• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

Naga/Jolokia, hard as it sounds?

Skydiver

Skydiver

I'm trying to figure out whether or not to attempt to grow some superhots from seeds, and all the info I'm reading on various websites make these two seem particularly daunting.

Is it as hard as it's made out to be?

I live in Pennsylvania if that's any help.
Also, I've been growing peppers for three years and tomatos for over a dozen, but I've not had all that much experience growing from seeds, mostly go with baby plants from nurseries.
 
To me they're no harder than other types. I recommend bottom heat of 85-90 degrees to germinate and starting them very early if you want a nice crop to ripen. :) Our last frost is usually 5/20 to 6/1. I start them as early as mid-Jan to early February. It works well.

Chris
 
As as first time pepper grower i acheived 100% germination from Dorset Naga seeds (thanks THSC). I say grow for it!! :)
Oh and i didn't even use a heat pad, just my shed bench and filtered sunlight through some venition blinds. I have shown this pic in another thread but i like it so i'll show you too, it's my biggest Naga seedling at 3 weeks old.
Seedlings008.jpg

It was the other seedlings (Asain Birds Eyes, Medusa, Aji Lemon) that took the longest to germinate, i am still waiting on the Red Savinas'...

Edit:Spleing
 
Skydiver said:
Nova, what's the average temp there when you're germinating?
Click to expand...

Well in my Garage where i germinated the temperature probly varies between 10-35 degrees celcius, it is at around 25-30 celcius during the day with the doors and window shut up and during the night it can drop really low (maybe below 10) but the soil holds a lot of heat until the next day. The average outside temp during the day is around 23 celcius lately i think.
 
I start all my plants in the basement every year by and of January, you need heat mat on 85-90 degrees like Chris said also if you have small greenhouse cover it is clear cover so that light can penetrate true it, good to keep humid inside that way speed up germination process, importent is to have professional mix seeds starter & good light so you have 100% germination rate.
 
915river said:
importent is to have professional mix seeds starter & good light so you have 100% germination rate.
Click to expand...

While i will not for one minute pretend that i know more about germinating seedlings than you more experienced guys i just have to tell you that i started my seeds in normal everyday potting mix- did i just get lucky? Probly explains why the Savinas haven't popped up their heads yet!!
 
This is my first year every growing pepper plants and I successfully grew 5 of them. They are about 3ft tall now and FULL of fruit. Our coworker (retired navy chief) ate one last week at work! It hurt him BAD. He had tears, hiccups, sweat and later the "punch in the stomach" feeling! I'm proud of my babies!

IMG_5015.jpg
 
I germinated 20 out of 20 so far this spring (using underheat). last year I didn't plant as many but still had near perfect germination rates. give them plenty of sun once planted out - chilipepperinstitute.org recommend controlled use of nitrogen, I get my seeds from there and use limited N and last year I got a reasonable number of pods. they do take a long time to fruit and ripen so get started as early as you can. I'm six weeks in front of when I started last year and my little babies will be planted out in the next week or two.
 
Great shiny, juicy looking fruit too gorbrickon, well done with your first season:) I would be very proud too.
I hate that "punch in the gut" feeling....
 
Beautiful pics there gorbrickon. I say go for it skydiver. I am on the other side of the state, and other than a bit of a cold end of summer, I had a great year growing this year. Climate is just fine for superhots. Just have them ready to go in the ground by May 1. I actually started hardening mine in mid-April. Good luck and go Steelers!
 
Novacastrian said:
While i will not for one minute pretend that i know more about germinating seedlings than you more experienced guys i just have to tell you that i started my seeds in normal everyday potting mix- did i just get lucky? Probly explains why the Savinas haven't popped up their heads yet!!
Click to expand...

Some variety takes long time to germinate from another also depend how deep you bury seeds under soil,all you had to do slightly put the seeds on the top & tap at down just enough to cover the seeds than you water it & you all set.I know any time I bury seeds deep takes long time seedling to pop-up.:lol:
 
915river said:
Some variety takes long time to germinate from another also depend how deep you bury seeds under soil,all you had to do slightly put the seeds on the top & tap at down just enough to cover the seeds than you water it & you all set.I know any time I bury seeds deep takes long time seedling to pop-up.:lol:
Click to expand...

I definantly "f#$%ed up" on the depth of sowing, i had nearly all of my seeds at least 5mm under the surface. Looking back with what i know now i would have done it different, oh well live and learn:P

I should have thought about how germination happens in nature, there is no one to put the seeds under the ground in the wild!!
 
I just went back and looked at my germination log from this past January/February and the superhots I tried all germinated within two weeks...that was in the controlled environment of my homemade germinator that kept the temperature at a constant 86F (30C)...

there are several things I learned from starting seeds this past season..
1. I will not use the "mini-greenhouse" lids on the germination trays...it keeps them too moist IMO and I got a bad case of mold/fungus/mildew on my soil.

2. Soil...I tried several different kinds of soil to start my seeds in, even a couple of different kinds of seed starting soil and the best was Hoffmans Seed Starting Mix...very light & holds moisture really well..

3. The first round of seeds I started I only planted 1/4" (~5mm) deep and I got a lot of seedlings with "hat"s on as a result...the second round I planted 1/2" deep (little over 1 cm) and had much better results as far as the seed husk coming off the cotyledons...IMO it was the depth that "pulled" the husks off the seeds..it may increase the time for the seedlings to break the surface but it is worth it for me not to have to try and get the hats off of them...

4. I will gently mist the soil but don't soak it...keeping the seeds in wet soil will rot them...

5. Bottom water, bottom water, bottom water...after the seedlings sprout, nothing touches their leaves or top of the soil if I can help it...I will only bottom water them from now on...

of all the things I listed, IMO soil temperature, not air temperature is the key ingredient to germinating seeds. once your temps rise above 90F (32C) or fall below 80F (27C) decreases in germination rates occured..

I am not saying what I have written is gospel, rather just stating what worked best for me...
 
AlabamaJack said:
I just went back and looked at my germination log from this past January/February and the superhots I tried all germinated within two weeks...that was in the controlled environment of my homemade germinator that kept the temperature at a constant 86F (30C)...

there are several things I learned from starting seeds this past season..
1. I will not use the "mini-greenhouse" lids on the germination trays...it keeps them too moist IMO and I got a bad case of mold/fungus/mildew on my soil.

2. Soil...I tried several different kinds of soil to start my seeds in, even a couple of different kinds of seed starting soil and the best was Hoffmans Seed Starting Mix...very light & holds moisture really well..

3. The first round of seeds I started I only planted 1/4" (~5mm) deep and I got a lot of seedlings with "hat"s on as a result...the second round I planted 1/2" deep (little over 1 cm) and had much better results as far as the seed husk coming off the cotyledons...IMO it was the depth that "pulled" the husks off the seeds..it may increase the time for the seedlings to break the surface but it is worth it for me not to have to try and get the hats off of them...

4. I will gently mist the soil but don't soak it...keeping the seeds in wet soil will rot them...

5. Bottom water, bottom water, bottom water...after the seedlings sprout, nothing touches their leaves or top of the soil if I can help it...I will only bottom water them from now on...

of all the things I listed, IMO soil temperature, not air temperature is the key ingredient to germinating seeds. once your temps rise above 90F (32C) or fall below 80F (27C) decreases in germination rates occured..

I am not saying what I have written is gospel, rather just stating what worked best for me...
Click to expand...

I don't have that problem A.J with all those above mold/fungus & mildew only if you water to be to saggy will have those .:lol:
 
AJ,

Like you, I bottom water almost exclusively. However, once every couple of weeks I mist the leaves (once they get over two sets) since nature produces morning dew. Not enough to wet the soil but enough for the leaves to get a little drink.

Mike
 
I say go for it!

I followed the instructions that came with my BHUT seeds, and so far I have had a 100% germination rate.

One of the plants is going to a friend at work tomorrow, he plans to overwinter a handful of types of super's this year, and then grow them in pots on his balcony next summer.

To me the only difference so far is that they took over 3 weeks to germinate, other than that, you shouldn't have any trouble growing them. Best of luck.:hell:
 
I should amend the statement about temperature and germination rates...that was supposed to be time...was spaced out a bit when I wrote that this morning...
 
I agree with the others, go for it, definately start them really early though, January, inside, somewhere warm, keep a light breeze on them from a fan once they have gotten to about 2" tall, so the stems can get stronger, and dont put them out until you are sure it will stay above 50deg F at night (so probably april/may in PA?) when you put them outside, be sure to only put them out for an hour the first day (to avoid scald, and being snapped in half by the wind) and build up a couple hours at a time, it will probably take you a week to get them out there entirely; definately do it, it will be worth it when you get to eat the hottest pepper youve ever had
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top