Hot pepper seed planting

[Melville Hobbes]

Every year I plant my hot pepper seeds on a different date to try to find the best one, and every time there's a different problem with them.
Last year my Bhut Jolokias didn't grow at all until I got them outdoors mid-May, and one of my Jalapenos decided to grow two feet tall in 3 weeks, lol.

This year I'm planning on growing Bhut j, Orange hab, Primero Red Hab, and Jalapenos. Maybe some Hungarian Hot Wax as well.
Anyone have any advice on dates to plant the seeds? They'll be going outdoors mid to late May.

I know I have to start the Bhuts and O. Habs earlier than the rest, but any advice or opinions would be welcome.
More than 10 years of growing peppers, you'd think I would have a process worked out by now, but every year is completely different from the last.

 

[013]

S’up Melville… don’t know crap about peppers but first day of spring is March 20 so many use that in their ciphering to quote Jetho Clampett…. but maybe hold back part of your seed so you can stagger start dates if necessary or one strain doesn’t germ well…. other is maybe use seed trays or jiffypots to help control growth

 

[Melville Hobbes]

Starting the seeds isn't a problem, I rarely have a seed refuse to sprout. I use jiffy pods in a mini germination tray made for them. I do stagger them. The Bhuts grow so slowly that they need to be started by the end of Feb, or I just won't get more than one or two ripe peppers from them.
I'm just wondering if anyone has found a better method of figuring out when to plant, and when to transplant outdoors. Right now I pretty much use a crystal ball, lol.

 

[Joe Brewster]

Starting the seeds isn't a problem, I rarely have a seed refuse to sprout. I use jiffy pods in a mini germination tray made for them. I do stagger them. The Bhuts grow so slowly that they need to be started by the end of Feb, or I just won't get more than one or two ripe peppers from them.
I'm just wondering if anyone has found a better method of figuring out when to plant, and when to transplant outdoors. Right now I pretty much use a crystal ball, lol.

Well that depends on where you live & even mother nature. The over 100 day peppers do have to be started in Feb. but you also have to make sure they are not over crowded or rootbound before transplanting out side
grow in a hot corner and raised container if wanting to start early outside also cover for cold nights
I don't plant mine out till mid June
Had a huge crop of Burning Bush Habaneros last year

 

[Melville Hobbes]

Well that depends on where you live & even mother nature. The over 100 day peppers do have to be started in Feb. but you also have to make sure they are not over crowded or rootbound before transplanting out side
grow in a hot corner and raised container if wanting to start early outside also cover for cold nights
I don't plant mine out till mid June
Had a huge crop of Burning Bush Habaneros last year

It just seems like there's a new problem every year. Last year was a bad one. I started the plants as early as I reasonably could. Put them in the most sheltered spot, good sun. They just stopped growing. Never got more than a foot high. Had an orange hab, a hungarian, and a jalapeno, all in the ground and didn't get a single pepper off any of them till August. The two Bhuts in pots? Weird shaped plants, produced like crazy right up until frost killed them. First time I've had a bhut ripen before any other plant, and they only had two leaves when they went out, while the others looked like perfect little plants until then. All out at the same time. Year before that I went by the seed company's instructions for my area, and only got a few bhuts to ripen, and the orange habs? The pic tells the whole story.

 

[Virgin Ground]

I start my peppers on Valentine's day. It's easy for me to remember. I'm in USDA planting zone 5.
I had Habaneros,Corno di Toro, Anaheim chili and Pablano last year.
I'll be adding a few other varieties this year.
Peppers prefer a loamy soil mix. Don't give them too much N. They won't produce well.
I used some reclaimed Pro Mix and some compost. They did quite well for me.

Good luck.

 

[Joe Brewster]

Hi VG I start my petunia mid Feb . & my peppers a week later I'm in zone 3
Get any pics

I started the plants as early as I reasonably could. Put them in the most sheltered spot, good sun. They just stopped growing. Never got more than a foot high.

You have to be careful you don't overwater when young. peppers get root rot very easy if to wet then get a cold chill

Got these off of 2 habanero, 2 scotch bonnet & 2 ring of fire chili plants

 

[Melville Hobbes]

I start my peppers on Valentine's day. It's easy for me to remember. I'm in USDA planting zone 5.
I had Habaneros,Corno di Toro, Anaheim chili and Pablano last year.
I'll be adding a few other varieties this year.
Peppers prefer a loamy soil mix. Don't give them too much N. They won't produce well.
I used some reclaimed Pro Mix and some compost. They did quite well for me.

Good luck.

I am going to have to re-amend the soil this spring. I was planning on using black soil, but that's probably not the best plan. I do have the spent soil from last year's outdoor cannabis crop. I used promix, compost and perlite in them, and I have the backyard composter almost full. I can use that instead of the black soil, see if it improves things. Thanks!

Hi VG I start my petunia mid Feb . & my peppers a week later I'm in zone 3
Get any pics

You have to be careful you don't overwater when young. peppers get root rot very easy if to wet then get a cold chill

Got these off of 2 habanero, 2 scotch bonnet & 2 ring of fire chili plants

Spring weather being what it is here I don't usually have to water anything until summer. Not much I can do about that for the plants in the ground. I could switch the plants in pots to fabric, see if that improves things.
It's interesting that you mention Ring of Fire. That and Gusto Purple were the best producers I've had so far. I had to dehydrate most of the RoF to make flakes, and freeze the GP. They were the best crops I've had until I ran out of seeds.

The weird thing about all this is the peppers are in the same conditions my outdoor cannabis crops are, and the cannabis does far better.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Joe Brewster]

Bhut j, Orange hab, Primero Red Hab

you get these planted yet (they take longer to grow)
you can start the others mid march
I got some scotch bonnets & burning bush habs up already

 

[Joe Brewster]

Not much I can do about that for the plants in the ground.

If the ground get real wet, try planting on a mound , so the stem stays high & dry

promix, compost and perlite ( throw in a handful of bone meal too )

 

[Virgin Ground]

Hi VG I start my petunia mid Feb . & my peppers a week later I'm in zone 3
Get any pics

Sorry that I missed this.

I'm behind once again. I was planning to start on Valentine's day.
Getting my gear ready to sprout this week. I should be fine starting them a bit late.
I had some space issues but I think I'm good now.

I'll have pics once they come up.
Happy gardening!

 

[Joe Brewster]

Sorry that I missed this.

I'm behind once again. I was planning to start on Valentine's day.
Getting my gear ready to sprout this week. I should be fine starting them a bit late.
I had some space issues but I think I'm good now.

I'll have pics once they come up.
Happy gardening!

You should be fine, I keep my plants in tight quarters & then transplant ,transplant & transplant some more, once it gets warm enough to start the green house

The scotch bonnets came up big time hoping some more habs will still sprout
Still got some ring of fire & sweet green peppers to plant end of this week or next

Have to start my personal cucumber now , so I can eat cucs by end of may

 

[Virgin Ground]

You should be fine, I keep my plants in tight quarters & then transplant ,transplant & transplant some more, once it gets warm enough to start the green house

The scotch bonnets came up big time hoping some more habs will still sprout
Still got some ring of fire & sweet green peppers to plant end of this week or next

Have to start my personal cucumber now , so I can eat cucs by end of may

Nice. They look good and healthy.

I grabbed some seeds from a really delicious red bell pepper last night. I'll try to sprout those too.
I had to cut the garden back for this year. Turns out we have to do a lot of work on our house since we found a leak last fall.
My garden is really close to our house so everything I grow this year has to be in big cloth pots or a moveable raised garden bed otherwise it will just get destroyed.
I'll get my toms,peppers,peas and cukes in. Think I'll also have an herb garden as usual and some flowers in hanging baskets....maybe stick an amaranth (love lies bleeding) somewhere.

 

[Joe Brewster]

I grabbed some seeds from a really delicious red bell pepper last night.

Just hope its not a hybrid

Found a nice blue tie dye wave petunia last year did really well in smaller spaces
Grew the new (old) 6' climbing petunia last year
I created a 2-3 ' white trailing lobelia last year
Double purple angle trumpets are nice but can take up 4x4 space

 

[Virgin Ground]

Just hope its not a hybrid

Found a nice blue tie dye wave petunia last year did really well in smaller spaces
Grew the new (old) 6' climbing petunia last year
I created a 2-3 ' white trailing lobelia last year
Double purple angle trumpets are nice but can take up 4x4 space

I can hope. Lol


I grew these petunias last year. They trailed about 5'.
View media item 1861835The varieties they are making now are wildly beautiful.

I'd like to grab some of these this year, if I can...
View media item 1861833
View media item 1861834

 

[Joe Brewster]

I can hope. Lol




I'd like to grab some of these this year, if I can...
View media item 1861833

The double purple & white is pretty (haven't seen them sold here yet ) the other colors don't really go well together I have some dbl blues (smell ) & some mixed dbl (purple get some white splotch on them ) started
I can never get seeds from the doubles I've crossed a few waves, created a purple black tidal wave even, but the doubles elude me
here's the blue tie dye I grew last year

 

[Melville Hobbes]

you get these planted yet (they take longer to grow)
you can start the others mid march
I got some scotch bonnets & burning bush habs up already

Yeah, the orange habs and the bhuts are started, but I had to delay it a bit until I knew I could get my soil for this year. I had to cobble together a bunch of odds and ends with the contents of the composter last year, and that led to problems. I plan on keeping most of them in fabric pots this year, but 5 7gal, and 5 5gal pots is more than I can scrape together this year. It's being delivered tomorrow.

If the ground get real wet, try planting on a mound , so the stem stays high & dry

promix, compost and perlite ( throw in a handful of bone meal too )

Yeah, that's why I'm going with the pots now. Leave the garden spots for the tomatoes this year.

 

[Potpimp]

I start my seeds in the house in Feb. I use a heated seed mat and small LED light. They get upcanned and go in my grow room and then greenhouse until April. Peppers do not like cold weather. I have about 20 or so going now, along with 5 varieties of basil and several different tomatoes.

 

[Melville Hobbes]

I've got the peppers started. Jalapenos, Primero Red Habaneros, Bhut Jolokia, Hungarian, and either Explosive Ember or Black Pearl. The EE and BP seeds got mixed together by the vendor. All have sprouted and are under seedling lights. The Orange Habs never came up, but those seeds were pretty old, and I'll be switching to Scotch Bonnet next year. I like the flavour better.
I'll be putting them in my tent when my current grow is finished. They can't go out until mid to late May here.

 

[Joe Brewster]

Stupid spring winter storm is holding back my plants. Should be mixing dirt & transplanting instead of moving a ton of snow
the habs & scotch bonnets are warm in the house .petunia are hanging in at 2c, in the snow covered greenhouse
How's everybody else's spring turning out ??