I saved some seeds from a store bought organic red bell pepper and planted three to experiment. From what I read online, plants from store bought produce can be unpredictable. Is that correct? Also what could possibly be causing the damage to the leaves?

Those look like pepper plants to me.

Definitely are peppers, and the leaf damage looks like it might be a small slug or snail. Look carefully with a magnifying glass, right after you've watered the plants, or at night with a flashlight. Be sure to check the back sides of the leaves for the critter.

To answer your question about "unpredictable" results from seeds, yes, you might get a pepper plant or plants that bear similar peppers to the one you bought, but if that one was a cross of two other types, you could get variable plants that are like the parents, or another cross. It's kind of fun to see what you get.

Thanks guys! I will try using crushed eggshells or diatomaceous earth.

Hi Kaliope. Welcome to NGA!

I agree that many supermarket and organic market fruits are fromF1 hybrid seed, and those may not "come true", especially if you save seeds for another generation.

But someone pointed out that there ARE some F1 crosses that stay pretty true to what you grew, at least for one generation.

You're already doing the best thing: try them and see!

(My go-to catalog for really fancy fruits and vegetables is Franchi ("Seeds of Italy"). They have some awesome-looking peppers! Or if you like experimenting with a wide variety, there is already one seed swap signing people up, and another about to start.)

all swaps: http://garden.org/apps/swap//
signing up now: http://garden.org/apps/swap/vi...
about to exist: The thread "November 16 Seed Swap Sign-Up" in DnD's ALL SEEDS SWAP (Int'l)


If they are slugs or snails, and if that means that you started the seeds outdoors, are you in the Southern hemisphere? Or maybe somewhere tropical? My yard has gotten pretty chilly for peppers!

If yo have slugs or snails indoors, oh YUCK! Diluted ammonia is said to "dissolve" slug egg masses, FWIW.
For a soil drench, dilute supermarket ammonia by 1:10 or so. Probably follow up with water after a few hours.

If the ammonia will get onto leaves, don't make it much stronger than 1:16, and rinse with water soon. I really doubt that slugs would lay eggs on leaves, though. Only in the soil, I think.

RickCorey said:Hi Kaliope. Welcome to NGA!

I agree that many supermarket and organic market fruits are fromF1 hybrid seed, and those may not "come true", especially if you save seeds for another generation.

But someone pointed out that there ARE some F1 crosses that stay pretty true to what you grew, at least for one generation.

You're already doing the best thing: try them and see!

(My go-to catalog for really fancy fruits and vegetables is Franchi ("Seeds of Italy"). They have some awesome-looking peppers! Or if you like experimenting with a wide variety, there is already one seed swap signing people up, and another about to start.)

all swaps: http://garden.org/apps/swap//
signing up now: http://garden.org/apps/swap/vi...
about to exist: The thread "November 16 Seed Swap Sign-Up" in DnD's ALL SEEDS SWAP (Int'l)


If they are slugs or snails, and if that means that you started the seeds outdoors, are you in the Southern hemisphere? Or maybe somewhere tropical? My yard has gotten pretty chilly for peppers!

If yo have slugs or snails indoors, oh YUCK! Diluted ammonia is said to "dissolve" slug egg masses, FWIW.
For a soil drench, dilute supermarket ammonia by 1:10 or so. Probably follow up with water after a few hours.

If the ammonia will get onto leaves, don't make it much stronger than 1:16, and rinse with water soon. I really doubt that slugs would lay eggs on leaves, though. Only in the soil, I think.

Hello! I'm in the northeast zone 6a. I impulsively started these late to see if they would grow at all. BUT our weather is unpredictable and it could stay unseasonably warm longer than expected. We are still in the 80s and 90s. So as not to waste my seeds from the pepper I've saved them for next season and only tried planting 3. I can't wait to plant them next season! I will try the ammonia. Thanks again.

Cool! 100% germination! That sounds like an experienced seed-starter.

The person I learned the "ammonia for slugs" trick from put the solution into a spray bottle and dialed it to "jet". Then he stalked the wild slugs at dusk and later, with a flashlight. I'm guessing that, in his mind, he had a whip in one hand, a lion-taming chair in the other hand, and the spray bottle in ... oh, well.

Have a great weekend!

RickCorey said:Cool! 100% germination! That sounds like an experienced seed-starter.

The person I learned the "ammonia for slugs" trick from put the solution into a spray bottle and dialed it to "jet". Then he stalked the wild slugs at dusk and later, with a flashlight. I'm guessing that, in his mind, he had a whip in one hand, a lion-taming chair in the other hand, and the spray bottle in ... oh, well.

Have a great weekend!

I was so excited when they sprouted. At this stage can I safely transplant them to different pots now? I saw a youtube video where a man is growing bell peppers in his home by the window. I want to bring them in when it starts to get cold to see if I can keep them growing.

Don't let them get too cold or it will set them back. Once the nights start dropping below @ 50deg. you should bring them indoors. Yes you sure can try growing peppers indoors if you have a very warm, sunny window for them.

How far north are you? In fact, if you would fill in your profile with your location, that way we'll see where you are (city/state etc.) each time you post.

I'd go for quite a big pot for each of them, to give them lots of room to grow roots. 3 gallon or better. You don't want to have to pot them up again in the middle of winter when you can't do it outside. Messy job.

dyzzypyxxy said:Don't let them get too cold or it will set them back. Once the nights start dropping below @ 50deg. you should bring them indoors. Yes you sure can try growing peppers indoors if you have a very warm, sunny window for them.

How far north are you? In fact, if you would fill in your profile with your location, that way we'll see where you are (city/state etc.) each time you post.

I'd go for quite a big pot for each of them, to give them lots of room to grow roots. 3 gallon or better. You don't want to have to pot them up again in the middle of winter when you can't do it outside. Messy job.

I'm in Pennsylvania. Thanks for the potting suggestions.

I have dug up fruiting bell peppers and grown them in 5 gallon pots under both natural and artificial lights. Its not worth it. I never got anything better than the grocery store sold from the Southern Hemisphere.

Sadly, peppers are just peppers...

I agree: get them into their final, big pots ASAP.

I often look at Johnnys Seeds and Territorial Seeds for professional growing advice: they suggest germinating pepper seeds in a 20-row seedling flat ... can you see this if you open it and then zoom in?



"In about 2 weeks [after sowing indoors], when the first true leaves begin to form,
carefully separate the seedlings and transplant them into cell trays or pots."

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-g...

This NGA site now has a "Learning Library" with an area for Plant Care Guides. Here's the Pepper article, somewhat introductory:

http://garden.org/learn/articl...

Hi Kaliope -- welcome to NGA!

I personally wouldn't put those little seedlings into large pots right away... a 1-gallon pot would be more than plenty. I think your biggest issue is going to be lack of light during the winter; are you planning to use some type of grow light? If not, they may grow with the light from a south window, but not very well, I'm afraid.

On the bright side, you've been successful at starting those seeds, which is certainly the first step... I'd say go ahead and continue through the winter and see how your plant(s) does/do, then sometime in early to mid-March start some more seeds that you can pot up and put outdoors (or plant in the ground outdoors, if you have a garden). With the increasing sunlight during the spring and summer I think you will see a great difference in their growth -- and will likely harvest some nice peppers, too!

Just thankfull I no longer have to depend on crops for a living. I really feel for the real farmers. I remember the 40's and fifties when I was at the mercy of the weather. http://www.growingproduce.com/...

I should read the dates first.