1998

I used special seeding boxes: long plastic boxes with smaller pots (36) hanging separated from each other, with a plastic cover. There is a very good heat distribution in those boxes. Like last year, I put those boxes on the top of our heating system in the garage. Apparently the better distribution of the heat made the seeds sprout much faster, and with a higher germination percentage (Similar to the heat pads used by many chili growers). After the first green heads showed up, I put a growing lamp above them, approx. 15 to 20 cm. The light source was a German Lidner Plantglowlamp (color temperature 2900 K). The light was put on from 08:00 till 20:00.

Both the boxes and the growing lamp did wonders. I got a very high germination percentage and the difference between the plants grown under the growing lamp and those without are amazing. Those without were 5 cm tall with two tiny leaves and were very fragile (I lost a few because of wind and too much watering). Those under the lamp stayed two to three cm and were very strong.

The Fataliis and the Red Habanero seeds from '97 survived their stay in my drawyer very well. The Rocotos (that didn't sprout in '97) still didn't want to sprout, and the Tepins appear to have died.
On 6 April I transfered 5 of each of the seedlings to larger containers. I had found out that the seedlings were possibly suffering from cutworms. Just above the soil was a tiny hard part, and lot's of the seedlings were just falling on their side. 'The Pepper Garden' suggested transplanting them with their stems 1 inch deep in the soil, which is what I did.

On 22nd of May I transplanted 2 of each kind into large pots (approx. 20 cm diameter) and put the plants outside. At the same time I also put outside my tepin plant from last year, which I had kept inside to overwinter. It would not give any peppers, due to the very bad summer we had this year.

The average temperatures were : May (15.6 °C), June (16.3 °C), July (16.6 °C), August(17.4 °C), September(15.3 °C), October (9.7 °C)