dddd's 2016 glog

Well, figured I'd start one.  I've been reading on here for a couple years and finally joined. 
 
The Ghosts are going on their 4th year now.  Over winter them every year.  But due to space issues this will be the last year for them.  I will tell you....they have been a pain in the butt and a lot of research to get them to produce.  They still haven't gotten anything this year.  I think I'm having an issue with pollinators this year so far.  So.....spending time outside with a paintbrush and doing it myself. 
 

 
These are the Carolina reapers I bought May 8th.  You can see in the picture above they have grown a bit.  These will be my new babies that I will over winter this year. 
 

 

[jcw10tc]

Damn, those Bhut trees are huge.  Surprised your having issues with them producing.  While I haven't overwintered or had plants like that, almost all the varieties of bhuts I have grown have bene pretty heavy producers loaded with pods typically.  Good luck with getting some pods to set.  Would be an great shot to see those giants with hundreds of pods hanging from them.

 

[dddd]

The first 2 years I didn't get anything off them.  Last year I started adding calmag to them and ended up getting a few pounds of peppers.  So far this year I'm just having lots of bloom drop.  Hopefully I can get it remedied so I can get something to last me thru the winter.  I've been reading up and looks like people are happy with Fox Farms products.  So think tonight i'll try to pick up some grow big and bloom booster and see how that works with them.   

 

[dddd]

Well Ghost plants are looking better.  We have had some storms lately and last two mornings I have come out to them laying on the ground.  I finally have a few ghost pods going and some reaper pods going even.  I've started using some fox farm products and they seem to be liking it so far.  The new addition odd ball pot is a butterfly bush.  Trying to get some more pollinators around them.  Its not looking to healthy, but still trying haha.

 
Don't mind the white trash look.  Its hot as hell here and humid.  We had to reset the 6ft stakes and the tomato cages on the ghost peppers to actually make them stand up straight since they've been knocked over.  FYI I'm 6'2".  Mini ghost pepper tree. 

 
I am a little concerned about the reapers.  I've had a couple pods start, then they turn brown right at the bloom end of it and end up dying off.  I'm not sure what that's from, nothing I've seen before.

 

[dddd]

So I've found this year that I'm really tired of the wind.  Almost every morning I have gone out and they are laying on the grown knocked over by wind.  I've propped them up with bricks and still doesn't help.  So hopefully more bricks and I've got it. 
 
I will also say I'm a bit disappointed with the Ghosts this year.  So far my Reapers on their first year have more pods on them than the Ghost plants that I've had for 3 years. 

 

[dddd]

So below are the pictures.  Its late July.  In Iowa, we can get cold weather in another month.  I'm getting worried I'm not going to get any peppers this year.  First peppers started popping up mid June.  Is there anything I can do to speed these up? 
 
Feeding;
They have been running really dry lately (leaves wilting when I get home at 4pm), so I have started watering them twice daily, about 1gal per plant, that seems to make them perky. 
I'm doing Fox Farms ferts.  Tiger bloom, big bloom and grow big at half dose twice per week. 
I just started back up with the Epsom salt every other week and Cal-Mag every other week alternating.  I stopped for awhile thinking the ferts would do the job. 
 
They seem happy.  But they are taking their sweet sweet time on this.  I'm giving the Ghost peppers away this year, which are the biggest producers.  So I would like some to tide me over for the winter.  The Reapers will come inside over winter, already have a grow area planned for them to produce this winter with luck.
 
Hard to see in the pics, but all together I think I have well over 100 pods. 
 
Ghosts;
 




 
Reapers;
 

 

[dddd]

Well, I hate to do it.  But they are talking our first frost here in a couple days.  I've decided to give one of the ghost plants that's a bit bushier to a friend.  The tall tree one will get cut.  About 3 foot off the top of it so it can fit in my new grow tent.  Shame to cut so much off it it. 
 
They had a good harvest this year.  I don't know how many peppers I've gotten off them.  Guessing a few hundred.  I think I ended up giving away close to 140 grams of dried ghost powder, and about 100 grams of dried reaper powder.  Along with 3 1 gallon freezer bags of peppers that I'm using for ferments, and 2 more 1 gallon freezer backs of dried peppers awaiting to be ground up into powder.