You must start your pepper plants indoors if you plan to grow them from seed. Peppers need warmth to germinate, something not available in most early spring gardens. Indoor seed starting also ensures the peppers are provided with the longest growing season possible, which helps ensure a good harvest. Start the seeds about six weeks before the last expected spring frost and then transplant them outdoors two weeks after the last frost date has passed.
Use sterile potting soil. A fine-textured medium formulated for seed-starting gives your peppers the best possible start. Use individual seedling pots for peppers instead of flats. Pepper seeds are expensive, compared to other vegetables, and often germinate poorly. Using individual 3-inch-diameter pots helps minimize seedling loss. Pepper seedlings also do not tolerate transplanting well when they are young, so starting with larger pots eliminates the need for transplanting the seedlings soon after germination. Water the soil so it is evenly moist before you plant the seeds, then plant two seeds per pot about ¼ inch beneath the soil surface.