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Dragon49's 2019 Grow Log

I started to sow a month ago and finally have something to show for it.  Here is the story before I get to the pictures:
 
Back in 2014, I got to enjoy the exquisite flavor and perfect heat of a Pimenta de Neyde x Bhut Jolokia - F6 Open Pollinated. I saved some seeds and grew it out the following year.  I only grew one plant, but it grew true and produced 220 pods in a 5 gallon bucket.  I had some pods tested and they came in at 158,400 SHU.   Excellent heat, but far from deadly and a perfect compliment to the sweetness.  I saved those seeds, but took a four-year break from growing from seeds.  The cool thing about that plant is that it grew literally right next to a Yellow 7 Pot and I'm welcoming a cross.  I labeled seeds from different pods with different batch numbers, so I can keep track of what grows true and what crosses.  
 
I neither have a lot of room to grow, nor resources to isolate, so I'm only growing one plant this year.  Worried about the viability of my four-old seeds (stored well, except for climate control) I initially tried to sprout 14 - 9 in soil and 5 with the wet paper towel method.  After nearly three weeks - almost nothing!  Some tails popped up, but I planted them prematurely and the baby roots shriveled up and died.  I took some forum advice and soaked these and some other seeds in a (1/9) hydrogen peroxide to water solution for twenty-four hours, before returning them to a wet paper towel.  I checked nine days later and only one had sprouted, but it was a big, healthy root:
 
R4QACgN.jpg

 
After the initial transplant:
 
DH4Dor1.jpg

 
I got excited this morning when I saw evidence of phototropism and knew the transplant took:
 
wGvveKv.jpg

 
 
The plant now:
 
SVWlyQ2.jpg

 
 
When I came home from work, I found this had finally popped out after sitting in soil for along time:
 
k9zDZTK.jpg

 
 
I'm giving this one away, but will post pics while it remains in my possession.
 
 
 
 
PaulG said:
A pop bottle with the bottom cut off might
make a good cloche to keep the rain off your
plant. CD is right, I think - it just needs to dry
out a bit.

Dont leave the cloche on in sunny weather,
though, it will bake your seedling.

On the bright side, its twin is doing well. I will
get a pic up soon. I will send you pods from it
if it has a successful season!
Ty 4 the advice.
 
You pepper is from a different pod, so I don't think it is a twin. :) Looking forward to a new pic.
 
Your wish is my command, Mark:
 
Its home for part of the day:
IMG_1739.JPG

 
A closer look:
IMG_1735.JPG

 
It seems to have adapted well to its new home,
and is starting to grow a little faster.
 
Nice!
 
You may be the only hope for my strain this year.   Another THP member had a few seedlings.  All but one were destroyed in a bad storm last week.
 
I just don't have good vibes about my plant.  
 
I'll be out at the family garden the next Thursday; taking a long weekend.  I'll be staring at the plant when I'm not fishing, (I should have some stuff to add to the Fishing Thread - http://thehotpepper.com/topic/53579-a-fishing-thread/) eating, sleeping, or on the computer, but don't think my gaze will help it grow.  
 
I will be sure to save you some pods and seeds, Mark!
I will also include some of my BJ hybrid as well.
 
Do you remember who the other THPer growing it is?
 
PaulG said:
I will be sure to save you some pods and seeds, Mark!
I will also include some of my BJ hybrid as well.
 
Do you remember who the other THPer growing it is?
Awesome!  Ty.
 
I know the guys's username, but will ask him first if he wants to be mentioned in the thread.  Probably fine, but I feel it's respectful to ask first.  Here's a tiny bit of progress.  When I'm out next week, should I go ahead and move some dirt to expose the stem, or some of the stem?  Will this help it grow, or grow faster?  Is it important for some light to hit the stem directly, or is it irrelevant?  If it is very important, I'll ask somebody to do it now.   Either way, I think it looks quite odd with the entire stem buried:
 
 
dz84Z6F.jpg
 
CaneDog said:
I like the way that 2nd level leaf is looking! 
 
I would clear the wet soil from the stem back to the prior level just to be safe because of fungus/rot potential.
Ty,
 
Unfortunately, there is lots of rain in the upcoming forecast.  Next week,  I'll deal with any un-burying that needs to be done.
 
CD took the words right out of my mouth.
 
I would certainly keep the soil away from the stem,
and cover the seedling to protect it from the water,
even an upside down #1 pot would work.
 
I should be able to get at least one more picture before I'll be at the garden next Thursday.
 
Should I give it a hit of Cal-Mag plus over the weekend, (or maybe some foliar sprays) or just leave it alone and let the composted manure do its delayed magic?
 
I hope that guy is recovering and it looks good seeing that healthy green second set leaf in the above picture.  I wouldn't foliar feed due to risks of damage and would only consider CalMag+ once the media becomes dry enough it needs water anyway. I think you've given it the nutrients it needs now and it just needs a little time. 
 
Plant growth is interesting and deceptive, in that when they're small like this, a doubling of the plant's veg tissue isn't that noticeable (and also a lot of what occurs is happening underground in the root system).  But take an older 2 foot tall plant and double its size and wow!  I think once this guy gets established the growth is going to be much easier to see.
 
Cheers man.
 
CaneDog said:
I hope that guy is recovering and it looks good seeing that healthy green second set leaf in the above picture.  I wouldn't foliar feed due to risks of damage and would only consider CalMag+ once the media becomes dry enough it needs water anyway. I think you've given it the nutrients it needs now and it just needs a little time. 
 
Plant growth is interesting and deceptive, in that when they're small like this, a doubling of the plant's veg tissue isn't that noticeable (and also a lot of what occurs is happening underground in the root system).  But take an older 2 foot tall plant and double its size and wow!  I think once this guy gets established the growth is going to be much easier to see.
 
Cheers man.
Thanks,
 
Right now, the biggest enemy is time.
 
The best case scenario is that my zone has good weather until mid November, which gives the plant plenty of time to recover and produce lots of pods.  It is also possible that a mid to late September storm could kill the plant before it has time to develop ripe pods.
 
Some more infinitesimal progress—a third leaf is coming in.
 
I'm now fairly confident that if I take this inside at the end of the season, keep it under lights until next May and then plant it outside again, I'll get pods by August, 2020.
 
The storms and conditions aside, I think something is genetically fu**** up with this one.  I've never seen such slow progress with a Chile pepper plant.
 
CK7n2sI.jpg

 
Y5fZa2C.jpg

 
 
 
My specimen is a slow grower, as well,
but it is stretching up a little in the sun.

I will give it at least six weeks in the small pot
before transplanting into a 3-gallon container.

Not a whole lot of change since the pic I posted

above.
 
PaulG said:
My specimen is a slow grower, as well,
but it is stretching up a little in the sun.

I will give it at least six weeks in the small pot
before transplanting into a 3-gallon container.

Not a whole lot of change since the pic I posted

above.
Thanks for the update.
 
My plant has been getting lots of sun. Unfortunately it is raining now, and rain is in the forecast five out of the next nine days.
 
My tomato and cucumber plants are doing fine (growing at their normal pace) in the exact same compost/soil mix, but they all started with much more established root-balls.  I can't wait to get out there Thursday night and will surely expose some of the stem.  I've been thinking about changing the medium completely to normal (lots of perlite) potting soil and adding nutrients, but am afraid to further stunt the growth with yet another round of transplant shock.  I am 100% confident that my mix provides excellent nutrients as I've had great success with cucumbers and tomatoes with it, but am thinking that early on, the tiny root may need more drainage and the constant state of being soaked is stunting the growth.  I'll see how I feel.
 
I should be at the house at least one hour before sunset and I'm running out to the backyard before unpacking or doing anything else.
 
Believe it or not, things are getting worse.  Nobody has been at the house since Monday, and after lots and lots of more rain, I showed up to find this:
 
cLSWu2m.jpg

 
I obviously have a drainage problem!  I dumped out the water and found the uprooted plant:
 
lk6Ktpv.jpg

 
I took it inside and put it in a small pot for the night:
 
dABwB4K.jpg

 
 
My plan is to buy some normal potting soil tomorrow morning and put the root in a new container and place it outside.  At this point, I think it has close to a 0% chance of producing pods, but it's still technically alive and I want to give it a chance.
 
 
 
Sorry to hear about your seedling, Mark. I think
it just got too much water too often. However,
you never know, they are resilient plants. I'd
keep it in the shade with only just moist soil. It
needs some quiet time to recover. After (if) it
survives, reintroduce to sun slowly, just like
hardening off. 
 
Meanwhile, the little seedling you sent me is
starting to show chinense in its leaves:
IMG_1779.JPG
 
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