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I know these need a long growing season, so I was planning to start my pepppers indoors next month. I'm having to plan around a 2 week holiday though. How long will peppers take to germinate if sown indoors in a heated propagator?

7-14 days - depending upon variety & the prop's temp.

Thanks Tim. I think I'll sow some before going on holiday. To slow them down, do you think they'd grow without bottom heat, just on a sunny windowsill? Temperature is likely to be under 20 celsius though.

I can't get the bloody things to germinate. How deep should they be sown. Or should they be left on the surface? The seeds are past their sell-by date (was given them free at the local deli) so that may be why they won't, but I thought I might get one seedling out of the packet.

dandelion they should be ok on a windowsill...providing you have the heating on in the house....that's how I always grow mine ;)

Quote from: bupster on January 26, 2006, 14:01:41
I can't get the bloody things to germinate. How deep should they be sown. Or should they be left on the surface? The seeds are past their sell-by date (was given them free at the local deli) so that may be why they won't, but I thought I might get one seedling out of the packet.

I just cover them with a thin layer of vermiculite. This helps reduce damping off.

I think peppers seed should be OK for a few years, much like tomatoes.

Jerry

Pepper seeds have only short term viability, two years, compared with many other seeds including tomatoes at four or five years so your seed has probably had it's day dandelion. Netto are doing Calefornian Wonder at 19p a packet (see other thread). ;)
Sorry bupster that was in reply to you. :)

Agree with Jerry on the vermiculite - never used it until last year, and it really helps keep the moisture where it's needed, whilst letting light through.

I have a bag of vermiculite (or is it perlite ???? The stuff that looks like small beads of polystyrene?), so I'll use that. The house won't be heated properly while we're away, but I'll try sowing some seed in the heated prpagater and some in an unheated one. It's a big pack of seeds from Seeds of Italy and I only need 4 plants.

For info, Perlite doesn't let light through, so if you use it for seeds that need light, it's no good. I think tomato should be alright though. I think. Someone who knows - please advise!

Tomato seed does not need light to germinate.

More to the point neither do peppers ::)

I might try again with my slightly elderly seeds then. I thought it was just my incompetence  :D. If they're too old then I might buy some more - I was only really trying them because they were free  :). Also I've managed to get parsley and lemongrass to germinate on my windowsill, so it's not my aura of ineptitude that's killing them off!

A couple of thoughts?

1. Vermiculite - yes! I use it for everything. But the FINE type. If you can't get that, put it in the processor or through a sieve. It's  useful in telling you by its  colour when it is moist.  Perlite? I believe no?
2. Yes - hedge your bets - don't do it all at once.
3. Yes - a modest temperature can slow the germination rate, but might also mean sparse results. BUT - see

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/peppers1.jpg

4. Never had a problem - yet!