I live in northwest Florida. What is the best time to start planting red peppers in the garden? Also, how should I prep my soil, keeping in mind that it is weak in lime in this area of FL. ? More importantly, when should I purchase seeds and who from, as there is no seed locally?
In your area, you can plant peppers out in either February to April or July to August.
This article will help with prepping the soil:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/vegetable-garden-soil.htm
In regards to your lime issue, I would recommend having your soil tested at the extension service. You will want to know how much adjustment you need before adjusting as you could overdo it and cause further issues.
As far as purchasing... There are several reputable online sellers you can buy from. Pepper seeds normally are viable for 2 years, so you can purchase them at any time and then store them in a cool, dry place until you need them. Many people store seeds in their crisper drawer.
I purchased extra large red peppers from our local supermarket. I don't know if they are hybrid or not. Would you take the chance and try to save the seeds for planting in the spring?
You can try to plant the seeds from grocery store peppers but there is no guarantee that they will germinate. Sometimes grocery store peppers are hybrids, which means the seeds are sterile. Other times, the peppers are irradiated for health reasons and this kills the seeds. It is worth a shot, but do not depend on them germinating.
If I scoop out the seeds from my red pepper, can these seeds be used right away, or do I have to let them dry out in order to plant them in my garden?
You don't need to dry the seeds to grow them. You only need to dry them if you plan on storing them. You can plant them as soon as they come out of the pepper.
I planted red pepper and other colors of pepper and I want to know how much fertilizer I need to give the plant each week. At the moment I give each plant about one gram of 20-20-20 per week, as well as . 7 grams calcium and . 7 grams potassium per week. Is it okay or not ? Do I need to add more? It's really costly to risk anything, as I have greenhouses and it costs me a lot, so I need your help.
This article should help you with that: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/pepper-fertilizer.htm
I planted 14 days ago a red pepper seed. How long will red pepper seeds start to grow?
You should see your first sprouts in about 7-14 days, but some peppers can take as long as a month or more to come up. Pepper seeds are notorious for taking their time to germinate, or germinating at different times. Also, peppers won't even attempt to sprout if temperatures are below 60 degrees F. Here is an article that you may find helpful: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/how-to-grow-red-peppers.htm
I have a pepper plant that is supposed to be a red pepper plant. The peppers are green. How long does it take the pepper to turn red?
All peppers start out green. They should start to turn red a weeks or two after the peppers have reached full size.
I started my pepper plants in the house and they where nice plants with good roots. I planted them in Miracle Grow mix with a little lime in the middle of the pot. Temperatures have been mid 50's at night and during the 70's day. My pepper plants may be dying; the leaves are turning white. It looks like I may lose all 30 plus pepper plants. This has never happened before. HELP! I don't want to do this again.
White leaves are normally sun scald. Are the plants inside or outside? If they are outside, they were not properly hardened off. This article will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/seeds/how-to-harden-off-your-seedlings.htm