Deutsch
Lately, we’ve been receiving many inquiries about how to properly germinate pepper seeds and why chili peppers haven’t germinated from seeds.
The Most Common Pepper Seed Germination Problems
Depending on whether you’ve already planted them or not, in this article, you can find out the possible reasons for non-germination.
If you’re yet to sow them, you can prevent these situations and significantly increase the chances of pepper seed germination.
Non-viable seeds / immature chili pepper seeds
Every cultivar in the world needs to have viable seeds, those capable of germinating in the next growing season. In practice, we distinguish between technological and physiological maturity of fruits.
Technologically mature fruits have reached their size and are usually green and ready for consumption in their fresh state. A prime example of technological maturity in chili peppers is the green Jalapeño pepper.
Physiologically mature fruits come later and represent the phase of fruits where the seeds are fully mature for further propagation. Their color depends on the variety characteristics and can be red, orange, purple, yellow, brown, or white.
So, if you’ve saved seeds from peppers without knowing that it’s not appropriate to save seeds from green fruits, this is one reason why you might get chili pepper seed germination problems. Also, if you bought chili pepper seeds through online classifieds or social media, you can never know from what fruits the seeds were obtained.
Planting chili peppers too deep
Planting too deep at a low temperature is one of the most common reasons why you might encounter chili pepper seed germination problems. If you’ve pushed the chili pepper seeds several centimeters into the substrate, they certainly won’t germinate because they don’t have enough energy for that.
Seed diseases Cause Pepper seed germination problems
There are certain diseases that survive or spend a certain period of dormancy in the seeds of plants, so such cases can also occur with chili peppers. Diseased seeds won’t germinate, but if they do, they will show specific symptoms at a certain stage of growth and development of peppers.
Read about the 6 most common chili pepper diseases here.
Poor pre-sowing preparation
Poor pre-sowing preparation is closely related to seed diseases and pepper seed germination problems. If you suspect poor planting material, be sure to disinfect the seeds using chamomile tea or a 0.5% potassium permanganate solution.
Soaking the seeds for up to 24 hours in chamomile tea or for 20 minutes in a potassium permanganate solution also softens the seed coat of the peppers, resulting in faster germination.
Therefore, if you haven’t disinfected the seeds, there is a possibility that they are contaminated and did not germinate, or the seed coat did not have enough moisture in the substrate after sowing to soften and allow the seed to germinate.
Substrate temperature too low
Each variety actually has its own specific temperature and moisture requirements (we’re talking about factory recommendations or recommendations from seed companies).
For example, the Jalapeno variety requires temperatures ranging from 18 to 27 °C, while the optimal temperature for germination of the Carolina Reaper (according to some literature) is 29.7 °C.
Rarely does anyone in hobby cultivation have separate chambers with regulated temperatures for each variety.
In chili pepper cultivation, the recommended substrate temperature for pepper seed germination is between 26 and 30 °C. At these temperatures, peppers germinate best and fastest.
If chili peppers did not have a constant recommended temperature, there is a high probability that the seeds will not germinate.
Substrate temperature too high
Temperatures above 32°C are also not ideal for germination; some authors claim that germination is inhibited under conditions of excessively high temperatures.
Insufficient substrate moisture
If you haven’t watered the substrate well after sowing the peppers, the seeds will not have enough moisture to swell and germinate. If you keep the containers with seeded seeds on a radiator, the substrate dries out too quickly.
To prolong its moisture, after sowing and watering, cover the containers with transparent kitchen foil. Water will collect on it in the form of droplets and drip back onto the substrate.
Overwatering
Like excessively high temperatures, overwatering can harm seeded seeds and cause chili pepper seed germination problems. If you water the containers with seeded seeds literally every day, and they don’t have drilled holes for excess water drainage, your seeds will rot, meaning they will never germinate.
A good sign of overwatering is the appearance of mold on the surface of the substrate, so if you notice this, reduce watering. Read more about watering here.
Contaminated substrate
There are low-quality substrates that are not sterilized and may contain pests that can damage the seedling during growth or the seed itself before germination.
It is important to buy a proven and sterilized substrate that should not contain any pests, weed seeds, pests in any stage of development, or pathogens.
Improper storage of seeds
If you have saved your chili pepper seeds from the previous season and have not kept them under the prescribed conditions, which you can read about here, it is very likely that they have lost their germination ability.
Fire in a Glass: Spicy Cocktails to Ignite Your Night
Spicy cocktail recipes that will fire up your party and leave you wanting more!
24
May
May
Quintisho
Species: Capsicum chinense Origin: Bolivija SHU: 5,000 – 30,000 (30,000) Heat level: 2/5
15
May
May
Peter Pepper
Species: Capsicum annuum Origin: SAD SHU: 10,000 – 23,000 (30,000) Heat Level: 2/5
15
May
May
Peruvian Pointer
Species: Capsicum baccatum Origin: Peru SHU: 15,000 – 30,000 Heal leves: 2/5
15
May
May
Numex Lemon Spice Jalapeno
Species: Capsicum annuum Origin: SAD SHU: 25,000 – 30,000 Heat Level: 2/5
15
May
May
