Pepper Seeds Won't Germinate

Fill a planting tray with a loose potting soil. Fill the tray to the very top as the soil level will go down slightly when water is added. A planting tray with drainage holes is ideal as it reduces the risk of seed rot.

Fill a clean spray bottle with filtered water. Spritz the soil with the water until it's thoroughly moist, but not soggy or muddy.

Create 1/4-inch deep trenches down the entire length of the planting tray. Space each trench 2 inches apart.

Sprinkle the pepper seeds lightly into each trench and cover them lightly with soil. A light sprinkling of seeds down the length of each trench is adequate. It's best to use more seeds than you think necessary, due to the low germination rate with seeds.

Cover the planting tray with plastic wrap, but do not let the plastic touch the soil. The plastic helps retain heat and humidity, both of which are necessary for pepper seeds to germinate.

Put the seed near a sunny window, but not in direct sunlight. Keep the seeds in the chosen location until they germinate, anywhere from less than a week to more than a month, depending on the exact conditions and the variety of pepper seed. Do not touch or disturb the planting tray unless the soil begins to dry out, in which case it must be spritzed with water until thoroughly moist.

Remove the plastic wrap from the tray as soon as the seeds start to germinate.