Next to My Chair

Been thinking about it.. pretty sure I'm growing peppers because I'm bored.  Like, deeply, existentially bored.  Plus, a little harmless pain never hurt anybody, right?  Hell, it's probably even good for you.  We'll see if those are good enough reasons, I guess.  I bought me some "Scotch Bonnet Orange" seeds from Amazon before I found you fine folk, lurked around here for a while, then planted them anyway along with other, infinitely less suspect seeds I ordered from far flung places around the globe(!) as recommended by the very venerable Vendor Vault.  I've got them growing here by my chair.  I sit here and read. (The wall to my right as I took this picture is lined with bookshelves I'm slowing filling as I try to forget the world each afternoon.  Mostly scifi the last few years.)  It would be distracting to have a big boxy tent looming over me, so I've just got them sitting there on a cardboard box.  I hope to replace the box with a little table here soon.

 
 
My rig consists of something like a quarter of the full Amazon Indoor Garden of Tomorrow-orrow-orrow-orrow ®.  This LED light I got is something else, man.  It's REALLY bright!  Paper towel germination, used a few Jiffy pellets, stuck some seeds straight in some old Miracle Grow I had, kept them in the Jiffy box there until they sprouted.  I'm glad to be rid of that Jiffy dome now; it was a pain in the ass.  Ahh.. let's see.. I'm mixing CNS17 Grow into RO/DI water, testing and adjusting up with GH pH kit, pouring it over my little darlings there in about 3:1 coco:perlite.  Just culled and potted up today to 3.5 inches.  All seems to be going well except for some slight canoeing of leaves, which I'm ready to blame on the 24% humidity (We wake up half mummified in the winter.  I know - grow tent.) and a few early spills on my rug.  Trying to keep it simple and not drive myself crazier futzing with dozens of parameters here, so I'm not going to sweat it unless things turn worse.  I'm not!  Worry verges on religion with me, so this will either be therapeutic or turn out to have been a bad idea.. 
Any and all comments or criticisms are very welcome and I thank you all most warmly for having me and schooling me and reading my noodlings! 

 

[Uncle Eckley]

 
I doubt you'd find this brand out your way but it's good stuff. Tiny pieces and very compostey. I've been using it for many years. The price never goes up so that's a good thing.

 
Where do you get the stuff, D?

 

[DWB]

At an old-timey general store in Pensacola. Farm & Nursery Mart.

 

[Uncle Eckley]

Need to come up with a way to shelter these net cups from rain.  Best thing I've thought of so far is a foam rubber pad cut like a collar as a sort of gasket around the stem. That would have to be adhered to something else with enough diameter to shed the water away from the hole.  In the case of the 5-gallon buckets, that means a shallow cone better than 12 inches across at the base.  I think I'd want to have it propped up off the bucket lid for airflow, or I'd use white plastic bags.  How much fresh air is really needed inside the reservoir, anyway?  Would it be enough to open the lids once a day to replace the air?  I mean.. I haven't been doing anything at all to freshen the air in these half-gallon jars.. Plastic bags sure would be easier..

 

[skullbiker]

Need to come up with a way to shelter these net cups from rain.  Best thing I've thought of so far is a foam rubber pad cut like a collar as a sort of gasket around the stem. That would have to be adhered to something else with enough diameter to shed the water away from the hole.  In the case of the 5-gallon buckets, that means a shallow cone better than 12 inches across at the base.  I think I'd want to have it propped up off the bucket lid for airflow, or I'd use white plastic bags.  How much fresh air is really needed inside the reservoir, anyway?  Would it be enough to open the lids once a day to replace the air?  I mean.. I haven't been doing anything at all to freshen the air in these half-gallon jars.. Plastic bags sure would be easier..

When I grow Kratkys outside I just pile up the Hydroton(I use the Hydrocorn as it is more stable) higher at the plant stem and then use heavy duty aluminum foil over that and tapenit down with good tape. Just leave a 1/4 to 1/2 inch gap around the stem for air.
I also have a 1 1/4 inch hole in the cover with a plug in it, use that hole to check nutrient level with a broom handle/stick or whatever and also add nutrient through that hole.

 

[Uncle Eckley]

When I grow Kratkys outside I just pile up the Hydroton(I use the Hydrocorn as it is more stable) higher at the plant stem and then use heavy duty aluminum foil over that and tapenit down with good tape. Just leave a 1/4 to 1/2 inch gap around the stem for air.
I also have a 1 1/4 inch hole in the cover with a plug in it, use that hole to check nutrient level with a broom handle/stick or whatever and also add nutrient through that hole.

 
Tape the foil to the lid, you mean?  
 
Doesn't rainwater run down the stem through the air gap? 

 

[Uncle Eckley]

I took some photos today I'd post, but I can't seem to edit any of them down under the size limit for attachment.

Got the Kratky cayenne moved up to a 5-gallon, set him outside in the shade for his first trip outdoors.

I need to start hardening off more of my favored plants (those next to my chair) as the FO in the DWC-ish bucket is getting too big to leave the others any room under the light. The Kratky FO is a priority; I'm eager to get it in the garbage can.

 

[CDNmatt]

I didn't realize I was like 10 days behind in updates, I had been wondering where you had been.
 
Do you use a hosting site for your pics Eccoli or adding them through your THP act?

 

[Uncle Eckley]

I didn't realize I was like 10 days behind in updates, I had been wondering where you had been.
 
Do you use a hosting site for your pics Eccoli or adding them through your THP act?

I've probably still got valid accounts at a few of those sites, but I can't remember the logins. Usually just attach a couple to the post.

 

[CDNmatt]

Yeah at some point or another you will run out of space unless you upgrade......This has come up a few times in the past couple weeks about the sizing or space issues, but its quick and easy to sign back up to the site of your liking. I have to do alot of resizing anyways even though I use Imgur but we have extreme bandwith issues since we are on wireless internet out in the country, so no choice really.

 

[Uncle Eckley]

Okay, created a new account. 
 
This cayenne was in a half-gallon jar next to my chair until this afternoon. 

 
Freeport Orange.  5-gallon bucket with air stone. 

 
Lemon Drop.  This one's going in the garbage can. 

 
Hoping the FO in the bucket will leave room for this cayenne. 

 
This FO will get a garbage can. 

 

[CaneDog]

I've been waiting for you to throw that Freeport Orange into the trash can where it belongs!
 
And that cayenne is just gonna explode!

 

[Uncle Eckley]

And that cayenne is just gonna explode!

 
Hope so!  Nervous about this hardening off business.  

 

[CDNmatt]

Besides everyone watching each other start and baby all our seedlings, in a sense it's just getting started. But its been great to see how far you have come in a short time, even your posting seems to be free of stress as of late. Rooting for you all the way man so keep up the great work!!

 

[CaneDog]

Looks sunny on your deck!  And your 10-day overnights look good once you get through the weekend.

 

[Uncle Eckley]

Thanks, Matt!!

 

[Uncle Eckley]

Looks sunny on your deck!  And your 10-day overnights look good once you get through the weekend.

 
Yep, that's the sunny spot.  That's where I'll put the garbage cans. 
 
I'm checking the forecast three and four times a day, lol.  Does it absolutely have to stay above 50, or just absolutely no frost? 

 

[Uncle Eckley]

Forgot to post the little Twilight. 

 

[PtMD989]

 
Yep, that's the sunny spot.  That's where I'll put the garbage cans. 
 
I'm checking the forecast three and four times a day, lol.  Does it absolutely have to stay above 50, or just absolutely no frost? 

I’ve had my plants out in as low as 40*. It didn’t kill them [emoji16]. Just trying to toughen them up some and give them fresh air.
Your plants are looking great [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[skullbiker]

 
Tape the foil to the lid, you mean?  
 
Doesn't rainwater run down the stem through the air gap? 

Yes, but I usually use a bit bigger net pot than you, usually an 8 or 10 inch bucket lid type. The little rain that gets in usually doesnt seem to hurt much, plus as the plant gets bigger you add nutrients more often.

 

[CaneDog]

 
Yep, that's the sunny spot.  That's where I'll put the garbage cans. 
 
I'm checking the forecast three and four times a day, lol.  Does it absolutely have to stay above 50, or just absolutely no frost? 

 
Ha. That's a natural progression with the season for me.  I start by checking for hooks multiple times a day to now checking the weather multiple times a day. 
 
There's many VA growers here that know better than I do, but just looking at your historical averages I wouldn't let them see any 40-something overnights. I'd wait a bit and then until there was a good warm weather stretch to leave them out.  If you harden them off bringing them in at night for a while seems you could pretty easily keep them above 50F and likely even keep them 5F higher, at least for the first week or so after plant-out/overnights just by timing it right.  Sure, dipping below 50F isn't going to hurt them if they're hardened off, but to keep that growth momentum you have going I'd aim to keep them a bit warmer.
 

        
By contrast, look at this crap - which is why this guy had to build hoop houses.
 

 
EDIT - OK, that first attempt was a formatting fail...