This is my general documentary on how I learned to grow pepper plants from seeds.

Pepper Seed Sellers

• Hot Pepper Seeds Shop on Etsy
• Urban Farmer
• Pan Asia Heirloom on Etsy
• I only offer pepper seed varieties for $1 to help split up the cost I put out to pay the three seed sellers above. 😂 After all, we only need one seed to germinate. I also only collect seeds to sell from my top five favorite pepper varieties.

Pepper Seedling Potting Mix

Refer to my DIY Seedling Potting Mix recipe

DIY Pepper Potting Mix Recipe

• 1 bag 2-cubic foot Fine Pines
• 2 bags Jungle Growing Potting Mix for Vegetables
• 1 bag Mushroom Compost
• 2 cups Worm Casting
• 16 quarts Coarse Perlite
• 4 quarts Azomite
• 2 cups Fertilizer: Oscomote 15-9-12 (8-9 months slow release

Notes:

Reserve two more Fine Pines bags on a side. 

*What’s the benefit of adding Azomite? Heck I don’t know. I just know that’s what the owner of the Hot Chili Pepper Seed Shop on Etsy, Nhân Tà, recommended to mix into the potting mix. 😂 His pepper potting mix also uses rice hull, but I used fine pines as the substitute. I Googled search for a good deal of rice hull and it would cost $495 just to have it deliver to Florida. So I am good with my $3.50 per bag of Fine Pines. I do noticed though that adding Azomite to the potting mix did produced bigger pepper size and increased fruit production for my pepper plants so far, but that may also be due to using a bigger pot size. “The bigger the pot, the bigger the pepper plant, means the more fruit production.” I do know watering and fertilizing are also two other important factors for a healthy pepper plant to strive and produce.

In a 5 or 7 gallon pot, fill the bottom three inches with Fine Pines, then fill in potting mix, transfer pepper seedling over. If seedling is too leggy, raise soil line higher. Top the surface with two inches of Fine Pines.

Fertilizing

I add fertilizers into the potting mix already. After planting, I would fertilize my pepper plants every two weeks with fish emulsion. I would feed 2 tablespoons of Tomato Tone organic fertilizer to each of my pepper plants with. (Product links)

Pest Issues & Control

1. Hornworm is the number one top pest for pepper plants in my garden. Many articles said that Captain Jack spray works. It sprayed that hornworm with about ten squirts of the spray and it still keep on munch my pepper leaves. My kids helped me cut the hornworm in halves and it rid the problem. It’s good practice for their scissor cutting skill. Of you know a better effective way to rod the hornworms, leave a comment.
2. Leafminers – I don’t have a major issue with that since I hang leafminers trap boxes around my edible garden.

Questions and Answers

• When do I start sowing pepper seeds? Here in Florida, I start sowing pepper seeds as early as end of February outdoor. I am low maintenance so you folks will never see me trying to start pampering seeds indoors.
• Is pepper plants an annual or perennial? Pepper plants are an annual edible plants in locations with a cold winter. It’s best to start from seeds in the early spring. Pepper plants can be overwintered here in zone 9B, and a perennial in zone 10B of Florida where there’s no freezing days.
• How often do I need to water my pepper plants? I let the sprinkler system water my plants three times a week. I personally hand water the pots once a week so it gets a deep drink. Hand watering potted plants every other day is ideal if there’s not sprinkler system to water the plants.
• Will pepper plants grow better in the ground or better in a pot? It ALL depends on many factors. Here in Florida, I have root knot nemotode infestation in the sandy ground soil. So I pot up all tomato and pepper plants and they both grow much better in pots for me than in the ground.

My Pepper Plants and Taste Review Posts

Now that I got the general basics down to help remember, my next post will simply just focus on reviewing the difference pepper varieties I am testing out each year. My goal is to grow sixteen different varieties each year along with my top four favorite pepper varieties which include Shishito Garashi Japanese Pepper, Bird’s Eye Chili peppers, and two other varieties.