Denna,
Don't be discouraged by the tardiness of some pepper starts. Boy, some of them really take a looooong time to germinate. Some seem to take for----ever to get past those first few leaves. And others seem to leaf out well but stay rather spindly with regard to their main stems don't they?
Some seem to thrive in the same conditions that others languish in. Not to worry ...
Keep planting lots of different varieties until you find the ones that cooperate with your temps, light conditions, and care habits.
Some of the ones I started in February are showing a heck of a lot more vigor than some of those started in November and December.
I even have some of the same varieties started at different times and under different conditions that show growth characteristics that totally defy their comparable ages.
And there are the total dissapointments like Charleston Hots, Tabascos, and some of the more exotic Habanero types. But I did find a dozen or so varieties that are thriving in container size and lighting conditions where many tomato varieties totally flopped.
I found the same true to some extent with the tomato seedlings from variety to variety. But you know what, some of the more spindly ones sure perked up fast when I put them out in the garden.
So don't get discouraged. Next year germinate more varieties and select out the ones that do well for you.
Here's a list of ornamental types that started out really feebly but have really taken off since they were put out to harden off: Tri Fetti, Largo Purple, Black Pearl, and Black Prince.
And here's some that always showed a lot of vigor right from germination even though these spent a lot longer under florescent lighting than those ornamentals listed above: Fish, Ancho, Poblano, Anaheim, Cascabella, Sport, Pulla, Jalapeno Picante, two long red roasting types I took from pods bought at the Latino food market, and a gold Thai pepper from seeds out of pods purchased at the Asian food market.
PV