Soaking

[MoWhiskey]

Is it necessary to soak seeds that have been kept in frig.? if so is there a time limit?

 

[geeme]

I recommend soaking seeds from ANY source for "a while" in hydrogen peroxide. If it's straight, just like 10 minutes. If you mix it with water, though, you can soak longer than that - maybe an hour. The purpose of the hydrogen peroxide bath is to kill off any pathogens you otherwise can't see - mold, fungus, bacteria... After that,  if you want, soak them in plain water up to overnight. It's not absolutely necessary for peppers, but it doesn't hurt. The purpose of this is to soften the seed casing, which in turn helps the sprout leave it.

 

[mememe]

I soak pepper seed fot 20 min in 3% peroxide, rinse with water and then soak for 24 hours in camomile tea.

 

[Noah Yates]

I soak my seeds for 24 hours in well water.  I dont let them soak past 30 hours, because at that point the seed coat will have absorbed so much water that it will begin to bloat to the point of falling off of the germ, which is bad... that is also the point at which fermentation will start to occur.  All you are trying to achieve with a seed soak is to give the seed coat a head start on hydrating.
 
About the peroxide... although its a decent idea to mix in peroxide... you better make sure you have the correct dilution.  In my opinion based on my experience, peroxide is unnecessary.  As long as your seeds are not already gunky and you use a clean container with clean water, the risk of some pathogen infecting your seed during the soak is minimal (never had it happen in 7 years of gardening.)  Its all about timing... just dont let them approach or go past a 30 hour soak....

 

[McGuiver]

Here is how I soak my seeds. I use Salt Peter.

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/44915-using-saltpeter-to-soak-seeds-in/