Do my pepper seedlings have a prayer?

9 years ago

I started Heirloom Bell Peppers from a seed packet from the pharmacy. They are supposed to come in a variety of colors, including chocolate, which seemed really appealing.

They said May-June in my region, NYC zone 7.

I started them June 19th, and they took a minimum of 10 days to germinate. I have 4 germinated - 3 indoors, 1 outdoors - possibly more outdoors in the ground.

I know it was late, but I tried it just to see what happened. =)

The seedlings are growing slowly, but the indoor ones feel stiff and hardy, like they are establishing some roots and need to be thinned soon. But, no "true leaves" yet.

Do these have a hope of producing edible fruits this year? Even a few per plant would be great!

When can I put them outside? It's been dry and sunny all of June, then Hurricane Arthur brought rain 3 days in a row!

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Comments (6)

galinas
9 years ago
Let's see - I seeded mine on March 3. It took it 4 month to start producing(not colored yet and I have early ones)... OK, if you start outdoor it could be faster a bit, as conditions for seedlings better outdoor, if you can protect them form elements. So at least 3.5 month to first edible(green, not chocolate) pepper. That brings you to October 1. So my guess is - you wouldn't get any chocolate ones, but may get some green if otherwise conditions are favorable and not delay in development.
nattydoll
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the response :)

The packet says high yielding, harvest in 65-85 days, which would be late August to early September, but I can believe a human grower as much as, if not more than a generic packet. :)

Do pepper seedlings always grow so slowly, or it just bc I waited so long?

I'd like to get my indoor seedlings outdoors asap, if that will help them grow faster. The packet says transplant when they have 5-6 leaves, unless you direct seed. Should I put them in a small or large container outside, when they are so tiny?

Have you ever tried one of these chocolate peppers? Do they taste different, or is it just the colors?
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loribee2
9 years ago
Yes, peppers are slow. Like galinas, I start mine indoors at the beginning of March with the expectation I'll transplant outdoors in May. It takes about 90 days from the day you started the seeds to see actual fruit.
farmerdill
9 years ago
Concur: That 65 -85 days is from transplant. Allow 6-8 weeks to grow transplants from seeds. I set transplants the first of May and have young green bells. It will be the last of July or into August before they start ripening. Most of my uses are for green bells, but in general it takes several weeks for a fully grown green bell to ripen to red,yellow,orange or chocolate. Time line is similar to tomatoes, except tomatoes are a bit more cold tolerant and start earlier. Ripe peppers of any color are smoother, less bite, and sweeter than immature peppers.
naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
9 years ago
Sweet Chocolate peppers will NOT taste like chocolate but different varieties of sweet peppers do have other differences in taste. The chocolate pepper has a red interior when ripe. The color contrast makes for a fun addition to a veggie tray or salad.

If your plants are still small seedlings you are unlikely to get mature chocolate peppers before frost in New York, maybe green ones, though. You could try planting 1 in a large pot with container mix, at least 10-12 inches across and 10-12 inches deep or larger Then you could move it inside when the weather gets cold and let the pods ripen there.

My climate is somewhat similar to New York. Here, peppers are usually started inside at least 6 weeks before our last frost date, and planted out when days are warm and nights stay above 55 F (often a week or two after last frost date) They grow slower than tomatoes. You can always consider this year's peppers a learning experience. If you have seeds left they should be fine to plant next spring....try for early April in a warm room with proper plant lighting.
Peter1142
9 years ago
If you put them in containers, you can perhaps extend the season by bringing them indoors overnight when it gets close to frost and bringing them back outdoors only in the heat of the day.