Okay, so I've had trouble germinating pepper seeds this year, my second year growing. Last year I had great success. I did not really know what I was doing, so I watered the tray with the Jiffy Pellets, put my seeds in, put them on a heat mat, and 8 days later, everything was up. I added no additional water, as I just let the greenhouse do it's thing.
Fast forward to this year - I am not as smart as I thought. I figured I would keep the pellets a little extra moist, maybe fearing that I would dry them out and it would kill my seeds. I had terrible success through two runs of germination. After 27 days on my first run, 70% of the pellets had germinated, but at a germination rate of only 53%. After 17 days on the second run, 42% of the pellets have germinated, at a germination rate of 44%. I soaked the pellets throughly on these runs, and top sprayed every day. Seeds were from four distributors, so seed viability was thrown out as an issue.
Fast forward to now. I decided I would set up four small 12 pellet trays. Three with peat pellets and one with miracle grow potting soil. One tray would be on top of the water heater, one on top of the freezer, one of top of the Hydrofarm heating pad. The miracle grow tray was also on the Hydrofarm heating pad.
With the first two big runs I had, I was not able to germinate a single Orange Blaze bell or Aji Dulce #2 seed.
For control, I placed one seed to a pellet. Each tray contained three Orange Blaze, three Aji Dulce #2, three Cubanelle seeds fresh from Wal-Mart, and some cactus seeds.
I used just barely enough water to fluff the pellets, careful not to drench them. I have not added additional water to any tray.
I have Orange Blaze hooks in each pot containing peat pellets. I have Aji Dulce seeds with radicles in every pot with peat pellets.
There is no germination at this point in the Miracle Gro tray, which does not have a similar greenhouse effect of the peat pellet trays.
Conclusion - Too much water inhibits oxygen transfer through the soil, preventing germination.
Fast forward to this year - I am not as smart as I thought. I figured I would keep the pellets a little extra moist, maybe fearing that I would dry them out and it would kill my seeds. I had terrible success through two runs of germination. After 27 days on my first run, 70% of the pellets had germinated, but at a germination rate of only 53%. After 17 days on the second run, 42% of the pellets have germinated, at a germination rate of 44%. I soaked the pellets throughly on these runs, and top sprayed every day. Seeds were from four distributors, so seed viability was thrown out as an issue.
Fast forward to now. I decided I would set up four small 12 pellet trays. Three with peat pellets and one with miracle grow potting soil. One tray would be on top of the water heater, one on top of the freezer, one of top of the Hydrofarm heating pad. The miracle grow tray was also on the Hydrofarm heating pad.
With the first two big runs I had, I was not able to germinate a single Orange Blaze bell or Aji Dulce #2 seed.
For control, I placed one seed to a pellet. Each tray contained three Orange Blaze, three Aji Dulce #2, three Cubanelle seeds fresh from Wal-Mart, and some cactus seeds.
I used just barely enough water to fluff the pellets, careful not to drench them. I have not added additional water to any tray.
I have Orange Blaze hooks in each pot containing peat pellets. I have Aji Dulce seeds with radicles in every pot with peat pellets.
There is no germination at this point in the Miracle Gro tray, which does not have a similar greenhouse effect of the peat pellet trays.
Conclusion - Too much water inhibits oxygen transfer through the soil, preventing germination.
