things that can go wrong

seeds won't germinate
There is a small chance your seeds are duds (not viable), but most likely, you haven't been patient enough.
Some types of chillis might take over a month to germinate. They also need constant warmth. Constant as in : all the time.
Below 18 degrees celsius (64 F) most seeds will stop developing. "On and off" conditions will exhaust the seed and it'll give up altogether
seeds germinate, then immediately wilt, go limp and die
The seeds were still too weak to be transplanted, or were transplanted to an environment that was too cold or dry for them. Always maintain warm and humid conditions, but do not cook them or overwater !
Try covering your containers with microwave foil, or a thin plastic sandwich bag, so the moisture is contained. Also, the problem could be an overload of nutrients. Seedlings do not need fertilized soil.
inhibited growth
Often caused by over fertilizing or temperatures that are too low. Chillies like warmth. If it gets too cold they can slip into shock and growth will halt.
over fertilizing
Always wait until your plant is big enough and has developed strong roots, before applying fertilizer. Over-abundant fertilizing will burn up the plants roots, possibly with fatal results.
insufficient light
Your peps will grow tall and spindly, as they reach for the little light available.
I guess you can figure out the solution to this one for yourself.
over-watering
You may notice little bubbles on the underside of the leaves. These are not eggs from parasites but a sign of overwatering. Chillies do not need all that much water. Water them once or twice a week, unless they look really droopy and leaves hang down. Chillies do not like having wet feet ! Too much water will cause the roots to rot.
I put my plants out in the full sun, they all died the next day !
Chillies that were grown indoors need to get accustomed to the light of the sun gradually.
Put them out in the sun for half an hour first, then move to a spot in the shade. Increase their dosis of sunlight daily. After a week or two your plants should be "hardened". You might be able to revive your sunburnt chillies with some water if they are strong enough. Never put seedlings in the full sun.
creepy crawlies
Check the garden pest section of this page to learn how to identify and combat common garden pests.
flower drop
Could be anything. Once the plant develops flowers, they should be pollenated.
No pollenation, no peppers !
Other causes for flowerdrop could be overwatering, overfertilizing, or excessive high temperatures (for instance in a greenhouse).
Nutrient deficiency
While overfertilizing is bad, so is under-fertilizing. Some signs of nutrient deficiencies : For a complete chart of deficiency symptoms, click here.
Regular fertiliser intended for garden flowers do not contain the right nutrients, and not in the right combinations.
A better idea would be using tomato fertilizer, or better yet, a product intended especially for chillies, like chilli focus.

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