1: not sure what you mean by self watering but if that entails a larger tray with water below the smaller compartments holding the soil then that is not a good idea. The soil should be moist but not sopping wet for germination. If the soil is peat, that might be part of the problem. Soils consisting of predominately peat are not real good for peppers. It is too hard to control the moisture. The seeds may mold if they are kept too wet.

2: 70 degrees is ok but 80-85 is better for germination. They will be fine at 70 but probably a little slower. I wouldn't get too much cooler though. A heat mat is the best solution but somewhat expensive. You can find other ways to provide some heat to the seedlings such as putting them in an enclosed or semi enclosed area with a regular light bulb or even heat light. Putting them on top of a frig or on top of a dvr is also a common solution. But you need to monitor the temps so they don't get too high.

3. Seeds don't need light to germinate but shortly after they break the surface, you should start giving them ample light. The long 48" flourescent bulbs dont give off much heat so they won't help a lot in germination. You would need incandescent bulbs for heat.

4: There are a lot of varying opinions on light cycles for seedlings. Some go 24/7 but it seems most run them anywhere from 12 to 18 hours per day. Just buy an inexpensive timer and set it for however long you desire. I run mine 16 hours per day.

I hope this helps and others will likely weigh in with their thoughts. Many on this list are a lot more knowledgeable than I.
Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Thank you for the quick reply. I checked the seed starter mix - it's coconut coir rather than peat, but I don't know if that makes any difference. The tray is similar to this: http://www.burpee.com/seed-starting/grow-kits/xl-ultimate-growing-system-prod002628.html?catId=2211&trail= but with smaller pellets for the seeds. The water wicks on a fibrous membrane from the reservoir to the bottom of the pellets.

I just checked the 5 day forecast and it's an unusually warm 75 to 80 during the day - I plan to put the tray and mini greenhouse cover outside during the day and bring them indoors at night to stop them getting chilled. Hopefully that will be sufficient. If it gets too cold I'll light them with a 100W incandescent bulb to keep the seeds warm.

Thank you again, and I welcome any other advice,

Steve

Yeah, I've got a tray very much like the one he's talking about. Might even be the same one (did yours have the thin plastic sheet to lay across the top?).

The coir never comes in direct contact with the water, it just wicks up through a sort of felt cloth to the bottom of the cell. Keeps the soil moist, but definitely not sopping wet. You can grab a handful out of a cell and squeeze it to death without a single drop of water coming out. Its just about perfect that I can see. Dry enough to crumble as you pick it up, but damp enough to leave your hand moist after doing so.

It sprouted my uba tubas and my sweet cherries just fine, although I've had an issue with my superhots (they don't look molded or rotted when I dug a few samples up, they just haven't done anything, so I started some more). Don't know if its related to the starter system, but its done right by my other peppers, melons, tomatoes, and beans, so I doubt its hurting these particular peppers.

Hi,

It sounds like either the same system or a very similar one. The plastic thing thr goes over the top is the same shape as the bottom section and forms a tiny plastic greenhouse.

I've been keepin it outside during the day (as weather is unusually warm) a lot of condensation forms on the plastic 'dome' an the base seems to get pretty hot. Can you overheat pepper seeds? I'm thinking of putting a burlap cover over it to keep the worst of the sun off them - good idea or bad idea?

It's good to hear the coir doesn't keep the seeds too wet, I'm just trying to grow sweet peppers, which I understand are a bit less sensitive and a bit easier to germinate than hotter peppers.

Thank you for the feedback too - i'll update with any results.

Yes, you can cook your seedlings in one of those. Temps can go well over 100 inside and that is with cool temps outside. You should try to keep the temps around 80-85 while the seeds are germinating. You don't need sunlight until after they pop out of the soil so better to keep them out of direct sun at that stage.
Bruce

Steve - Just a suggestion. When you are ready to pot your seedlings up into something larger, DON'T use peat pots. They don't drain properly and cause wet feet. Syrofoam cups with holes in the bottom or plastic pots work fine.
John A

Edymnion: In my experience, Chinense (superhot) tend to take more time and more heat to germinate then other varieties. Have more patience or add bottom heat. When I heat chinense seeds, they usually come up 4-10 days, but can take weeks at room temperature.

Yeah, I've grown them before, including sprouting other bhuts in seed starter mix that I had to hand water in cooler weather. These took longer without anything coming up.

I didn't pull any of them, I just added another seed. These things are too expensive to just toss out and start again if there's still any hope at all of getting them to sprout, but hedging the odds with some extras can't hurt.