Megamoo's 2012/2013 Glog

harry · Feb 27, 2013

megamoo said:
I've found a lot of "yellow" varieties turn a tint of "orange" in the Australian sun, its not an exact thing. One of my moruga yellows on the other hand is definitely orange and not remotely yellow. So its a mixed up seed or a cross or mutation etc.

The pods on my Beni Highlands plants for the most part were only exposed to early morning sunlight. They don't go through a phase that I would label lemon yellow. ChilePlants.com had an description of the C.chinense Limón colour as being bright yellow that matched my observations.

megamoo · Feb 27, 2013

StupidJerk said:
Love the pictures of your garden, everything is looking good. That's a raised bed that is built to last! It's great you have a land lord that lets you have that many plants. Keep up the good work.

Thanks StupidJerk. (feels really strange typing that

) I'm already trying to figure out how to get the soil in the raised bed ready for next season. It's not something I've had to do before. Maybe dump loads of compost on it?

harry said:
The pods on my Beni Highlands plants for the most part were only exposed to early morning sunlight. They don't go through a phase that I would label lemon yellow. ChilePlants.com had an description of the C.chinense Limón colour as being bright yellow that matched my observations.

Well mine are looking bright yellow to me

I suppose its too much to expect an exact colour from something so organic, its not like a paint catalogue. I'll take some good pictures in different light conditions when I pick them. With a tiny photoshop tweak I could make them blue. Who's to say the people making a website selling a chilli don't alter the colour in their pictures to make it as appealing as possible. It could even happen unintentionally with camera settings or lighting or whatever. Vendors obviously have an obligation to accurately describe their product but they are just people and the term `yellow` is very broad. Lots of wiggle room there.

I'm having problems with my camera at the moment. I'm just not getting accurate photos, I'm pretty sure I messed up something when I dropped it. Took about twenty photos just to get these two, messing with settings.

Bhut Jolokia. This is just the beginning of a pod rush hopefully, there is a whole lot of green ready to turn.

Dorset Naga. Right in the middle of a pod rush but I had to throw out more than this many due to eggplant worm damage. Bloody things really did a number on this plant. That's why I picked anything with a bit of colour. Best pic I could get.

I might go out with some bug spray to see if I can catch the evil sods in the dark.

StupidJerk · Feb 27, 2013

I would dump loads of compost and manure on it, maybe mix in some straw if you can and cover it in a top mulch, maybe straw also. This is what one of the other forum members recommended I do, Trippa I think. He recommended lucern straw and mushroom compost specifically.

PeriPeri · Feb 27, 2013

That is quite a bit of fire power right there! Man you have been in the wars with them bugs this season! Great looking stash!

Blue Flames · Feb 27, 2013

Lookin good moo have u took out grub looking ones, I just chucked 6 plants and about three kilos of pods, anything suss gone.
I'm finding if soft or a clear spot it's all over

stc3248 · Feb 27, 2013

I work compost into my beds all winter. Not only does it help improve the soil, it can actually help break down any nasties that may be hiding in there. I would have it tested and add what's recommended. Only thing to be careful of there...they may recommend you up your PH, but peppers like it low.

Blue Flames · Mar 3, 2013

Mr moo I have cream

megamoo · Mar 3, 2013

StupidJerk said:
I would dump loads of compost and manure on it, maybe mix in some straw if you can and cover it in a top mulch, maybe straw also. This is what one of the other forum members recommended I do, Trippa I think. He recommended lucern straw and mushroom compost specifically.

It remains to be seen whether the plants die off during winter or not, its my first season in this house and I don't know how cold that area gets. My guess is the production will probably slow to a crawl and although the plants are still alive I'll have to pick a time to cut everything down, turn the soil and dig in manure and compost.

PeriPeri said:
That is quite a bit of fire power right there! Man you have been in the wars with them bugs this season! Great looking stash!

Thanks.

Blue Flames said:
Lookin good moo have u took out grub looking ones, I just chucked 6 plants and about three kilos of pods, anything suss gone.
I'm finding if soft or a clear spot it's all over

That's just the good uns. Been chucking lots of bad uns.

stc3248 said:
I work compost into my beds all winter. Not only does it help improve the soil, it can actually help break down any nasties that may be hiding in there. I would have it tested and add what's recommended. Only thing to be careful of there...they may recommend you up your PH, but peppers like it low.

Compost seems to be the best stuff.

Blue Flames said:
Mr moo I have cream

Niice

Is that another one in the background too?

Quick update:
Most of my senior plants have stalled production for some reason. It's got me a bit worried because there's no obvious reason for it. I'm thinking maybe they aren't used to the full sun they've been getting since I took the shadecloth off. The weather is just now starting to cool down and I would have left it up except they were growing into it.
Or perhaps the manure and compost that was in the bed from the beginning is all used up.
Gave them some foliar seasol and powerfeed yesterday, and some aerated worm juice onto the soil today. Hopefully will see a good reaction.

The exceptions are two Bhut Jolokia plants that are loaded with green gnarliness, and the youngest chinenses are putting their first pods out. The row of pots along the fence are disappearing beneath the grass

I'm planning to fix them up this saturday and go to the fremantle chilli festival on the sunday. That's my two day no kid window!

The people who breed parasitic aphid killing wasps never got back to me, but the good news is that ladybugs have multiplied and are all over my plants, aphid populations are down. Yesterday I stood and watched one systematically grab and devour baby aphids

Damn near gave me a chubby

Just got a new SLR camera (second hand new

) . A canon eos 450D. Takes great photos on automatic, but only ever had point and shoot cameras so I'm still learning how to use all the settings. Of course the garden is doing nothing so no pictures to post, but I'm busy cooking a curry for the throwdown so I'll post pictures of that soon.

stc3248 · Mar 3, 2013

Choppin 'em all down while still kicking...sad. You going to dig any up to overwinter?

patrick · Mar 3, 2013

It seems the bugs are hitting everyone real hard this season. Sucks. Hope the ladybugs take care of your aphids mooman. One thing a lot of people forget about when their plants stall is are the roots. Any possible issues there?

megamoo · Mar 4, 2013

stc3248 said:
Choppin 'em all down while still kicking...sad. You going to dig any up to overwinter?

They'll still produce for a few months yet. I wasn't going to ty to overwinter any because of all the aphid action. Better to start fresh next serason.

patrick said:
It seems the bugs are hitting everyone real hard this season. Sucks. Hope the ladybugs take care of your aphids mooman. One thing a lot of people forget about when their plants stall is are the roots. Any possible issues there?

It really could be anything. Might be my imagination but they look greener and happier today after the fertilise. I did notice that on the street side of the fence some nasty prickle making weeds have exploded and spread all across the ground. They have obviously tapped into the good soil and regular watering my chillies enjoy. Another job to pull them all up. I'll have to do it in case the council decide to come along and drench it all in glyphosate. I can only hope they don't care enough yet.

Did this on the weekend for the throwdown, with me new camera too

If you want to see more you should head over to the throwdown thread to check out all the entries and vote. Warning!... If you like curry your mouth will water

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/37874-vote-curry-throwdown/

stc3248 · Mar 4, 2013

Dang it Mega!!! I came over here to get away from the deliciousness because I am freaking starving in my barracks with only a microwave and a few hot pockets, too many Heinekens in me to go out for food and eff walking...You, Greg, Rick, Megan, Sum...heck every dish on there was amazing looking. I tried licking my screen, but it ain't helping.

Good call on ditching the plants with the nasties. I hope I can actually get a chance to overwinter a few this year. I get real good growth with my long season, so second year plants would be bruts and maybe even give me a few fresh pods in my off months.

PeriPeri · Mar 5, 2013

megamoo said:
It remains to be seen whether the plants die off during winter or not, its my first season in this house and I don't know how cold that area gets. My guess is the production will probably slow to a crawl and although the plants are still alive I'll have to pick a time to cut everything down, turn the soil and dig in manure and compost.

Thanks.

That's just the good uns. Been chucking lots of bad uns.

Compost seems to be the best stuff.

Niice Is that another one in the background too?

Quick update:
Most of my senior plants have stalled production for some reason. It's got me a bit worried because there's no obvious reason for it. I'm thinking maybe they aren't used to the full sun they've been getting since I took the shadecloth off. The weather is just now starting to cool down and I would have left it up except they were growing into it.
Or perhaps the manure and compost that was in the bed from the beginning is all used up.
Gave them some foliar seasol and powerfeed yesterday, and some aerated worm juice onto the soil today. Hopefully will see a good reaction.

The exceptions are two Bhut Jolokia plants that are loaded with green gnarliness, and the youngest chinenses are putting their first pods out. The row of pots along the fence are disappearing beneath the grass I'm planning to fix them up this saturday and go to the fremantle chilli festival on the sunday. That's my two day no kid window!

The people who breed parasitic aphid killing wasps never got back to me, but the good news is that ladybugs have multiplied and are all over my plants, aphid populations are down. Yesterday I stood and watched one systematically grab and devour baby aphids Damn near gave me a chubby

Just got a new SLR camera (second hand new ) . A canon eos 450D. Takes great photos on automatic, but only ever had point and shoot cameras so I'm still learning how to use all the settings. Of course the garden is doing nothing so no pictures to post, but I'm busy cooking a curry for the throwdown so I'll post pictures of that soon.

Hi Moo, I think your temps are probably hotter than ours here in SA, but I experienced the same thing. I had two grow areas this year. One "Inside: under shadenetting all round and one outside (unprotected). When transplanting plants that were thriving from the Inside area to the outside area, the plants would go into shock. The sun frazzled them and for a week or two they would struggle. But once they take again... they will go crazy. I used seagrow pellets mixed in the soil around the base of the plant... they needed that injection of nutrients to get over the shock. It worked out in the end

Good luck!

Blue Flames · Mar 5, 2013

Moo , a good clean dish ur quite the cook, going the xtra step and making the dumplings shud get u over the line

megamoo · Mar 5, 2013

PeriPeri said:
Hi Moo, I think your temps are probably hotter than ours here in SA, but I experienced the same thing. I had two grow areas this year. One "Inside: under shadenetting all round and one outside (unprotected). When transplanting plants that were thriving from the Inside area to the outside area, the plants would go into shock. The sun frazzled them and for a week or two they would struggle. But once they take again... they will go crazy. I used seagrow pellets mixed in the soil around the base of the plant... they needed that injection of nutrients to get over the shock. It worked out in the end Good luck!

Hopefully they will produce another spurt of pods. The framework is all there.

Blue Flames said:
Moo , a good clean dish ur quite the cook, going the xtra step and making the dumplings shud get u over the line

Thanks for the vote

Well actually the extra dishes are looked down upon but I thought it was going to be just Asian, and at the last moment it changed to Curry. Had the ingredients so I made them anyway

Blue Flames · Mar 5, 2013

M8 did u neck the rest of the sake ?

M8 dumpling ain't extra is required and good use of what u had

megamoo · Mar 5, 2013

Blue Flames said:
M8 did u neck the rest of the sake ?

M8 dumpling ain't extra is required and good use of what u had

Nah couldn't get shitfaced drunk I had little ones to look after. You ever had sake? It's got a mouldy funk to it, strange stuff. It's like strong beer or weak wine, or watered down spirits. I read that you are only supposed to heat it if its crappy quality.

I think the garden's shock at being in full sun has eased and they are all looking much better. Bugs are still taking a toll but there is healthier growth and newer pods. Bees are getting busy, and ladybugs are multiplying and are destroying the aphids.

Took some pics with my new camera. Played around with the raw files dragging sliders to make the pics look better without a good idea of what I'm doing, but most of the pods aren't ripe, so its all a field of green.

Bhut Jolokia

7Pot Yellow

I didn't mess with the colour too much though. That Yellow 7Pot is actually orange.

First Fataliis

Moruga Scorpion Yellow

There was a third pod on this bush but was bug attacked

Cheiro White

Others

I did another video update but its all green so not worth uploading. Still

stc3248 said:
Dang it Mega!!! I came over here to get away from the deliciousness because I am freaking starving in my barracks with only a microwave and a few hot pockets, too many Heinekens in me to go out for food and eff walking...You, Greg, Rick, Megan, Sum...heck every dish on there was amazing looking. I tried licking my screen, but it ain't helping.

Good call on ditching the plants with the nasties. I hope I can actually get a chance to overwinter a few this year. I get real good growth with my long season, so second year plants would be bruts and maybe even give me a few fresh pods in my off months.

Thanks for the comments

It wasn't an lazy throwdown for sure! Everyone brought their A game.

I'm really hoping to see 3 months of high production before things shutdown but haven't been in this position in the season before, or in this garden so its all a learning curve.

WalkGood · Mar 5, 2013

Great pics as always ...
I gotta tell ya, your dish was right up there (tied) with Greg’s in my book. Love that soy dipping sauce, I keep one in da fridge year round and always add more peppers when the heat level comes down. Great job mon!!!!

Edit 1:On another note, I'm out of my share of "like this," thanks THP

, so I've made a note to come back and push that button 5 times

Edit 2: back and done dat ... great job and now off to eat something as I'm starving

Blue Flames · Mar 5, 2013

Yeah I had a night on hot sake didn't end well u can't drink it like beer

WalkGood · Mar 9, 2013

Per the edit in my post #598 I came back and hit “Like This” like 50 times, oh well now to wait another day to get my next allotment

Great job Moo!!!