You don't have to have a heating mat, but, if your indoor temps are on the cool side, it can help things along.

I've never used anything special for starting mix, though, I believe some do. I just use regular potting mix.

If you've started tomato seeds, peppers are largely the same. They take longer, and the warmer the better (up to about 90F).

they also grow more slowly. I start peppers about 12 weeks before planting out, and tomatoes about 8 weeks before.

After they sprout, get them under the lights as close as you can.

Thanks tsheets

You provided most of the fundamental info that I was looking for"
WHEN: 12 week before planting,
WHAT : Use regular potting soil. Heating mat can help.

Another good point was: PEPPERS GROW SLOWER THAN TOMATOES. this is very helpful. You can keep peppers indoor longer.(Under light).

Little by little we will get into the smaller steps and details, from germination to planting(that is almost 3 months span)

also, some of the superhots are even slower growing, at least at the beginning.

With my 12 week / 8 week times, even then, I usually have very leggy tomatoes.

Some folks use specific seed starting mix. I just use what I already have around. I'm lazy like that. :-)

Thanks tsheets
I know about tomatoes. I will try only those that growers like Bonnie's do not sell.
But most of the peppers that I want grow are hard to come by. That is why I have to start them myself. Otherwise for 3 bucks a seedling it is not worth the trouble unless you already have a good set up and room in place.

Oh brother, I am sooo far behind it ain't even funny, I am literally swamped with chiles still on the vine and have no idea, or actually little enthusiasm, what to do with them other than freeze and dry some choice select ones. Frost predicted tonight so I covered plants w/ Remay cloth.

What's next? For me I'm probably going to kill two birds with one stone with my next step, I'll prune my 'overwinters' in place (in the garden) and bring the chile laden limbs into the kitchen where I can watch TV AND pick peppers at the same time.

I had huge success germinating seeds on top a DVD player this season.

Here is a link that might be useful: Paper Towel Method of Germinating ???

Sid .... I hope the pots are well sheltered from the frost. Never no , you might get a long Indian Summer to hep with the ripening the pods. We don't have any frost coming soon yet. The temps are generally in 42 to 60F range. So it is ok for cool crops. All I have is winter radish, onions, parsley, chives and garlics that will sail through the winter.

That is why I am thinking about SPRING.

During this time, I am creating my seed list of the types of peppers I would like to grow. I suggest using a heat mat set to 80-85 for germinating seeds, I use my DVR to germinate but will hope to get a heat mat soon. I use Miracle Grow (MG) organic choice mixed with MG Orchid mix (non corse) and bone meal and additional perlite. This mix is used from germination throughout the whole season as I keep my peppers in pots. I start my seeds (zone 7) in Jan/ Feb, I will start this season in Feb. once they sprout I place them under shop lights a few inches above them. Remember not to over water this is usually the cause of so many issues. Good luck in the 2014 growing season.

Mark

Habjolokia ... appreciate sharing your knowledge and technics.

Fro what I have so far gathered, it seems that HEAT MAT can be valuable, as most pepper seeds germinate readily at temperatures 80 to 90F. Obviously my 70F room temperature is not warm enough for GERMINATION.

So I am going to get a Heat Mat. with temp. control.

Going to search now.

I hope the pots are well sheltered from the frost.

They're in the ground, not pots; I'll prune them before I dig them up.

Hi Seysonn.

If you haven't bought your germination mat yet, you might want to consider a regular heating pad. Set it on low and you're good to go. If the soil is getting too hot, just put a towel between the seed tray and the heating pad. You can buy one at Walmart for under $10 bucks. I've been using mine for the last 5 years or so with no problems. Note: be sure it does NOT have an automatic shut-off. The cheap ones don't *smile*.

Re WHEN. I start all my peppers EXCEPT Annuums 12 weeks before plant-out. Annuums grow much faster, so I start them 8 weeks before. Tomatoes are the fastest of all, so I start them 6-8 weeks before.

Re: WHAT. I use ProMix BX for seed starting and potting up.

jm2c

Rick

RDBACK .... many thanks. 12 weeks gives me mid Feb. My plant out date is around mid May. I think I can handle pepper indoor longer as they are not as fast growing like tomatoes.

I have not yet bought a mat. The ones I have see on amazon, HD online WM online do not seem to have a HIGH LOW option. Or at least is not mentioned. Then they have a temperature control unit(@ ~ $40). It sounds like a good safety insurance.
What do you guys think about it ? Is it necessary and worth the cost ?

I got the hydrofarm mat and temperature control. I like having it because my basement where I start seeds is on the cool side. It's more pricy than Rick's option, but, I am happy with it.

seysonn,

You asked "What Is Next ?" The Forum continues to be a meeting place to share plans, experience and learn for the upcoming season.

On the topic of heating mats, you may find an old January 2010 post informative. See link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: heating pads

I have a few end of season questions. I live in central GA, the weather man is calling for a frost this weekend.

I have about 10 pepper (super hots) plants that still have an abundance of peppers not ripe yet (all are still very green).

My questions are -

1. do I move them in the house or will in the garage be good. I dont have a green house yet so not an option.

2. Do I pick all the peppers and let them ripen inside?

This is my first year growing peppers (or anything for that matter) and these last plants were slow growers and late bloomers

MissyGA64,

Provided your garage does not get into freezing temperatures you should be fine moving your plants in overnight. You can move them back out in the morning after the danger of frost. Most years this is a fall ritual for me.

Green pepper pods don't readily ripen after they are picked.If your pods have started to ripen (have some colour/color) then odds are good they'll finish ripening after picking and left on the counter.

Bill

No need to try to ripen green pods yet, though surprisingly a goodly number will actually ripen. For instance, I had a bough of bhuts break off the Immortal Beloved with about 15 pods on it - all green - about half full size. Even though the leaves were all wilted I stuck the bough in a vase and now weeks later the pods are turning color. [Normally I wouldn't do such a thing except that I have so few bhuts this fall (sold 8 others and could easily have sold this one, but that's another story).]

This is supposed to be a quick overnight frost with temps bouncing back up. You can just leave the plants outside and cover them with a sheet or plastic. Use rocks to hold down the edges, though the wind will die as the front passes. Personally I am moving mine into the garage and outdoor room, then back out tomorrow.

Dennis

I think in Central GA this is a very early call for frost, judging from years that I have lived in Atlanta (North Fulton). So, if I were you I would protect them over nite and let them be for another month or so. Then you can pick the fruits. Mature pods will more likely get color, IF they are kept single layered on newspaper or towel ...Another option (if you are not overwintering) would be, PULL AND HANG UPSIDE DOWN like in garage or shed.

Wow, so much information. Thank you all so much. My plants can all be moved to a retaining wall and covered with old sheets. . . much less work than moving them all to the garage. . . but should the temp drop too much these next few weeks I will lug them all to the garage as it stays pretty warm. . . my house is on a hill and the garage is actually under the house and the heating unit is there as well so it will be fairly cool but not cold..

The pic is of my Choc. Ghost peppers.

Nice looking pods worth growing to maturity. Sounds like (with the advice so far) you're good for the frost threat tonight. Being on a hill works in your favour/favor, frost settles on low ground.

Don't know about $ stores in GA but up here in Canuck Land we can get 8' x 8' "painters tarps" (read saran wrap) for a buck. They work well protecting plants against light frost. Worth a few bucks if you can find them.

FWIW,

Bill

Those pods look vicious, Missy. LOL
It seems that you are in good hands. I your warm basement wit a shoplight you can even overwinter some plants that you like.
I guess it will be better than starting from seeds.

Seysonn- yes they are pretty vicious. I used 3 ripe pods to make about 1/2 gal of pepper sauce. It is super hot. My daughter loves it, and eats it on just about everything;not sure there will be any left when my son finally gets to come home and try it.

Overwinter ? I don't understand that term. Of course I get that it means letting the plant grow through the winter, but for what purpose ? Will it produce peppers again next spring ?

On the pods: Some of them have a heat index over 1,000,000. Where Jalapeno has SHU of about 10000. max, So, pound per pound those super hots have 100 time more heat than Jalapeno. Using 3 of them is equivalent to 80 to 120 Jalapeno. (Gheeze )

Right, overwintering means keeping plant live and going during winter months. .

Will they fruit next year ? DEFINITELY, AND MUCH EARLIER than what you start from seeds. Peppers are perennials in the tropics, even in southern Fl, and CA.

This post was edited by seysonn on Thu, Oct 24, 13 at 13:22

oh my, this winter will be interesting. The only plant in our garden that ever got "overwintered" was my husbands banana tree and his temple orange tree. I told him this morning he will have to make room in the garage for my pepper plants, one of each any way. Luckily we only use the garage as storage so it will be easy to place the pots near the windows in the garage door. I think I will move a few of the more compact plants inside the house.

Thanks so much for the info, I have learned so much this year from all the great folks on Gardenweb.

I have a drive-under garage too. The only problem with the plant living there all winter is light. South facing windows but only those in the garage door. So in the garage only they would go mostly dormant. But when I had fewer plants (like 8 or so) I put them in a wagon and could roll them out the door each warm morning. They spent most of the winter outside and never did go dormant. The short day drops production but those plants that lived (my fault some died) got a running start.

You can and should overwinter your good plants. My four year old plants (I have two left) have gotten long in the tooth and aren't producing well this year. The last two years, though, they produced like gangbusters. Search for 'overwinter' or 'overwintering' here and you will find some large threads and elaborate preparations. Don't take them too much to heart. You can get away with basically just moving them and not even pruning (though with a chronic low light level it would help).

The wall is an excellent heater. Remember, at this time of year the ground is the warmest thing out there. It will take weeks of low temps to get the ground cold. So your plants covered as described would survive worse than what is coming this weekend. (Basically, Friday night.)

BTW, the evening temps told bme it wouldn't frost last night and it didn't (37F approx. low) but I brought some in anyway. The bunch outside I covered. Some I didn't cover and they were fine. So nothing to worry about at 37F.

Dennis

I have been reading and making notes on overwintering today. . . I am so excited to try this technique. One of the pepper plants is actually my grandsons. He left it here when his family got transferred to Fort Lewis. . . I just found out he is in the same 'hardiness zone" as me. . . after all the pods are ripe, I am going to trim it back, wrap the root ball and ship it and a few others to him. He is so excited. he is only 12, but loves growing peppers.

Well it got a bit colder than expected so a few of my babies were a bit droopy this morning, but no frost. For tonight I moved them into the garage just to be safe, I counted over 100 peppers would be lost if they froze. I was even able to make room for my huge Naranjilla plant.. . . That was an event, moving her with out getting poked, scratched or jabbed.

I also potted couple of small plants (Ornamental Sangria and pepperocini). I left them outside for now. we have no frost in the forecast. Next week we are going to have a heat wave, 53 to 72F. I like that.
I am going to do this JUST as OVERWINTERING PRACTICE. I will start my germination process in mid January or so.

Pruning foliage and roots preparatory to overwintering will teach you a lot about handling tough plants like peppers. The amount of "coercion" that they just take in stride is astounding to the newbie used to thinking of plants as delicate objects.

Somewhere there is a pic of the bare nub of a plant - no stem or roots - that did just fine in the following year. Maybe someone has it clipped?

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

I knew the pic you were referring to see the provided link to major pruning.

Mark

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning link

wow Mark, those pics show drastic cutting back. I don't think I will cut mine back quite so far, but further than I had originally planned. . .

It didnt occur to me to cut the roots back too. I must ask why would it be necessary to do that though ? it is a must to cut back the roots too ?

You don't *have* to pot them down. They just take up much less space that way. Also, you get to change the mix to new/fresh mix and hopefully leave most of the bugs behind. Those are the reasons I do it.

Thanks Mark.
That was quite educational to me. I will do that to my "Holy Mole". She is still out there

well less bugs is a reason to do anything. Well I know what I will be doing on Halloween since the almanac says its a good day to plant.
(my husband is adamant we follow the planting days per the old farmers almanac, so I don't disagree)

Anyone else an avid follower of the almanac garden/planting guide ?

I'm going to spend a lot of time reflecting on all of the things I had to change because I didn't set things up well in the first place!
I must have moved my stuff around a bazillion times. I bet I could win in an arm wrestle contest with my hubby at this point.
Taking a break from work right now and going out to the greenhouse. Having a bit of a conundrum about which way to blow the medium fan that runs off the larger solar panels.

I know its been a while since anyone posted on this thread, but I thought I would ask how everyone's Pepper Plants did over the winter.

I had 3 survive and one is already putting on flowers. The tag on her pot fell off so I am not sure which pepper it is until the new ones develop, but I do know its a super hot.

The picture is of the plant taken about 3 weeks ago

Looking good!

How many did you try to overwinter? Did you autopsy the dead to know why they died?

Dennis

Well, it is great that we all survived the cold and gray days of winter wit hope and thinking about growing HOT peppers again. Thanks everybody for keeping the company along the way by commenting and helping the newbies like me.

To missy's question: I just overwintered one ornamental called SANGRIA. It is a beautiful dwarf. Starts with purple pods that turn eventually red. The pod size is about an inch long and proportionally slim in diameter.

But I have started about 15 varieties of sweets, milds and hots. Habanero is probably my hottest one. I also have Thai, Chinese 5 color. ALL of them are in pots now. But have not been growing much. The temps are still on the cool side for peppers.

I'm in Southern California so my in-grounds grow as perennials though around October, they quit producing until next spring.
I even leave my container plants out unless we get some frost nights which are not too common.

Stoney

Should start a new thread with a different name , like "

" Whats Up Now ?"

I am sure a lot going now and the heat is on.