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My Zone 6a, CT, 1st Time Growing From Seed

This is my first time growing peppers from seed. Previous years I’ve only bought a few nursery grown. Sometime last year I found a passion for growing peppers, and here I am now. Spent end of last summer/early fall planning out indoor grow needs with supplies, buying seeds, getting everything I would need. I started another section of property for spring time planning all my hot/sweet peppers. I’m in zone 6a, CT. These were started on 12/29/2019 after a 1 hour peroxide soak, followed by 10 hours room temp water soak. 
 
I'm doing several stages of growing, so I'll just name based on date, batch 1, batch 2, etc in linked posts to help identify.
 
All of these are seeds purchased from Pepper Joe, Sandia Seeds, and seeds I’ve collected myself from peppers. I found the best germination rates & thriving were sandia (80-100%) > my own (70-90%) > pepper joe (50-70%). I’m happy with overall germination rates; if 1 out of 2 at the bare minimum germinated, I’m content with that. The pepper setup is in my basement, in same room as a pellet stove.  Low humidity, so being sure to bottom water thoroughly and occasionally spritz the top has worked out well. I have 3 adjustable x2bulb 4 foot full spectrum lights on a timer. There’s a little fan I have hooked up I run for a few hours a day for fair flow and hardening up the stems. I also have a few of those little small digital thermometer with humidity reading. Miracle grow starter mix, then miracle grow potting mix. These have been potted up from little plug dome I had picked up.  The foil isn’t a grow tent, it’s mylar blankets I picked up cheap to line behind, below and to sides of peppers to help bounce heat/light.
 
Videos from Khang Starr, the rusted garden, 7pot club definitely gave me the ambition to go for it this season. Yes, the peppers were bottom watered moments before photo.
 
Currently you can see (batch 1):
Numex Habanero/Habanada x4
Orange Habanero x4
Khang Starr Lemonstarburst x2
Chocolate Douglah x4
Carolina Reaper x5
Red Scotch Bonnet x2
Butch T Scorpion X Carolina Reaper  x1
Ghost Pepper x4
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion  x2
Chocolate Bhutlah  x1
Bhutlah Bubblegum 7 Pot Choc X  x3
Chocolate Carolina Reaper  x1
 
Others germinated waiting to be potted up (batch 1):
Carolina Reaper  x4
Chocolate Carolina Reaper x1
Yellow Carolina Reaper x2
Red Savina Habanero  x2
Orange Habanero x1
 
Additional seeds planted 9 days ago awaiting germination (batch 2):
Carolina Reaper x8
Red Savina Habanero  x2
Chocolate Habanero  x2
Yellow Carolina Reaper  x4
Dragon’s Breath  x6
Ghost Pepper x8
 
 
 
darkchile said:
 
I've already gotten to point where I'm asking co-workers & friends who wants a few plants because I've had far more germinate than I was expecting or planned for.
My mother in law gets first pick, but she doesn't want any super hots at all. I have a couple people in mind that may take a couple, I'm gonna plant a couple around the parking lot at work. Then a buddy at work gonna take my extras. I just don't promise anything because I may kill them all
 
Somehow, I doubt you will kill them all, Joe  :shame:
 
I figure if I can get to plant-out only losing a
couple, I'm doing well!
 
PaulG said:
Somehow, I doubt you will kill them all, Joe  :shame:
 
I figure if I can get to plant-out only losing a
couple, I'm doing well!

Yea, I just plant a ton and hope for the best. Afterall the seed trays come in 72 cells. Now I need another light for when I transplant to bigger pots.
 
Batch 1. Day 32. February 1, 2020.
 
 
 

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Bookers said:
Super grow!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
They germinated better/growing much better than I expected for planting this early. They'll be getting haircuts a few times I think before transplant outside.
 
Whatever you are doing seems to be working, DC.
Your plants look great.
 
Batch 1. Day 41?. February 10, 2020.
 
In the past 1.5 weeks, they've taken off like weeds indoors. At this point a few of them roots reach the bottom and I can see at the bottom of pot. These are all my hot/super hot's started at the end of December.  My other seedlings started almost 3 weeks ago are coming along alright. I'm planning to start a batch of the lesser hot ones/bells like Jalapeno, serrano, peter pepper, green bell, shishito etc in the coming days. 
 
I'm not too concerned about growing. I can space them out further in containers they're in, and can top off/trim back when necessary. Right now trying to get the seedlings to grow enough to transplant first time, so I can move the starter heating mat & dome to lower half of garden table, to be out of the way for the big boys.
 

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Well done, DC! Those all look just great.
Nary a blemish  :clap:  Those should make
an awesome grow for you this season!
 
Looking good! you have gotten a tremendous start and you're off to a happy grow. Cheers

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
The_NorthEast_ChileMan said:
 
DarkChile hasn't been back since that Feb. post...
 
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Oh they are huge now. I ended up up potting them several times. Right now I have them in a 5.5" deep x2, aka i put 2 pots together to extend the depth for root growth deeper. I've been extremely busy with work given the current circumstances in world. I have photos but havn't been on to post, sorry about that. Give me a moment and I'll post something up. 
 
These are photos from March 30-31. It also shows my double pot concept I posted a few months ago as screenshots back then.
 
 
 
 

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darkchile said:
These are batch 1 + 2 combined. I gave away about 35-40 plants last month to co-workers.
 
Good on ya for being generous with your plants, DC!
 
Your double pot method is very interesting.
 
It works really well, Long as you pot up in time, so you can get the roots to grow down and not bind up, it seems to have been a wise investment I planned in. I have more vertical space than horizontal. I just potted up the remaining of batch 2 into the double pot. 
 
Haven't had the time to update often, but I've now been hardening my peppers off past 2 weeks. They're in garage at night at around 45-50 F low end, and out during day in sun. They're fully hardened off, just waiting a few days for the warmer at night to plant out. These are the peppers you saw previously growing. Including the double 5.5" pot thing I was trying. It worked amazing. I kept the growth vertical, and rooting is ridiculous on them. As soon as I plant them out, they'll be producing. I've been nipping buds for 2 months. Enjoy :).
 
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