I've been growing bell peppers and have some that are almost ripe. I've saved seeds from prior harvests, but I wonder when the seeds actually become viable for planting. I've had problems with germination before—like, my last two batches just sat there and got moldy. The seeds from a store-bought pepper worked fine, but what am I missing? Do the bell peppers need to reach a specific maturity before their seeds can be planted successfully?
1 Answer
Bell pepper seeds are usually viable once the fruit reaches its full size, but you should wait until they turn a lighter color or even yellow before harvesting them. The seeds that mature longer tend to have more energy stored, which gives them a better shot at sprouting into healthy plants. I always let my peppers fully mature and dry out on the plant before I collect the seeds!