Peppers are slow growers, which is why starting them indoors is the key to bigger plants and earlier harvests, especially in Zones 4–6. If you want peppers that actually have time to flower, fruit, and ripen before fall, this is the way.
What you’ll need
Here’s your simple pepper-seed-starting checklist:
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Pepper seeds (sweet or hot)
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Seed-starting mix (light + fluffy, not heavy potting soil)
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Small cell trays or pots + humidity dome/cover
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Grow light (best results)
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Heat mat (highly recommended for peppers)
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Labels
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Spray bottle or gentle watering can (or bottom-watering tray)
Step-by-step: sowing peppers indoors
1) Prep your trays
Fill your containers with moist seed-starting mix.
You want it damp like a wrung-out sponge, but not dripping wet.
2) Plant at the right depth
Plant seeds about ¼ inch (0.5 cm) deep.
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Sow 1–2 seeds per cell/pot
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Lightly cover with mix and gently press it down
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Label your varieties (you’ll forget… everyone does)
3) Cover + warm for germination
Put your dome/cover on and keep the soil warm.
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Ideal germination temperature: 27–30°C
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A heat mat makes a big difference (and speeds things up)
4) Keep moisture steady (not soaked)
Peppers don’t like swimming.
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Keep the mix evenly moist
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Mist the surface or bottom-water
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Good airflow helps, but don’t remove the dome until sprouting starts
5) As soon as they sprout: light + air
The moment you see sprouts:
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Remove the dome
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Move them under a grow light right away
This is the biggest step for avoiding thin, floppy seedlings.
Light rules (to avoid leggy seedlings)
Leggy seedlings = not enough light. Here’s how to keep them sturdy:
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Keep lights 2–4 inches above the seedlings
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Give 14–16 hours/day of light
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If using a window, rotate trays daily (but grow lights are better)
After they sprout: what to do next
Thin to the strongest seedling
If two seeds sprout in one cell:
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Keep the strongest
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Snip the extra seedling at soil level (don’t pull, because pulling can disturb roots)
Pot up for stronger roots
Once seedlings have 2–3 sets of true leaves, move them into a larger pot.
This gives roots room to grow and helps plants stay healthy until transplant time.
Feed lightly (once established)
After a couple of weeks, when plants are growing steadily:
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Use half-strength fertilizer
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Feed every 1–2 weeks
Keep them warm
Peppers hate cold drafts. Keep them away from:
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chilly windows at night
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doors that open frequently
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cold basements unless warmed
Hardening off + transplanting outdoors
Peppers can’t go straight from cozy indoors to spring weather.
Start hardening off
Begin 7–10 days before transplanting:
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short outdoor visits at first
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gradually increase time + sun exposure
Transplant only when it’s truly warm
Peppers don’t like cold nights.
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Wait until nights are reliably 10–12°C+
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Make sure the soil is warm
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Plant in full sun, with wind protection and consistent watering for best yields
Hot vs sweet: does sowing change?
The method is the same, but timing can be different.
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Super hot peppers often take longer to germinate and mature
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Start super hots earlier than sweet peppers so they have time to ripen
Ready to start your pepper trays?
Shop pepper seeds, seed-starting mix, trays, heat mats, and grow lights here: https://www.ritchiefeed.com
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