Seedling temps?

16 years ago

Greetings! I'm going to be starting peppers from seed this year for the first time...just waiting to get my greenhouse insulated so I can heat it at night (1st week of March). I was going to heat it to 55 degrees (for tomatoes, bell peppers, & eggplant seedlings), but it seems that reading here, hot peppers need around 60 degrees for the seedlings to grow out at. I'll be germinating all my seeds inside (70 degrees normal temps, warmer over electrical equipment & aquarium lids), and then I want to get them straight out to the greenhouse once they're up to grow on (because I really have no room to set up lights, etc). I do have a huge southern window they can temporarily sit in a pinch, but I'm sure the greenhouse would be better for light and circulation.

So is 60 degrees the lowest hot pepper seedlings can handle? Or would they do okay at 55 with the rest of my veggies? I can heat the greenhouse to 60 if need be, I'm just trying to use as little energy as possible on the heating side (for overnight...the greenhouse will be plenty warm during the day with just the sun).

I have some jalapeno seeds ordered, and a few others I can't remember how to spell just now (a hot pepper seedling kit I thought looked like fun at Lowes the other day).

Thanks for any help/suggestions...I haven't started anything yet, because I want to wait until I know the greenhouse will be ready, but I would like to get things going early this year for a good start! :-)

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Comments (6)

hendrik_vanderdekin
16 years ago
I sprout mine at about 80-82 degrees using bottom heat.

55-60 is a tad coolish for peppers.
kingpepper
16 years ago
I agree. I use a heating blanket for bottom heat for flats.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Pepper Garden
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Chris - The Table you linked to is great for germination temps, but gardengolfer was asking about post germination temps. From everything I have read it can be considerably cooler once they have developed true leaves. Hotter is better, but they should do fine as low as 65 F. As a first timer last year I had pretty much no extra heat (other than the fluorescent bulbs) for my pepper plants, even for germination. I was growing in a 60-65 degree room. The smaller Anaheim peppers were prolific, the Bells produced fruit, but not many, but I dont think it was due to how I started them. On the other hand, I just bought one of those reflective "emergency blankets"($1.98) which is basically a big sheet of mylar, and have hung it as a curtain over my shelves. The temps shot up ten degrees, just holding in the heat from the bulbs.
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I'm frequently surprised by growers who think that just because a plant will tolerate a particular condition, somehow that condition must have no negative effects on a plant; or that the way they treat their plants is an appropriate model for others. The fact is, that most plants that thrive at higher temperatures cannot carry on photosynthesis effectively when mean temperatures are much lower than 65*. And at temperatures lower than about 60*, N becomes very difficult for the plant to assimilate. Essentially the low temperatures some suggest are a-ok, force the plant to operate on 'battery power' - which would be the plant dipping into its (stored) energy reserves to fuel its day to day activities and keep its systems orderly. That means that at low mean temperatures, the plant is back-sliding - losing potential. (The collective) YOU may not be able to actually see the ill effects, but that is no reason to assume they are not in play. A plant that is kept warmer will still be able to carry on photosynthesis, so if all else is equal, they will develop faster, grow larger, and bloom sooner. Where plants are concerned, lost potential isn't readily seen, but it is a chronic issue for those who don't fully understand how to systematically eliminate or at least ameliorate those conditions that have the potential to limit our plants. Keep in mind that lost potential is lost forever. It can never be regained, even if the plant was restored to perfect health and grown under perfect conditions for as long as it remains viable. Clusty - you'd do well to keep your plants at mean temps higher than 60-65*, so I think you made the right decision. Al
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jamie_mt
Original Author
16 years ago
I think I wasn't clear...the seeds will be germinated inside, where it's a constant 70-72 degrees, and I'll put the flats over electronics where the soil will be warmer. I'm not worried about that.

But after the seeds sprout, most people say that veggies do better if the seedlings are grown in a bit cooler environment, that it creates stronger, sturdier plants. So after the seeds have sprouted, I would like to move them into the greenhouse to grow them in a cooler environment, where they'll grow slower, but be stronger in the long run.

Or does no one do that with hot peppers?
jamie_mt
Original Author
16 years ago
I think I found the answer elsewhere...apparently, hot peppers can be planted out when the soil is consistantly 60 degrees, and they are around 5 inches tall. So I think I'll go ahead and start them in my southern window now, and then when they have a bit of growth on them, I'll turn the heat up in the greenhouse to 60, and put them out there to grow on until the outside temps are warm enough. By then, the tomatoes, sweet peppers and eggplant should be well underway, and will appreciate the extra heat at night too. Hopefully, that will work okay.

Thanks! :-)
straticus
16 years ago
Well peppers will most likely go dormant at 50 or below degrees. They will most definitely make it with your temperature, but at 55 is just pushing around that limit. Im sure they will survive, but be pretty dormant and take growing very slowly. Just watch the temperature of the soil as well.
jamie_mt
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the comments, and advice to watch the soil temps - I'll do that. 60 degrees will only be the night low temperature...in the greenhouse, it will get up around 70 at least during the day, probably 80 on sunny days. The slow growing is a good thing, from what I've read, because it creates stockier, heartier plants. That's kind of the whole point of growing them cooler - creating stronger plants right from the start.

We'll see how it goes...it will be an experiment, anyways. I just planted seeds for Sweet Cayenne, Santiago F1, and Hot Portugal peppers last night. Tonight, I'll start the jalapenos and sweet peppers. :-)

Seedling temps?

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Seedling temps?

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