my second year, 2014... first pod & video review!

  Hey!
Just made a start on the new growing season, hoping to do things much bigger and better than last year! I've just got 2 lots of seeds propagating so far, scotch bonnet and paper lantern habanero. I've got a few more packs of seeds to play with, Im limited on space as I live in a flat without any outside space but Im going to grow as much as I can. I've already cajoled a few friends to take on plants for me once I get some established.
 
Its going to be fun! 
 

 

 

 
I still have 14 chocolate habanero plants I have (hopefully successfully  ) over-wintered from 2013, I got them in too late last year and therefore never fruiting. So hopefully they will be good in spring and kicking out plenty of pods later this year:
 

 
I still have multiple packs of all the mentioned seed varieties plus some prairie fire. I definitely also want to grow brainstrain 7 and one other type if I can find space, either jays peach ghost scorpion or carolina reaper. I can't decide what to do as I have been very surprised to discover one of the UK's main online company's for chilli plugs (available to order for spring and they stock what Im after) is actually based in my home town! Its a big deal to me as everything chilli related is England is normally very far away down south! I've spoken to them and if I make an order I can have a good look around the place when the plants are ready. Should I just order seeds though and do it all properly from scratch? Plugs kind of feel like a cheating!
 
 Cheers to all 2014 growers old and new! All the best and I will be keeping an eye on your glogs. Thanks for reading and I hope I can keep things interesting!

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

Thanks for the input Nick, I'm learning everday thanks to this site! I just have a sack of miracle grow all purpose compost, its has been open for a while but its stored in the utility room where there are no plants or anything. I took the risk and bug sprayed the scotch bonnet seed tray, it says not to use until the plants are established but I did it because the dirt was riddled and I didn't want an outbreak causing havoc on everything. If it has ruined the chance of those seeds working I plenty of time to get more seeds/propagators started.

The paper lantern are coming on nicely, only had a couple more pop but they are looking strong. Got another super sunny day too!

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

 
The paper habanero (photo above) are doing well, only 6 seeds (out of 20) have come through as of yet but Im happy with the progress of them. Just rotating them between the sunny window in the day and the airing cupboard over night. If no other seeds in that tray work I should still have more than enough plants once Im done. No other varieties have popped yet but I know some of what I have could take a very long time to germinate.
 
I ended up throwing out the tray of scotch bonnet seeds mentioned in the last post, Im sure they were screwed anyway. They were not even in a propagator just a tray that came with onion bhajis in, so they had dried out a bit too. I have done another packet of the seeds (in a propagator) and finally got the prairie fire seeds in, so I have all of my list sorted now and the waiting game truly begins!

 

[Nick08*]

Congrats on the first pops!! 
 
I'm still waiting to see a single one on my second round... hasnt even been a week yet though.  Patience is not my strong suit!

 

[Spicegeist]

They're alive!

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

Oh yeeeeah! The first naga jolokia has popped (1 of 6), not taken as long as anticipated actually:
 

 
The paper lantern still doing their thing:
 

 
The over wintered chocolate habanero are looking great. Was tempted to trim off the brown/dead ends but decided I should wait until spring. Here is the best one:
 

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

Just got home from work to find the first 2 brain strain seeds have popped up, yeah!! They are the ones I'm most excited about and praying for to grow big and strong and have successful lives, haha. I know you should love all of your little ones equally, but hey! Also found the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western boxset delivered today, still got plenty of beer in the fridge and making big spicy burger stacks for tea, I'm a very happy person this evening!

Please forgive my rambling, I'm just very pleased!

 

[Penny]

Just got home from work to find the first 2 brain strain seeds have popped up, yeah!! They are the ones I'm most excited about and praying for to grow big and strong and have successful lives, haha. I know you should love all of your little ones equally, but hey! Also found the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western boxset delivered today, still got plenty of beer in the fridge and making big spicy burger stacks for tea, I'm a very happy person this evening!

Please forgive my rambling, I'm just very pleased!

 
Hey....not rambling at all, its always exciting to see the little ones sprout up  ....great job too.

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

Just a quick update: all varieties have germinated at least a few seeds now and are looking well!   
 
The paper lantern have grown their 'first true leaves' over the last few days, will possibly consider potting them up next weekend if I think they will be ok outside of their little safe haven. Still not happy that there are quite a few little critters/gnat things in a couple of the propagators but they don't seem to be troubling the plants yet. I can see them moving on the soil and the odd one flies off when I open the lids, much to the disgust of my girlfriend! 
 
The 'Jays peach' and 'brain strain' are growing much quicker than expected, which is great. The over wintered 'hot chocolate habanero' are looking a bit worse now but the weather has dropped much colder. They are very brown/dead on the last inch or so on each stem, I still can't decide if I should just leave them be or intervene with scissors. 
 
Will update with photos next time, cheers.

 

[Spicegeist]

Awesome on the Jay's Peach & Brainstrain... fast growth is a good sign...

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

The sunshine has been beautiful so finally got some potting up done last weekend! Not finished yet, need to improvise more space and buy more pots.
 
My basic (ghetto) set up overview:

 
2 pics of a paper lantern:

 

 
A Jay's peach:

 
A bhut jolokia:

 
BrainStrain:

 
Paper lantern:

 
Scotch bonnet (in the tray) and Jay's peach (in the pots):

 
Prairie fire (in the tray) and assorted in pots:

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

Firstly I just want to say thanks for checking this out! I know its not the most interesting of glogs out there!   There isn't as much happening on here as there is on others but I do really enjoy keeping my (slow and steady) progress logged. I love this site and although I don't post often I always enjoy reading topics/posts in all the forums.
 
At the very least I hope this glog can show at least one person considering being a new starter that with patience and enthusiasm you can achieve progress without prior growing experience, vast knowledge or much disposable income.
 
The weather here has been awfully winter like again recently, so eagerly awaiting some sunshine for the little ones to revel in again!
 
Here are a few pics of the stronger looking plants at the moment:
 
3x different Jays peach:

 

 

 
2x different naga jolokia:

 

 
BrainStrain:

 
Paper Lantern:

 
Red scotch bonnet which I REALLY need to get more pots for:

 
Cheers 

 

[Penny]

Well done, things are really coming along.....looks great!

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

Hey! Time for a long overdue update, thanks for stopping by! 
 
Things have progressed nicely since I last put any photos up
 

 

 

 
All of the plants (even the smallest ones) have plenty of buds and flowers now 
 

 

 
A couple of the plants (a 'brainstrain' & a 'ghost') have had huge leave growth:
 

 
Its been crazy how the plants have grown so differently depending on their position even though they are all in close proximity in good sunlight. The plants directly on the window sill are actually the smallest by far, which surprises me. On the ironing board the plants to the left are really tall but thinner and the ones one the right shorter but wider with the bigger leaves. I know most of the plants should be in bigger pots but I need to make more space first. I should probably focus on having fewer plants but getting them bigger for a better yield, but I love all of my 40+ plants and want them all to have a chance at producing for me! Tried having 4 scotch bonnets outside but their growth was minimal and they now look like its game over for them.
 
This 'basket of fire' from last year has been kicking out pods (more than you can see in the next photo), I have had on ripe one so far
 

 
 
Cheers folks and hopefully I shall be getting pod pictures soon to share with you!

 

[Runescape]

Nice, plants are lookin awesome...

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

Thanks Runescape!

Just after being so happy with my plants and their health all season I now have 2 days of anguish! When I got up yesterday I found an aphid infestation on an apache chilli plant (not mentioned before or in any photos posted because I haven't grown it I just bought is a plant a few weeks ago) but its kept with all my other plants, I gave a good spray of organic bug killer straight away and removed all bodies I could find, fingers crossed it worked as I can't see any trace on any plant today. Aphids were such a nightmare last year, as I'm sure you have all had to deal with I know! Its so annoying because all my own grown have been fine so it would suck so much if a plant I purchased lead to problems with the whole lot.

Now today after getting back from work several plants look terrible. Really drooping and wilted main stems. I've have had light wilting on leaves before which has been fine after a water and a few hours, but I've never seem them like this. It catches so much heat by the window in the room they are in so I'm hoping its just that. I water regularly (more than people say you should) and only did them last night, I've definitely not over done them though as the soil felt crispy dry. It has been quite a hot heavy muggy day so hopefully that is the only problem. I've just given them a good soak so fingers crossed all will be well later. Seeing them like this is so stressful I feel gutted. Haven't posted pictures because I've had to do this off my phone.

 

[Runescape]

Sucks to hear about the aphids and dropping, hopefully they recover soon...

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

Quick report- the plants are totally fine and looking real happy again. They had obviously just got too tired and thirsty that's all but I went in freak out panic mode! Its because they looked in such a sad state but now they are proudly reaching for the sky again. Sweeeeet!!

Also, I'm sure I have fully extinguished the aphid troop on our first encounter in this years war.

Good days are upon me again, haha! Thanks for your positive words Runescape.

 

[Schrodinger's Cat]

Sweet plants mate.

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

http://youtu.be/YUrpJd0p5to

 

[scovilleADDICTION]

WHOOP WHOOP! Got a sexy little BrainStrain pod, at long last! Haha   Just have to be patient that bit longer now, wait for it to ripen and eat/review the bad boy! Going to eat the first one of each variety I've grown on camera and do my best to properly review it, through the tears!
 

 

 
Also got a few 'prairie fire' pods now too:

 
Im shocked to get any pods from the 'prairie fire', I never had enough space to pot the plants on or much interest in the variety to be honest (I was given the packet of seeds) so all 15/20 plants are still in the small tray they germinated in!: