Sowing Pepper Seeds

Sow seeds 1/8" to 1/4" deep in moist soil (70 to 85 degrees). Keep soil moist, but not wet and don't let it dry out. You can water with warm water, use grow lights or heating pads to aid in keeping soil warm. You can also cover pots with plastic, once seeds germinate, remove the plastic. Seeds will germinate in about 10 to 30 days. Don't give up! Some seeds will take longer to germinate. The Pequin and Tepin can take 6 to 8 weeks or longer to germinate. Keep the soil temperature between 80 to 85 degrees.

Once seedlings have reached 2" tall and have their first true leaves, they may be transplanted outdoors in containers (2 gallon or larger) or in the ground. Place the seedlings in a semi-shady area for 3 to 4 days, to weather the plants before placing in full sun. Transplant after all danger of frost has past and nights are consistently above 48 degrees.

Once seedlings are established or about 30 to 45 days old, pinch the growing tip to encourage bushiness. Fertilize monthly with a water soluable fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro or Peter's, until fruits appear.

Depending on variety of pepper, flowers will start to appear within about 60 to 75 days after transplanting and expect to start harvesting about 2 or 3 weeks later. Sit back and enjoy the burn of fresh picked hot peppers!!!

Note: If you are planting directly in the ground follow these guidelines...Dig a wide hole at least twice the size of pot or root-ball (larger is always better) and slightly deeper. Loosen the soil well. You can amend the soil with manure, compost or other organic matter. Mix well and then set the plant in the hole. Do NOT plant it any deeper than its current soil level. Use a stake if it needs support. Water it well and water daily for the first 3-4 weeks until it is established. Then water as needed.

Remember this...It is better to water deeply, less often, than to water a little every day. Soak the ground deeply around the plants, not just the top inch or so. This applies to all plants.

For more information...Keep reading!

Cashback rewards for eBay shopping

Collecting Pepper Seeds

If you haven't eaten all your peppers, save a couple for seeds to grow next year. Make sure you wait until they are fully ripe before harvesting them for seed. It's best to wear gloves when collecting the seeds. All parts of the pepper are hot and will burn your eyes & skin.

Slice open ripe peppers and cut out the seeds and eat the pepper! Place the seeds on a paper towel or paper plate and let the seeds dry for about a week or so. Shake or stir the seeds occasionally to keep them from sticking.

Once seeds are dry, place them in an envelope and mark with variety and harvest date.

Note: If you grow a variety of peppers, in order to insure the trueness of the seeds you collect, you need to take this information into consideration. Peppers will very easily cross-pollinate with different species; i.e. Capsicum annuum with C. chinese, etc. So, if want to insure purity, the rule of thumb is that the different varieties must be grown a minimum of 500 feet apart (preferably with other plants in between). Granted that is not always possible. Other options are: grow your plants indoors in a very sunny area or with grow lights or cover the plants with netting or just grow one type at a time.

Storing Pepper Seeds

Heat and moisture are seeds worst enemies. Always store seeds in a cool, dry area away from heat and sunlight. Store any seeds in opened foil or paper seed packets inside a plastic zipper bag, remove as much air as possible and seal. You can then store your seeds in the refrigerator. You can also place them inside a "Tupperware"-type container and place in the refrigerator or any cool, dry place.

Are you an eBay seller too? If so, make your own page like this. It's fast, fun, and free. (And you can earn a royalty just for selling your OWN stuff. Wild.)

And while you're doing that check out KickItBack = Cash Back and earn cash back on all your eBay purchases. Best of all it's FREE!

Supported links:
Monarch Watch is dedicated to saving the Monarchs through tagging, monitoring and other conservation means. The Monarch Waystation Program was started for others to help the Monarchs every day and throughout their migration period. My yard is waystation 293 out of over 2,100 registered waystations.
Live Monarch Foundation raises thousands of butterflies and milkweed and offers free milkweed seeds to start your own conservation efforts to save the Monarch in your own backyard.
Michoacan Reforestation and Habitat Protection Fund helps the Monarch's winter habitat through reforestation of the land that has been devastated through development and construction.
Monarch Sanctuary provides financial and scientific support to preserve the natural balance and diversity of the oyamel fir forests that are the overwintering grounds for the Monarchs.
Monarch Butterfly Works toward conservation and offers a lot of great information on gardening tips, life cycle, biology and much more.
National Wildlife Federation A familiar foundation that really works to save all forms of wildlife worldwide.
UF Wildlife Ecology Their mission is to foster education, expand knowledge, and reward scholarships, using multi-disciplinary approaches, for the purpose of understanding, managing, and conserving biological resources.
Florida Wildlife Federation Affiliated with the National Wildlife Federation, their goals are to help the wildlife of Florida.
The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast - my local Humane Society Shelter.
Orphie G's Emporium Buy butterfly plants and seeds for your butterfly garden. This is my ebay store.

Other links:
Do you Squidoo? Try it, it's great! Make a lens about whatever subject you choose.
My Blog The Vent Site I just started this one. Got a gripe? Tell me about it, that's what this blog is about!
Integrated Pest Management Information on how to control the pests in your lawn and garden, limiting the use of pesticides.
Come Join My Network at Digg
Visit Nature's Beauty for some great products and gifts.