sweet peppers

how long do they take to germinate

2/3 weeks-not as quick as tomatoes.

thanx i sowed 1st batch on 5/5 on windowsill in propegator ,

I've had them take 4 weeks to germinate. Strange things, peppers. So much slower to germinate and develop than toms. Yet, once they're planted out, they catch up pretty quickly.

i sowed 12 seeds on 3/5 first one has showed signs of life today

Okay, the others should follow. Frustrating things, peppers.

Every year I find that although peppers are quick to germinate and grow a few inches, they are very slow to develop compared with toms. I've had some in the GH since the middle of April and they are only about a foot tall now.From experience, it will be JUly before they get into a stride and September before they are in their prime with plenty of fruit. Then comes the problem of ripening! It's a long tedious business but worthwhile by the end of it.

out of 12 it looks like 7seedlings of sweet peppers will be  success from 1 st batch i sowed on  5/5

Patience will get you everywhere.

Will the same plant grow every year, or do I have to start over each time?  I have a couple of plants that are about 2ft tall, with a couple of poorly looking fruits.  Should I give up?  I don't have a GH (yet), but the plants are in my tall propergator-thing so protected from the elements.

Peppers, technically, are perennials, like tomatoes, but mainly grown as annuals. They can survive into a second season if kept warm enough with plenty of light but production drops away as the plant tires. You'd get a better crop from a fresh plant next season.

Just bear in mind that they take longer to germinate than toms and longer to grow to plant-out stage. You need to start seeds very early. Or, alternatively, buy a mature seedling.

Thanks Italophile.  I didn't expect a response so quickly 

I've found this year peppers did not do well at all, the fruits have been very small and few have turned red. Chillies have faired a lot better, they've grown to the expected size and most are going red. I've brought a couple of plants indoors hoping the extra warm will bring them on to turn red before drying. Chillies though will turn red during the drying process.

Due to the long growing season both sweet and chilli peppers need, and our unpredicted weather, buying mature seedlings certainly has it's advantages. My purchased plants have been by far the better producer's of fruit.