Pepper germination advice

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GreyScales

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Pepper germination advice
« on: February 21, 2014, 22:59 »
When I first started off my peppers and chillies I had a rather simple setup, basically a heat mat under a tea towel and a old propagator lid over them. I thought that would do the job for a good while, but literally days later a single King of the North bell pepper poked its head up, way too early. So I rushed them over to a grow light with the single seedling outside.

Now this posed a dilemma. Only one seed germinated and far too early, it would take a good while longer for the others to poke their heads up. So did I keep it outside the propagator, potentially sacrificing the other four seeds in the pot to help that one seedling. Or kept it in, risking that one seedling to help the others along...

Thankfully the gamble paid off and the others eventually appeared. I transplanted the single that popped up early to give the others a chance to catch up, so it didn't overshadow them. I've been removing them from the propagator as they've been coming up (notice number of cups increasing  ::)) and now I find myself with the same problem again. Sweet pepper gypsy, only one seedling up and no sign of the others for some time...

So I'm back to the gamble, only unlike Real Seeds that included lots of KOTN pepper seeds; the packet of gypsy has about ten. I've planted five so I have to decide whether to bank of the others germinating outside of the heat, or use the rest of the packet up (£3.29 for ten seeds!?).

This time I was wondering what people would recommend, as I'm sure they've faced this dilemma before? Is there a way to encourage the other seeds along without threatening the seedling, or should I risk potting on a seedling again and chucking it back in the propagator?

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peedee555

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Re: Pepper germination advice
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2014, 23:55 »
hmm have the opposite prob sowed 16 seeds in a plastic takeaway tub put the lid back on and left it on the kitchen window sill nothing for days now there all come up have taken the lid off and left them ..they seem quite happy ..but i only wanted 6 for my plan but cant decide which 6 are the best so will prob keep all if they survive now got to sort extra space for them oh they cost 25p (4 for a pound in the pound shop)

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mumofstig

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Re: Pepper germination advice
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2014, 09:10 »
I'd very gently prick out the one that's up already, leaving the others in the prop.

Gypsy is an f1 so you're paying for the supplier to cross pollinate the 2 varieties - hence the price.
Real Seeds sell open pollinated varieties so nature does the job for them  ;)

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GreyScales

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Re: Pepper germination advice
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2014, 18:42 »
That looks to be the only option... I'll let the seedling get a little stronger and if nothing else come up I'll transplant it.

I'll have to look for varieties that aren't F1 and aren't so stingy with seeds next year. I wanted small sweet peppers like the ones from our local grocer that we use for roasting, but Gypsy seemed to the the only one I found like them...



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