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growing up north
- Thread starter papadaca
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In northern Ohio here. "Best time" depends on a number of factors that are unique to each grower. Let's start with the number of plants - are you only growing one of each kind? If so, you won't have a space issue before plant-out time arrives. However, if you are growing a large number (again, it's relative), you will have to consider how much space and light you really have for them. Part of the consideration in this is also your personal goal(s) in growing.
Space - let's say you are going to grow 50 plants. The space needed to germinate 50 isn't much; often someone in an apartment can germinate this many. However, if you start 50 in, say, Jiffy pellets in January, you're going to get to a point where you need to move them into larger containers. Often the container of choice is the large Solo cups (with holes cut for drainage.) This works well for most people, and 50 plants is still manageable at this size for most of us. But now consider if they start outgrowing the solo cups and need to be moved to 1-gallon containers before plant out. Do you have room for 50 of these, especially if you have an exceptionally long cold spell?
Light - easy enough to keep light on 50 seedlings in Jiffy pellets, still not too hard in Solo cups, but what about once they get moved to larger containers? And keep in mind you need to keep a fan on them while they're indoors. This helps strengthen the stems and also helps prevent soil fungus (like damping off) from growing. Do you have a very sunny area where all the plants fit or will you need to use artificial light? How many lights (and the additional electricity cost) are you prepared to get and set up?
Goals - If all you're trying to do is get them to maybe half a foot tall before plant out, no problem for most people. You can always keep the temperature in the grow space rather cool to help slow growth, or just start them later (like March or April). But if you want them to get big and possibly even start budding/flowering/producing before plant out, you could even start them now, though you'll have the space and light questions to answer.
Space - let's say you are going to grow 50 plants. The space needed to germinate 50 isn't much; often someone in an apartment can germinate this many. However, if you start 50 in, say, Jiffy pellets in January, you're going to get to a point where you need to move them into larger containers. Often the container of choice is the large Solo cups (with holes cut for drainage.) This works well for most people, and 50 plants is still manageable at this size for most of us. But now consider if they start outgrowing the solo cups and need to be moved to 1-gallon containers before plant out. Do you have room for 50 of these, especially if you have an exceptionally long cold spell?
Light - easy enough to keep light on 50 seedlings in Jiffy pellets, still not too hard in Solo cups, but what about once they get moved to larger containers? And keep in mind you need to keep a fan on them while they're indoors. This helps strengthen the stems and also helps prevent soil fungus (like damping off) from growing. Do you have a very sunny area where all the plants fit or will you need to use artificial light? How many lights (and the additional electricity cost) are you prepared to get and set up?
Goals - If all you're trying to do is get them to maybe half a foot tall before plant out, no problem for most people. You can always keep the temperature in the grow space rather cool to help slow growth, or just start them later (like March or April). But if you want them to get big and possibly even start budding/flowering/producing before plant out, you could even start them now, though you'll have the space and light questions to answer.
I'm new to pepper culture, and unfamiliar with Indiana's climate, but had an important lesson last summer: however well your plants actually grow in that climate, they will not set fruit (pollinate successfully) till night-time minimum temperatures get above 60 -- 65°F.
Fruit-set will also cease when daytime temperatures exceed about 90°F, or so.
Different species have slightly different temps. I've read that night-time temps above 75°F will also prevent fruit-set.
Annuums seem more tolerant than chinenses, at least regarding night chills. For other species, research where you can -- or consult another forum member... as i said, i'm a newbie here.
I was almost completely scuttled this year, on Vancouver Island (Canada) by this problem. We didn't get warm enough nights till about Aug. 1st... my annual net harvest was 1 -- count 'em, one -- lonely ghost pepper.
I can offer you a reassurance: Indiana has warmer nights, sooner in the year, than we do.
Coldframes and other solutions might help. Planting against a masonry or brick wall, facing south, might be enough. A wall of a wood frame building will not be sufficient, as it is not a good heat-sink.
Consulting your new state's agricultural or weather databases might tell you how early in the season you can expect successful fruit-set.
Fruit-set will also cease when daytime temperatures exceed about 90°F, or so.
Different species have slightly different temps. I've read that night-time temps above 75°F will also prevent fruit-set.
Annuums seem more tolerant than chinenses, at least regarding night chills. For other species, research where you can -- or consult another forum member... as i said, i'm a newbie here.
I was almost completely scuttled this year, on Vancouver Island (Canada) by this problem. We didn't get warm enough nights till about Aug. 1st... my annual net harvest was 1 -- count 'em, one -- lonely ghost pepper.
I can offer you a reassurance: Indiana has warmer nights, sooner in the year, than we do.
Coldframes and other solutions might help. Planting against a masonry or brick wall, facing south, might be enough. A wall of a wood frame building will not be sufficient, as it is not a good heat-sink.
Consulting your new state's agricultural or weather databases might tell you how early in the season you can expect successful fruit-set.
Suave heatless habanero? Never heard of it till now but its sounds like something I can get jiggy with.
Ouch, mikeg - sorry to hear you had such poor production. Papadaca's weather will be similar to the weather in our area since we are just one state over. I grow exclusively in pots so I can move them as weather dictates. I generally bring them in the house when it's too cold outside, or move them to the garage if we have excessive rain or wind if it's still warm. My high count was 48 plants a couple years ago, and yes, the house gets crowded when it's to cold outside!
Best time depends on your strategy. If for some reason you want the fewest # of plants possible then starting now or at any point before spring will give you the most head start, providing you give them some attention so they don't suffer from aphids, white flies or fungus, etc. and then provide the light for good plant shape which usually means artificial lighting and the associated costs.
On the other hand the most time and cost effective way to increase yield is to simply grow more plants and wait until about 1 month before your usual last spring frost to sprout them which in N. IN is around the middle of May, so for that strategy you'd want to sew seed indoors around the beginning of April.
You can of course combine these two strategies to suit your decision about amount of time and money vs # of plants and many people do this, starting a month, two, even three earlier than the beginning of April. The main thing is you want a minimum of 5 good months (not excessively cold) for hotter varieties to get a fair # of pods to ripeness.
My chinense were flowering and setting pods still when it was getting down below 50F at night (but warming up past 60F daytime) and earlier in the season, above 90F daytime but below 80F at night.
On the other hand the most time and cost effective way to increase yield is to simply grow more plants and wait until about 1 month before your usual last spring frost to sprout them which in N. IN is around the middle of May, so for that strategy you'd want to sew seed indoors around the beginning of April.
You can of course combine these two strategies to suit your decision about amount of time and money vs # of plants and many people do this, starting a month, two, even three earlier than the beginning of April. The main thing is you want a minimum of 5 good months (not excessively cold) for hotter varieties to get a fair # of pods to ripeness.
My chinense were flowering and setting pods still when it was getting down below 50F at night (but warming up past 60F daytime) and earlier in the season, above 90F daytime but below 80F at night.