Over the last year or two, I have been learning a lot about growing various plants. Here is my list for peppers.
1) Never use Jiffy Peat Pellets - Pellets are a great medium for sprouting, but unless the plant is very robust they can hinder a small plant's growth. They either hold too much water in relation to the surrounding transplant soil or they harden with age and choke the roots of slow growing plants. After experimenting, I now use part Seed Starter, part Perlite, part Vermiculite, and part Worm Castings. Tiny seedlings have a much easier time.
2) I now plant at a depth of 1/2 to 3/4" and rarely have Sprout Hats anymore.
3) When growing seedlings in Winter- Lights, Heat, and Reflection are essential. As much as I wanted and really tried to stay "Natural", Window Light and room temperature (68-70f) were simply not enough to get seedlings moving fast enough. I struggled all winter. And with Jiffy Pellets that can spell Doom over time as the roots get trapped in the aging pellets.
4) I live in the hills, so Direct Sun can be pretty hot regardless of ambient temperature, so I must always use some sort of Sun Shade when hardening. I'm not so concerned with cold as I am heat. I have fried too many seedlings very quickly in cold weather.
5) Jiffy Pellet seedlings in dense Potting Soil in Plastic Cups were the kiss-of-death for me. They held too much water and heat. The top soil would get dry (and the Pellet) and the tiny roots would really struggle. But the lower portion would be soggy. Drainage was terrible regardless of how many holes I had at the bottom. Now my small cups are Peat (they breath) and my soil is part Seed Starter, part Per-lite, part Vermiculite, and part Worm Castings, and part Potting Soil to give a just little bulk. I water much more often but with the fluffy soil the roots dry out when they should and breath and are much happier. This is pretty much the same soil I use for germination.
I have learned a lot from everyone here, and hopefully have found the right combination of things to work for my situation. Next year I should have room for a Light Shelf system, which should help a lot.
1) Never use Jiffy Peat Pellets - Pellets are a great medium for sprouting, but unless the plant is very robust they can hinder a small plant's growth. They either hold too much water in relation to the surrounding transplant soil or they harden with age and choke the roots of slow growing plants. After experimenting, I now use part Seed Starter, part Perlite, part Vermiculite, and part Worm Castings. Tiny seedlings have a much easier time.
2) I now plant at a depth of 1/2 to 3/4" and rarely have Sprout Hats anymore.
3) When growing seedlings in Winter- Lights, Heat, and Reflection are essential. As much as I wanted and really tried to stay "Natural", Window Light and room temperature (68-70f) were simply not enough to get seedlings moving fast enough. I struggled all winter. And with Jiffy Pellets that can spell Doom over time as the roots get trapped in the aging pellets.
4) I live in the hills, so Direct Sun can be pretty hot regardless of ambient temperature, so I must always use some sort of Sun Shade when hardening. I'm not so concerned with cold as I am heat. I have fried too many seedlings very quickly in cold weather.
5) Jiffy Pellet seedlings in dense Potting Soil in Plastic Cups were the kiss-of-death for me. They held too much water and heat. The top soil would get dry (and the Pellet) and the tiny roots would really struggle. But the lower portion would be soggy. Drainage was terrible regardless of how many holes I had at the bottom. Now my small cups are Peat (they breath) and my soil is part Seed Starter, part Per-lite, part Vermiculite, and part Worm Castings, and part Potting Soil to give a just little bulk. I water much more often but with the fluffy soil the roots dry out when they should and breath and are much happier. This is pretty much the same soil I use for germination.
I have learned a lot from everyone here, and hopefully have found the right combination of things to work for my situation. Next year I should have room for a Light Shelf system, which should help a lot.
