Bell peppers require very little care to grow well. The hard work required to grow them indoors is no more than the hard work required to care for them outdoors. Keeping the plants moist and warm enough is the toughest challenge. However, adequate conditions are not too difficult to create, as long as you know what the peppers need.
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Part 1 of 3: Planting Pepper Seeds
Step 1. Soak the paprika seeds
Pour the seeds into a small glass and fill with warm water. Allow the seeds for 2 to 8 hours to sink to the bottom of the glass. Soaking the seeds will break some of the tough coating and speed up the germination process.
You can also try soaking paprika seeds in diluted chamomile tea or a solution made from 1 cup (250 ml) warm water and 1 or 2 teaspoons (5 or 10 ml) 3% hydrogen peroxide. This solution is even more effective at breaking the coating and has the added benefit of disinfecting the seeds
Step 2. Fill the seedling tray with soil
Ready-to-plant soil mixture that has been sterilized and has good drainage is sufficient for growing peppers. Soil like this can be purchased at a garden supply store or at your local nursery.
Step 3. Make a hole in the soil with your finger or the tip of a pencil
The hole should be about 5 mm deep.
Step 4. Bury the seeds
Place one seed in each hole and bury it loosely with soil.
Step 5. Place the seedling tray in a warm place
Sweet peppers germinate best when the soil temperature is around 21 °C or above. If possible, place the tray on a seedling heating mat. Otherwise, just put it on a warm, sunny windowsill.
Step 6. Keep the seeds moist
If the soil surface appears dry, spray it with water. Don't let it get muddy, but don't let it dry out either.
Part 2 of 3: Moving Peppers
Step 1. Remove the tillers once they have two pairs of real leaves
"Real leaves" are leaves that are mature, not leaves that are just starting to grow.
Step 2. Use a large enough pot
If you plan to grow each plant separately, a 5 cm or 10 cm pot will suffice. You can also plant several peppers in a single pot if they are large enough.
Step 3. Fill the pot with soil
Use loose, well-drained soil, and even better if the organic matter content is high.
Step 4. Dig a small hole in the soil
The hole should be as deep and wide as the container where the tillers were previously. If you are planting one tiller per pot, dig a hole in the middle. If you are planting several saplings in one pot, dig several holes 5 cm apart each.
Step 5. Transfer the saplings to a new pot
Shake or dismantle the tillers carefully by squeezing the sides of the seedling tray. After the saplings are removed with the roots, soil, and all, put them in the hole.
Step 6. Squeeze the tiller into place
Compress the soil around the base of the plant to make it firm and stable.
Part 3 of 3: Daily Care
Step 1. Keep the peppers warm and out of the sun
Once transferred, the ideal temperature for peppers ranges from 21 to 27 °C. Bell peppers also need lots of sunlight to grow. A bright window can meet both needs, but sometimes it's not enough even when it's very bright. Fluorescent grow-lights generally work better. Leave the distance between the lamp and the top of the plant not less than 8 cm and keep the light on for 14 to 16 hours every day.
Step 2. Water consistently
Water the soil thoroughly every few days and wait until the soil surface is almost dry before watering again.
Step 3. Test the soil pH
Peppers are best grown in soils with a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. Add powdered agricultural lime to the soil if the pH needs to be raised. Add compost or fertilizer to the soil if the pH needs to be lowered.
Step 4. Pollinate the peppers as they bloom
Use a cotton swab and gently rub the pollen from the anthers on the male flowers. Rub the pollen onto the female flower, which is the large central peduncle called the pistil, where the pollen collects. Pollinating crops like this will increase crop yields.
Step 5. Harvest the peppers once they are cooked
Once the peppers are large enough and the color is ripe, the fruit is ready to be harvested. Use sharp, clean cutting shears to neatly cut the peppers along with the stalks 2.5 to 5 cm long.
