These trays are cheap and re-usable. We use these exact trays from Amazon — they are sturdy and compact and come with raised humidity domes for easy seed starting. Highly recommended! Watering frequency will depend on the humidity of your environment.
Check the surface moisture of your seed trays and water if the soil feels dry. Keep the soil moist, not soaked! By planting 2 or more seeds per container, you increase the chances of successful germination. If both seeds sprout, you simply pluck away one of them when they reach 1 inch in height. Any deeper, and the seeds may struggle to surface properly. Tip: If you have limited seed quantity and want to conserve seeds, you can ignore this step.
Just plant one seed per container to avoid wasting seeds. Peppers come from very warm climates, and the heat significantly helps initiate germination. We use a heated propagation mat and a thermometer to keep conditions consistent. However, if your indoor temperatures already satisfy these ranges, no need to worry! Note : This is especially useful when growing stubborn seeds, or older seeds that have been dormant longer. Most habanero seeds germinate without issue.
This can be as simple as a clip-on plant light for pretty cheap. Different pepper seeds will have different germination times.
For habanero peppers, seeds will typically germinate within days under ideal conditions. We have had some of our habaneros sprout within just 4 days when using our seed heating mat!
If you are having trouble germinating your habanero seeds, refer to our guide to fast germination here. We highly recommend using a grow light of some kind to start pepper seedlings indoors. Without adequate lighting, young pepper plants may become tall and lanky, with weak and leggy stems.
Read our article about the best grow lights for peppers here. This early stage of growth is critical for determining the hardiness of your plant throughout the whole growing season. By introducing some artificial light, you can ensure the young seedlings photosynthesize as much as possible. You will notice considerably healthier-looking plants when using a grow light vs using window sunlight.
For a budget light , try one of these clip-on LED lights from Amazon. If you use this clip-on light, keep it very close to your plants when they sprout, about inches away from the leaves. For the most efficient light with no noise , spring for one of these on Amazon this is this light we use. If you use a brighter light like this one, you should keep it farther from your pepper seedlings to avoid light burn.
Getting the distance right will ensure maximum photosynthesis without damaging the habanero plants. Pruning is basically snipping off portions of your habanero plant to influence its shape and sturdiness. Pruning is an option when pepper plants are young, around 6 inches tall. It is not necessary , but can often help plants develop stronger stems and a bushier, fuller shape. We wrote a dedicated article all about pruning here.
Check it out for a complete guide. To prune, simply snip the central shoot at the base of the node. Discard the cutting and watch as the habanero plant recovers and grows new shoots within just a few days! Note: Use sharp scissors when pruning like these precise pruning sheers , not your fingers. You want to get a clean slice across the stem without crushing it. This process encourages the plant to grow outward rather than tall and lanky.
There are other reasons to prune, such as removing low branches or overwintering. Transplanting is the process of moving your plants from a smaller container to a larger one. This usually takes place twice during pepper plant growth, but can also be done just once if the seedlings are started in larger containers like Solo cups or small garden pots.
Then, cover the root system with fresh soil and compact gently. Water immediately to ensure the roots have plenty of moisture. Read our full guide to transplanting here. Move your plants outdoors as soon as the risk of frost is gone for the season. For us in the Northeastern US, this means around May 15th.
Use this tool to find out the last frost date for your location. This is the process of gradually acclimating your plants to the outdoor climate wind, direct sunlight, etc.
Learn more about hardening off plants in our guide here. If you are planning to grow your habaneros in a pot, make sure you choose one that is big enough. Though habaneros are small peppers and will grow in any sized pot, they prefer to have at least 3 gallons of space for the best yields.
Learn more about planter pot size for your peppers in our article here. This is one of the most common causes of pepper problems. Over-watering or under-watering can cause significant stress to habanero plants. A simple check with your finger will be enough to test moisture levels. Tip : Allowing your habanero plants to become dry between watering can actually produce hotter peppers. The container the seeds are planted in will need good drainage. Overwatering a habanero plant can change the taste of any peppers the plant produces.
Overwatering can lead to overly bitter peppers, so make sure to only water the baby pepper plants when the soil is dry. The seedlings will most likely need to be transplanted a couple times. Once there are six to eight leaves on the plants, they should be separated and put into larger containers.
Once the threat of a frost has passed, a seedling will need time to get used to being outdoors before it is moved there permanently. The plants should be placed in direct sunlight for only one hour on their first day outdoors. Slowly increase the amount of time the plants spend outside every day. Once the plants are spending a majority of the time outside, they can be planted into an area with strong morning sun and slightly acidic oil. The transplanted peppers should be placed 18 inches apart, and holes should be cut in black plastic mulch to fit around the plant.
This will help keep competing weeds away while keeping the soil around the plant warm. If the plants are purchased already grown instead of cultivated from seedlings, the procedure for getting them settled in garden beds is similar. It is important that the habanero plants, no matter their origin, are planted outside only after there is no chance of frost. An underdeveloped habanero plant that has not been given time to root will be killed immediately once frost temperatures hit.
These plants love a warm climate. The most important care tip for habaneros is to make sure they do not get too much water.
Overwatering can lead to blossom end rot and other fungal diseases. Make sure to water the plants infrequently but deeply. Wait to water habaneros until the soil around them is completely dry. If the ends of the peppers start to rot, the plant is suffering from blossom end rot. This disease is caused by a calcium deficiency and can be treated by limiting the amount of overhead watering you give the plant. To counteract the rot, water deeply—not from overhead—during the blossoming period. Its best to avoid overhead watering to begin with, no matter the circumstances.
While habaneros are not especially susceptible to fungal infections, they can fall prey to them, so avoiding overhead watering can help your plants avoid fungus. While these plants do enjoy warmth and sunshine, like all peppers, they can suffer from sunscald.
The cracking of the fruit can allow bacteria or fungi into the pepper. Start them indoors 6 to 10 weeks before the last expected frosts.
Habaneros take longer to germinate than smaller pepper plants. They will catch up in the Garden. I get a lot of questions on this in regards to growing medium, soil, etc.
I recommend buying growing trays with a plastic dome. I prefer planting pellets or peat pots. The small planting pellets are about the diameter of a silver dollar, and are made of compressed peat moss in netting. When you water them they expand. The downside to Peat is it dries quickly I like this system because the plastic dome traps the moisture inside Perfect environment for germination.
Just make sure to remove the plastic dome as soon as the first seedlings emerge They can also die from damping off. At this point you do want the soil to dry for at least a full day in between watering. Your Habanero plants will love you for it. Start to fertilize the Habanero seedlings weekly when your Habaneros have 6 sets of leaves.
TIP: If you don't have a plastic dome Cover your seed trays with Saran wrap. Just remove when watering and then when the Chili Seedlings emerge. This process is called 'Hardening off'.
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