Pepper seeds are one of the slowest seeds to germinate.
A lot of first year gardeners (and even second year, if they’re quick to forget!) seem to miss this memo, and they lose confidence when those tiny little seedlings fail to break the surface.
With a bit of patience, they’ll eventually poke their heads above the soil’s surface; at a snail’s pace, anyways.
Few plants take as long as they do: strawberry seedlings, blueberry seedlings, lavender, and carrots, for example.
Nothing is as difficult to start as Lavender is, though;
but, I’ve got all of the secrets for starting Lavender published for you, too!
How to Germinate Pepper Seeds Fast
You may be waiting for an excruciating 14 days in order to see these little pepper seedlings pop up, and it’ll truly try your confidence as a gardener if this is your first experience. We recently covered How to Improve Max Germination Rate, but I wanted to dive a bit deeper into the specifics of pepper seeds.
But, what if I told you that you could slash that time in half, simply by promoting ideal conditions for germination and seedling growth?
You can fill in your beautiful veggie garden beds with endless amounts of your own hand-sown pepper seedlings, so kick those nursery grown pepper plants to the side and get ready for an early start to the garden season! Peppers are one of our crucial plants all self sufficient homesteaders NEED to grow; trying to purchase these plants by the dozens isn’t cheap.
(I say early, because we begin sowing seeds in January!)
It may require a bit more effort on your part to encourage your pepper seeds to germinate fast, but it’s worth the trouble- especially if you got a late start to seed sowing!
Start with Fresh Seed (If Your Seed Is Old, Sow 3x As Much!)
Fresh seed is pretty important if you want your seeds to grow quickly with a high rate of germination. Older seed could take just a bit longer (not by much, though!), but it is still perfectly fine to use.
If you’re looking for fast germination, I’m assuming that you’re also in need of a high germination rate; if you’re late to start your pepper seedlings for your garden, you likely don’t have time to replant seeds in the event that few seeds germinate. If you’re growing seeds for a market garden (one of my different methods for earning an extra $1,200 from the homestead), you have to be able to rely on your seeds- if they don’t germinate efficiently, your earnings are going to take a hit.
Therefore, you should opt for fresh seeds. If you do not have them on hand, sow your older seeds 3x more heavily; if you normally plant 2 seeds in each pot or cell, opt for 6. Out of 6 seeds, one is sure to sprout quickly. I grow pepper seedlings by the 2’s, which most people don’t do. I always get 2 plants out of 6 seeds, no matter the age, and it’s okay if one of the two plants is slow to get going for me.
Oh and, one more thing: if you’re saving your own seed (one of the ways to garden WITHOUT spending money), be sure to do a germination test. A germination test allows you to find out just how reliably your seeds sprout. The process is simple: throw 10 or 20 seeds in a bag, add a paper towel (or put the seeds/towel on a plate inside of a bag), and just enough water to wet the paper towel. Give the seeds 3 weeks, and see how many out of the 10 or 20 germinated; this will give you your germination percentage.
Here are some cool varieties you could check out, if you need new seed:
Does Seed Soaking Help with Germination?
Soaking seeds allows water to penetrate the seed quickly, bringing it to life. The theory is that this method causes the seed to hydrate more quickly and that it softens the seed by a great deal- as opposed to moistened potting soil. I believe it helps quite a bit, personally!
Seed soaking is an excellent idea, especially if you’re a planner and have an organized mind.
Do I soak? Well, uh, no… not really. Hear me out…
Why? Because my mind is as focused as a squirrel’s. A toddler-aged squirrel, at that.
Do I Like Soaking? Yes… until I forget about my seeds and find them fending for themselves 3 days later, oops!
If you can soak your seeds then remember to plant them 12 to 36 hours later, great! You should most definitely soak your seeds! For me, I just wind up forgetting about them.
Thus, I just let the germination process take its course within the soil, as I personally get better results… because at least they’re in soil, and they don’t die on me due to soaking them for a week.
Always Sow Your Seeds the Correct Way
Set those packets down for just a hot second…
Do you know how to plant your pepper seeds correctly?
Many people don’t pay close enough attention to how their seeds should be planted. Some seeds require deep sowing, others have to be scratched in. Some have to be surface sown, as they require light for optimal germination (like Lavender seeds!)
The basic rule of thumb is to plant a seed as deep as it is wide. That’s a good one to follow, too.
With pepper seeds, I’m going to recommend that you just barely dust them with soil. Make a deeper indention, which will keep the seed moist and surrounded by soil; but just barely sprinkle the seed with dirt inside of that indention. This will help to speed up germination.
Turning Up the Heat
If you’re only going to pay attention to a single sentence within this entire post, let it be this one:
Keep your pepper seeds and seedlings warm, at all costs!
If you expect a decent germination rate, you’re going to have to make sure that your pepper seeds are kept at 70*F or higher. This single tip is going to be the one that is most responsible for a fast rate of germination! If you’re sowing your seeds in late winter like most of us, it’s highly unlikely that your seedlings will be able to maintain a temperature over 70*F without supplemental heat, so you’re going to have to purchase something like the item below. Besides, your investment in the seeds, soil, pots, lights, and germination mats will cost you much less than purchasing pepper plants from a greenhouse or big box store- and they can be reused for years to come!
Leave the Lights On: Do Pepper Seeds Need Light to Germinate?
If you’re starting seeds indoors, you likely have a seedling grow light already.
Don’t wait for the seedlings to germinate before bringing that grow light out, though; instead, place the planted seeds under the light as soon as you sow them!
Light helps many different types of seeds to germinate; by sowing the seeds with little more than a dusting of soil, you’ll allow the light to reach them. The light will also provide a bit of heat from above, helping to eliminate any cold spots that the germination mat can’t reach.
