How to Grow Pepper Plants

Growing pepper plants from seeds is a really fun and rewarding thing to do in the drab winter. Plus, by growing pepper plants from your own seeds, you can usually purchase a lot more varietals than being limited to the plants at a nursery or garden center. Several online companies have 200+ varieties from which to grow pepper plants.

Things You'll Need

• Good selection of seeds
• Good soil/sand mix
• Pots, flats or Peat Pots
• Good lighting or sunshine
• Either a starter soil or sand, garden soil and vermiculite

Instructions

1. Create a soil mixture of 1/3 good garden soil, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 sand.

   Mix the ingredients well. Or if you prefer, you can buy a good starting mix at a discount store. It's pretty inexpensive.

   Vermiculite is a soil conditioner and helps the soil to hold more water. Clay is also, but it compacts too much for growing seedlings.

2. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep six to 10 weeks before the last frost in the pots or flats of your choice. Water the seeds. Keep the seeds moist through their germination state. Many people cover their pots with saran wrap or with a plastic dome of some sort to keep the moisture from escaping until they emerge.

3. Try to keep the area at 75 to 85 degrees. A lot of people use the top of their refrigerator or a thermal heating mat can be purchased to keep the temperature constant.

   Most of the seeds will sprout in seven to 10 days. Some can take up to a month depending on the variety. If the seedlings are too crowded, you can carefully transplant some or you can just thin them out.

4. While your seedlings are growing, get your garden ready. Add plenty of compost, manure, and a general fertilizer. When the weather is past the point of the last frost, transplant outside in a nice well drained area or in a nice pot with plenty of sunlight during the day. For the pot, you'll need potting soil. Plant at about the same depth as the plants were growing before putting outside.

   Happy Harvesting! You've accomplished what you need to grow pepper plants.

Tips & Warnings

• Clay or plastic pots or flats are possible options for the plants to germinate. Another good option is peat pots which can be purchased individually or in peat pot trays.

• After they are thriving outside, they love to be fertilized weekly with organic fertilizer or Miracle Grow mixed with water.

• Cayenne, jalapeno and serranos are nice choices and can be added as flavoring to so many good dishes.

• Make sure the containers used are clean. This will increase your chances of having healthier seedlings and good germination.

• Be careful not to tear off the roots when transplanting.

• Some people recommend transplanting on a cloudy day

• Separate the sweet peppers from the hot ones to prevent cross pollination.