When to Plant Peppers

Pepper plants can be difficult to grow but also rewarding. Following these tips will help you know when to plant seed, transplant and how to care for your pepper plants.

Planting Pepper Seeds Indoors

Pepper seeds can be difficult to germinate and slow to grow. Start seeds 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost for your area.Use a "starting" soil, not potting soil, for your medium. Use plastic trays with clear dome lids or slide the trays into a clear plastic bag, leaving the end open for ventilation. Keep the planted seeds moist, well lit, warm and well ventilated. Heat mats can be helpful but are not necessary if temperatures are constantly above 75 degrees F.

Caring for Young Seedlings

Seedlings emerge in a hook shape. Sometimes a seed hull will still be attached. Do not remove the hull as this can damage the seedling. At this point the seedlings need 10 to 12 hours of good light each day. A well-lit window may be enough. Light is generally not strong enough and areas around windows are often the coldest point in the room. Plants will grow tall and spindly toward the light and the cold, producing weak plants. Fluorescent lights suspended a few of inches above the dome will solve both problems.

Maturing Seedlings

The first true leaves will emerge a few days later. The plants need good air flow to prevent damping off, which is a fungus that causes the narrowing of the stem until the plant can no longer support itself and dies. If you are using a fertilizer, it can be administered now.

Transplanting Seedlings to Larger Pots

When the second pair of true leaves begins to emerge, the seedlings are ready to be transplanted to 4-inch pots. Do not disturb the root ball while transplanting. Soil temperatures need to remain around 70 degrees F.

Hardening Off Seedlings

To prepare the seedlings for eventual transplant, they must be hardened off. This occurs by exposing the plants to outdoor sunlight and wind over 2 weeks, increasing the exposure time each day. Start with just an hour and increase by about an hour a day until they able to be outside for the whole day. Begin this about a week before the last expected frost.

Transplanting Seedlings Outdoors

The key element at this time is that the soil temperature be 65 degrees F. To help the process along, you can prepare the soil several weeks ahead of time and cover it with plastic sheeting. This will help retain heat from the sun, warming the soil. When two weeks since the last frost have passed, remove the plastic and transplant seedlings, paying special attention not to disturb the root ball.