Directions to SETTFest from Fort Worth:
1. 35W through Waco (90 mi)
2. SR-77 to La Grange (120 mi)
3. SR-71 to Columbus (25 mi)
4. Left on US-90 (Walnut St)
5. Cross the 2-lane bridge over the river.
6. Turn right into the park.
7. Look for the people having the most fun. ;)

It may be hard to believe, but after seeing the selection at Cornelius, Houston Garden Centers, and most importantly at Wabash Antiques & Feed, I seriously thought about scaling back the number of seedlings I grow to those few I cannot get locally. I'd just start the rare ones that I know they won't have seed of like Brandy Boy, Earl's Faux, Kimberly (although I may put a bug in their ear and get them to grow it next year if I bring them some fruit ;)).

So none of that takes me through Houston? If so, I'm 75% certain that I can make it.

I broke down and bought a few (7) established plants just in case mine don't make it or are too late to fruit. I also have a person somewhat near me who sells seedlings so I can get some through her, too.

Back to the actual topic...

I potted up my peppers today and their root systems are far more developed than my toms. I know that they are slow to start but do they normally prove to be more vigorous than tomatoes?

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Funny, my peppers and tomatoes were the other way around, with the peppers having less pronounced root systems than my tomatoes.

I'm starting to buy the hype that I need to start peppers 2 weeks earlier, and maybe in a slightly different soil mix.

wilderness1989, Some of my pepper seeds were also slow to germinate. Some came up after I gave up on them 3 weeks later, letting the soil almost dry out, then, surprised to see the little seedlings pop up. Made me wonder if I had been keeping the mix too moist. Or maybe it's because I don't use any bottom heat.
Also, I found that my seeds took extra long to germinate (over 3 weeks in some cases), when I used Jiffy Mix from Walmart.
In any case, once they were up, they did fine. So don't give up on them just yet.

[quote]The peppers are kicking butt but the tomatoes are just doing okay.[/quote]
houseodessey, In my garden, peppers might be slower to germinate, but develop quickly and grow much more easily than my tomatoes.
My peppers require very different treatment from my tomatoes, as my peppers prefer neglect, smaller pots, and are forgiving when I forget to water. They mainly want good drainage and well aerated roots. In big pots with rich, well watered soil, they do poorly for me, and even die. Keep in mind, though, my climate is normally rainy and humid.

As Feldon mentioned, soaking pepper seed overnight can be helpful. Some recommend soaking in warm water. I have excellent results when I soak mine overnight or for a few hours in a very shallow depth of Maxicrop seaweed solution, until seeds have sunk to the bottom, indicating that they have become hydrated. Sometimes, pepper seeds may take an hour or so to sink to the bottom.

[quote]Absolutely do not soak bean seeds as they will burst/split or rot. [/quote]Feldon30's recommendation is correct for certain types of legumes.
Nancy Bubel's "The New Seed-Starters Handbook" says pea and snap bean seeds can be soaked for a few hours before planting, but cautions against soaking certain beans (more than an hour) that contain a lot of protein, such as lima or soybeans, as they will swell and split easily.

Thanks Feldon and Honu
 

I'm excited about the tomato fest. I can totally do that drive and maybe my husband and I can spend a few days camping beforehand as well. Are well behaved dogs (just one) allowed at the festival?

I had 3 lima beans come up yesterday and 4 pole beans, despite the soaking but it's rained all day so I'm thinking the rest will rot in the ground.

I appreciate the tips on peppers and beans, Honu.

[quote=houseodessey;51872]Are well behaved dogs (just one) allowed at the festival?[/quote]
Great to hear you might be able to come. :)

The park is several acres of grass surrounded by trees, with lots of room to run, so I am not thinking that will be a problem. :)

I agree with honu. Peppers need more heat and drier soil than tomatoes. Amp up the heat a bit and stop watering them as much and I bet they'll start doing awesome for you.

Also, I've soaked peas and beans for an hour or so and had no problems with germination but never did soybeans before. Good to know about the splitting thing though it hasn't happened to me.

I did the baggie method with a coffee filter on my Carmens this year. All of the seeds popped in about 4 or 5 days. This was using seed that I got last year from Johnny's. I've baggied everything this year, and it has worked really well.

Without any special treatment (heat pads, soaking, etc.) my peppers averaged 25 - 33 days to sprout ... Next year ? Heat pad for sure ...

~ Tom

First go round about 3 weeks ago I used "jiffy pots." They all died. This time I planted them out in sterile aluminum pans with a moist pro seed soil mix inside a 2 gallon ziplock. No bottom heat, no soaking, nada - about a week ago. Seven of the 9 varieties I am growing have germinated.