Things You'll Need:
- Bell pepper seeds
-
Step 1
Bell pepper seedlings are very expensive right now, and yet they are so EASY to start from seed! Bell pepper seedlings are strong and easy to grow. They should be started 4-6 weeks before you intend to put them in the ground.
-
Step 2
To start with, always use sterile soil to start them in. If need be, you can bake the soil in the oven to sterilize it, but, that is messy.
And, do use either commercial potting soil or Jiffy-7 pellets. If you use garden soil, the seedlings will be too wet and do poorly.
In the ground, the gravity pulls on a column of water, and not just on the 2 inches of damp soil in the pot. Because the gravity DOES pull on a good deal of water, in the garden the plants roots are not water logged the way that they would be in a pot with garden soil.
It sounds a bit far-fetched, but I have found out the hard way to never use garden soil in a flower pot. If you do, the plants will be water-logged EVERY time! Seedlings need potting soil or Jiffy-7 pellets! -
Step 3
*IF* you choose to use potting soil, you will need a flower pot to contain it. And, a flower pot has holes for drainage. IF you place a few rocks over the holes, that will prevent the soil from washing out the holes. Or, you can line the pot with a coffee strainer. Fill the pot with potting soil and water it.
If you are using a Jiffy-7 pellet, of course, all you need is a container to set the pellet in. Water the pellet and let it swell up.
When the pots are ready, plant the bell pepper seed about 1/4 inch deep, or drop it into the Jiffy-7 pellet and tamp it gently in. -
Step 4
Keep the pots at 55 degrees or better, and water as needed. The soil should be kept pleasantly damp, not soaking wet.
If the plants look leggy at all, they are not getting enough light. I have had good results with supplementing the light from the window with the light from a desk lamp.
Plant outside when the evening temperatures are always 55 degrees or above, and if possible, plant on a cloudy day.
