It's not necessarily the peat that is the problem, but the pellets are encased in a netting that can inhibit root growth in spite of what the manufacturers say. If you use them to start your plants, cut and carefully peel the netting off when you pot up or transplant to the garden. Don't use 'garden soil' as it will carry bugs and pathogens that can kill your seedlings. Straight peat can compact, dry out and crust up, or hold too much moisture...starting mix has peat with vermiculite and other stuff(perlite?)mixed in. It is also sterile. I use Jiffy starting mix in cell packs, then use potting mix when I pot up to 8oz cups after a few sets of true leaves. As for peppers, you can find a lot of info perusing the Hot Pepper forum(growing info applies to sweet peppers too). There will be as many different methods as there are posters, and no way is THE way. What works for one may not work for another. Don't forget to read the FAQs at the top of the forum page. Peppers seeds need warmth to germinate, about 85 degrees is ideal, but they will eventually sprout at temps a bit lower. Keep the medium moist, but not wet. Some varieties will take longer to germinate than others and I've found it's best to keep different varieties in their own cell packs or pots so you can take sprouted ones off of the heat without disturbing the others. Don't fertilize your seedlings until they have a couple of sets of true leaves, and then do so with a very weak solution. Also, you don't say where your location is, if you're starting your seeds indoors, what kind of light source you have(lights, bright window?)and that info would help with feedback. Hope this gives you a starting point. Here is a link that might be useful: hot pepper forum

Here is the recipe from Rita Heikenfeld and you can google the recipe and video on the web. I don't have a canning machine and it was very user friendly:) You don't have to chill them unless you want to but they came out fabulous. Here it is: Pickled peppers I donÂt have to tell you that these are the best and easiest pickled peppers you'll ever eat. And if you grow peppers, you know how abundant they are this time of year. Now I usually don't add 2 cups sugar; I'll start out with half a cup, taste the brine, and go from there. If you have extremely hot peppers, though, the 2 cups of sugar is not too much. My sister, Christine, makes a version of these pickles and uses no sugar at all. Sterilizing Jars: Wash jars and lids, then place in big pan, covered with water. Bring to a boil and boil 15 minutes. Keep in hot water until you're ready to fill them. Meanwhile, make brine and prepare peppers: Brine: 6 cups clear vinegar, 5% acidity 2 cups water 1/2 to 2 cups sugar (see note above)* Place brine ingredients in non-reactive pan (that means either stainless, enameled or anodized aluminum, not the old fashioned aluminum pans). Bring to a boil. To Prepare Peppers: Wash. Leave whole with a slit down the center, or cut into slices as desired. I like to remove seeds if I slice them, but this is optional. Remember the membrane that the seeds are attached to is the hottest part of the pepper, and the seeds are the second hottest part. Place peppers in sterilized, hot jars, packing tightly. Pour boiling brine over, covering peppers. Add seasonings, such as garlic, bay leaf, slices of sweet bell, herbs, etc. as desired, or leave plain. Seal and let cool away from drafts. Store away from heat and light. No need to process these as the vinegar, if you use 5%, keeps bacteria out. That's all there is to this wonderful pickled pepper recipe. Making your own is so easy and much more crisp and tasty than the store-bought variety. Chill in refrigerator before serving Dusty

I would strongly reccomend pre sprouting your seeds before putting them in a growing medium. To pre sprout give your seeds a warm bath for about 30 minutes to soften them up, then place them in a damp paper towel in a zip locked bag and place in a warm spot..top of the fridge. I have a heat pad but you have to be careful with those because they are hot and will cook your seed. Try wrapping the bag in a towel to moderate the temperature on top of the pad. Check your seeds daily to see if they have sprouted and to expose them to oxygen, when you see the little white tip comming out of the seed you can now place it in soil at about 1/8 inch depth. Within a day or two it will come out. I always use this method because it gives me greater control over the seeds, especially because of the different germination times required for sprouting. Many chile peppers are very stubborn. I started six varities last week, two are out of the soil three have sprouted and one is still enjoying the warmth of the zip lock bag...it's a Naga Morich. As for soil any good soil mix will do Jiffy is as good as any.

For Lemon Drop I bought the seeds off of the Burpee rack at Home Depot. I just know two things from reading here as far as ordering seeds goes. 1. Do not use Ebay. (There are some sellers that are reputable. They are grossly outnumbered by the rip off artist/scam artist that know by the time you find out you paid $10 + for jalapeno, or bell pepper seeds they are long gone.) 2. Avoid Pepper Joe. (Too many people have had horrid experiences with dealing with him.) There are a plethora of good vendors out there. Be ready to pay good for them. (When it comes to the vendors. You do get what you pay for.)