The 2017 Pepper Growing Season Has Started

This past weekend, I finally dove head first into starting my first batch of plants from seeds (both purchased and harvested last Fall). This is my first attempt at this and shouldn’t be taken as gospel or advice from an experienced gardner — my approach is novice at best. This site is simply documentation of my efforts (both good and bad) in growing spicy peppers for personal enjoyment.

I had done my research and liked several recommendations of those with far more experience than myself and adapted their techniques to suit my needs and set up. I decided to go with the ever popular two-cup method simply for ease of use and cost. We had already had a pile of solo cups in the house, so I was all set in that regard.

For soil, I was going to go with an organic potting soil and keep it simple, but decided to try out Jiffy’s Seed Starting Mix as my local Home Depot didn’t have the exact brand I was looking for. This product was high on my list as an alternative so it was an easy decision to make.

As far as preparing the seeds, I did not soak them or pre-treat them prior to planting. I did pre-moisten the starter mix before filling each cup so that I didn’t need to over water the seeds once added to the soil. Each cup holds two seeds of each variety to help maximize my chances of germination. I then covered each set up with a zip lock bag to mimic a greenhouse in miniature — condensation began forming on the inside of the bags within an hour of finishing the cups.

I don’t have grow lights or anything like that, just a big window that allows plenty of southern sunlight to fill my family room. I’m hoping that will be enough over the next couple of weeks to provide the warmth and light to get these seeds growing. Fingers crossed.