Agreed with above. Here's my method in "newbie" detail. I start my seeds in leftover nursery pots that have been washed and soaked in a bleach and water solution for a few minutes. Be sure to rinse pots well. The exception to this is plants that I plan to give away. Those, I start in newspaper pots that I make myself. They fit nicely in nursery flats that have indentations for four inch pots. Fill them with a good soil-less mix (I use a potting mix, like Miracle Gro, though very many recommend seed starting mix) and press the mix firmly into the pot, leaving about a half inch of space empty to accomodate watering. Sow your seeds on the top of the firmed down soil, then use your hand and lightly "dust" more mix over the top of the seeds (sometimes I use vermiculite for this step). Be sure to follow seed package directions. Some seeds should merely be pressed into the soil and not covered. And the depths of the cover can vary too. If I err, I err on the side of less cover rather than more. I use a gentle spray to water the flats. Emphasis on gentle, as noted above. I water until I see water draining out the bottom of the pots. Let the pots drain for at least 30 minutes. An hour is even better. Then I put my flats into a clear plastic upside down rubbermaid storage box. One nursery flat will fit inside the lid and then the box part becomes a dome lid over the flat. Over the years I have tried plastic wrap, ziploc bags, the store bought set ups with the plastic domes (flimsy), etc. The heavy boxes last indefinitely and work very well, stack for easy storage, are strong enough to stack in a bright window, etc. I do not water the plants again until the seeds germinate, at which time the dome comes off. You will see a "fog" under the dome. That's what you want. If there appears to be alot of "rain" under there, it's too wet. Take the dome off and let the plants drain awhile longer. Then put the box in bright light. For germination purposes, I have a few boxes that are only about six inches deep. I set the flourescent bulbs right on top of, but not touching, the plastic. (See notes below.) Once the flat starts germinating (not necessarily every single plant), I remove the dome and let the plants grow on under the lights. I start fertilizing with half strength liquid fertilizer after the plant has its first or second set of true leaves. Note: With regard to the flourescents, I use $10 shop lights from Lowe's. Each fixture holds two standard flourescent bulbs. I hang them by chains and S hooks under plastic storage shelving. One flat will sit under one light on each shelf. I just buy the standard lights that the fixture calls for. They work great. If a bulb starts to go "dim", I replace it. They will typically last for 2 to 3 years. I always set the bulbs about an inch above the highest leaves in the flat, centering the plants under the bulb(s). As the plants grow, I use the S hooks and move the lights higher, keeping them very near, but not touching, the foliage. I have them on timers set to be on l6 hours a day and off for 8 hours. With regard to germination, you need to know if your seeds need light or darkness for germination. Obviously, the light lovers go under the flourescents immediately. The dark lovers go in my dark basement, or under a bed, etc: wherever it's dark, but the right temperature for germination. Some plants need very warm temperatures for germination. The heat mats work very well but are quite expensive if you're starting alot of seed. I have one light/shelf set up that I keep in my small guest bathroom. I close the door and run a space heater in there to keep the temperatures where they need to be. (75, 85, etc) Once germination happens, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and more prefer cooler air temps for growing on. So, I take them to the basement where the majority of my light set ups are. There, they have temps in the very high sixties to low seventies. I water them once a week unless their soil is drying faster. The basement is great because I can simply drag a hose inside to water and the excess runs down a floor drain. I set the flats on trays of gravel to catch the worst of the excess water and keep the plants out of the wet. The whole thing sounds very complicated, and is somewhat so the first time you do it. But, once you get set up and get the hang of it, it's really and truly very easy. I started this whole thing when I could no longer find six packs of flowers around here. All the garden centers have gone to selling plants in four inch pots for $2 to $3 per plant. I can't pay that for the number of plants I need. I start twenty or more flats of seedlings twice a year for my personal use and for my church yard. So you see, this process saves a great deal of money, and it's also great FUN. I have seen the issue of increased electric bills raised on other forums about starting plants indoors. I can honestly say that I have never noticed a significant uptick in my electric bill during seed starting season. Flourescents are very economical to start with, and the little space heater only runs for a few days until germination. Then I turn it off.

Doubtful that you'll get any harvest to speak of. Unless you live directly on the coast, the frost will get them in December/Jan. Not to mention the decreasing sunlight. I'll be picking peppers then, but mine are well established(outside in April). Unless you have a light grow setup and/or a greenhouse, October is way too late for anywhere in the U.S. besides maybe Miami or Galveston. You could "try" to overwinter them, but why? They're leggy and you could just get started indoors from seed under shoplights in Early Jan. like a lot of us do. The latest you should be planting peppers in most of SoCal is early July. The best time is probably(depending where you are), is April/May. I'm not trying to discourage you. Just trying to warn you -- don't expect much. If you feel you really want to give them a shot, go for it. A suggestion though -- try containers. That way, you could haul them into the garage each night when it's cool and get outside during the days when the temps are in the 70's/80's. If you do decide to do it, then yes...harden off now. And you can plant an inch or so deeper than soil level to straighten out the legginess. Good luck. Kevin

I found a really nice form with all the "normal" plants for gardening listed it then goes further to show the zones and has a fill it in section for each one to answer when to start and when to harden off and transplant. It is from Mother Earth News and I am going to give it a try this year. I am trying to plant extra to take to my local farmers market and to get that much I need to start alot more seeds! I also want as many of the plants to be heirlooms so I have had my nose in the Baker's seed book everyday for the last few weeks!!! So many choices, it is like being at the candy counter as a kid. LOL The link is below hope it helps someone else. Happy Gardening Here is a link that might be useful: Mother Earth News Seed Starting Guide

First, make sure your plants are hardened off (see the Vegetable FAQ on Hardening Off Transplants). Also make sure they are well watered before you transplant so they're completely hydrated before the move. This will reduce shock. Literally submerge the pots in a bucket of water, wait until there are no longer air bubbles coming up, and then sit them in another bowl for at least 20 minutes. Your plants will thank you. Transplant in the evening, on a cloudy day, in the shade, or before a rain. Avoid transplanting in full sun or windy days which creates optimum stress on plants. Know your soil. If they're going into the ground, get your soil tested (info from your County Extension Service) so you know exactly what your soil needs. It can be free or is usually in the $6 - $12 range. That's cheap! You won't be guessing at what to add to your soil and buying things you don't need. You can save money by doing this and you won't have to do it again for 3-5 years. Visit Soil, Compost, Mulch Forum so you know to till and amend your soil in the fall and not the day before you're putting your plants in when spring arrives. If you're buying soil, go ahead and spend 7-10 dollars on a big, huge fluffy bag (around 15 pounds) of nutrient rich soil that doesn't feel chunky and skip the fertilizers. Look around at all the vegetation on the planet which grow just fine without humans adding fertilizer. Stick to homemade compost and you'll be doing yourself a favor in the long run. Fertilizers are a quick fix, but not good for your soil (or your pocket book) over time. If you feel you must use fertilizer, go easy! Use half the recommended rate. You can always add more later. Consider that humans can take one tiny pill from a doctor which can make us feel better... a little goes a long way. Children can get sick eating too many vitamins... more is not better. If you have healthy soil, you don't need fertilizer. But if you still feel the need, then consider a treat of compost tea, fish emulsion, seaweed emulsion, etc a few days after they've adjusted to their new home. And again, not too much! When transplanting, be gentle with the root system. Try to maintain the integrity of the soil structure to prevent shock, better safe than sorry (you experienced gardeners know the tolerance - this is for newbies). If you've got a four pack, don't take them all out and leave the roots sitting out in the sun or wind. Transplant one at a time. If you're planting into pots, keep the pots in the shade for a couple of days so your plants can adjust to their new environment. Water immediately after transplanting. This will help the roots settle into their new home. Have fun! Sometimes more problems come from humans trying too hard then letting the plant do what nature intended