how hot is too hot for seed germination?

[Runningwater]

I was going to try germinating my pepper seeds this year before transplanting into starter cups with granular DE for a seedling medium. So I had pepper seeds in damp paper towels in a tupperware on seed heat mat, put a dishrag on top and didn't check them until about 24 hours later and it was much warmer than I expected. I'm guessing around 110 degrees? Have I killed the seeds and need to start over - or will they be OK?

Any advice welcome - want to restart ASAP if that's the answer - thanks!

[habitat_gardener]

Cornell says the germination range is 70 to 95 F
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/hom...scene9c8a.html

(but I wonder if anyone has experience that says seed can survive at 110F).

I put my heat mat on top of an upturned flat (for air movement underneath), and the pots with potting mix in a flat on top of the heat mat. When I put the pots on the heat mat without the air layer, it felt like it got too hot. I need to do some trials with different setups...or get a thermostat or thermometer!

[clkeiper]

Don't throw them away. Give them time to germinate, but peppers are slower than tomatoes and may be a 7-10 days before you can tell. On the safe side... start a few more.

[Cole_Robbie]

They're probably ok. I think high heat typically kills by drying out everything. As long as it stayed moist, I would expect them to still come up.

[dmforcier]

Last year I had trouble keeping my germinating bed (damp towels in baggies in a casserole on a heat pad) temperature regulated. Bed temps were running above 95'F for several days. Germination was not good, especially in the superhots. When I finally figured out that the thermometer was placed wrong and brought the temps down in the lower 80s, the reluctant seeds started popping. So empirically, high temps can indeed retard germination.

110'F is way up there and may or may not kill the germ. I wouldn't give up on them until 3 weeks, though. Pepper seeds, like pepper plants, are tough.