repotted the cactus but the peppers died off because I didn’t have any room for them. Over the last year I started a form of pepper seed mix with sweet and spicy ones and when I make some room I will try germinating them again
Little bit off the subject of growing peppers, but I had an idea you take cardboard box fold in both sides of the box. Put half the box into the ground. fill it all the way up to the top with potting mix. Put the soil around the box and plate your pumpkins squash and zucchini in it the box. The box will decompose into the ground. and you won’t have to worry about adding extra fertilizer etc.
Hi @Pepper Geek, I’m in zone 10b and just got my seeds in the mail (June 2022). Should I go through with germinating the seeds indoors or should I just put the seeds straight into the garden soil outside? It’s really hot here and through your articles it looks like the indoor germination process is for climates where it freezes… it isn’t freezing anytime soon where I live. Thanks for all your information!!!
A germination / seed saving question — have you ever tried germinating seeds from frozen peppers? I’ve read it generally works and that freezing can preserve seeds for a long time. But the one pepper I intentionally tried germinating seeds from after being frozen failed to yield anything. Was that just bad luck or are special techniques or precautions necessary for frozen seeds? Related to this, I never notice any volunteer peppers in the spring, unlike tomatoes which readily provide volunteers every year.
Interesting. I’m doing 16 varieties, at a minimum 3 of each and almost all are superhots but so far after 10 days only about 30% have germinated. I’ve never had it take this long so that’s why I’m here and I did basically what you did so I guess its just a waiting game. A bit nerve wracking, most of mine are extremely rare and uncommon, so if they don’t germinate there’s no getting more and certainly not in time to grow them this year. Fingers crossed!
hi, i always watch your articles, since im a chilli lover, now i decided to grow my own peppers, i ordered reaper seeds online, but i got scammed, they we’re not reaper seeds, now i ordered pods this time to make sure they are really reaper😅 but it arrived late because of some event here in my place and roads we’re blocked, now the reaper pods turns really bad, they smell awful, can i still plant those seeds? 😅
Pepper Geek: Nice article. I’ve had multiple failures germinating bell pepper seeds, despite following a similar method, and using a heat mat. The past 2 years I’ve had a 100% failure rate, despite new, high quality seeds, and waiting over 5 weeks for germination! The only difference I notice is that I keep a light over my seeds from day 1, and you don’t seem to put any light over yours prior to germination. Could this be why I’m not having germination? Desperate for answers. TIA!
Put the whole mess inside a box, big enough for a few inches or air circulation all around, with a rack to lift the tray 2-3inches above the heating mat.(add some insulation over the top like a thick blanket) It will create a much more even heat, and be especially effective in colder homes where the heat mat may be overheating the bottom to keep up with heat loss while the top layer with the seeds may still be too cool. Of course it needs checked twice per day and I like to remove cell packs when they have just over 50% germination so they don’t stretch for light.
Hey there, new subscriber here🤩 .I just started to sow my pepper seeds (banana & chili pepper) . I live here in Northern Sweden & we have 6-7 snowy months. I used to live in FL USA so I never start my seeds indoor. My question is, do I need a light for my seeds while germinating them? It’s pretty cold by the window sill even though it’s insulated window. We have floor heating on the floor and the warmest part of the house is the bathroom. Is it possible to put my tray on the floor covered with the dome without light and let it be there until they sprout? Please advise. Thanks.
Love the article guys…I have a question??? My seedlings are about 3 weeks old, true leaves just came in…I have them in a dome n on a heat mat still, vents open on dome… I’ve been removing the dome for about 20 min each day..but the leaves shrivel and curl inward every time… small fan is on them also… I’m worried about taking the dome off full time? Also want to transplant but worry they will shrivel?? Any thoughts??
thank you for the article! I have been growing hot peppers for the second year. some seeds have already begun to germinate and I realized that I do not fully understand at what exact point they need to be removed from the lid and put under the lamp: at the stage when the loop just appeared or after the cotyledon leaves are straightened? or somewhere in between? please share your experience.
I really like the top of the fridge idea, even though that won’t necessarily work in my situation. I have another heat source that will do about as well. Is there any other sort of thing like this that you suggest? Maybe a 100 watt incandescent at 8 inches or something like that? (I’m okay with the math, I’ll figure that out, just wondering if anyone has experience) Cool website here, in the opinion of a complete noob to all this. I’ll be around. ✌😎
I just sowed over 140 seeds today mild and super hot peppers, and I forgot to scarify the seeds before sowing them. It would be much too much work to dig out 144 seeds out of the soil so I sprayed the seedling starter with diluted black tea water which is what I have always used to successfully scarify my seeds. Will this be safe for my seedlings and the soil?
My heat mat is not as nice as yours — it doesn’t regulate to a specific temperature, but it does work well for pepper and tomato germination. This year, I tried a new trick that seems to actually speed up germination — I put the mat on the same timer I use for the grow lights. Has anyone else tried this?
If anyone is reading this is it necessary to have a seedling heating mat because I live in a tropical country where the temps are around 24° Celsius to 30° Celsius on an average day and can sometimes reach 37° Celsius or 75 °F to 98 °F and I’m growing bell peppers and habanero hope someone can reply because the last time I tried growing habaneros not one even sprouted😢
So glad my little home is so hot all the time. I never need seed mats and even in the dead of winter- (bc I live in the REAL, “Upstate, NY”) 20 miles NORTH of the Adirondack Mountains- put it this way, I’m less than a 20 min walk, to Canada & a 20 min ride to Walmart- if I stand on my moms front porch & chuck a rock in the “North” direction- I’ll hit a Canadian Border Patrol Agent in the forehead. The Roxham road is less than 1/2 mile from my Mom’s front steps! “Upstate, NY’s” REAL “Upstate” doesn’t start until you pass the brown “Adirondack Park” sign on I-87, between exit 21 and 22. If you’re 10 mins outside Albany, 15 mins outside NYC, its NOT “Upstate”, people. If you break down, and you tell a tow company your “Upstate”- REGARDLESS of where YOU said, the term “Upstate”, is used for a specific area. The tow company will head STRAIGHT for I-87, which is always NORTH/or\\WEST of where you REALLY are. It’ll save you a $1,500+ EXTRA- from the tow company being sent in the wrong direction! Thats an extra $1,5000- in YOUR pocket, IF you get out of the habit of calling “Malta”, “Glens Falls”, “Cooperstown” or “Boonville”- “Upstate”. Its NOT and you look quite silly. Rochester & Syracuse- are called “upstate” by those who 👀 where it is, on a map. Theres also a VERY, very big diff in landscape. Once you go through the Adirondack Mountains, you’ll know/see what I mean.