[KarooPaul]

Greetings folks,

Newbie here and trying second year of growing our own veg. First year was very cautious and low key. This year going for it a bit more with peppers, garlic, leeks, toms, courgettes, CCA salads and spinach, and herbs.

Question is, when do we transplant from modules to pots for our peppers, chillis and tomatoes? The peppers are looking strong (see pic below) and I've taken off the top part of the propagator as some seedlings were starting to touch the sides and get wet from the moisture there. The toms went in 2-3 weeks after the peppers and look OK, although noticably thinner in stalk than the peppers so far. All still have only 2 leaves.

They're all inside the house at the moment and I intend to keep 'em there for a month or two yet. (We have an unheated green house though.)

I'd be grateful for your advice!
Thanks,
Paul

[DD.]

Sorry to say that in my opinion your peppers look drawn, rather than strong. At that height they should be showing their true leaves.

They should have come out of the propagator, or at least the lid taken off AS SOON AS germination took place. This is very important. If the tomatoes are even thinner, they no doubt have suffered the same fate.

Get them into a light position, but not too hot. Put some aluminium foil behind them to reflect the light and try and strengthen them up for a few days.

Then transplant them into individual pots, burying as much of the stalk as possible. Be very careful though, those thin stalks will be VERY delicate.

[KarooPaul]

Yikes! OK, will do. The peppers were near a radiator and had plenty of light (although come ot think of it they were under the plastic of the propagator, so maybe not as much as they should have had). The toms are uncovered in a 18 degree room by a single window. They should have been OK but maybe they're not getting enough light.

Many thanks!
Paul

[cabbagehead]

I don't remove my peppers from the propagator after seeding. Peppers need warmth even after germingation. I've potted on into a three inch pot, they are now about 3 inches tall. Still in the propagator. Do not over water your peppers even as seedlings. Keep them quite dry. Leave peppers in three inch pot until root system is strong. Transplant into six inch pot then up to a 9/12 inch pot if needed.

Light is a problem for you. Try raising the tray up the window. Don't give up on your peppers they are perennial. If they don't do too good this year, next year they will.

[DD.]

Germinated my peppers in a plastic bag. Never owned a propagator. They came out as soon as they showed and they'e doing just fine in the kitchen window with a bit of foil stick behind them.

[KarooPaul]

Cabbagehead - I see from the other related thread to this that you are a bit of a pepper expert! I reckon I will fuse the two chunks of advice - move them away from the radiator but within a reasonably warm  spot (i.e. in the house still) that has more light, possibly employing the foil technique to boost things a bit. Not sure where that's going to be though as most places are vulnerable to toddler attack (we have a 2 yr old). We have a conservatory but it gets too cold in there - no heating - it's a glorified green house really. I'll wait a week or so before potting into 3 inch pots and covering more of the stalks...

Looking at your pics, my seedlings don't look much different. I wonder if DD may have misjudged the little critters in terms of their drawn-ness? Although I certainly profess to having a novice's eye for such things. The stalks are about half an inch high. (The seeds by the way are slightly unusual varieties bought from The Real Seed Company.)

thanks again and loving this forum!

[tam]

I keep mine warm til they germinate then put them in the light at room temp. Yours look a little tall but don't worry, plant them deeper when you pot them up as already said and they'll do great

[pushrod]

I keep my pepper seedlings warm after they have germinated but the toms come out of the propagator within a day or two and stay in an unheated greenhouse. As an experiment i have put them straight into their final position and will just cover them a plastic pop bottle if i think it will be a particularly cold night or maybe put a parafin heater on. Having said that they survived a frost at only about a week old.

[cabbagehead]

There you go, people growing the same plants  in diffrent ways with the same results. Two things we all have in common. Warmth and light for peppers.

Unlike tomatoes, peppers do not need a lot of water. I keep saying this but it is important. Peppers are drought tolerant. If the leaves are "firm" don't water. Drooping, water in the evening by morning they will be fine.

Pollination: You can help the plant pollinate by gently shaking when a few flowers have bloomed.

BTW; my photo's show peppers 12 days old. Small but firm. You need more  light for yours.

Which peppers are you growing? Sweet or chile? If chile keep children away from plant.

Tomatoes: Let a side shoot grow to about 6 inches, snap off and trasnplant.

Trust me they will grow into good tom plants.

[KarooPaul]

Thanks again for answers on this. I put the trays out into the conservatory yesterday and they got plenty of sun and reasonable warmth. Real leaves started to appear on most of them, which I think is a good (excellent!) thing. Brought them back into the house overnight and the new leaves progressed well. A couple showed wilty leaves but revived overnight with a little watering. The stalks seemed to thicken too. Will put into 3" pots over the weekend, carefully and "neck" high, and continue the same regime for a while until I reckon that they can live in the greenhouse. Fingers crossed! (By the way, 2 types of sweet pepper and 2 types chillies. Kidlette will be kept away from the hot 'uns!)

Can't wait to see how the chitting spuds are (Charlottes). Haven't peeked in the shed all week. May put them in this weekend...

[David.]

Then transplant them into individual pots, burying as much of the stalk as possible. Be very careful though, those thin stalks will be VERY delicate.

That's what I do with all my tomato seedlings - both when transplanting from seed tray to cell tray and then into 3" pots - get the roots almost to the bottom and fill up around the stem to create more roots - and when I plant them out I plant them deep to encourage even more roots.

[Lee G]

so how do my Tom seedlings look, not that the picture is that great, but there are 89 in 3" pots, 5 different varieties.  Would they survive overnight in my plastic greenhouse?

Been bringing them into the kitchen every evening, and am hopefully putting the finishing touches to my greenhouse this weekend so I don't have to keep messing around, but also don't want to be too rash and lose them at this stage.

[DD.]

They look too good to risk leaving in your plastic greenhouse overnight. You said yourself "I don't want to risk losing them", for the sake of another week, I'd keep doing what you have been.

How big's this greenhouse? Where are you going to put them all?

[peapod]

Dont forget you are in that there Brum, so its not the balmy weather pf those down below 
All those gorgeous toms arent worth risking, so have patience and baby them a little while longer.
I wish I had room for all those....my own tom and chilli sauce mmmmmmm

[Lee G]

My greenhouse is 8 x 6, so whatever I can't fit in there will be split between donations to friends and family, with maybe a bed down the plot to see how they get on.  About 15 of them are tumbling toms so they'll be in baskets (got 6 off freecycle last week to go with the 4 or 5 I already have).

All are said to be tolerant of outdoors growing too, which is why I chose them as I didn't have a greenhouse back then.

What do you reckon to my Savoy and Red Cabbage then? (I'm rather pleased with these too )