Browsing the glogs, I've noticed there are a lot of popular propagation techniques floating around. Some are better suited for particular grows than others, and some work better for more stubborn varieties.
Last year I grew mostly in pots, but I started out with a 96 cell propagation tray and planted 1 or 2 seeds in each cell, culled the weaker of the two sprouts, and let them grow until they got their first set of true leaves, at which time it was time to move them outside. Unfortunately I must not hardened them off properly because most turned bright green when I placed them outside and went dormant or died. A handful of chiero roxa peppers survived, as did an orange habanero, but I had to buy starts from a nursery for most my crop last year. On the upside, my taste for jalapeños has increased 5 fold.
Now, I didn't have much trouble starting the seeds last year, managing the seedlings and hardening off seem to have stopped me short. Also, my space is a little more limited this year, but I have invested in a much better starting shelf, complete with 5000k cfl's and adjustable shelves. I'll post some pictures when I start my glog.
I'm planning my 2014 grow, and have yet to settle on a propagation technique. I am leaning toward sprouting seeds in ziplock bags and coffee filters like stickman did in his 2013 grow. I plan on growing a bunch of chinenses, and I know they take awhile, so I wanted to make sure every cell had a viable seedling in it, instead of wasting 3 weeks on a cell that's never going to sprout. At the same time, I'm a little dubious about changing things up given that I had a very good overall propagation rate last year. I was also thinking of using solo cups, but if I use some kind of square container I'll have space for more plants. I have a 12x8 foot garden plot, so I can handle a bunch of plants when I transplant, but only two shelves/cfl setups for propagation.
My list isn't done yet, but I am planning on growing a handful of nagas, bhuts, carolina reapers, habaneros, and four or five varieties of jalapeños. Also some poblano/anchos for stuffin'/grindin'.
What propagation techniques will you be using? What are the pros and cons of each technique in your experience? Do you soak first, and with what? What kinds of containers do you grow seedlings in?
Last year I grew mostly in pots, but I started out with a 96 cell propagation tray and planted 1 or 2 seeds in each cell, culled the weaker of the two sprouts, and let them grow until they got their first set of true leaves, at which time it was time to move them outside. Unfortunately I must not hardened them off properly because most turned bright green when I placed them outside and went dormant or died. A handful of chiero roxa peppers survived, as did an orange habanero, but I had to buy starts from a nursery for most my crop last year. On the upside, my taste for jalapeños has increased 5 fold.
Now, I didn't have much trouble starting the seeds last year, managing the seedlings and hardening off seem to have stopped me short. Also, my space is a little more limited this year, but I have invested in a much better starting shelf, complete with 5000k cfl's and adjustable shelves. I'll post some pictures when I start my glog.
I'm planning my 2014 grow, and have yet to settle on a propagation technique. I am leaning toward sprouting seeds in ziplock bags and coffee filters like stickman did in his 2013 grow. I plan on growing a bunch of chinenses, and I know they take awhile, so I wanted to make sure every cell had a viable seedling in it, instead of wasting 3 weeks on a cell that's never going to sprout. At the same time, I'm a little dubious about changing things up given that I had a very good overall propagation rate last year. I was also thinking of using solo cups, but if I use some kind of square container I'll have space for more plants. I have a 12x8 foot garden plot, so I can handle a bunch of plants when I transplant, but only two shelves/cfl setups for propagation.
My list isn't done yet, but I am planning on growing a handful of nagas, bhuts, carolina reapers, habaneros, and four or five varieties of jalapeños. Also some poblano/anchos for stuffin'/grindin'.
What propagation techniques will you be using? What are the pros and cons of each technique in your experience? Do you soak first, and with what? What kinds of containers do you grow seedlings in?
