In this guide I explain how you can plant your hot pepper seeds and growing your hot pepper plant in a pot. You can plant your seeds directly in a pot or on cotton balls.
Sterilization of the seeds:
Before you plant your seeds in cotton balls or in soil it’s very advised that you do a process of sterilization. This step it’s necessary for eliminating mold spores and for softening your seeds. In this way the seeds will be born faster and in a greater amount.
How proceed: you must prepare a solution of sodium ipoclorite (bleach) with concentration of 0,15% (you can dilute 30 ml of commercial bleach in 1 liter of fresh water). Then you must soak your seeds in the solution for a time between 10 and 20 minutes. At the end of soaking process you must wash your seeds with abundantly fresh water and then put the seeds in your borning substrate.
Planting on cotton bed:
This type of sowing allows to decrease the germination times and increase the amount of germinated seeds. Cut cotton balls with dimension of 2×2 cm or use cotton disks cutted in four pieces. Soak the cotton in water, drain them slightly and then put them in a plastic or glass box, not hermetic and well washed.
At this point put a single seed for every cotton bed, close the box and put it in a place not to direct sunlight and with ideal temperature (see section “Temperature and time of germination”)
Check daily the box and pay attention that cotton is always wet. If molds are formed you must immediately eliminate the infected seeds and theirs cotton beds.
When the roots appear you must transfer the seed and its cotton bed in a pot (7-10 cm diameter) containing wet and unfertilized soil, then cover the seeds with a small layer of soil. If the plant were to have already the small trees with leaves obviously not cover it. The cotton is biodegradable and disappears with the growing of the plant.
The chilli plants fear the stagnant water, avoid absolutely flowerpot saucers and prepares the jars by placing drainage material in their bottom.
(Next step, see section “Transplant in pot of cultivation”).
Planting in pot:
Fill small pot (7-10 cm diameter) with UNFERTILIZED soil and put the seed on the surface of soil. Cover the seed with a small layer of soil and put the pots in a container filled with fresh water (the level of water must be about half of the height of the pots). Now your pots are ready to be placed in a place with ideal temperature for germination. (see the next section: “Temperature and time of germination”).
Temperature and time of germination:
The seeds of chilli germinate only with specific temperature. The chilli plant needs, for germination, temperature always between 22 and 33 °C, with a best temperature of about 27/28 °C. Therefore, both you plant on cotton bed and you plant directly in pots, you must accurately choose the place where put your seeds.
The best solution is putting the seeds in a germbox with setted temperature at 28 °C, alternatively you can put your seeds in a place (not to direct sunlight) with temperature always between 22 and 33 °C.
How much time is necessary to see your seeds born? The answer is not unique. The germination time depends by the variety, by the temperature and by the humidity. Averagely the seeds germinate in 10 days but you can already see some germinated seeds after 4 days as well as some seeds can germinate until 20/25 days from the planting (if not infected by mold).
Transplant in pot of cultivation:
When your plants have reached an optimal dimension (at least 6 true leaves and/or an height at least of 10 cm) you can proceed to transplant in a final pot for cultivation (or in a intermediate pot, if you want). The pot for cultivation must have a diameter at least of 30 cm, better of 40 cm for variety with big plant (for example, trinidad scorpion moruga). Fill the bottom of the jar with a layer (1, 2 cm) of drainage material, then add the soil for cultivation (I suggest you to mix 7 parts of soil seed professional,3 parts of manure and a bit of fertilizer). Don’t exagerate with water, the plant of chilli very much fear the stagnant water, DO NOT USE FLOWERPOT SAUCERS.
Final remarks:
The small plants of chilli are extremely flimsy, keep the soil is always moist (but not soaked) and if you use an artificial germbox transfer the seedlings out as soon as possible.
The seedlings growing survive at temperatures above 10 ° C.
The surface of the seeds is spicy but being dry is not strictly necessary to use gloves. The peppers are extremely hot (only the inside, the skin of the peppers is never hot), if you cut them, to prepare them in any way (for example to essicate them) is strictly recommended to use protective gloves.
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