Do I need to start my peppers inside? Does my plan sound okay?

Question

I'm planning to grow some hot peppers. I want to make my own hot sauce and what have you and I don't want to pay premiums for the really hot stuff they sell to chili heads. Hence, I've decided to grow Red Savina Habanero and Bhut Jolokia plants.

Now, I know virtually nothing about gardening so I've been doing a bit of research. Every site I come across has tutorials to start the seeds inside, but I don't understand why I have to do this or why I need to harden off my plants with the weather I have where I live. The impression I get is that starting seeds indoors is for colder climates. However, I live in Miami-Dade County in South Florida and the days have been in the 80's to low 90's lately.

So that begs the question, do I have to start indoors? My plan is to recycle yogurt cups (we go through a ton) and poke holes in them and fill them with seed starting mix. I have one of those flat storage containers that slides under a bed, and I've drilled holes in it to serve as a carrying tray and to house the seeds like a little greenhouse. I'm planning to leave this with the lid propped open for air circulation to help control damping off and to keep the seeds fairly insulated to start them off in a shady spot on the porch (Since I read that full blast sunlight down here in the FL can cause high seedling fatalities).

From there I plan to transfer the plants to slightly larger cups like the type used for ramen, 3.5 Inches across the top, since we end up with those collecting around the house, and fill these with potting soil. Then after a couple weeks of leaving these outside I figure it would be a good time to plant them out in the garden. But is the transplant in the middle even necessary? I am not convinced. And since I am starting the seeds outdoors anyway, why do I need to harden them off?

So to sum up, my questions are several;

Do I need to start indoors?
Do I need to transplant more than once?
Do I need to harden off?
Does my plan sound okay?

I apologize for this rather voluminous query and I thank you guys for any help you can give this neophyte (soon to be growing literal neophytes).

Answer 1

I often start tomatoes and peppers directly in the garden. None of the transplants are necessary.

Do you have a source for those ghost peppers? Everything I've heard suggests they're all but impossible to find at this time....



The habanero ought to make a nice hot product... just be careful with them.

Answer 2

There is no need to start indoors. This is primarily for locations with long winters and short summers. However, I live in Southern California and still start several plants indoors, just so that I can provide a more controlled growing environment. It helps my success rate greatly on plants like peppers.



At this point, if I were you, I would sow the seeds directly in the ground. You don't really want to be transplanting 3-4 weeks from now when the weather gets even hotter. Young seedlings don't do well in extreme weather, in particular if you have to transplant them under extreme conditions.



Because your weather is already in the 80s, you will likely have very good germination. The main concern will be keeping the soil moist so that the seedlings don't dry out. Believe it or not, this is a lot easier to do directly in the garden rather than in a bunch of individual seed trays (yogurt cups) sitting outside in hot weather. The small amount of soil in each cup will dry out much faster than the large amount of soil in your garden. Either way, check soil on a daily basis (and even a couple of times a day on the hottest of days), and water as needed to keep moist (but not soaking wet).

Answer 3

I think there is some sound advise here I grow the ghost pepper commercially and you should keep in mind that ghost peppers will root deep very quickly so transplanting more than once may be necessary. Also, the seedlings are very sensitive to environmental conditions. It is a bit late in the year to be starting ghost peppers, even in Florida, you will probably not see your first pepper until October. I also sell fresh ghost peppers wholesale if you end up not having success.

Answer 4

1. No. But it may've helped to start them indoors back in Feb so they could go direct into the ground problem-free by now. The idea is to extend the growing season even if you live in a warm spot like FL, even if by a couple of weeks. I planted habaneros in mine (I'm in central TX) and they fruited until late november.



2. No.

3. Not really, wind is probably the biggest environmental killer there.

4. It sounds "ok". Not great, but ok.

Answer 5

It's exciting and fashioned (except it is a delusion tale in which the fellow watching for the sapphire have to shop countless numbers of unusual creatures from an Evil Wizard or anything); however it used to be REALLY rough for me to get via all that element. It's no longer that the phrases have been rough, it is that you simply placed such a lot description in so little area it used to be a lot of these pictures taking up my head, you did not supply me time to method them and notice them.

Answer 6

Yes start your peppers indoors. Transplant outside only when temps are at 55 degrees consistantly at night. Yes they must be hardened off before planting outside. All plants grown inside too.

You have a good plan.