Best time to sow peppers/chillies

[jonny the plant pot]

I've got various types of peppers and chillies to sow next year.
When's the best time to start them off.

[Lisasbolt]

What do you have....just a sunny window...grow lights......plenty of space when they get too big.

[Mr Bones]

We always sow ours indoors the same time as the toms, early to mid March and start them off on a piece of damp kitchen roll.

[jonny the plant pot]

What do you have....just a sunny window...grow lights......plenty of space when they get too big.

Golden california
Mini bell
Sweet marconi
Chocolate sweet
Orange scotch bonnets
Peter pepper

Think that's it.

[Bigmallly]

I think Lisa meant how do you plan to sow & grow them Jonny.

[jonny the plant pot]

Was gunna sow them in greenhouse and transplant them to the polytunnel.

[Alison]

Was gunna sow them in greenhouse and transplant them to the polytunnel.

They need decent heat to germinate and grow on. Unless your greenhouse is heated it'll be months before you can guarantee the right temps. I start mine off end of Jan / Feb in a heated propogator in my utility room. They stay in there until about Easter when they go into the conservatory and then the greenhouse for hardening off during May. Plant out in the tunnel at the end of May / start of June.

[spamvindaloo]

I think too early yet (even with this unseasonal weather) to sow in an unheated greenhouse. Do you have any windowsill space to start them off? I've not grown most of what you have except the scotch bonnets. They are a hottish variety but easy to grow. I'd think of starting them off inside about the beginning of February.

I've no experience of polytunnel gardening (hope to this year though) but will treat them as tomatoes and move to the allotment when night time temperatures are above 10C. No idea when that will be though with the funny weather we're getting.

You could start them off in January but you would have to make room for them indoors as you pot them up until it is warm enough in your tunnel. They could also get a bit leggy if started before we get a bit more sunlight. I'm eager to start too but know that a bit of patience will probably give more rewards.

[Scarlet]

If you have some grow lights you could try some now.
I don't have lights, mine are started off in a heated prop mid February at the earliest. Any earlier and they get too leggy. They are taken off the heat as soon as they have germinated and kept on a sunny window ledge. That said, I may try a few superhots next week and compare with the February down ones later on.

[Thelma Sanders]

I start mine off mid Jan - but that's in a heated propagator indoors. They then stay on the window ledge til it's warm enough for them to go out to the greenhouse.

[Scarlet]

...and mine go in the GH during the day and back in the house at night for several weeks before they go out in the GH permanently.

[Scoot]

Mine are already in as an experiment. Got no lights or heated prop, so we'll see how long it takes them to germinate in my bedroom.

Sweet Bell Pepper
Razzmatazz Pepper
Capsicum Twilight Chillis
Guindilla Chillis

[jonny the plant pot]

Thanks for all the advice .
Will start them in back bedroom end of Feb.

[roitelet]

If you are into lunar gardening the dates that are recommended for sowing them in 2016 are, Jan 18, Feb 5, 14 March 4.12,31 and April 1.9,28. I'm going to try some in January.

[TrixC]

I start mine in Feb on a heated windowsill propagater and grow on under grow lights before planting out in patio pots, normally around late April. I've experimented with starting them earlier, around Christmas, but I found indoor space was too limiting and the plants sometimes wind up stunted if started too early. I find it's best to start a few weeks earlier than tomatoes and around the same time as aubergines. You may struggle to get good germination rates in the absence of bottom heat.