Growing sweet peppers, ornamental peppers, or the hottest pepper in the world from seed is rewarding. Plant the seed and watch it grow. Don't underestimate the effort needed.

Successfully growing pepper plants take attention and patience, and it all starts with germination. Luckily, pepper germination all happens indoors in a controllable environment and it can be done in just 5 steps. See our video and steps below for how to germinate any kind of pepper seed. Read on below the five stages of germination for any kind of pepper.

 Germination

Pepper germination starts when a seed grows into a plant. It's best to begin in warmer weather for optimal plant performance.

Seeds germinate under specific conditions, so maintain consistent temperature and moisture levels in the soil. Patience is key for seedling sprouting.

When to Start Plants Indoors

Timing is everything with peppers. They are a warm-season crop, like tomatoes and eggplants, and will not thrive when temperatures are below 60°F/16°C. However, very little fruit set occurs above 90°F/32°C, especially with bell peppers. Some hot peppers are more heat-tolerant.

The best scenario is to get peppers transplanted as soon as the weather is warm and settled, so that fruit set occurs when temperatures are between 65°F/18°C and 85°F/29.4°C.

Of course, weather is beyond a grower's control, and the ideal conditions may not occur in some locations and some years when high temperatures arrive earlier than usual. In such cases, early yield may be reduced but plants will grow vegetatively until conditions are right to resume fruit set.

The optimal timing for initiating plant germination indoors is approximately four weeks before the final frost date. The specific timeline varies based on your planting zone, so it is essential to monitor the last frost date in your region.

What are the Steps of Germination?

Essential Checklist for Successful Seed Germination.

• Gloves (this is optional if you are dealing with super-hot peppers because you don't want the oil to irritate your eyes or skin)
• Water
• Seed Starting Mix of Choice
• Heat Mat
• Seed Germination Tray with Humidity Dome
• Light Source

When you have everything together, it's now time to start the germination process!

1. Place your germination tray on the surface and fill in about six cups of water. After filling in the water, place your seed starting tray on top of the germination tray. Check to see if you have 1/4 of an inch of standing water in the tray.
2. Fill the seed starting tray with potting soil. Fill in all the way to the top.
3. Make a centered hole in 1/4 inch deep in each seed starting cell. For best practices, use a #2 pencil eraser to create your holes.
4. Place the seed into the 1/4 inch hole and cover gently.
5. Apply the seedling heat source to the bottom of the tray, and cover the top of the seed starting tray with a humidity trapping dome.

   Sow seeds 8 weeks prior to transplanting. 

6. Pepper seeds should be planted 1/4" deep in a fine-textured seed-starting mix or vermiculite to provide good drainage. We recommend using a Flat the shallow channels in the flat allow you to minimize the amount of growing medium needed while maximizing the number of seeds you can start on a heating mat. The channels also provide a convenient way to grow multiple varieties and keep them separate.

   Heat of 80–90°F/27–32°C is essential for pepper germination. Seeds will germinate in 7–8 days at that temperature; at lower temps, germination is slower, erratic, and percentage germination is reduced.

7. HARDEN OFF

The hardening off process helps indoor-grown seedlings adjust to life outdoors. Find out how to move your young plants to the garden safely—and without stalling their growth!

Set them outdoors in the shade for a few hours on the first day. Gradually increase this time each day to include some direct sunlight. How to Successfully Harden Off Indoor-Sown Plants

“Hardening off” is the process of gradually acclimatizing indoor-sown plants to outdoor conditions.

For most plants, begin hardening off a week before the final frost date for your area. Our Garden Planner uses data from your closest weather station to recommend when it’s safe to plant out, providing a helpful guide to work back from.

Choose a sheltered spot to harden off your plants. An unheated greenhouse or cold frame is a great tool for this, or you can cluster pots into buckets, crates or boxes to keep the wind off. Don’t place pots directly on the ground where they can easily be knocked over by birds or attacked by slugs.