sowing and growing

How To Grow Jalapeños From Seed :

You can easily start jalapeño from seed indoors, starting them about eight weeks before the expected planting date following these steps:

1. Fill a seed-starting tray with seed-starting mix and moisten.
2. Sow seeds 1/4-inch deep. Keep moist and maintain soil temperature of 75-85° F for good germination. A heat mat can be helpful for providing warmth.
3. Seedlings should sprout in 10-21 days. Place seedlings under a grow light or in a bright, sunny window.
4. Once seedlings reach 3 inches tall, transplant them into individual containers such as a 3-inch or 4-inch pot. Use fresh potting mix and fertilize with indoor houseplant liquid fertilizer at half strength.
5. Begin to harden off plants two weeks after your last frost. Gradually expose them to sunlight, starting in a sheltered location. Bring them indoors at night if temperatures get too cold. After a week of gradually increasing sun exposure, plant peppers outdoors in prepared soil at least 18 inches apart.

GROWING :

• Choose a sunny spot. Jalapenos need full sun to produce peppers, so choose a spot in your garden that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.
• Prepare the soil. Before planting, work some compost or other organic matter into the soil to help improve drainage. Jalapenos prefer soil that is slightly acidic, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.
• Sow the seeds. Plant jalapeno seeds ¼ inch deep in rows that are 18 to 24 inches apart. Water the seeds well and keep the soil moist until they germinate, which usually takes 7 to 10 days.
• Thin the seedlings. Once the seedlings have emerged, thin them so that there is one plant every 12 to 18 inches.
• Fertilize and water regularly. Jalapenos need regular watering, especially when they are fruiting. Apply a fertilizer every 4 to 6 weeks during the growing season.

Potting And Repotting Jalapeños :

If you are growing in containers, select a large pot (12-14 inches wide or at least 5 gallons) with a drainage hole to allow the roots room to spread out. Use a potting mix with plenty of organic matter such as composted pine bark, coir, or rice hulls to prevent compaction and provide good drainage. Peppers are usually spaced 18 inches apart in the garden, but you can group two or three more compact types together in a larger planter such as a half barrel.

Containers will need more frequent watering than in-ground plants. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. If you notice roots growing out the bottom of the pot and it becomes difficult to keep your plants hydrated, select a slightly larger container and repot plants in fresh potting mix.

Common Problems With Jalapeños:

Pepper plants tend to be fairly trouble-free. Proper watering and soil fertility can help combat some of the most common problems with growing peppers described below.

Sunken Spots On Fruit :

Blossom end rot is a disorder caused by environmental factors, not a disease agent. Blossom end rot begins as a light green or yellow colored sunken area at the base of the fruit, which expands to a larger collapsed area that takes on a black color.

Blossom end rot is linked to calcium deficiency resulting from irregular water supply to the plant. Most soils contain sufficient calcium, so supplemental fertilization is not usually the solution. Rather, maintaining an even moisture supply to the plants will allow plants to take up calcium as needed and reduce the incidence of blossom end rot.

Scalded Fruit :

Sunscald is also a physiological disorder, not a disease. It occurs when pepper fruits are exposed to direct sunlight during hot weather. Symptoms appear only on the side of the fruit facing the sun and include white or yellow blistering of the fruit, which becomes papery, flattened, and grayish with continued exposure. Minimize sunscald by encouraging dense foliage through proper water and fertilization. Some cultivars are more susceptible to sunscald than others, so look for resistance when selecting varieties to grow in the garden.

Yellow Leaves :

Disease isn’t always the culprit when pepper leaves turn yellow. Poor soil fertility and over watering are both possibilities. Wait to water until the top inch or two of soil is dry. Apply fertilizer if you haven’t done so yet, or have your soil tested at the local extension office to see if you’re missing key nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or calcium.