Hi!
This is what I do for zone 5. My last frost free date is Mother's day (do a google search for your area's last frost free date). While you can plant outside before your frost free date and cover the plants and protect them from frost, peppers and eggplants do not like cold soil so I wait until my frost free date for more than warmer air temp.....I am seeking warmer soil temps......

Okay.. back to your plants.....

I would start sweet peppers 8 weeks before your frost free date and hot peppers and eggplants 10 weeks before your frost free date.

There is harm in starting them too soon because they may get root bound and have a hard time recovering the transplant to their final places outside, as well as just running out of room and enough light to keep them happy inside. I would guess plus or minus two weeks on the dates above would still be okay.

I hope that helps!

Cheers

Keriann~

I started my peppers two weeks ago, and they have not germinated yet. They can be slow, so I always start them early.

Thanks! I will be starting asap.

Last year I started my peppers and Japanese eggplants 2nd week of February and I had a great crop of peppers. I am north of Lake Erie, zone 6.

I started my peppers and eggplant last week. The eggplants came up within 4 days on the heat mat, the Jalapenos just popped up this morning but the rest of the hot peppers didn't come up, yet. Unfortunately, I just ordered seeds for the sweet peppers, so they will be started late.