Hello, I started my hot peppers indoors 2 months ago because the hot peppers take a long time to germinate and I wanted a jump on the short growing season in New England. However after they germinated their progress halted. The have taken forever to grow their real leaves, and the real leaves are more yellow than green. I have transplanted 1 plant into a bigger container to see if they were root bound but that one isn't growing much faster. I haven't been fertilizing because they're too small. Any ideas on how to ramp up these plants soon?

Two ideas:

Stop fertilizing

Provide more heat

Yep, more heat and better light. Peppers like hot weather and full sun.

Ok thanks, I have not been fertilizing but they have been indoors this entire time, so they are probably not getting enough heat and sun. Do you think they are too delicate to put outside in the 80 degree weather we're getting for the next couple of days?

I would start putting them out for a few hours a day, put them in shade first and gradually (over a weeks time) move them into the sun,thats how I do it, watch your night temps, we still have some cool nights here in the Hudson Valley.

Yes, I agree with Christine.

You can put the pepper plants outside for just a few hours each day. It's known as 'hardening off'; so the plants can gradually make the adjustment from indoor conditions to being in the great outdoors. Just keep an eye on the temperatures, don't let them get too much wind, start them in the shade and gradually introduce them to the sun, bring them in each night when the temperatures drop. You will see a gradual improvement as the plants adjust to the true sunlight.