A couple of years ago I decided to boycott Bonnie plants, which are now the monopoly in all the Las Cruces big box stores. Only Guzman Nursery sells non-Bonnie plants. I don't like Bonnie because they're so expensive, and several of the plants I bought in recent years have been mislabeled. I figured I'd grow them myself and be sure of what I had (assuming the seeds are properly labeled, of course).
I planted the seeds on Jan. 24 in styrofoam cups (which I reuse every year) filled with potting soil. I left them to sprout in the kitchen, which has a 24-hour fire at that time of year. I plant 3-4 seeds in each cup and thin to one plant, but even so, several of the cups had clunker seeds and I had to replant a couple of weeks later. That's why some of the pepper plants are so small.
After they sprouted, I moved the baby plants to the greenhouse. Usually the "water wall" provides adequate nighttime heat, but during the below-zero big freeze I ran two electric heaters all night long, which I've never had to do before. A week or so ago, I moved the tomatoes and the larger peppers into bigger pots, which they appreciate. In a couple of days they'll start getting used to their new home in the garden, and the cycle begins anew.
