seeds Seed start timing

[gnslngr]

This a question that I don't ever get a clear answer on....I live in zone 9 -coastal South La, and can really get away with starting seeds as late as early May and still catch a good harvest( though if the night time temps are+90f during flowering the numbers drop) with most peppers outside.Does it matter when the seeds are started if you have good strong light source on a timer?Will seeds germinated in say,November/December be as healthy(again, with adequate light 12hrs+ a day)as a plant germinated according to "normal growing season"?
Thanks,
Dave

 

[AlabamaJack]

lots of opinions will appear here on this thread I betcha...

IMO, if you have the space and set up, you can start anytime you want...however, the earlier you start, the larger the plants will be when transplant time comes, and the more light, space, heat you will need to maintain these plants on a good growth path..so if you have the space, lighting, and heat required, bust a gut...

I personally back up 8-10 weeks before expected plantout date to start germinating my chinense varieties and 6-8 weeks for annuums...you are a little south of me and probably a week ahead of me when it comes to the average last frost date...looks like your Average Last Frost dats is 7 March or there abouts... http://www.docstoc.com/docs/29070218/Louisiana-Spring-Frost-Dates

the Old Farmers Almanac recommends Jan 4-18 for starting seeds indoors which is also the favorable moon phase to plant

so with this in mind, back up 10 weeks from 7 March and you get 28 December and 8 weeks would be 11 January...so anytime between then would work...I would highly recommend Jan 4-11....

 

[Pepper-Guru]

+1 What AJ said. Anytime is a good time to start seeds. You can never be too early starting perennials, like peppers. So long as you have the light source, the right containers, and a good amount of space, there is no reason why you can't keep a huge arsenal of plants all year long.

 

[Hammerfall]

jan or feb is the perfect window to be on time.

depends on the variety if they are early producer or late (65 day to 120 days depending on peppers... for example jalapeno most of them are a 70 day to harvest and other like Jolookia can go to 120 days...)

Also som,e variety can be grown like a bonzai and kept alive very long time!

good luck!


Thanks for the "almanach" thing Alabamajack! i will check around here before planting usually those almanach offer good from experience and from the field info that are often lost in time!

Hail!

 

[geeme]

Something to ponder: A grower fairly close to the equator has pretty ideal conditions all year around. He has no "summer" vs. "winter" to worry about, and he doesn't - he starts seeds whenever the urge hits. The seeds/plants don't care about time of year at all; all they care about is whether the conditions are right for them after they sprout. So he has new plants and is harvesting at the same time all year.

That said, you have to consider your own growing conditions, as while your winters are much shorter than they are where I'm at, you do have more winter than the guy I mention. So do you have the room to grow year-round, and do you have the heat and light needed? Other than that, your primary concern will be nasties, like aphids. As long as you have the means and desire, there's no reason you can't grow year-round, from the plants' perspective.

 

[Omri]

Over here the weather is unsuitable for chiles only for 2-3 months. it wasn't always like that, but the climate is changing. I usually start my big planting at around December-January, but I start seeds all year round.
The winter isn't what it was. some chile plants actually survive through the winter outside.

 

[Avon Barksdale]

Will seeds germinated in say,November/December be as healthy(again, with adequate light 12hrs+ a day)as a plant germinated according to "normal growing season"?
Thanks,
Dave

I'm zone 5B and I start chinenses and wilds at the very beginning of January. I like to get an early start since my season is relatively short, and by starting them early I can get ripe superhots as early June/early July and get several months of harvests. The ones started early are no less healthy than the ones started later. Your plant out date is probably about 2 months ahead of mine so you should be able to start them in November/December without any problems if you have enough light and space for them.

 

[gnslngr]

Over here the weather is unsuitable for chiles only for 2-3 months. it wasn't always like that, but the climate is changing. I usually start my big planting at around December-January, but I start seeds all year round.
The winter isn't what it was. some chile plants actually survive through the winter outside.

I should start a new probably, I 'm just gonna slip this one in here......great pics by the way. OSE 12 plant and the yellow Fatali- the over size leaves that have the cup /ruffled leaves, is this just a fertilizer issue, is it normal?...I have a few that do this randomly.
Thanks,
DJ

 

[gnslngr]

I should start a new probably, I 'm just gonna slip this one in here......great pics by the way. OSE 12 plant and the yellow Fatali- the over size leaves that have the cup /ruffled leaves, is this just a fertilizer issue, is it normal?...I have a few that do this randomly.
Thanks,
DJ

Thanks for the input all, and especially the almanac reminder, its easy to get away from!