This Week’s Focus in the Greenhouse
This week marked a busy start to our upcoming season. Our team planted 4,214 seeds as part of our preorder and seedling production schedule. Alongside planting, we also began planning the timing for de-seeding Dragon’s Breath and Moruga Trinidad Scorpion peppers, an important step in preparing seed stock for future growers.
As we begin the season, much of our focus is on the early stages of growth, from germinating pepper seeds to supporting healthy seedlings as they develop.
Live Pepper Plants: Production Update
Current Growth Stage
In addition to planting over 4,000 seeds for our pre-order/seedling season, we currently have a batch of seedlings that are four weeks old measuring about one inch tall. While small, this stage is critical for establishing strong roots and healthy growth patterns.
Check out the Ghost Pepper seedlings planted on 12/15, now entering early growth in the greenhouse.
Recent Changes in Care
This past week, we introduced fertilization to the seedlings’ routine. Prior to this point, seedlings were irrigated using pH-balanced water only. Fertilization began once the seedlings developed their cotyledons, with some already showing their first true leaves.
The seedlings are grown on tables that each hold approximately 30 rockwool slabs, with every table supplied by a 100-gallon watering tank. This setup allows for consistent watering and close monitoring as plants continue to develop.
Why the Change Matters
Introducing fertilizer at the right stage supports early plant development without overwhelming young seedlings. Timing is key, and watching for the appearance of true leaves helps guide those decisions.
Growing Plants for Seed Production
Varieties Grown for Seed
This week, we are focused on preparing to deseed Moruga Trinidad Scorpion and Dragon’s Breath peppers specifically for seed production. We’ll share more on this process in next week’s update.
How Seed Production Differs from Live Plant Growing
Plants grown for seed follow a different path than those grown for transplanting into home gardens. These plants are started in rockwool and later transplanted into Dutch buckets filled with perlite. Each plant has its own dedicated drip line and is irrigated three times per day, with each watering lasting about three minutes.
To protect genetic integrity, each variety is grown in its own isolation room, preventing cross-pollination and ensuring consistent seed quality. These isolation practices help ensure the pepper seeds we produce maintain strong genetics and reliable performance for home growers.
A look inside Isolation Room 1, where Moruga Trinidad Scorpion plants are grown with healthy fruit development to support seed stock.
Quality Control This Week
As peppers mature, each pod is carefully evaluated and categorized based on shape and size. Only high-quality fruit is selected for seed collection, helping maintain strong genetics and reliable performance for growers.
This process matters because pod quality directly affects seed quality, influencing both germination and long-term plant consistency.
Observations & Challenges
What Didn’t Go as Planned
Last week, a heater failed in one of the smaller isolation rooms. Temporary heating solutions were implemented until our maintenance team addressed the issue. Even brief environmental changes can impact plant health, so quick adjustments are essential.
Ongoing Challenges
One challenge the team continues to monitor closely is irrigation timing. Determining when seedlings need water isn’t based on a single factor, but rather a combination of observations.
How We Adjust
To guide watering decisions, the team monitors:
-
-
Moisture presence on the tables beneath flats
-
The weight of the rockwool
-
Color changes in the rockwool, with lighter shades indicating lower moisture
-
These indicators help ensure plants receive enough water without oversaturation.
What This Means for Home Growers
The careful monitoring and adjustments happening in the greenhouse directly support strong root development and overall plant health. These early-stage decisions play a major role in how well plants establish themselves later, whether they’re shipped as live plants or seeds to be grown at home.
A Few Personal Notes from the Greenhouse
-
- Small Win: The team planted 3,234 seeds in just four hours, a big accomplishment during a busy week.
-
Learning Moment: Even slight changes in temperature or humidity can significantly impact plant health. Conditions that are too warm or too cool may cause stress and wilting, reinforcing how important environmental balance is throughout the growing process.
-
🌶️ Variety Spotlight: We’re excited to share a chocolate Dragon’s Breath pepper plant currently producing fruit. Dragon’s Breath is a naturally unstable variety, so it’s common to see some diversity in pod shape and appearance, even when plants are grown under controlled conditions.
This plant was grown in an isolation room alongside other Dragon’s Breath plants, which grew true to type. The long, brown bumpy pods shown here are a great example of the natural variation growers may see when working with super-hot peppers.
Stay spicy and we'll see you next week,
🌶️The Pepper Joe’s Growing Team
