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AJs 2010 Season Start

then I put the two new trays in the germinator...

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this process will be repeated at least another 29 times this year...
 
this is the first time i've been able to see your pics (get blocked at work). that is one heck of a set up.

what happens if you happen to lose power and it still gets chilly at night? got a back up generator or do you think your seeds would survive for a few chilly days?

do you recirculate the air through the box or is it all enclosed once you close the door?
 
Looking good AJ. I do have one question though. What is the humidity in your grow chamber? I seem to be having a problem in mine and I think the 55% humidity might be to blame.
 
AJ,

No watering or cover for the trays?

I use the tray inside a tray method to compress the mix but when I transplant. I like how it does a great job and doesn't take very long.

Mike
 
Looking good AJ. I test running a new germinator my self but not as big as that of course but the plant I work at was throwing these boxes out that went over the computers and printers to keep some of the dust and dirt out and got my growing pad and 25 cells in there with a light for beginning these lil guys and gals I send some pictures later.
 
peter pepper said:
what happens if you happen to lose power and it still gets chilly at night? got a back up generator or do you think your seeds would survive for a few chilly days?

do you recirculate the air through the box or is it all enclosed once you close the door?
Click to expand...

I do have a 6500 Watt Onan Generator for back up but have never used it for the plants...we don't lose power much here....even in bad lightning storms....

millworkman said:
Looking good AJ. I do have one question though. What is the humidity in your grow chamber? I seem to be having a problem in mine and I think the 55% humidity might be to blame.
Click to expand...

my humnidity runs about 55%, same as yours and I haven't had any problems I can think of...

wordwiz said:
AJ,

No watering or cover for the trays?
Mike
Click to expand...

I put almost 1/2 gallon water in the bottom of the tray then set the cells in that...I don't have to water for a week after planting...I don't cover the trays because of the issues I have had with high humidity, moisture, and fungus/mold...they are in a closed environment with the germinator...

OK, the weekend is nearly over and my first 8 trays of seeds are in the germinator...

72 cell trays...576 seeds...

one 7 Pot
two Bhut Jolokia
one Trinidad Scorpion
one Foodarama Scotch Bonnet
one Fatalii
one Trinidad Congo (red)
one Trinidad Congo (chocolate)
 
Well, I decided to get the grow area exterminated and set up for the seedlings....will be about 2-3 weeks before it will be used...

I used a good strong solution of pyrethrin spray and coated the entire area, walls, lights, and shelves....I had problems with aphids and spidermites at the end of seedling season last year so I figure a little prevention goes a long way (fingers crossed)...

back wall soaked down...this helped clean the surfaces also...

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after all the walls, shelves, and lights were wiped down....looks like I need to get some wrinkles out of the mylar in the middle...

020110a006.jpg


and I have this old bamboo shade that covers the area perfectly and is painted white....this is when I put the babies to bed at night when they get their bedtiime story read to them...

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did I mention, I love growing peppers?.....
 
Even if you never mentioned it before, I don't think anyone would have a doubt. Still awesome. Whats the ambient temp in the garage?
 
ambient in the garage gets down to about 38 on a cold day...but....with the heat given off by the fluorescents and an old 4 foot strip heater on the ground below the bottom shelf (I have two pieces of 1/4" plywood cut to fit the bottom area and close it in)....I can keep the temperature as warm or cool as I want it...I usually keep my seedlings about 78F...it varies between 75-90 right before plantout...
 
Hey AJ, just a quick word of thanks.. this is my first season, had a mare, but with pictures like yours i can plan an early start this winter/spring, and with some seeds from THSC will have a good go at it later this year. once again, cheers
 
cool Grimus...hope it will help you....

OK....first 16 trays started and in germinator/grow box...both have stabalized at about 84-86F....planting dates from 1/29/10 to 2/4/10

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there will be a lot of transplanting going on in about 3 weeks or so...then I will start my second round....

first round planting (all 72 cell trays)

two 7 Pot
two Bhut Jolokia
one Trinidad Scorpion
one Foodarama Scotch Bonnet
one Fatalii
one Trinidad Congo (red)
one Trinidad Congo (chocolate)
one Yellow Habanero
one Orange Habanero
one Red Savina
two Jalapeno
one Serrano
one Sweet Banana

total - 1152 seeds....I am hoping for an overall germination of 70% so that will give me about 800 plants of which I will keep the best ones and sell the others...I plan on having about 350-400 plants in the yard this year...I love the privacy the plants give me in my back yard......
 
thanks Chris...

that piece of equipment is great...I don't know whether or not I would ever need to start 48 trays at once...geez...that is 3456 seeds...I would have to hire help when it came transplant time...no way I could transplant 3000 seedlings in less than a month...figuring 100 a day...I don't know if I ever want to get my business that big...it would turn out to be work, and you know, I just DON'T work any more...period...

I do have one neighbor that comes over about once a week...he is blown away by my setup and loves to come over in the summer when the plants in the back yard are chest high and just walk around...
 
OK...I just realized a few minutes ago while I was workin' out in the growrage cleanin' the mylar in my grow box that I was talking to my seedlings....

and this is the conversation we had...

I told them...OK guys time for you to toughen up...this is AJs SEEDLING BOOTCAMP!!...by the time you finish 7 weeks of this hard life, you will be able to stand strong against the forces of nature.... (no SH**, that is what I was sayin')

so they got to meet my new drill sergeant...now go to work boys....meet Mr. Fan....

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umhuh...think you are gonna hate all these stem bending exercises you will be doin' over the next few weeks...you get 30 minutes twice a day on the grinder....

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there are some of you stronger than the others and to those of you I am talkin' about will be able to kick some major Mother Natures Ass when you finish....

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and when you finish this course of training....you will look like your fallen brethren of last year....

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I think I am gonna print that last picture and post it on the inside of the growbox as sort of an incentive for the graduation party....

roflmao...I feel terrible, but in a dang good mood...
 
AlabamaJack said:
OK...I just realized a few minutes ago while I was workin' out in the growrage cleanin' the mylar in my grow box that I was talking to my seedlings....

and this is the conversation we had...

I told them...OK guys time for you to toughen up...this is AJs SEEDLING BOOTCAMP!!...by the time you finish 7 weeks of this hard life, you will be able to stand strong against the forces of nature.... (no SH**, that is what I was sayin')

so they got to meet my new drill sergeant...now go to work boys....meet Mr. Fan....


umhuh...think you are gonna hate all these stem bending exercises you will be doin' over the next few weeks...you get 30 minutes twice a day on the grinder....


there are some of you stronger than the others and to those of you I am talkin' about will be able to kick some major Mother Natures Ass when you finish....


and when you finish this course of training....you will look like your fallen brethren of last year....

I think I am gonna print that last picture and post it on the inside of the growbox as sort of an incentive for the graduation party....

roflmao...I feel terrible, but in a dang good mood...
Click to expand...

AJ, have you said what lights you are using?
 
in this box, there are ten 27 watt Compact Fluorescents (100 Watt equivalent) and eight 42 watt Compact Fluorescents (150 Watt Equivalent)...

I am trying to balance the light between 5500K and 2700K color temperature...you need to learn about the color spectrum and what light from the spectrum the plants use...just google it...

the 27 watt bulb put outs 1400 Lumens of 5500K light (blue part of spectrum)

the 42 watt bulb puts out 2300 lumens if memory serves me correct at 2700K color temp (red part of spectrum)

so doing the math that gives me 14,000 lumens of blue light and 18,400 lumens of red light for a total of 32,400 lumens...there are 16 square feet in the box and it is lined with mylar so that is about 2000 lumens a square foot...from what I have heard, you need about 3000 lumens per square foot to sustain a full grown plant to pods...I can reach that if I put the 4 shop light fixtures back in there I took out....I had 4 standard shop lights in the box also...had 8 40 watt standard fluorescents in the 6500K color range....2325 lumens each...so that was another 18,600 lumens I took out...

IMO the 2000 Lumens per square foot is fine for seedlings...light is about 18" above...

in the event, I have a favorite plant that is not too tall....say 4', I can put the shop lights back in and get to 32,600 lumens of blue and 18,400 red total = 51,000 divided by 16 gets me to 3500 lumens/square foot....but I will be providing more blue than red and that ain't good for mature fruiting/flowering plants...you need more red....soooo....what I am going to have to do is one or two things...change the 6500K bulbs in the shop lights to a more red color...say 3000K....and each bulb will give me 3300 lumens so doin' the math, thats 26,400 lumens 3000K added to the 18,400 lumens 2700K (44,800 red light and 32,600 blue)....hmmmm 77,400 lumens in a 16 square foot box oughta be way more than needed...I can mix and match until I find the right combination...would really like about twice the red as blue for mature plants IMO...

I want some 42 watt CFLs that are blue but haven't been able to find them...dangit...just ordered 8 of them...so now I can bring my balance where I want it...cool...

dang, can I ramble or what....
 
So, if I am reading you right, you have 69 lamp fixtures in a 4x4 box? I am assuming that you have all that wired up to its own little gang box and on a heavy switch and breaker? That would be to much for a regular light on/off switch that we are familiar with in the wall? I know I ask a lot of questions, sorry about that, I am just trying to wrap my brain around your box. To be honest, I think I could start a BUNCH of tomato plants like you do and sell everyone of them right here in my neighborhood
 
Ramnlin' man. Looking killer as always bud. I can't wait till the beer and bare feet shots this spring and summer. Mainly because that means its nice an warm out for me too.
 
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