The timeline of this varies, because the end of winter can be tricky to predict. Expect to start the seeds around the end of January or the beginning of February. If your area has especially mild winters, or you live in a warm climate, you have more freedom when it comes to when you must start the plants.
This provides an incubator-like environment for the seed to start growing. If your house is not quite warm enough, consider keeping a heat lamp on the seed bag.
Keep the plant in the pot until it grows about 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) tall.
A soil moisture meter is a great help in keeping the soil moisture regulated.
When it seems like spring and it’s been two weeks since the last frost, it’s probably safe to move the plants outside.
It may be best to choose hours in the morning or late afternoon, rather than during the hottest hours. Over the course of the 2 weeks, leave them out for a little bit longer each day. On the last day you do this, leave the plant out for about 8 hours. Avoid leaving young peppers out overnight until they are fully hardened off after a few weeks of increasing the time they spend outside.
Dig 1 hole at a time and follow the next steps. Then you can judge if the hole was big enough for your plant or if you need to make the following ones bigger.
Level the sand and compost out and pack them down just a bit.
It’s better to put them farther apart rather than too close. Check recommendations for the specific variety of pepper that you are planting. Some benefit from closer spacing.
Check the soil moisture meter every day to see if you need to water the plants more often.
A general guide is 75-90 days after you put them into the ground.
