Hello. I just recently became fascinated with peppers. I made my first purchase of pepper sees a few days ago. I'm very interested in container gardening seeing is that i have little space and don't have a fenced in area where I live. I hear peppers to well in containers. I've been researching for about a week now. I have a question. I live in the Rio Grande Valley. Pretty much as far south Texas as you can get. My seeds are due to arrive any day now. When would be the ideal time to plant these seeds?
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- Thread starter TheLoveThief
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Any time, given where you're at. I grow entirely in pots for any number of reasons, the least of which is that I can easily move them in and out of cover/shelter as needed. I grew up in Houston and lived in Los Angeles for four years before moving to the frigid north, so I understand your grow conditions. I start seeds in January, due to space issues I don't start them any sooner, but we get snow here, which will kill off pepper plants pronto. You don't have to worry about that, generally, but clearly do get those random blue northers which you have to watch out for.
Keep in mind that seeds germinate best around 80F, and start them inside if it will get below 75F. After that, keep the babies fairly warm, too - try not to let them get below 60F until they're at least a foot tall. Look up hardening off, which is the process that needs to be taken to acclimate them to the outdoors when you've had them inside. Also if you have them inside, be sure to get a fan onto them pronto. This helps simulate the wind they will have outside and also helps prevent damping off. If you're able to start them outside in full sun, that is best, but if not be sure to harden them off gradually.
BTW - to clarify the terminology, in case you didn't notice the difference:
Hardening off = the process of acclimating to outdoor conditions.
Damping off = a soil fungus that will kill your plants.
Damping off occurs at the soil line, not typically below the surface of the soil. To prevent it, the two measures to take are to bottom water, ensuring the top surface doesn't get wet, and putting a fan on the plants to dry out the top faster than if there was no circulation. If a pot does get damping off, you should scrape off the surface of the soil as best as you can, and mist with a mixture of 1:10 hydrogen peroxide and water while the plants are still babies. The first sign of damping off is a softness of the stem at the soil line. After that, the plant falls over. At that point, it's likely a gonner. The fungus has a brownish color to it - the surface of the soil will be a lighter color than the soil itself, even when wet. That's part of what makes it hard to discern if you haven't seen it before. Just know that most potting soil looks almost black when wet, so if your soil looks more brown, it's probably developing the fungus. Again, good air circulation and bottom-watering usually helps immensely.
Keep in mind that seeds germinate best around 80F, and start them inside if it will get below 75F. After that, keep the babies fairly warm, too - try not to let them get below 60F until they're at least a foot tall. Look up hardening off, which is the process that needs to be taken to acclimate them to the outdoors when you've had them inside. Also if you have them inside, be sure to get a fan onto them pronto. This helps simulate the wind they will have outside and also helps prevent damping off. If you're able to start them outside in full sun, that is best, but if not be sure to harden them off gradually.
BTW - to clarify the terminology, in case you didn't notice the difference:
Hardening off = the process of acclimating to outdoor conditions.
Damping off = a soil fungus that will kill your plants.
Damping off occurs at the soil line, not typically below the surface of the soil. To prevent it, the two measures to take are to bottom water, ensuring the top surface doesn't get wet, and putting a fan on the plants to dry out the top faster than if there was no circulation. If a pot does get damping off, you should scrape off the surface of the soil as best as you can, and mist with a mixture of 1:10 hydrogen peroxide and water while the plants are still babies. The first sign of damping off is a softness of the stem at the soil line. After that, the plant falls over. At that point, it's likely a gonner. The fungus has a brownish color to it - the surface of the soil will be a lighter color than the soil itself, even when wet. That's part of what makes it hard to discern if you haven't seen it before. Just know that most potting soil looks almost black when wet, so if your soil looks more brown, it's probably developing the fungus. Again, good air circulation and bottom-watering usually helps immensely.
Excellent info. I hadn't read up on damping off so now I can be prepared if this happens. I had heard about hardening off. Is that usually a long process? i read 1/2 hour to 1 2 3 4 then eventually over night 8 hours.
The length of time it takes to harden off varies with local conditions from year to year. We've had an unusually wet growing season, and I found myself hauling the plants in and out of shelter repeatedly, so it took much longer than normal to harden off. But yes, assuming you start your plants indoors, first put them outside in an area that is fairly sheltered - ideally just a tiny bit of morning sun then shade the rest of the day and also shielded from much wind. I usually let the plants acclimate to each change in conditions for several days before increasing the sunlight/wind exposure.
For me, the biggest issue has been when I have to be gone for a while (like a business trip) during the hardening off stage. If you have to be gone for a few days, don't just ask someone to take care of the plants. Instead, be sure to explain the process and what can happen (potential plant death, sunscald, wind scald....) so they understand it's a serious endeavor. Safer just to re-shelter them for a few days if you're not confident someone will care for them as you would.
For me, the biggest issue has been when I have to be gone for a while (like a business trip) during the hardening off stage. If you have to be gone for a few days, don't just ask someone to take care of the plants. Instead, be sure to explain the process and what can happen (potential plant death, sunscald, wind scald....) so they understand it's a serious endeavor. Safer just to re-shelter them for a few days if you're not confident someone will care for them as you would.
Just got my seeds today. I'm excited haha. I will go ahead and plant them tomorrow. I hope everything turns out ok. I'm really just worried someone will notice I'm growing them and steal my peppers lol. Thanks for the advice man i appreciate it.
Plant them in separate pots, just so that they don't tangle up to much. Damping shouldn't be an issue, as long as it's warm and you wait for the top inch or so of soil to dry in between watering. Seedlings are a bit fragile, so don't give them any form of fertilizer untill they start reaching the six inch height mark, and even then not that much, every four waterings or so. When reaching 2-3 feet in height, give them much less ferts, otherwise they will drop a ton of their flowers.
What kind of peppers are these? Just thought you might like another opinion, and you should go ask a few others. I grow plants inside to avoid hardening off, but that's just me.
Also, Welcome to THP forums
Cruzzfish
What kind of peppers are these? Just thought you might like another opinion, and you should go ask a few others. I grow plants inside to avoid hardening off, but that's just me.
Also, Welcome to THP forums
Cruzzfish