Can You Grow Jalapenos From Store-Bought Peppers?

If you want to make your recipes spicy then you can use jalapenos peppers. The interesting thing is that you can regrow them from store-bought peppers. You will be surprised to know that you can grow a whole garden bed full of jalapenos by using a single pepper.

Don’t waste your money on buying jalapenos as you can grow them easily. In this article, we are going to discuss with you how to grow jalapenos from store-bought peppers. This is a cheap way of growing jalapenos. You will get fresh supplies of jalapenos for your dishes

Grow Jalapenos From Store-Bought Peppers

Jalapenos are cheap, simple, and versatile peppers. You can even use them raw to make dishes spicier. They grow well in both hot and cold climates. High-quality soil, regular water, and organic nutrients help your plants to grow well. Now you don’t have to spend money on buying these hot peppers.

How To Grow Peppers From Scraps?

You never grow jalapenos from cuttings; the only way of growing them is from seeds. There are a dozen seeds in every single pepper. Now you can start your own jalapenos garden quickly. You just need a few jalapenos from the local store.

Peppers come in hybrid and open-pollinated varieties. Open-pollinated seeds produce true jalapenos, on the other hand, hybrids may produce sterile seeds. You should be cautious when you are buying peppers from stores and buy heirloom varieties, not hybrids.

The commercial growers sell hybrid varieties in the stores because they don’t want people to regrow them at home. When you are buying papers then you should follow the following tips.

Choose a true heirloom variety
The color of the pepper should be dark red. If you select ripe red jalapenos then the chances of success will increase.
There should be no holes in the peppers or no signs of bugs
There should be no stretch marks on the outside of the peppers
Avoid buying glossy green peppers because they are not ripe for seed harvesting.
The peppers that are dry and have few fine wrinkles are best because these are the clear signs that the seeds of such peppers are ready to harvest.
If you have green jalapenos then you can keep them in a warm area, you can also put them in the sun. The high temperature will help jalapenos to be ready for planting.

How To Collect The Seeds?

When you choose the peppers from which you want to grow jalapenos. The next step is collecting the seeds from them. The following are the simple steps of collecting the seeds from peppers.

FIRST METHOD

Jalapeno can burn your hands so it is better to wear protective gloves. Jalapeno can also burn your eyes so it is recommended that you should put on goggles before collecting the seeds.
Now take a knife and cut the jalapenos carefully. Scrape the seeds out from them and place them on a plate.
After that, wash the seeds with water and place them in a non-bright area.
After a few days, the seeds are completely dried out. You can store them for the next growing season. You can put all the seeds in a mason jar or envelope for future use.
A cool and dry area is perfect for storing the seeds.

SECOND METHOD

The second method is the wet method. It takes more time but this method is very effective as it will point out the sterile seeds. These seeds will not germinate so it is better to remove them and use good seeds.

With the help of a sharp knife, collect all the seeds.
Put all the seeds in a shallow bowl. Now fill the bowl with water, the poor seeds will start floating in the water and the good ones will sink. You can discard the bad seeds and take all the good seeds.
Now put the good seeds on a paper towel and let them dry for a few days. The paper towel absorbs any moisture in the seed chambers. If you store the seeds properly then they will last up to 2 years.
The best temperature for storing the seeds is between 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also place the seeds in the refrigerator for the next growing season.

When To Collect The Seeds From Harvest?

You can save the seeds from harvest carefully. Examine the peppers, when they are fully ripened on the vine. This is the right time to collect the seeds. Before picking the pepper, the skin should be slightly wrinkly. The other clear sign is that there are small cracks around the stem.

You can easily save the seeds from your harvest just like you save the seeds from store-bought peppers. Take a sterile knife and cut the pepper and take the seeds out from them.

After that let the seeds dry on a paper towel. You can store them in a cool and dry place in our mason jar or envelope. A refrigerator is the best place where you can store your seeds for a long time.

How Do You Plant Store-Bought Peppers?

After following the steps of collecting the seeds your seeds are ready to plant. The next question that comes to your mind is when to plant the seeds.
The best time for planting the seeds is 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date. If you don’t know the date of frost in your area then you can ask any local nursery. They will provide all the information to you.
You should not worry about the germination of the seeds as they will start growing without giving you any trouble.
Dip the seeds in 3% hydrogen peroxide. This step will help you to kill the spores as they can ruin your harvest.
Take the paper towel and wet it with water. This will help to increase the success rate of germination. Now place all the seeds in a layer on it. Avoid touching the seeds when you are placing them on the paper.
After that, fold the paper towel just like sandwich-style. Take a plastic sandwich bag and place the paper towel in it. You should seal the bag so the moisture should be trapped inside it.
A warm and dark location is the best place for this bag. The temperature should be between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit so your seeds can germinate easily.
Regularly examine the seeds as they will germinate within 2 to 3 days. The tiny roots will start emerging from the seeds. Now. It is time to transfer the seeds into your desired spot.

Fastest Way To Germinate Seeds

If you want to germinate pepper seeds faster then this is the simple and quick way. If you plant the seeds in the winter season then the germination of the seeds of jalapeno will be slower.

It is recommended that you should plant jalapenos seeds in summer. This plant loves to grow in a warm environment. If you are living in an area where the summer season is long then you can get a healthier crop of jalapenos.

If you are planning to grow jalapeno seeds in the spring season then you can start growing in pots indoors 10 weeks before the last frost. For a cold climate, start the seeds indoors this will help to get better production.

Following are the simple steps for germinating jalapenos seeds fast.

Make sure the container or pot you are using must have drainage holes at the bottom.
For filling your pots, you need a high-quality potting mix. Make sure you are using organic soil with moisture-retaining properties. Soil is the medium that provides all the essential nutrients to the plant. Your soil should be rich enough so your plant will get a better start.
After preparing your container or a pot now it is the time to sow the seeds. Just scatter the seeds over the surface of the soil. Now cover the seeds with a light layer of soil. Gently water the soil so the seeds get moisture for the germination process.
The suitable temperature for germination should be at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit then it is not possible for the seeds to germinate fast. As you are starting seeds indoors then you can use a heating mat to maintain the temperature of the soil. You can also cover the pot with plastic wrap, this will help to keep the environment warm and humid.
Within 7 to 14 days, you will see the seedling will start sprouting. If your seeds will not germinate, it means they did not get the required temperature for their growth.
When the seeds sprout you should carefully examine them regularly as the young seedlings need water, light, and warmth. You can keep the strong seedlings and discard the weak ones.
The location of your pot is very important for young seedlings. A south-facing window is a perfect place for placing your pot or container after germination. This is not the time to transplant the seedling outside.
When you see the soil is dry then water your plants. You should be careful about the water and temperature of young seedlings.

Keep Reading

Transplanting

When you see your seedlings are tall enough and they have a few pairs of through leaves then this is the time to transplant them outside. 3 weeks after the last frost date, you can transplant them to their permanent location in your garden.

Location is very important for any plant. As jalapeno pepper plants need regular light so you should be careful when choosing the location. Otherwise, it will become leggy so select an area where they get six to eight hours of regular sunlight.

Well-drained soil is recommended for growing jalapeno pepper plants. One by one remove the seedlings from their pot and place them in the soil of their permanent location.

Place the roots carefully and cover them with soil. After that firmly packed the soil around the roots. Avoid covering the leaves with soil.

Make sure there should be 12 inches of space between each plant. The roots of each plant need enough space for their growth and perfect spacing makes it possible.

Now your plants need 1 inch of water weekly. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Soggy soil will cause root rot that is not good for your plant.

The temperature should not drop below 65 degrees Fahrenheit because it is harmful to your plants. Jalapeno pepper plants like to grow in warmth so keep the environment hot for their growth.

They like to grow in a high humid area, you can maintain the humidity by covering the pots with a plastic cover.
There is no need to apply fertilizer to jalapeno plants. But you can use 5-10-10 NPK general-purpose fertilizer to encourage growth. The best time to add fertilizer is when your plant starts to blossom. You can also add manure or compost to make your soil richer for your plants.

Pests And Diseases

The common pests that are dangerous to your jalapeno plants are aphids, cutworms, flea beetles, and caterpillars. If you want to get rid of these tiny monsters then you can get rid of them by using a blast of the water.

The other option is using organic insecticide such as neem oil to kill them. It is recommended that you should use organic pesticides if the damage is extensive.

Some fungal diseases that can create an alarming situation for your plants are powdery mildew and southern blight rots. The other problems are mosaic virus, root rot, leaf spot, and damping off.

When you see the sign then discard the infected area of the plant. Whenever you water your plants, you should water them at the base.

Harvest

When you see the peppers are dark red then they are ready to harvest. Slightly wrinkled peppers are suggested to pick for cooking. You can pick them using your hands carefully. You should leave the green ones on the vine so they can turn red after some time. You can also dry them to store for a long time.