Some data on pepper seed starting success vs seed age

[sweetwm007]

i too am using " trimmed off 'plastic bottles for the jiffy 7's i purchased from the states. around 200 trimmed green tea bottles. jiffy 7's are about the only alternative i could use this year for a starting medium. there is nothing sterile here [ including the water ] and no sources of potting soil that i can find. one has to be very careful of the compost that is available. this has been one heck of a struggle.
the reason i asked about jiffy 7's relating to pepper seeds is something i read about peat having a negative impact on germination. just can't remember where.

william- having a heck of a time!

[Trudi]

You could use boiling water to sterilize compost or garden soil.

[Love2Troll]

the reason i asked about jiffy 7's relating to pepper seeds is something i read about peat having a negative impact on germination.

William,

Me too... several times. There is peat and then there is peat. The pH can vary greatly with readings just below 4 to slightly over 7 if I recall correctly. I've yet to decide just exactly what pH is the best for growing peppers, but usually try for around 6.5 to 7 to start with.

Jiffy 7s are OK even though I don't use them anymore either.

jt

[sweetwm007]

thanks for the replies. gotta go with what i have. started about 36 tonight on heating pads. will do about 40 plants of 10 varieties. then will start tomatoes tomorrow. every container has been bleached, soaked in soap and rinsed. we will see what happens.

compost next!

william

[Colorado_west]

I am another one that plants in anything. Some things can be reused and I do wash up good. I use a baby bottle brush to get in to the cells I do have. I re-use them over and over till no good.

I am another that does not really like peat pots. I used some last year to start melons. I set in pan and filled the whole thing with starting mix.

Thanks for tip on saving pepper seed. What I saved last year and my first try, I just took them off. Will see if they grow.

[giardiniere]

Our Wal-Mart sells their ground beef (and other meats) in plastic trays. They are perfect for seed starting flats. They have various sizes, but the ones I am using are about 12" x 6" and 2½" deep.

[Colorado_west]

My saved Habanero seed have not came up. Rest has came up. Going to replant in case I had too hot, too cold or too dry or too wet or did not hold my mouth right. Could be who said Habaneros are harder to get dried is probably right. I bought a few dried Chile de Arbol peppers in the produce department of Wal-Mart and I planted some of the seed and they have came up.

[Colorado_west]

My Habanero seed I saved last year are now coming up. Just slow and I had removed the tray off the heat to get the rest in the sun. So that probably slowed it down more. These peppers all seem have their own time table in coming up.

[SelfSufficient1]

What I really like are the clear plastic trays with the hinged tops for starting my seeds in. The only time I have had trouble starting peppers is when we have a cold spring and my greenhouse just won't stay hot enough. (I never use any extra heat mats or anything like that). This year everything is doing good so far the jalepenos and gypsy peppers are up but the Klari Cheese I tried to start inside in a sunny window and they haven't sprouted yet so got moved out to the greenhouse yesterday.

[soeur]

About the viability of old pepper seed...

Two weeks ago I planted some 'Sweet Pickle' seed that I saved in autumn 1997. It's been in cold dry storage since then, more or less -- I've moved twice in the intervening time and all my seed spent time in considerable heat. I was hoping for maybe a few live seeds out of the 30 or so I started. Imagine my amazement when about 75% sent out a radicle!

[JohnF]

Recent test of old seeds from dehydrated peppers. I did not test those that had no germination in 2002