Peppers are notoriously hard to get to germinate. Many a gardeners has wasted time waiting for seeds that never sprout. In this article, we will explain the 3 things peppers need to germinate, and show you exactly how we germinate our pepper seeds .You can follow along with us and we will give you tips to make sure your germination journey is successful.
3 Things Peppers Need To Germinate
- Moisture – this is why we store our seeds in a cool dark place. We don’t want them to be exposed to moisture and begin to germinate. Also, pepper seeds benefit from soaking overnight in a glass of water to. This softens up the outer shell and allows the seed to swell causing the shell to crack and the roots can come out. Peppers like to remain moist during the whole germination process.
- Oxygen – Make sure you are using a light and airy seed starting mix. Our mix is made up of peat, perlite, vermiculite, and our Nature’s Ale compost. The tender root of a freshly sprouted seed will grow much faster if it is given a seed starting mix with a lot of oxygen and that isn’t very heavy. That is also why we use perlite in our mix. It gives a nice place for air pockets to form.
- Warmth – Hot pepper seeds are adapted to the climates of Mexico and Central America, and as such, prefer warmer temperatures to germinate. Between 80*F and 90*F to be exact. This is much warmer than the average household or even the average plant room in the winter. For this reason it is highly recommended to use a heat mat for starting hot pepper seeds. They are super easy to use and are the biggest game changer for success.
The next biggest thing to think about is when should you be starting your pepper seeds for your climate. Hot peppers need 8 weeks before going outside and Super Hot peppers are even longer, taking 10 weeks from germination before being ready to transplant outside. Peppers take around 7-14 days to germinate (with some varieties even taking up to 28 days). Start by finding your last frost date and counting back 10 weeks for hot peppers and 12 weeks for super hot peppers. This is your ideal time to start seeds indoors. After you have found your optimal seed starting date, gather the supplies.
Seed Starting Supplies
- Seed starting trays, here we will be planing 2 seed trays full of peppers. You’ll want to choose a seed starting tray that is 3″-4″ deep to give those roots time to grow until it’s time to transplant outside.
- Pre-moistened seed starting mix – we use a mix of perlite, compost, vermiculite, and peat. You’ll see here it should be moist enough that when you squeeze it, no water drips out, but when you let go it still holds it’s shape. I did screen the compost before adding it to the seed starting mix, but as you can see a stick got in there. If you see anything like that then just pull it out.
- A sharpie, toothpicks, and masking tape for labeling your seedlings after planting.
- Our pepper seeds that soaked overnight. For this demonstration we will be using Cayenne peppers, Anehiem peppers, and Jalepeno peppers. (Get yours from our seed shop at www.naturesalellc.com/shop)
- You will also need a spray bottle (that’s not shown here) so that you can moisten the top of the soil after planting your hot pepper seeds.
Putting It All Together
First you’ll want to start by filling up your seed starting trays with your seed mix. Fill the cells up all the way and then pack it down with your thumb and forefinger until you feel just a bit of resistance. You don’t want to compact it all the way down but you will need to compress it a little or else the first time you water your soil will shrink down. As you can see I’m pressing down and trying to make it so that the soil is about 1/4″ down from the top of the seed starting tray. For this mix we used a ratio of 4 parts screened compost, 1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite, and 2 parts peat moss. Now, if you are making your own, be sure when you are mixing your seed starting mix up and get all the way down the the bottom of the container. Sometimes you’ll find dry spots or spots that aren’t mixed well in the bottom third of your mixing bucket because it can be hard to get all the way down there.
Now the best part, time to plant our seeds. These seeds have been soaking overnight in chamomile tea. You can use chamomile, ginger, turmeric, licorice, angellica, or really any herbs with strong antimicrobial properties. Soaking overnight in herbal tea (or water for that matter) helps to make sure there is no fungal or bacterial growth while they are sprouting since hot pepper seeds can take so long.. We are also soaking the seeds overnight to help loosen up the hard outer shell, allowing more moisture to enter the seed so it swells and the roots can break through easier. I am putting 3 seeds per tray, and that is to ensure that every cell has at least one successful hot pepper plant in it. Since we have such a long wait time, we don’t want to waste that time waiting on a cell with no viable seed. If multiple seeds that sprout per cell, we can make the choice to pull out the two weakest seedlings and keep the strongest one, or you can split the cell into three pieces and transplant all three plants into their own cells. The choice is really up to you. Here at Nature’s Ale, if multiple seeds germinate in a cell we simply clip off the weakest seedlings at the soil line and compost the plant matter. This way we don’t disturb the roots of the main plant.
Now just put a very thin layer of soil on top of the seeds and lightly pack it down. You don’t want them to be buried super deep. They do the best when they are between 1/4″ -1/2″ below the top of the soil. You won’t see it here, but after planting just lightly mist the top of the soil with water. You don’t want it to be soaking, but you want to make sure the seeds stay nice and moist and don’t dry out.
Next we are going to make the labels. This is a quick and easy way to make labels at home or on the fly if you need them. You just write the name of the seed on the masking tape and the date that your started germinating the seeds. Then rip off a piece of tape twice as long, wrap it around the toothpick, and fold the sides over so they stick to each other. Now just stick your labels into your seed tray and you are good to go.
Final Steps
Germination can take between 7-28 days depending on when they think it’s optimal conditions. Hot pepper seeds like to germinate when the soil temperature is at 80*-90* F during the daytime hours and 70*-80*F at night. They do not do well when temps drop below 60*F. Place your seed cell trays on a heat mat set at 80*F for starters. Cover your seeds with a humidity dome and check them every day after the first week for sprouts. During this time you will want to open the humidity dome once a day to make sure that the seeds and soil gets proper air flow. You’ll also want to make sure the seed starting mix stays moist until your seedlings sprout. If you notice the top of your seed starting mix starting to dry out, simply mist it agian with some water in a spray bottle. You can also choose to bottom water, but this can have a higher chance of making the soil wet and boggy if not monitored properly.
Once you see the first seeds starting to germinate, remove the humidity dome and place them under florescent lights for 12hr-16hr a day. During this time be sure to maintain daytime temperatures aound 70*F-80*F and nighttime temperatures no less that 60*. After 8 weeks (or 10 weeks for super hots), and all chance of frost has past, your pepper plants will be ready to transplant outside.