Growing Pimento Seedlings from Seed

Pimento seeds will produce unique plants with excellent yields of great-tasting peppers that grow 3-4″ tall and mature from green to deep red. Be sure to harvest red peppers for the best flavor. Growing capsicum peppers will be one. Grow your favorite plants because these thick-walled fruit grow well in any climate and are great for culinary use.

Pimento is excellent for stuffing, roasting, chopping, filling green olive centers, classic cheese spreads, and even garnishing martinis.

Ideal for filling or preparing your favorite pimento cheese recipes. Capsicum is annual. 65 days from maturity. Learn how to grow pepper seedlings from seed with tips and tricks.

About  Pimento Seeds

Pimento seeds are small, sweet, heart-shaped peppers that turn red when ripe. They reach about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) wide and are very soft, with a Scoville heat rating of less than 500 units.

Chili-stuffed green olives and pimento cheese are two popular packaged products in stores that use this type of sweet pepper.

• Latin name: Capsicum annuum
• Types: Open Pollen, Heirloom, Sweet Pepper, Warm Season
• USDA Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
• Seeds per ounce: 4000
• Planting method: From transplant.
• Sunlight: Full sun
• Height: 30 inches
• Colour: Red
• Germination: 10-14 days
• Germination Temperature: The optimal soil temperature is 75-85ºF. Cool soil temperatures delay germination.
• Seeding depth: ¼” deep
• Start indoors: 8-10 weeks before the last frost. Sow in flats/cells/pots.
• Soil temperature: 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit
• Outdoor sowing: This is not recommended, especially in northern regions.

Planting pimento Seeds 

• The planting season is warm.
• Sowing method Direct sowing starts indoors.
• Light needs full sun.
• The planting depth is 1/4 inch.
• Plant spacing is 12 to 18 inches.
• Average water demand.
• Hardiness zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
• Maturity is 60 to 90 days.

How to Grow  Pimento Seedlings from Seed

Growing pimento seeds can be a rewarding experience. Here are easy steps to help you grow pepper seeds:

Get Fresh Pimento Seeds

Start by getting fresh pepper seeds from a reliable source. You can buy them at a garden center or get them online.

Soak the Seeds

Fill a small bowl with hot water and place the pepper seeds. Soak them for 24 hours. It softens the seed coat and helps in germination.

Prepare the Planting Medium

While soaking the seeds, prepare a well-draining planting medium. A mixture of equal parts peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite can work well. Fill small pots or seed trays with this mixture.

Sow the Seeds

• After soaking, remove the pimento seeds from the water and dry them.
• Plant each seed about 1/4 inch deep through the prepared planter.
• Place one seed per pot or about 2 inches apart in a tray.

Provide Heat

Pimento seeds require heat for successful germination. Place the pots or trays in a warm place, such as on a seedling heat mat, or near a heat source, such as a radiator. Aim for temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (21 and 29 degrees Celsius).

Provide Light

Pepper seeds need bright but indirect light to germinate. Place the pot or tray in a well-lit area, but avoid direct sunlight, as it can be too intense and damage the seedlings.

Keep the Soil Moist

pimento seeds need consistently moist soil to germinate. Check moisture levels regularly and mist with water as necessary to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Avoid drying out the soil thoroughly.

Transplanting

Once the seedlings have developed a few sets of true leaves and are large enough to handle, they can be transplanted into individual containers.

Use a well-drained potting mix and gently lift the seedlings from the tray, careful not to damage their delicate roots.

Harvesting

• Use a sharp instrument to harvest the peppers from the plant.
• Pick the first fruits when they reach usable size; this helps accelerate the growth of other peppers on the plant.
• Leave some peppers on the plant to ripen, change color, and sweeten.

What are the Pepper Seed Germination Steps for the Soil and Tray Method?

Follow the steps below to prepare your pimento seeds for successful germination:

• Pre-saturate the soil mixture for seeding. This can be achieved by mixing a seed and water starter mixture in a bucket or tub before filling the seed cell insert. 
• Place seeds in ¼-inch holes and cover lightly with soil. Don’t forget to label each variety as you plant!
• Depending on how many cells and seed types you have, you can plant up to 4 seeds of the same type per cell. This helps ensure successful germination of every variety you have, but when multiple seeds germinate in a single cell, you’ll eventually need to thin them out.
• Place the seedling heat mat on the bottom of the base tray and the moisture trap dome on top. We recommend setting the temperature controller to between 75 and 80 degrees for the best results.
• Place your plant light on top of the seed starting tray and turn it on. Consult the plant light manufacturer’s specific instructions for the optimal distance from the seed tray. Typically, this will be 6 to 12 inches, but it all depends on the type of light. Plants should have 14 to 16 hours of light per day.

pimento Plant Care

Place a 1-inch (2.5 cm) layer of mulch around growing pimento plants to retain moisture. Hot air and dry soil will stress plants, causing them to drop unripe fruit or even prevent fruit set. Maintain a consistent watering schedule throughout the growing season.

A lack of calcium causes the blossom end to rot. Calcium must dissolve in the soil to make it available to plants. Magnesium is also an essential mineral that improves pepper growth and production but is often lacking in the soil.

Add a teaspoon of Epsom salt to the soil around the plant to increase magnesium levels. Cover the plants on their sides just like the first fruit set.

Fertilize by side dressing or foliar feeding every two weeks with a diluted liquid organic fertilizer every one to two weeks.

Caring for your pepper plants this way and good weather should bless you with an abundance of these delicious sweet peppers that can be canned, frozen, roasted, or dried for year-round use.

Transplants

To begin planting, prepare the garden by amending about one foot (31 cm) of soil with a 1-inch (2.5 cm) layer of worked compost. Choose a sunny area with well-drained soil. If you use a pot, make sure it has drainage holes, and the pots are at least 12 inches (31 cm) deep.

Space plants are 18 inches (46 cm) apart in rows 30 inches (77 cm). Place the plants more profoundly than they are growing and firm the soil around the roots.

Replace the water well. Try watering with compost tea to provide phosphorus and improve flowering and fruiting. When gardening in containers, plant one plant per 12-inch (31 cm) container.

Tips for Growing Pimento

Remove early flowers or small fruits from seedlings before placing them in the ground. Pimento should be planted in fertile soil and amended with compost if necessary.

It is helpful to use row covers early in the season, which provides additional warmth to the plant, especially in the north. Side dressing when flower formation begins.

Suggested Varieties

The choice of variety is essential and depends on the gardener’s preference. Many excellent hybrids and traditional varieties are available. 

Some recommended varieties are:

• Green (sweet)- California Wonder, Bell-Boy, Lady Bell, Purple Bell, or Chocolate Bell.
• Turmeric (sweet) – Gypsy or summer sweet.
• Small red (sweet) – cherry pick or sweet cherry.
• Banana – Sweet Banana.
• Spicy: cayenne, jalapeño, Hungarian wax, or red cherry.
• Pimento – Sunnybrook or early pimento.

Pest, Disease, and Disorder Management

Many things can affect pepper leaves, flowers, and fruits. The environment, plant diseases, insects, and wildlife can change the physical structure and health of plants.

Insect

• Cutworms chew stems at the soil line, not feeding on cut tips.
• Aphids can colonize pepper plants in large numbers. You may notice that the leaves are curled, discolored, and sticky.
• If you have aphids, you may find nearby natural enemies feeding on them.
• Tomato hornworms can burrow into the fruit.

Disease

• Bacterial blight can cause spots on leaves and fruit.
• Viruses can infect peppers, causing twisted leaves and scabs. The virus cannot be cured, and affected plants must be removed.

FAQ

How Long Does Pimento Take to Grow?

Pimento takes between 80 and 100 days to mature. Start picking seeds indoors eight to ten weeks before planting in the garden. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in moist soil to start seeds.

How to Grow Pimento Indoors?

Peppers should be started indoors about eight weeks before the last spring frost. Sow ¼” deep in a well-drained medium. Seeds require high heat to germinate; the medium should be between 80 and 85 degrees F.

How Do you Plant Pimento Seeds?

Plant them 1/4″ deep and keep the soil at 80-85 degrees F until germination; provide 12 to 16 hours of sunlight a day or a grow light when outside temperatures reach 60-65 degrees F during the day and at least 50 degrees F at night, plant seedlings 12 to 16 inches apart rather than degrees Fahrenheit.

What is the Best Fertilizer for Pimento?

Fertilizers in a 1-2-2 ratio, such as 5-10-10 or 8-16-16, are often used to grow peppers. Soils enriched with lots of compost or other organic matter need less fertiliser. Peppers can be grown very successfully in containers.

How to Grow Pimento Plants from Seed?

Plant seeds a quarter-inch deep in spaces containing a sterile, soilless germination mix. Use a heating mat to keep the soil at 80°F to 90°F until seedlings emerge. Monitor the moisture of the potting mix, as heating mats will dry out the mix quickly. A soil temperature of 70°F is ideal.