[Kirpi]

My sown peppers and chillies are still sitting in their pots, haven't rotted (I've checked and the seeds are still there) but haven't sprouted either and that is on top of our central heating boiler - warm but not hot.

And there they were at Freshco's - 3 for a £1.00, so I bought a few strips and, while I will likely have lots of chillies and peppers now, I somehow feel the shame of not bringing on my own seedlings.

I also dropped into Been-and-Queued and treated myself to a heated propogator for £17.00 - while it was my birthday two days ago and I only got a pot of jam and a pair of Crocs - so I will drop my pots into it and see if that brings them on at all.

[allot2learn]

My sweet peppers have also failed while my chillies seem to be thriving. I will be off to Been and Queued in the morning to see if I can grab a few plants. I can't foresee a summer without peppers.

[snow white]

peppers do take a long time to germinate, give it a bit more time. I raised mine on a wam window ledge.

[allot2learn]

I'm afraid six weeks is a failure in my book. I put 18 seed in the heated prop. Not a one has germinated and they are all this years seeds. Everything else has been good. Even 100% germination of the cucumbers. I now have an embarrassment of them.

[allot2learn]

Is it possible to plant cuttings from pepper sideshoots as with tomatos?

[gavinjconway]

Am I wrong or is it 3 months too late to sow chillies now?

[Kirpi]

My packets say until end of April, but I am figuring everything is a month behind anyway and in Cornwall I could get away with putting some out on the patio if we get a mild enough autumn so extend the sunshine.

[allotmentann]

I think the quality of pepper seed is variable. I sowed several varieties in the same tray. Some varieties all germinated and others not a single seed germinated. The same happened last year. Interestingly, everytime, I get the best germination from seed  saved from store bought peppers, which does make me wonder if pepper seed is better when very fresh? The problem that I always have with peppers is that it takes them all year to get to fruiting and the frosts always come before they can turn colour. I have tried overwintering last years but have had no success.

[Beetroot queen]

Mine all failed so I purchased plants. The shame the shame the shame, I can live with it 

[seaside]

Some chillies are stubborn, and they certainly seem to have more total failures than many seeds.
I have also bought 3 well advanced chillies to start the ball rolling due to my overwintering plants biting the dust.
I am a bit miffed at many of my seedlings but I do seed quite a few and there are always some that push ahead, so there are at least a few that are beginning to get beyond the 3inch 4 leaf stage now. Getting them to take off is the thing.
As for sowing now, slow chillies such as habaneros would be a no no, but  if one is careful in a cold polycarbonate greenhouse down here, you can keep ripening going to mid October, just.
I would say seeding new ones now might be a bit hopeful for a decent crop unless a heated propagator can get them up in 5 or 6 days... and then a good Summer is required. Worth a go though if the seed is handy

[allot2learn]

Down at Been and Queued today, I got 6 California Wonder sweet peppers for £5. I also splashed out on a grafted S/pepper. I'm going to compare the difference in yield.

[GreyScales]

Was down B&Q the other day, all the fruiting peppers I saw last time had been bought; but they had a load around the same size as mine crowded together. Didn't buy any, mine are thankfully doing ok and are working on their 4th/5th set of true leaves. If they had tobasco plants I may have been tempted, as a friend asked if I could grow any for him but way too late to attempt.

Still puzzled how they even got ripe fruits on those earlier ones in the first place    The Britney grafted plant I got from them back in April has grown much bigger than their in shop ones and is still developing its first small fruits. Weird seeing such underdeveloped plants in small pots with ready to pick red peppers.

[Willow_Warren]

My peppers are small and my chillies miniscule!!!

Last year I bought a pepper plant as I thought mine were never going to do anything but in the end my home grown ones got a much better yield than the bought ones!

I must have been lucky this year as I had 100% germination from the 11 seeds I sowed (sorry!), out of these 11 some have grown much better than others all still look quite weak!  I wonder if peppers need more heat than I can give them, even inside it's not been warm!

H

[Steve_LF]

I think someone else mentioned it, but the germination rates of chillies seem to vary wildly with suppliers.  This year, seeds from one supplier had almost 100% rate, from another 10% at best.