Paper Towel Germ Questions

[willard3]

You should wash your hands and utensils when you are bagging seed.......the last failure I had was caused by nasties I introduced with dirty hands.

 

[hotenuff4u]

everyone on here is giving good advice, and your not doing anything wrong, sometimes you get great results and sometimes you don't. the only things i could suggest for your situation, since your current set up isn't working as well for you as you'd like are not to transplant into peat. Peat isn't bad, as I'm germinating in peat right now, but (i will not say it is better but) it is SAID that smaller plants like lighter soil, peat retains a lot of moisture and can be heavy. TRY transplanting into a different medium or a starter soil mixed with perlite and vermiculite. Approximate 1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite, to 4 parts seeds starting soil. Transplant into 5-8oz clear plastic cups (I like clear because i like to see when the roots become visible root bound so i can transplant to a bigger pot asap, it's also easy to see moisture levels in the clear cups), cut drain holes in the bottom and water heavily the first time, always wait until the moisture level is about halfway down the cup before rewatering. When you start to see signs of roots growing along the sides of the cup, it's safe to transplant up to say a 6" pot or so and probably old enough to get hardened off. This is just the way I always go through my baby-toddler stages of Capsicums.

 

[JustinNC]

Just wanted to comment on the paper towel method....I doubt I will even try anything else but moist coffee filters in baggies next year. I used both Burpee Super Growing Pellets with great results and also tried the coffee filter method. Both worked great, but so far Im having better results with the coffee filter method. I went 15 for 15 on caribbean reds, also doing great with the scotch bonnets, cayennes, biker billy jalapenos...only thing Im not seeing much out of...and not in the Burpee Super Grow Pellets, are fatalii, NuMex Big Jim, and Bhuts....too early to tell with the rest of my stuff. I'm seeing quick and easy germination with minimal effort out of the coffee filter method thus far that I'm probably going to stick with it...although something about starting seed in a 'soil' has something nostalgic to it.