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Posted By: LandOfOz Peppers, now what? - February 2nd, 2007 at 07:26 PM
So, I've gotten about half my peppers to germinate (In a week!) and now I'm beginning to wonder what I need to do next. They are in the small jiffy peat pots, under a dome. I know that I should take the lid off, but the rest haven't germinated and I don't want them to dry out. Should I pot the germinated peppers into 4 inch pots and put under a grow light? Or just make them wait under the dome and hope they don't get dampening off or whatever it's called?? Please help me! These are my first peppers and they are better behaved than my kids! laugh

Thanks,
Sarah
Posted By: 'Sparagus Re: Peppers, now what? - February 3rd, 2007 at 12:35 AM
Are you talking about the little peat pellets? If so, that's how I started my (hot) peppers last year. As they sprouted, Id remove the peat pots from the "greenhouse" (a big clear bag) and put them under the grow light on a plate, leaving the unsprouted in the moist environment till they came up.

I didnt pot mine in something bigger till they were all up, and had real sets of leaves.

Hope that helps! wavey
Posted By: Triss Re: Peppers, now what? - February 3rd, 2007 at 12:46 AM
Yep, I would keep those that have not sprouted in the dome and the others to under a light. They can be transplanted right into the containers you are going to grow them in once they have their true leaves. If they are eventually going to go into the ground, they may need to go up to 4" pots between now and then. Also I found my peppers did a lot better if I removed the covering off the peat pots before I transplanted them.
Posted By: LandOfOz Re: Peppers, now what? - February 3rd, 2007 at 01:01 AM
Okay, so should I wrap some plastic around the peat pellets with germinated peppers, so they don't dry out? The air is my house is always VERY dry, last year the pellets dried out 2 or 3 times a day. Maybe I could just set them in a shallow bowl with some standing water?

Thanks for the help!
Posted By: Triss Re: Peppers, now what? - February 3rd, 2007 at 01:44 AM
Bowl with water would work. I have done that one as well.
Posted By: 'Sparagus Re: Peppers, now what? - February 3rd, 2007 at 02:02 PM
I agree Sarah, even a plate with a low lip will work, anything that you can pour water in to let the peat pots soak it up!
Posted By: LandOfOz Re: Peppers, now what? - February 5th, 2007 at 07:57 PM
Okay, then that's what I'll do, Thanks!
Posted By: dodge Re: Peppers, now what? - February 7th, 2007 at 02:55 AM
Landofoz

I put a plastic sheet over mine to retain moisture.
They all trive on moisture......Underthe lights .
Try misting them to with water sprays.. That works wonders for anything.
Posted By: LandOfOz Re: Peppers, now what? - February 8th, 2007 at 01:43 AM
I put off making my sacrifices until yesterday. I finally did the Deed and mercilessly murdered 4 perfectly healthy, beautiful plants. eek eek

Anywho, I've got roots shooting out the bottom and sides of my little jiffy pots but my plants do not have any true leaves. Should I go ahead and put them in pots now, or wait until they develop their true leaves?
Posted By: Triss Re: Peppers, now what? - February 8th, 2007 at 02:44 AM
Oh dear, why did you have to get rid of plants?

I would wait for true leaves to transplant. Personal preference on that one.
Posted By: LandOfOz Re: Peppers, now what? - February 8th, 2007 at 04:18 AM
There were 3 plants in each pot and I was doing what all the gardening books say and weeding out the smaller plants.
Posted By: Triss Re: Peppers, now what? - February 8th, 2007 at 05:36 AM
Ahhh ok, gotcha! I have done that also, but have also let them get a bit bigger and plant them in separate containers. Depends on what I am growing and how much space I have.
Posted By: tkhooper Re: Peppers, now what? - February 8th, 2007 at 01:09 PM
if they are the pellet pots then you should just be able to plop them into bigger pots without disturbing the plant so no problem. But if you have to disturb the roots or pick it up by the stem then no wait.
Posted By: LandOfOz Re: Peppers, now what? - February 8th, 2007 at 02:14 PM
Yup, they are in the pellet pots. I might just go ahead and remove that netting around the pellets and stick them into a well watered pot. I've been washing pots in bleach water all morning for hosta transplants, so what's a few more?

Thanks for the help, ladies, I sure do appreciate it!
Posted By: Triss Re: Peppers, now what? - February 8th, 2007 at 04:51 PM
I like to remove the netting as well. Seems my plants do better for that.
Posted By: LandOfOz Re: Peppers, now what? - February 10th, 2007 at 03:23 AM
Well, I got them potted up yesterday, removed the netting too. They are still spry and happy today, so I mustn't have done anything too traumatic. Woohoo!
Posted By: Triss Re: Peppers, now what? - February 10th, 2007 at 03:29 AM
YEAH!!!
Posted By: LandOfOz Re: Peppers, now what? - February 16th, 2007 at 07:06 PM
Okay, another question for ya. I want to make sure that my peppers have very tough and thick stalks. Last year, we had some 75 mph+ winds (not gusts) and it literally tore several of my peppers in half at the ground level. Although I was impressed that it didn't pull up the plant, I was rather ticked that it destroyed the plants just the same. Any suggestions? Do I need to be pinching something once it gets leafier? Right now my beautiful babies are about 3 inches tall with their first set of true leaves.

Thanks!
Sarah
Posted By: comfrey Re: Peppers, now what? - February 16th, 2007 at 08:41 PM
Quote
Originally posted by LandOfOz:
Last year, we had some 75 mph+ winds (not gusts) and it literally tore several of my peppers in half at the ground level. Thanks! Sarah
Well 75 mph+ winds...not much you can really do about that, I don't even think staking would help, but might? I had a few of mine broken off like that also last year, but mine was from heavy...heavy rain and wind. Peppers usually have pretty sturdy stalks/stems, so you might try putting one stake in next to them...but unless they are tied securely..75 mph winds will still beat them to death.
Posted By: LandOfOz Re: Peppers, now what? - February 16th, 2007 at 09:25 PM
I was afraid someone would say that, Comfrey. I wish I could prevent it!! The worse part is, we get these terrible thunderstorms blow up over here, and the wind is liable to come from any direction, so I can't even plant a good windblock.

My peppers were staked, and the two that were more "loosely" tied down were the ones who suffered death. The other 5 had a majority their branches torn off. I was really hoping there was something that I could do to make my plants tough little fellas that would just laugh at the KS winds. laugh Guess I was asking for a little too much, huh?
Posted By: comfrey Re: Peppers, now what? - February 20th, 2007 at 04:35 AM
Quote
Originally posted by LandOfOz:
I was afraid someone would say that, Comfrey. I wish I could prevent it!! I was really hoping there was something that I could do to make my plants tough little fellas that would just laugh at the KS winds. laugh Guess I was asking for a little too much, huh?
laugh laugh laugh
Where I live there is alot of wind also...Not all over Arkansas..just in this area I live in. I have learned the hard way about the wind...You might be able to put cages around the pepper plants that "might" help just alittle???? The ones they sell at the hardware store for tomatoes would work great for peppers..they don't work good for tomatoes nutz Be sure to stake the cages down though...I watched the wind knock 10 cages with tomato plants over one year..the plants were not damaged, but it took 2 people to set the cages and plants back in an upright position. Good Luck!! I know about Kansas I was raised there and know about sand, sand burrs, tornado's & snow drifts laugh
Posted By: tkhooper Re: Peppers, now what? - February 20th, 2007 at 02:29 PM
I was thinking about wooden topless bottomless boxes a couple of feet tall with spikes for feet so they could be set into the ground really well. Kinda like above ground root cellars for the peppers.

Your really up against it with those kinds of winds.

Good Luck
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