HillBilly Jeff's 2016 Slimmed Down Grow

HillBilly Jeff · Feb 7, 2016

Nothing yet. My sweets aren't even popping yet. Perhaps I am just in a rush because I planted later than normal.

HillBilly Jeff · Feb 10, 2016

Not a thing is up. Zero germination. Just replanted the entire lot. No idea what is going on.

HillBilly Jeff · Feb 13, 2016

Yesterday and today saw three sprout up from the first tray of seeds I sown. Oddly enough 2/3 were the Goliath Jalapeno seeds that I had them ship me new ones for since they looked toasted. Guess I was wrong on how they looked.

So if things continue to germ like this, my grow could be twice as big as planned lol. Nothing like doubling down.

Sawyer · Feb 14, 2016

Two weeks does seem like a long time. I think I have the same thermometers you are using. I'm going to put two of them side by side to see how well-calibrated they are.

HillBilly Jeff said:
So if things continue to germ like this, my grow could be twice as big as planned lol. Nothing like doubling down.

Nature finds a way.

HillBilly Jeff · Feb 19, 2016

Got more coming up in both trays, but it is scattered coming up. Only one helmet so far, and that wasn't too bad. Still no true leaves popping.

HillBilly Jeff · Feb 22, 2016

Still no true leaves coming and more helmets. This looks like it will be a bad year for me.

Decided to plant some other varieties to cover for the ones that aren't coming yet. It looks like I won't have Paper Lantern, Peach Hab, or Lemon Drop this year as I am out of seeds.

Glad I have pods in the freezer.

Devv · Feb 22, 2016

Hi Jeff,

No glog for me this year, still playing catch up. No 2015 seeds and the 2014's are not doing well at all!

Good luck this season!

Jeff H · Feb 23, 2016

HillBilly Jeff said:
Decided to plant some other varieties to cover for the ones that aren't coming yet. It looks like I won't have Paper Lantern, Peach Hab, or Lemon Drop this year as I am out of seeds.

No paper lanterns for me this year either. Kinda sad actually, I've been growing them every year for a while now.

I haven't decided if I am going Devv's route this year and not have a glog, but mine will be slimmed down from last year for sure. I already turned one raised bed back into grass late last year. It got a little too big.

Devv · Feb 25, 2016

Jeff H said:
No paper lanterns for me this year either. Kinda sad actually, I've been growing them every year for a while now.

I haven't decided if I am going Devv's route this year and not have a glog, but mine will be slimmed down from last year for sure. I already turned one raised bed back into grass late last year. It got a little too big.

Just make sure you don't disappear Jeff

HillBilly Jeff · Feb 26, 2016

Finally have three bubblegums coming up. Its been a fight with even the sweet peppers this season. Of course it happens on a year I wait as long as I can to plant.

HillBilly Jeff · Feb 29, 2016

So my peat pellets didn't/wasn't do/doing so well. I went ahead and sowed a bunch of each seed in 3 1/2 inch pots, fired up the heater in the grow room and let them have at it. I have tons popping up now. Like a dozen in the heaviest of pots, but a lot of 5 and 6 plants coming in each pot. I also planted a bunch that wasn't on my grow list since I wasn't sure what was going to pop up and what was. I was at the point of thinking of ordering plants.

The good news is I have an MoA up, but I didn't label them red or yellow. So I am not sure which MoA I have up.

My cgn21500 and orange blob are up. So is my mustard hab and 7 pot burgundy.

Bad news so far is no TS Yellow, Reaper, Fatalii, or Jigsaw have come up. No Manzano yet either.

I know they can still pop and that's what I am hoping for. I may end up having to germ some in a ziplock and a wet paper towel to see if I can get a sprout.

I will have the painstaking task of separating peppers from pots and the painful task of sending some peppers to their grave.....

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 3, 2016

Off the peppers that aren't up yet, I am doing some germ tests in paper toweling. If I get some roots I should be able to plant those. Tough season to say the least so far. I don't see me using the peat pellets again. I will run the tomatoes in them this year as those seem to fair much better. Will definitely be a seed saving year for me.

Jeff H · Mar 3, 2016

HillBilly Jeff said:
Bad news so far is no TS Yellow, Reaper, Fatalii, or Jigsaw have come up. No Manzano yet either.

I know the feeling. I guess my seed stock got a little old on me. Having the same issues with Rocotos, ghost peppers and habs. Luckily, my MOAs all popped and I did finally get a few rocotos to pop but no habs or hotter. Looks like an order to CCN in my future.

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 4, 2016

Jeff H said:
I know the feeling. I guess my seed stock got a little old on me. Having the same issues with Rocotos, ghost peppers and habs. Luckily, my MOAs all popped and I did finally get a few rocotos to pop but no habs or hotter. Looks like an order to CCN in my future.

Try germing some seeds in paper towels inside an unsealed zip lock bag. Usually works for me.

In my ultimate wisdom I didn't distinguish between the red and yellow MoA pots. Only one came up. So I put both kinds in the germ test. Now the other one just popped.

Another 7 pot Burgundy just popped up as well. Jigsaw has popped one or two. I dug out my last three remaining peach bhut seeds from the peat pellets and I have them planted. Frank sent me some more seeds as well, and I have them in the dirt too. Someone I sent my peach bhuts too said they were the best peach she has ever tried, so I am desperately hoping to keep that genetics going. Might have to look for seeds in pods in freezer lol.

randyp · Mar 4, 2016

Keep pushing on Jeff.I am having a hell of a time with my peat pellets.40 types of seeds were planted in tray 1 (jiffy)and the same 40 in tray 2(my own starter mix.Started on 2-21-16 and as of today 3 are up in the peat and 15 in the mix.I will be getting round 2 of seeds going this weekend and not using pucks again.
good luck this year Jeff
randy

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 7, 2016

Up out of the 3 1/2 inch pots I finally having the TS Yellow popped with three plants and this morning the Aji Yellow is just breaking the dirt with one plant.

My germ tests have one fatalii so far, that I just put in the dirt. Red and Yellow MoA which I don't need any more of now. TS yellow popped. And my Jimmy N has popped.

Peach and yellow ghost, reaper, patio red, saint barts, douglahs, and yellow habs have not germed yet.

Manzano hasn't popped out of the dirt yet.

Peach hab in the dirt hasn't popped and that was all the seeds I had.

It has been a fight, but I have most of my list going. Wednesday is thinning day...Cringing already!!!

Devv · Mar 12, 2016

Don't feel like the lone ranger, I too have had issues this year getting seeds to pop.

The paper towel and then to dirt trick seemed to work, as the second round did much better. But my gals are way behind for sure.

It's all good, I'll have peppers one way or another..

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 13, 2016

Happy to report that my Fatalii has popped. Also have my ocean wave up. It's been a struggle, but I will have a lot more peppers than I planned for. Will have to see how it goes. Might have to try doing some in pots and see how they fare.

Sawyer · Mar 13, 2016

Good to see things are starting to roll for you, Jeff. Today I noticed something is coming up in the first flat I planted last Tuesday, but I didn't make note of what. Seems like we're all having problems with aging.... seeds. I have one whole flat planted yesterday to old seeds. Mostly from 2013, and never refrigerated. Definitely a year for replenishing and renewing seed stocks.

PaulG · Mar 14, 2016

Glad to hear that the germination rate is picking up for you, Jeff.

It can be frustrating when things don't proceed as smooth as
we'd like. Sorry to hear the Jiffy Pellets didn't work for you this
season. I had great results with them. GaGrowhead's technique
made all the difference.

Good luck going forward!