Hey everyone! I'm located in southern Ontario, which has a pretty short growing season since frost tends to settle around the end of May. This year, I only had 5 out of 12 pepper seeds germinate, and I'm looking to try again. However, I'm wondering if it's too late in the season to start new seeds. I know the almanac recommended starting my peppers around the end of February, but is there still hope?
5 Answers
There's actually a cool trick I learned to speed up the germination process for peppers. You can carefully cut off the tip of the seed with scissors, then soak it in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of warm water and 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide for about 2-3 hours. After that, moisten a paper towel, wrap the seed in it, and put it in a plastic bag. I did this and got 3 seeds to germinate in just 6 hours, and then I planted them right away! It's a great way to save some time on germination.
I had a rough year last season and lost several of my pepper plants to a fungal disease right as spring started. But instead of giving up, I replanted at the beginning of May and ended up harvesting jalapeños by July. You might have better luck since your frost dates are a bit later. There are early jalapeño seeds that grow super fast, so check those out!
It's not too late to start! You might not get the biggest plants, but why not give it a shot? If it ends up being too late, you'll know for next year. Just start some new seeds and see what happens.
I think it might be too late for starting seeds now; it's better to just buy seedlings. By the time you get them germinated, it might be too late for a full harvest.
You're still on track! Don't stress too much. There's time to start new seedlings. Just make sure you have a heat mat to help them along, and choose faster-producing varieties. Sweet peppers or varieties that are good to eat while still green should work well.