Starting your pepper plants off from seed

To be successful with peppers, choose varieties adapted to your climate, buy quality seeds and plant in all-natural seed-starting soil.

Starting your pepper plants off from seed requires a little more attention. To be successful, choose varieties adapted to your climate, buy quality seeds and plant in all-natural seed-starting soil.

Steps for seeding:

1. Start seeds indoors, 10 to 12 weeks before the last frost.
2. Ensure young plants have a minimum of 12 hours of light (if necessary, opt for artificial light).
3. Keep soil moist, but beware of over-watering.
4. Transplant when young plants have a minimum of two real leaves and they're touching.
5. Fertilize young plants with seaweed fertilizer once or twice before transplanting.
6. One week before transplanting, acclimate your plants to outside conditions: have them out during the day and bring them in at night.
7. Set plants in their permanent location two to three nights before transplanting.