How to Help Pepper Plants Germinate

Peppers come in many varieties, ranging from spicy chillies and jalapenos to sweet peppers and mild bell peppers. All pepper types require warm and sunny conditions to survive and produce fruits. Cool weather inhibits growth, and a frost kills the plants. Germinating your own seeds allows you to grow almost any pepper variety in your garden. The seeds require exacting conditions to sprout successfully and for the seedlings to survive. Providing these conditions improves your chances for germination success.

Pots
Potting mix
Plastic bag
Seedling heat mat
Grow lamp

Instructions

- 1
  Start pepper seeds indoors eight to 10 weeks before the last expected spring frost. Indoor germination allows you to tailor growing conditions to meet the needs of the peppers.
- 2
  Use a soilless, sterile potting mix in the seed-starting pots. Sterile mixes contain no disease or fungal pathogens, which minimizes the chances of early seedling death after germination.
- 3
  Moisten the potting mix thoroughly before sowing the seeds. Allow the mix to drain for 30 to 60 minutes before planting so it isn't too wet.
- 4
  Sow two pepper seeds per pot in case one seed doesn't germinate. Plant the seeds 1/4 inch deep.
- 5
  Cover the pots with a clear plastic bag to retain moisture in the soil during germination.
- 6
  Place the pots in a warm area during germination. Peppers require temperatures of 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit to sprout. Set pots on top of a seedling heat mat set to the proper temperature for best germination.
- 7
  Remove the plastic bag immediately when sprouts begin pushing through the soil, usually within 14 days of sowing. Move the seedlings to a warm area where they receive at least eight hours of natural light or 14 to 16 hours of artificial light from a grow lamp.

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