I don't really know what to tell you about the fertilizer although I think I would still dilute it. Better to be too weak than too strong and burn your plants. However I think the problem is the temperature. I'm pretty sure peppers prefer very warm growing conditions (70F or more)

...please review Kenneth Joergensen articles

http://www.suite101.com
I request the reference might be bookmarked and referred to by forum members whenever this topic comes up...thank you

15-30-15, 5-10-5, 1-2-1, its all the same once you put it in water. Read Kenneth's article for details.

Dilute all fertilisers to half the strength on the label (or a quarter) for use on seedlings. No need for fertiliser with some potting soils since enough is in for several weeks or even months. I generally don't fertilise perennials or shrubs at the seedlings stage, just fast-growing plants like hybrid annuals and veggies.

If you are going to use fertiliser, learn the signs of overfeeding, or overdosing on a particular type of fertiliser. I never lost a seedling to underfeeding, they just grow slower.

...well no, shrubs n bulbs my friend( and you are my friend). It isn't quite what Kenneth is talking about. A higher phosphorus fertilizer will yield seedling elongation as well as contributing competitively to other nutrient deficiencies....Let me walk my dogs.... (I'll be back during the week...)

Thanks everyone for the info. Shrubs: Unfortunatly i can't keep my stuff upstairs. I really have no where to put it so the basement is the only place. It usually stays near 60 but a couple of times it has got to almost 57. Maybe a warming mat would help. I don't know since the temperature is still 60 but a warning mat should at least raise the soil temperature. I should have started the tabascos even earlier. I try to start them earlier than the rest of the seeds anyways because im in zone 5 i start to get red peppers about 2 weeks before the first frost which is horrible. There are a lot of green peppers before that but i don't get enough red ones until them. Last year i was out in 35 degree weather when it was raining trying to get enough peppers to make hot sauce. Im hoping starting the seeds early will give me ripe peppers earlier. Next year i will probably start them early jaanuary. This year i didn't start them until late feb and will plant them mid-late may.

ncage

Oh yes i forgot to mention i used seed starting material with no fertilizer to plant the seeds. Ive started seeds before but really didn't know what i was doing. I used potting soil from Scotts i believed and they germinated just fine. This year i used seed starting material that had no fertlizer in it. Next year i just might use potting soil. I think everyone saying that you HAVE to use seed starting material is overrated. If you use a high quality potting soil i think you will be just fine.

Pickwick, here is Kenneth's article on fertiliser dilution and strength. Any gardener needs to understand at least the ideas in this, if not the arithmetic, or they will be forever working in the dark. It will also be difficult to understand the following article on the strengths of various fertiliser components. Here is his article on fertiliser types for seedlings. Read both.

I think everyone saying that you HAVE to use seed starting material is overrated I don't use a special soil for seedlings. The things to bear in mind are that "seedling soil" should be relatively fine material and will have little or no fertiliser. I try to break up or remove any obvious large lumps from my potting soil, and because it includes fertiliser I do not fertilise most seedlings for at least a few weeks and often not until they are planted out.

It might be of interest to view examples of some of the formulations-(noting P)-that the greenhouse trade has used for decades for seedling and plug production..
Blackmore/Greencare
http://www.blackmoreco.com/greencare.html

Here is a link that might be useful: blackmore/greencare