2025 Timing Of Pepper Starts in a La Nina Year

[greenthumbomaha]

https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/ ... disc.shtml

I try and match the varieties of tomatoes and peppers to climate predictions, which are subject to change up until planting time as it did last year. I always incorporate variety into the plan too. I had my best harvest totals last year, not so much at my volunteer donation garden which follows the same planting calendar every year.

Zone 5b may be reverting to more normal conditions. I enjoyed a long harvest season, especially peppers. It was like a glimpse of living in a more moderate southern zone, a fun change from early cold temps and frosts.

I'm tempted to start a few pepper seeds now as I have always done, to have a larger trasplant. When are you folks in the north starting yours? I don't grow any hots, just sweet types: bell peppers. banana , and marconi types.

- Lisa

[pepperhead212]

I've started peppers around this time only once, and only because the one variety had a 130 day prediction, for that first ripe day! But I had to transplant them twice, to larger pots (eventually 2 qt), to get to the May 15th date, that they go into the ground. Starting around March 10th, I still end up having the peppers in 1 qt pots; otherwise, they are severely rootbound, by transplant time, and this causes early flowering. So for most peppers I start them on April 1st, with a few faster growing types a few days later, to prevent the early flowering, caused by the heavy rooting.

[Paulf]

Peppers are difficult for me but since I have been treating them like I do tomatoes in the past. With some advise from more experienced growers, this year not only will they start two weeks ahead of tomatoes...maybe even three weeks ahead...the peppers will get potted up at least one or two times extra into 4 inch pots rather than the 2 inchers. This year the plants will be extra large compared to other years.

I also do all sweets, etc. This year however our oldest grandson has ordered several hot peppers so that he can begin gardening. Our sons do plant tomatoes and some peppers, so we are able to assist the next generation. At Christmastime GrandpaPaulF and GrandsonGerikF went through the pepper section of Sand Hill's '25 catalog and placed a pepper order. Three weeks to go and counting for pepper planting.

[bower]

I used to start peppers at this time of year, but mine were destined to be in pots never in the ground.
I had a great thing going with the rootbound pepper crop indoors in a window in May. In a good year, they got to go outside to bigger digs for crop round two. Too many aphid issues developed over years, to keep peppers indoors.
Last year I started peppers same time as tomatoes and they were getting a bit large before it was warm enough to put them out, but still they did quite well. So closer to the end of March or even April would work for us. (We have a very late spring here though, frost risk til early June).

[CtGrower]

I start my peppers in soil blocks about 3rd week of March (about 2 weeks before tomatoes). I do not pot them up due to space and time concerns. The pepper variety that has done well for us is Ace since it is short DTM. The pepper is medium size, but produces well. We do harvest the peppers when they are green, and they are loaded with blossoms and immature fruit when frost comes. I think if we had space, it would be beneficial to start earlier and pot up to 4" pot to allow the plants to get bigger.

[greenthumbomaha]

Peppers are difficult for me but since I have been treating them like I do tomatoes in the past. With some advise from more experienced growers, this year not only will they start two weeks ahead of tomatoes...maybe even three weeks ahead...the peppers will get potted up at least one or two times extra into 4 inch pots rather than the 2 inchers. This year the plants will be extra large compared to other years.

I also do all sweets, etc. This year however our oldest grandson has ordered several hot peppers so that he can begin gardening. Our sons do plant tomatoes and some peppers, so we are able to assist the next generation. At Christmastime GrandpaPaulF and GrandsonGerikF went through the pepper section of Sand Hill's '25 catalog and placed a pepper order. Three weeks to go and counting for pepper planting.

Paul,
If the hot peppers you are starting for your grandson are truly very hot, I suggest you research and start them now or even next time in early January. Some of those super hots are very slow growing seeds, both germination wise and vegitative growth.
Last year, I bought a set of 4 inch round pots at Mulhalls for 29 cents a piece, and I just went back and splurged on another 40 just for peppers. The uniformity of the pot sizes makes it easier to monitor growth, watering, fertilizing etc. No surprise, I took that hint on larger pepper pot size from KarenO and Bower if you want to go back and check it out.

I have to admit I am now a little jealous about missing the challange of growing unique hot peppers. I have no use for them myself, but the food bank might have requests.

- Lisa



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[Paulf]

Thanks for the hint. All the seeds arrived today and they will get started ASAP.

[rossomendblot]

I think the quality and age of the seed is really important for pepper germination. The jalapeno seed I bought last year has taken longer to germinate (2 weeks) than scotch bonnets and habaneros (1 week)! But then I've had zero germination from a packet of orange habaneros from the same supplier as the other habaneros. Everything was sown at the same time and depth, and kept at the same temperature with the same moisture levels.

[rxkeith]

peppers are sometimes a crap shoot for me.
usually i will start them mid march, two weeks before i start my tomatoes.
if the seeds are older than five years, i can go a couple weeks sooner than that.
i have something coming up in march that will put me out of action a couple weeks
so i may start some seeds near the end of february just to get a jump.
i actually do have some peppers coming up now. korean dark green is coming up in a
pot i repurposed for catawissa walking onions, and a small bulb of garlic that we have
been clipping greens from. musta been some seeds that got loose.
lots of things to do the next three weeks.


keith

[Homegrwoninillinois]

I used to start peppers earlier due to anxiety and concern of seed failure. I don't do that anymore, the too large plants trapped inside when we get our cold snaps and the endless carrying in and outside just isn't for me anymore. I am also in 5b and I start mine 3/1, that being said I also provide supplemental heat which helps them grow faster.

[GVGardens]

I push my peppers early so that I get a bigger harvest before the Texas heat shuts down productivity until fall (think of our July-August as your first freeze date!).
-I’ll succession plant my favorite variety to build in padding since I’ve never been able to outsmart the weather. So if I want 2 plants, I’ll start 2 five weeks early, 2 two weeks early, and 2 at the regular time. And based on what the weather’s doing, I’ll have at least 2 happy plants at the right time. Maybe you could start with this? I don’t have room to do this with more than 1 or 2 varieties but it’s nice insurance. The extras get donated to folks who care less about productivity and precision timing.
-I pot up into tall pots with lots of height for root growth.
-If I need to slow things down, they get moved to a cooler spot in the house.