Quiz
Where the indoor tray sits
Five questions from UF/IFAS Starting Transplants Indoors and the Central Florida windows on HS732.
A Central Florida pepper start is two indoor windows: late winter for the January-March set, and midsummer for August-September. UF/IFAS says start seed indoors because small seed is easily washed away in the garden. You can start on a south- or west-facing sill if the tray is small. Rotate 180 degrees every couple of days so seedlings do not bend permanently. More than a dozen seedlings, or no south or west sill, and an overhead fluorescent or LED belongs, close and directly above.
Light and heat are separate. Peppers germinate best in warm soil. A horticultural heat mat may help if germination is low. That is not a reason to skip the light question. You can also buy transplants and skip the sill for that first week. Full sun after the last spring frost still belongs.
Leggy stems are the IFAS sign for not enough light. Position the fixture directly above. The closer it is, the stockier the plants stay for the move outdoors. Fluorescent and LED lights are inexpensive and not too warm. They fit a home shelf and can go on a timer.
The lecture is Grow light or a windowsill. First tray: Kits.