Spent $40 on a soil thermometer and it saved my pepper seeds

I planted jalapeno seeds too early last spring and they rotted. This year I picked up a cheap soil thermometer at Home Depot for $40 and waited until the ground hit 65 degrees. My germination rate went from maybe 30% to over 90%. Has anyone else had better luck timing their planting with one?

2 comments

2 Comments

iris_dixon916d ago

Smart move. I had the same problem with bell peppers until I started checking temps instead of guessing by the calendar. Soil thermometers are one of those things you don't think you need until you actually use one and realize how much it matters.

sean1195d ago

Yeah @iris_dixon91 that thing about guessing by the calendar really hit home with me. I actually heard a guy on a gardening podcast say that most pepper problems start because folks plant them when the air feels warm but the ground is still cold. He said soil temp needs to be like 65 or higher for peppers to do anything. I stuck a thermometer in my garden bed last year and found out my soil was still at 55 in late May even though it was hot outside. Such a simple fix but makes a huge difference.