Hot pepper seedlings

[Pepperpots]

Hi, i'm totally new to gardening and i'm trying to start some hot pepper plants from seeds. I have a few questions.

I managed to get a few seeds to germinate in a moist scott towel after reading a bit online. I transfered the seeds to some little cardboard pots yesterday and after reading a bit about watering them ai told me to "bottom water" so i let them sit in a quarter inch of water for 30 minutes but now my cardboard pots/egg cartons are sopping wet and they ve been under the lights all day but are still moist, is that normal/ok? And if not what should i do?

My second question is about lights. I bought 4 LED light rails on amazon, judging from the picture is this too much light?

Thanks in advance

 

[LionGardener]

Welcome Pepperpots!

Is the soil saturated?
The lighting looks good to me.

I struggle with my peppers.
This year they're looking good - fingers crossed that they continue until the end of May.

 

[Pepperpots]

Welcome Pepperpots!

Is the soil saturated?
The lighting looks good to me.

I struggle with my peppers.
This year they're looking good - fingers crossed that they continue until the end of May.

Yes the soil looks wet.

 

[Meadowlark]

Welcome @Pepperpots

Pepper seedlings like moist but not waterlogged soil...and the lights look ok assuming they are grow lights.

 

[LionGardener]

You are in luck - lots of people grow peppers on this forum.

Peppers for me are slow at germinating - about 2 weeks without heat mats.
Ideal Temperature: 25-30°C (77-86°F)

I just dust my seeds with soil - and spray it to keep the soil moist.
They like to be warm and moist for me.

So I either cover them with a plastic dome or a sheet of cellophane or a piece of plastic until they start growing. Sometime I just put the whole tray in a clear plastic bag.

I start mine at the beginning of March to get them ready to plant outside by the end of May in zone6A.

That's what I do, but I am sure other people here will share how they do theirs.
At least you got some to germinate. Some years I have to sow it twice.

 

[Pepperpots]

You are in luck - lots of people grow peppers on this forum.

Peppers for me are slow at germinating - about 2 weeks without heat mats.
Ideal Temperature: 25-30°C (77-86°F)

I just dust my seeds with soil - and spray it to keep the soil moist.
They like to be warm and moist for me.

So I either cover them with a plastic dome or a sheet of cellophane or a piece of plastic until they start growing. Sometime I just put the whole tray in a clear plastic bag.

I start mine at the beginning of March to get them ready to plant outside by the end of May in zone6A.

That's what I do, but I am sure other people here will share how they do theirs.
At least you got some to germinate. Some years I have to sow it twice.

I tried seeds from 4 varieties i gathered from fresh peppers i bought a few years ago. I have moruga, primotali, chocolate primotali and chocolate carolina reapers. The morugas and primotali germinated in a few days in the scott towel but the chocolates arent taking for some reason.

I have a heat mat under the trays and had been watering with a spray bottle once a day. Today is the first time i tried watering from the bottom and they look pretty soaked right now so i hope i didnt over water them. Also i read that sometimes too much light can burn them which is why i asked about the lighting.

I severely burned my mitts getting these seeds out of the peppers a few years back so i'm hoping to get this right.

 

[LionGardener]

I tried seeds from 4 varieties i gathered from fresh peppers i bought a few years ago. I have moruga, primotali, chocolate primotali and chocolate carolina reapers. The morugas and primotali germinated in a few days in the scott towel but the chocolates arent taking for some reason.

I have a heat mat under the trays and had been watering with a spray bottle once a day. Today is the first time i tried watering from the bottom and they look pretty soaked right now so i hope i didnt over water them. Also i read that sometimes too much light can burn them which is why i asked about the lighting.

I severely burned my mitts getting these seeds out of the peppers a few years back so i'm hoping to get this right.

I looked at your photo again - and your soil looks fine.
Your peppers will be fine.
Did you start your seeds this time last year?

Wow - those are some hot sounding peppers.

Keep notes - then next year you will know why the slow pokes are taking their sweet/hot time.

Harvesting hot Pepper Seeds:
If it was me I would slice the pepper in half and plant the whole thing.

 

[Pepperpots]

I looked at your photo again - and your soil looks fine.
Your peppers will be fine.
Did you start your seeds this time last year?

Wow - those are some hot sounding peppers.

Keep notes - then next year you will know why the slow pokes are taking their sweet/hot time.

I didn't grow any last year, i started a few carolina reapers and a few ghosts 3 years back and gave them no special attention throwing the seeds right in the ground by the window. This year i used AI for instructions and am now the proud owner of 4 led lights a growing kit and a heat matt from amazon.

 

[LionGardener]

I didn't grow any last year, i started a few carolina reapers and a few ghosts 3 years back and gave them no special attention throwing the seeds right in the ground by the window. This year i used AI for instructions and am now the proud owner of 4 led lights a growing kit and a heat matt from amazon.

Wow you got the whole kit!
That's how we all get started - just a few thing with a few seeds , then a few sprays and then our house is full of stuff.

Could you start a few more seeds of the ones that are slow - but 2-3 weeks is about right for most peppers that I grow - mostly sweet peppers.
This year I'm growing Chilli peppers because the squirrels keep on taking my sweet peppers. The plan is to hide the sweet peppers behind the Chillies. They probably leave me the Chillies.

 

[Pepperpots]

Wow you got the whole kit!
That's how we all get started - just a few thing with a few seeds , then a few sprays and then our house is full of stuff.

Could you start a few more seeds of the ones that are slow - but 2-3 weeks is about right for most peppers that I grow - mostly sweet peppers.
This year I'm growing Chilli peppers because the squirrels keep on taking my sweet peppers. The plan is to hide the sweet peppers behind the Chillies. They probably leave me the Chillies.

I pitty the squirrel who bites into a chocolate reaper.

 

[Sluggy]

Just joined and it is great reading problems that are very similar to U.K. gardening ones. Cardboard pots have never ever worked for me. I place my chilli seeds in seed compost in a small seed tray, with a light dusting of the compost on top, with a plastic lid which has a small air vent and place on a heated tray on a sunny window ledge but your lighting is fine. Spray with water to keep soil moist. Once three or four true leaves are formed I transfer them to small pots, using the leaves to lift them out (not the stem) filled with John Innes No 2. Then onto its finale resting place. To harvest seeds for next year the chilli pepper must be ripe and slightly crinkly. Use Utube to see how to dry the seeds and place them in a dry brown seed envelope. To keep them bushy reduce the stem to 12inches or just leave them alone.

 

[LionGardener]

Welcome Sluggy!

 

[Meadowlark]

Cardboard pots have never ever worked for me.

Nor for me.

Once three or four true leaves are formed I transfer them to small pots, using the leaves to lift them out (not the stem) filled with John Innes No 2. Then onto its finale resting place.

Exactly the way I do tomatoes. But peppers I direct seed. Don't know about John Innes No. 2

. To harvest seeds for next year the chilli pepper must be ripe and slightly crinkly.

Works for Jalapenos and Bells as well...

A lot in common with this Texas gardener.

 

[Sluggy]

In the U.K., obviously there are plenty of brand composts about, but I go with John Innes seed compost and move the seedlings into J.I. No 2 (No 1 has very little nutrition). Then if keeping them in pots their finale resting place is in No3.
As for watering the jury is still out on watering from the top down or from the bottom up. I prefer the bottom down which prevents the potted soil being water logged as I let it drain. I also add a small amount of perlite to help drainage.

 

[LionGardener]

- From what I read "Pepperpots" is from Quebec, Canada - probably zone 6.
Lot colder than US zone6 and the first time they did peppers they just directly sowed them.
I guess they are trying to see if they can get a head start on the growing season.
Even starting indoors I can only get 1 crop of peppers and then our first frost can arrive any time after September.