1) 25% Hydrogen peroxide? will depend on final concentration. 2) High humidity not a requirement after germination 3) Soil temperature OK 4) Even soil moisture important for germination. 5) Good light important after germination.

The seeds you are growing should not have a problem with damping off,UNLESS you are keeping them TOO WET. Increase the air circulation and the light, decease the heat and the water with the first germination. You already know that mixing seeds with varying germination times is a bad idea. Al

Those are two seed types where I use the coffee filter/plastic baggie method exclusively to germinate. I think the peroxide does damage the tender seedling roots if the h2o2 penetrates down to them. For me, it's h2o2 until germination, chamomile tea afterwards, and as Al says, don't overwater.

Here is a link that might be useful: the baggie method

I dont have much advice other then to keep the soil warm. Peppers are not an easy plant to germinate. I planted about a dozen seeds 2 weeks back and got 1 seedling about 2 days ago. I checked the other by prodding into the soil, they are germinating. They have a white tap root. Some of also have rotted and died before they made it to the soil.
I have heat mat, and its still not keeping the soil warm enough too I'm finding.

Alice - where in Virginia are you? I have two types of eggpplants and I can give you my extra plants. I also have hot jalapeno peppers that I can give away if you want to. I am south of Richmond.

On the growing side, out of all my seedlings I started this year, it took them (eggplants and peppers) the longest to germinate. I was getting ready to give up on them. But once they showed up, they just kept growing. I did not use warming mat, just kept them moist and light close enough once they germinated.

try soak up your seeds for a day or two before starting them. Usually speeds up germination at least in half.
Put them in small plastic bag moist/ not wet/ with vermiculite and keep at warm spot. Once seed germinates transfer to seedling tray.

lazyhat:

I have used a heatmat for many years trying to germinate peppers. I have decided they do stay warm enough, probably too hot in my case. I measured temperatures in a starter tray elevated at 2" above a heat mat at 92F. I believe they just do not germinate well in "starter mix", peat pellets, or dirt.

I think it is a waste of seed for me to put pepper seeds in typical starter media. My best results come from damp paper towels in plastic bags, held at about 78F. Still may take six or eight weeks to germinate, and pepper seed more than three years old is near worthless.

I have had some pepper seed germinate more than 8 weeks from planting, but that makes timely planting impossible. I think next year, I may start pepper seed three months ahead of plant-out date. If I have some overgrown seedlings, OK.

I'm in northern Virginia.

Eventually most of what was in the seedling trays was germinating. Peppers were going pretty good, and the eggplants were gradually sprouting.

However, the seedling tray got knocked over. For a moment, I thought about putting the seedlings back in the tray. But I wouldn't have been able to tell what they were.

Small cluttered apartment, and I can be clumsy some of the time.

Next year, even though I've got the seedling heat mat, and a large selection of lights, I still think I will buy individual plants.

Most all my seeds I start at 70 degrees except peppers which I start at 80 to 85 degrees. They will germinate at 70 degrees but will take two to three times as long. Al

aliceinvirginia Sorry to hear about your bad luck! As the saying goes though, practice makes perfect.
Tomatoes germinate faster than eggplant which is faster than peppers.
This year I planted both eggplant and peppers on April first and by April 9th almost all of them were up.
I use a heat mat, Pro-Mix, and florescent lighting less than an inch away from the plants. I keep the mix very moist until the plants break the surface.
Don't give up! Once you get the hang of it it's easy and very satisfying.

Jon

Hatchjon, do you think the lights help the seed germinate?

With respect to peppers, soak the seeds for 24 hours in 85 degree water and 3% Potassium Nitrate(stump remover) then move them to moist paper towel in a ziploc bag. Continue to germinate at 85 degrees till the roots are 1/4 inch long then plant into peat or your favorite starter mix. Water with 1:3 diluted fertilizer.

I just germinated year old Serrano pepper seeds and had roots emerge in 2 days(48 hrs from getting wet with KNO3 to roots).

Germination I think was just slow. I've got extra's of everything I want now. Just what am I going to do with 12 mini bell peppers... And I have to figure out whether to plant before or after I go on vacation in mid May.

I'm still going to buy plants next year Other than lettuce and other seeds I've already got or think might be difficult to find.

Even the year old eggplant seeds were a little slow, but are doing nicely now that they've germinated.

Alice

jessicavanderhoff "do you think the lights help the seed germinate?" Not really. I had other seedlings already growing under the 4 ft. shop lights so I just placed the seed trays under there right off. I do think it's best to have the seedlings exposed to light immediately after breaking the surface.

aliceinvirginia: It's good to here everything is going well. Try giving some seedlings away so someone else can start a garden. Every year I have too many too!

Jon

Peppers and eggplants have much better germination rates if you use a Peat free seed starting mix. The acidity from the peat impedes the germination. I used to have problems with germinating some varieties of peppers and eggplant. It seems to be variety specific. Since changing my seed starting mix I've had almost 90% germination rater. I now make my own mix for peppers and do eggplant. 1/3 compost. 1/3 pearlite, and 1/3 coir. Coir is coconut fiber. And you can find it in most pet stores it's used as a bedding for reptiles. You'll need to soak the coir block in water to get it to soften up. Good luck.

I sure wouldn't use peroxide for damp off. A sprinkling of cinnamon takes care of it and smells good. Chamomile tea also works on damp off. The best cure is not to overwater. If you use a humidity lid you seldom have to water until the seeds sprout. If you don't have one I have found those clear plastic containers you buy buns and such in at the grocery works as tray and humidity lid. Soak the label off and use cooking oil to remove the glue and you're in business.

peroxide works just fine for damping off.