Your chili seeds will grow a root that will soon become embedded in the fibers of the paper towel and you may break them trying to get them free. If stuck in the paper just trim around them and plant them with the small piece of paper attached. Keep your baggy in as warm a location as you have. Chili seeds germinate best for me at around 85 degrees. Al

Yes, just keep checking for the roots to sprout. I use coffee filters so the roots can't 'dig' into them the way they do with paper towels. I've tried tearing the piece of towel, but I'm a klutz and always damage the roots(because I wait too long to plant them and the roots get way long).

Here is a link that might be useful: googled images of the baggie method

Hi. I have THE best method to get difficult pepper/chile seeds to sprout. I have grown the 'Ghost chile', the hottest chilie in the world, till this year... and it is VERY difficult to get to sprout, I found the best way to get it to sprout, and sprout FAST.

It is a very difficult seed to get to germinate, and takes up to a month to germinate. BUT if you do this, it will sprout super fast. You get your seeds out and ready to plant in a sterile soil-less mix. In a small pot. Like a 2-3in pot, put 5-7 seeds in it, cover with about 1/4in of soil. Water it fairly well, and then cover it with plastic Saran wrap and take a rubber band and put it around the pot rim,and make the Saran wrap tight, to make a 'greenhouse' out of the pot. IF you have an AeroGrow garden, like I have, that has full spectrum lights in them, put them under the lights, and you will have seedlings in less than a week! OR put them where they will get direct sun on them, to make the soil get hot for a few hours at least, if not all day. It is the warmth of the soil that makes the seed sprout super fast, over 80 is going to get you many plants. And the humidity makes the seed coat soft and allows the seedling out. I have had the so called 'Ghost Chile' sprout in as little as a week, I have been told it takes up to a month to get them to sprout, the longest I have waited is 8 days! I usually get 80% germination, and it has a VERY low germination rate. This works for every seed that is hard to germinate. You are basically making a small greenhouse and once you have germination,take the Saran wrap off, and let them take off! I have grown many many different types of super hot pepper seeds this way, and had great success...trying the paper towel way, I ended up getting the roots growing into the paper and they all died, I waited to long and when I tried to plant them, they all died from shock.

ave05,

Your idea sounds great! I used to have an Aerogarden but I gave it away when I moved.
The saran wrap over the pot sounds good except that in direct sun I would imagine the soil would heat up to seed-killing levels in direct sun? You seriously have them in direct sun? Thanks!

Z

Well I grow the chilies in full sun, they need the heat and they sun to produce HOT peppers. IF you dont have an AeroGrow anymore, you can put the pot with chile seeds in it, with the Saran Wrap on it, if the sun is on it till like 11am or so. The heat is what makes the seed sprout. I dont know where you are located,. But in south Fla,if I put seeds in direct sun,on a windowsill,in the Saran wrap method, as long as the sun is off it by 11am or so, they sprout. But the lights in the AeroGrow make the soil very hot as well. Once you take the Saran Wrap off,after you get seedlings, then the direct sun will get the chilies to grow. They need heat and sun to grow. My 'Ghost Chilies' need the hot soil and direct sun nearly all day,once they are up and growing. Or they stop growing, and will just stand still doing nothing, until they get more heat and sun.

So if it is HOT peppers you want...you want hot soil,(cool water), sun and heat...if you only have the sun to work with, just try my method, and try it till about 11am if you are in the south, longer if you are way up north. If you lived here in Ft.Lauderdale, I would sell you one of my AeroGrow gardens, I have 3 of the big ones. I have been wanting to go down to 2. But Shipping anywhere cost a fortune and its next to impossible to pack,so nothing breaks. Give it a try,if you have enough seeds to try it. It works.

aveo,

Actually I will try your method. I will try the litle pot with saran wrap. Now I just have to look for a place that gets sun until 11am, but I think I know where. I definitely imagine how it can work as chiles need very warm soil to germinate. Thanks again!

Z