Starting peppers under lights
Peppers are slow and like warmth. The sources give 6 to 14 weeks from sowing to setting out.
Facts from the sources
- Timing: NC State's calendar chart says 6 weeks before the last frost, and its germination table says 8. Cornell says 6 to 14 weeks from sowing to setting out. The range is wide, so the calculator uses NC State's 6.
- Germination temperature: Alabama Extension gives a 60 degree F minimum, 65 to 95 degrees F as the best range and 85 degrees F as the single best temperature. Cornell says to germinate at 75 degrees F and grow at 65 degrees F. A heat mat helps if the room is cool. See the heat mat guide.
- Light to germinate: NC State lists pepper as germinating in either light or dark.
- Light after sprouting: see hours per day and hanging height.
Small spaces
A single 1020 tray under one 2-foot bar is enough for a few pepper plants. See the 24-inch shelf page and small lights for one tray.
Peppers take the longest of the common crops to reach setting-out size, so shelf time and running cost are higher. See how long seedlings stay under lights.
Sources
- NC State Extension, Ashe County: Indoor seed starting guide (PDF)
- Cornell Cooperative Extension, Monroe County: Starting vegetables from seed
- Alabama Cooperative Extension (ACES): Soil temperature conditions for vegetable seed germination (ANR-1061)