Starting peppers from seed

Ok, this one is not about cooking. Sometimes, though, you can't buy cool stuff that you would like to cook with. So, you either have to a) give up, b) substitute (sometimes ok), or c) get on with it and grow the damn stuff yourself! This is a post related to c).

In this post, I’ll detail my pepper starting secrets (ooooooh!). It will be a “living document” -- lame work tecno-babble I know, but I couldn't think of anything better. I plan to update it as one stage of pepper growing moves to the next – that way you can get going now. I think this is better than having me wait until all is said and done and posting it all in July when it will be totally useless. So stay tuned for updates!

I’ll be going through a couple of basic stages: 1) seed germination, 2) planting, 3) growing the seedlings, 4) potting on, and 5) getting them outside. This, at least, is the plan, so we’ll see how it evolves…. And don't despair if you think it's too late -- it's not. I start pretty early, but things will still work out if you get moving before the end of February -- that gives you time to order seeds, get them in the mail, and start your odessey into the awesome and cheerful world of chiles! :D They make me smile. Great seed sources include Seeds of Change, Seed Savers Exchange, Seeds of Diversity (but you have to be a member -- like me!), J.L. Hudson -- you should check this cat out anyway, The Pepper Gal, and your local Seedy Saturday!

If you already have seeds, you need to check-out your well organised seed stash and decide what you want to grow. As you can see, my seeds are as well organised as the rest of my life.

There are 5 commonly (ok, 1 is common, and 4 are less-common) grown species of pepper, all of which belong to the genus Capsicum. The species are: 1) annuum: the standard bell peppers, jalapenos, serranos, numex types, poblanos (a.k.a. ancho when dried), etc... 2) chinense: habaneros, scotch bonnets, and their cousins -- once thought to be from China (hence chinense), but actually from South/Central America, 3) baccatum: my favourites -- native of Peru and Bolivia, and often referred to by their aboriginal name: Aji, 4) frutescens: the best known is the tobasco pepper, but a couple of peppers commonly used in China are also of this species, and 5) pubescens: the black-seeded Rocoto chiles of Bolivia that, to me, are the hottest freaking things you can imagine -- to me they are hotter than habaneros, and that's saying something.

If you want to learn more about chiles, I heartily recommend The Pepper Garden by Dave DeWitt and Paul Bosland. Dave is the founder of Chile Pepper magazine (still in circulation!) and Paul is a prof at New Mexico State University and does research and breeding projects on chiles (Paul created the Twilight variety which is, to me, the no-contest most beautiful plant out there). Both Dave and Paul are as enthusiastic about chiles as they are knowledgable. You could also try and find a copy of Jean Andrews's Peppers if you're absolutely consumed by your quest for knowledge about the Capsicums -- or you can just borrow my copy (if you promise to sit and read it in my living room while I watch you to make sure you don't get Doritos prints on my pages).

ANYWAY, lets get the seeds started. This is a pretty simple process. The MAIN thing you need to know is that pepper seeds need heat to germinate (remember this now). Most do best at around 85 degrees. This is next to impossible to achieve in a pot filled with dirt (and even more impossible if you live in Canada), so my big trick is to get the seeds to germinate BEFORE they go into any dirt -- once they sprout, they will keep growing, but the trick is to get them to sprout before you plant them.

To do this, you'll need some Ziploc bags and some paper towel. Put two sheets (the regular sized sheets -- three of those weird skinny ones they've been making lately) of folded paper towel in each baggie and add about 1-2 tablespoons of water (not too much -- just enough to keep the paper moist but not soaking -- I guess it depends on if you use Bounty or not). In the simplest version of this project, you just label your bags (four types of chile fit easily in each one), sprinkle some seeds in there, put them somwhere warm, and wait.

Of course, most houses in Canada have few spots anywhere near 85 degrees in mid-January -- this is the main problem with this whole project. So, you need to find a place for germination. Likely candidates are:

1) anywhere your cat sleeps,

2) on your furnace ducts,

3) on the fluorescent lights you use for keeping your rosemary alive through the winter, 

[sorry, no picture of my belly]

4) I dunno -- use your imagination! On top of the fridge near the back? Somewhere near the woodstove (don't melt the bags!)? Strapped to your belly? The possibilities are limitless!  Just keep them warm.

Now, for the advanced pepper growers out there, you can consider bleach treatments, potassium nitrate soaks, using tri-sodium phosphate to kill viruses, giberellins to break dormancy, etc.... But all this stuff enters pain-in-the-ass territory, so avoid it all if you can! Keep it fun! (But e-mail me if you need help.)

So, here we are. Your seeds are in a warm, moist environment and are getting ready to germinate. This will take a couple of days, but check your Ziplocs every day to look for little roots, and get ready for step 2: Planting...! I think you deserve a great beer now! (And for the purists out there who might point out that I used the wrong glass [*cough-Richard-this-means-you*] all I can say is pffffffffft.)

Next installment: planting.

Sorry... need to do a pre-planting post! You have to get your dirt ready. This is an outside project, since you don't want the dusty gunk that flows out of the pots to go down any of your drains. Small pots are best for the first planting. Those little styrofoam flats that you can buy flowers in are great too -- I just couldn't find mine (I think they're under the snow in the back yard somewhere). Pick a nice, loose potting mix. I'm using an organic one that Miracle Grow has come out with (how could I resist?! Organic AND Miracle Grow!). Just scoop some potting mix into each pot or flat and water it in. Make sure to get the pots back into the house before they freeze onto wherever you watered them. Now you're ready for the seeds when they sprout -- this is preferable to finding that they have already sprouted and being without soil, pots, or both. Next post -- planting!