So we got our order in and have 20 seeds of each coming. They should be here in the next couple of days or so. A concern I have is it being late in the year and haven't even gotten these things in soil yet. But gonna do that immediately after they arrive. Any thoughts on this and the Alabama location would be appreciated. And advice on the best way to germinate.. My wife has already started her gardening seeds in several of these little greenhouse starter kits. Are these sufficient to use for these pepper seeds?
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pics Got these coming
- Thread starter Runaway
- Start date
Welp I knew I was probably late but now I'm starting to see I may be way too late. 
. As recently as Saturday it never even crossed my mind to get some seeds and start some superhots. Didn't realize they take way longer than other veggies. Well it's too late to cry about it now. Guess I need advice and help to get these things up and going the best way and as fast as I can...
. As recently as Saturday it never even crossed my mind to get some seeds and start some superhots. Didn't realize they take way longer than other veggies. Well it's too late to cry about it now. Guess I need advice and help to get these things up and going the best way and as fast as I can...
Also, with some luck, autumn/winter is relatively mild and your growing season is a bit longer... Forecasts predict the return of La Niña later this year - I don't know how that affects Alabama and, well, it's a forecast, not a fact.
Assume that your season ends around your first frost date, and go from there. Also, superhots generally take longer to get ripe pods than say an Early Jalapeno, so bear that in mind too.
With that said, I like to use a seed starter mix (Miracle Gro seed starter mix works fine) on a heat mat for germination. But the peat pellets in your picture should work fine too. The idea with the heat mat is to keep the soil at around 80 degrees for germination. The warmth seems to speed germination up a little. You can also attach a thermostat to ensure it doesn't get too warm if you like.
With that said, I like to use a seed starter mix (Miracle Gro seed starter mix works fine) on a heat mat for germination. But the peat pellets in your picture should work fine too. The idea with the heat mat is to keep the soil at around 80 degrees for germination. The warmth seems to speed germination up a little. You can also attach a thermostat to ensure it doesn't get too warm if you like.
Downriver
eXtreme
Welp I knew I was probably late but now I'm starting to see I may be way too late.
Naw, it's never too late to grow peppers
. A quick guesstament timeline:3/24 - seeds in the dirt
6/01 - plants in the ground
9/01 - picking first pods
11/01 - overrun with pods
See? Plenty of time, before Alabama first frost, to get pods.
Advice - K.I.S.S.
- soak seeds in lukewarm water for a few hours before planting (helps to rehydrate the seeds a little quicker)
- use the pellets. Plant 2-3 seeds in each pellet. (have your son figure out a method of tracking the seed from planting in the pellet to planting in the ground. You want to keep track of who's what...or not. The pods will tell you, eventually, lol)
- keep moist, but not soggy
- keep warm (around 80F), with plastic cover on UNTIL the seeds sprout. Then, remove dome, and turn on the grow lights for 16hr a day.
- Once the first or second set of true leaves appear, transplant to a bigger container (like a solo cup). The first little leafy things you see are not true leaves. Don't count those. If more than 1 seedling sprouted in the pellet, now is the time to thin down to the one that's strongest looking.
- keep watered, but not soaking. Don't be afraid to let them dry out a little before watering. Too damp will kill them.
- feed them a diluted fertilizer every once in a while.
- in 6-8 weeks, plant outside
- keep them watered, especially in that AL heat
- in 90-120 days, pick ripe pods and figure out what to do with them
See? Piece a cake!
If you wanna read about one person's experience growing peppers in Southern Alabama, you might want to read @DWB's growlog located HERE.
Good luck to you guys. Start a Grow Log (Glogs Forum), and ask questions. Somebody will be along and help.
P.S. - This is just my opinions. YMMV
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Thanks so much for the detailed instructions! I really appreciate it.Naw, it's never too late to grow peppers
3/24 - seeds in the dirt
6/01 - plants in the ground
9/01 - picking first pods
11/01 - overrun with pods
See? Plenty of time, before Alabama first frost, to get pods.
Advice - K.I.S.S.
- soak seeds in lukewarm water for a few hours before planting (helps to rehydrate the seeds a little quicker)
- use the pellets. Plant 2-3 seeds in each pellet. (have your son figure out a method of tracking the seed from planting in the pellet to planting in the ground. You want to keep track of who's what...or not. The pods will tell you, eventually, lol)
- keep moist, but not soggy
- keep warm (around 80F), with plastic cover on UNTIL the seeds sprout. Then, remove dome, and turn on the grow lights for 16hr a day.
- Once the first or second set of true leaves appear, transplant to a bigger container (like a solo cup). The first little leafy things you see are not true leaves. Don't count those. If more than 1 seedling sprouted in the pellet, now is the time to thin down to the one that's strongest looking.
- keep watered, but not soaking. Don't be afraid to let them dry out a little before watering. Too damp will kill them.
- feed them a diluted fertilizer every once in a while.
- in 6-8 weeks, plant outside
- keep them watered, especially in that AL heat
- in 90-120 days, pick ripe pods and figure out what to do with them
See? Piece a cake!
If you wanna read about one person's experience growing peppers in Southern Alabama, you might want to read @DWB's growlog located HERE.
Good luck to you guys. Start a Grow Log (Glogs Forum), and ask questions. Somebody will be along and help.
P.S. - This is just my opinions. YMMV
HellfireFarm
eXtreme Business
I use potassium nitrate for my soak, typically overnight. Others use hydrogen peroxide. However you go (even plain water), soaking will definitely help speed germination.
It looks like you're about the same zone as me. I usually have a couple months of good production before first frost. If you get them started well, you should have enough time to get a decent harvest.
As for the suggested timeline, one caveat I would add: the "in the ground" date is definitely not a solid date - if they're big enough to transplant sooner, then do it. Time to harvest is usually counted from transplant, not starting.
It looks like you're about the same zone as me. I usually have a couple months of good production before first frost. If you get them started well, you should have enough time to get a decent harvest.
As for the suggested timeline, one caveat I would add: the "in the ground" date is definitely not a solid date - if they're big enough to transplant sooner, then do it. Time to harvest is usually counted from transplant, not starting.
I understand!! Yeah, transplanting anything usually disrupts it for a spell... Thanks for the input..
Early enough Runaway! Plant as soon as you can. You will get your harvest. Dont get impatient or lose hope. We plant, water and fertilize and God makes it grow.
Greetings from Argentina.
Not always, you can up your odds of continuous growth with proper soil temps @ transplanting.
Also this has worked for us, for long time.
Not necessarily! A few things that I do that have reduced transplant shock in my plants (and it seems to keep them from breaking stride in growth):
First, I let them get lightly root-bound before transplanting, and when transplanting, make sure the soil is on the dryer side. Doing this means that the root ball will come out as one solid mass with the soil, reducing the pulling on (and possible tearing of) delicate roots. I'd personally rather wait the extra time to make sure that the plant is ready to be transplanted vs. getting it into the ground earlier.
Second, make sure the plant is completely hardened off to outside conditions before transplanting. IOW they should have been acclimated to full sun, breezy conditions, etc. before being put in their permanent spot. When you transplant, it's best to transplant on an overcast day (or in the evening if there are no overcast days in the forecast).
Third, add some worm castings in the hole that you're transplanting into, and water in with a light kelp solution. Both of these contain nutrients that offset transplant shock.
Good luck with them, and remember not to stress and just enjoy the journey! I've been growing for over 20 years and still experience mistakes, frustration, setbacks, etc., but when you get that first ripe pod of the season, all of that other stuff disappears real quick.
Keep us posted!
This seems like some very good instruction! Thank you so much!
My pleasure! Looking forward to seeing the pics of your pods!