A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening Hot Pepper question?

Last year I attempted to grow a hot Chili pepper plant indoors from seed. Only one germinated and hardly grew after that, even after I put it out into a garden pot. This year I am attempting it again. Again a little seedling came out, (just one) but it is taking forever to grow any more. Do hot chili peppers require special conditions, temperatures and soil?

I plant regular peppers every year, sometimes from the actual seeds from peppers bought in the produce department. My plants are doing really good this year. I almost always have a good harvest, and there is nothing like seeing that little baby pepper forming from the bud.
It would be cool to grow a little chili pepper as well.

Hot peppers germinate and grow better with some sort of heat source underneath them. I add heat while growing all peppers (until they move outside of course). I have found that mine germinate the best when the soil is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I have also successfully grown hot peppers in excess of 85 degree soil temp. I hope this helps

Thanks, it does help. During the day the window that I have them starting in have plenty of sunshine. Although I'm not sure how much heat they get from underneath. We do have a granite counter top which does absorb some of the sun's heat. Is there any other way to increase the heat, how about lining the bottom tray with tinfoil?