2010 Garden – Week One Update – Pepper Seeds Starting

Well, since the seeds went in the “ground” one week ago, there has been some change. Last night I noticed the emergence of the radicle on several of the seeds!! WOO HOO!!! We have germination! The radicle is the first root that emerges from the seed, “digs” down into the soil and takes hold as well as starts pumping nutrients up into the rest of the plant as it develops.

A couple of people have asked me why I don’t cover or bury my seeds when I start them. I’ve got a two part answer:

  1. First, when you’re starting seeds indoors, there are no critters who can come scavenge your seeds away. No birds, no squirrels, mice, etc. They’re safe! And, when wild pepper plants self-sow, they don’t have the ability to cover their seeds, so I almost think it’s a more natural method.
  2. Second, I love watching the stages of germination!! You can watch the seeds plump up as they take in moisture, then, as yesterday, you can watch everything happen directly with the emergence of the radicle, then the cotyledons next and you’d miss all that if it was happening underground!

Another exciting update is that I got more seeds!!! My friend, Hemant, sent me a bunch of Indian peppers! I sent him a couple of big bags of bhut jolokias last season, it was a great swap if you ask me! I sowed these new seeds and we’ll have them to watch as well moving forward! Here’s a list of what he sent me:

  • Kanthari
  • Sannam
  • Mundu
  • Gundu
  • CHOT
  • Dundicut

I don’t know much about these varieties, but I’ll be digging in and doing some research on them soon, I’ll let you know what I find out. If any of you have any info on them, post a comment and share!