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stc3248's 2014 small wild grow

Well...after much debate between mama and I, WE (she) have come to the conclusion that I may have grown a few too many plants the past few seasons??? :whistle:  :crazy:
 
2012 I grew out about 70 plants not including the huge number of ornamental peppers which about doubled that number. I didn't regularly harvest the ornamental plants so I ain't counting those...and in spite of some virus issues I was able to put together an epic season. So epic in fact that I had to purchase a chest freezer to store all the excess pods for future processing. 
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Here is one 2012 pull...I had numbers like this EVERY weekend! My season started (too) early and lasted until Christmas that year. I finally finished processing them just before I started pulling pods from my 2013 plants...
 
2013 was a "smaller" grow and in spite of my best efforts to keep the target of 20 keepers I promised the wife...I still ended up with over 50 plants. The "problem" in 2013 was...I really had no problems. My plants stayed healthy which meant...even more and bigger pulls...
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A 2013 pull...
 
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and another...
 
The hits once again kept on coming. Every weekend...thousands of pods. Which is a great freaking problem to have, but not according to mama. :stop:
 
So this year is gonna be a real deal small grow. I have talked her into letting me grow out 5 plants all of which are awesome wilds that I am super excited about. All 5 varieties are from John (Pr0digal_son) I have so many cool varieties left in the seed bank, but they'll have to wait until I have more time to dedicate to my garden and family. 
 
For the past two years I have been a "geobachelor" which is a military term for folks that are stationed away from their families. I am only home on weekends...so dedicating so much of my few days home for the past two years to my grow has really been kinda selfish. 
 
All that being said, I am still a grow addict...so I have talked her into allowing a few more "must have" varieties. So to my 5 wilds I will be adding a couple staple varieties...oh and wait, I am overwintering 7 plants...well really 11 but 4 are just ornamentals for Bonchi plants. :rofl:
 
One overwinter is my growdown winner Birgit's Locoto...
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Official measurement for the contest was just over 11' tall. Seeds started on Valentines Day and final measurement on Halloween...fun contest. Haven't seen a growdown posted for this season??? Keep your eyes peeled folks, tons of fun!!!
 
Here is the list for 2014...
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Well not really a list as much as a photo...started 4 seeds each.
 
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Soaked overnight...
 
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Into peat pellets...
 
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and set in the magic temp zone on the heat mat...
 
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I verify temps using a meat thermometer and will monitor until It stays in the right temp area. 
 
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Temps slowly climbing for now...and there won't be much to report on for a while. These varieties are notorious for slow germination.
 
C. Tovarii 0/4
C. Exile Chacoense 0/4
C. Eximium 0/4
C. Galapagoense 0/4
Huge Rocopica 0/4
 
To those awesome varieties add the overwinters:
Birgits Locoto (3)
Romy Mystery Plant (2)
Pequin (1)
Goat's Weed (1)
Manzano (2) (still alive, but not attempting to overwinter...not gonna kill them on purpose though!!!)
 
I will also be sarting some Jals (Mucho Nacho) and Numex Big Jim's a bit later.
 
Here are links to my past two season's glogs...in case you're bored and have about a week to try to get through them both.
2012: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/27268-stc3248-just-another-grow-log-holiday-harvest/?hl=%20stc3248%20%202012
2013: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/36599-stc3248-2013-grow-log-seasons-greetings-and-seasons-end/
 
It for now folks...welcome to 2014!!! I will update when I can and show my growroom and the progress of the rest of the overwinter plants...Thanks for looking in, there are a ton of glogs this year! 
 
Nice updates Shane! The volunteers are looking strong, and you got some nice pods going. How long you gonna wait before harvesting the jals? Don't see any corking on the jalafeugos.

Burger looked good. Hard to find anything that hot in restaurants. Brick lane curry house gives free drinks to the folks who finish their phal curry. It's warm but nothing like some of the powders you guys send around.

Lookin forward to the pull!
 
I don't know where you posted this but it's brilliant! (I remember the post but not where... CRS:) Just like in the beer commercial :D
 
CLR for freeing up the sticky valves in the water timers.
 
I think you deserve a promotion ;)
 
Thanks for sharing that information.
 
Thanks Guys!!! Still have family in town and not as much time to get on as I had hoped, but I am getting out there in the garden and I took the time to snap a few so another quick update blitz!!! Going to once again just answer the questions without quoting.
 
MaxCaps...I will wait until most of them start to ripen red before pulling. I like the little added sweetness of a fully ripened pod vs. the green grocery store taste. There is some mild corking on both the Jalafuegos and the Mucho Nacho pods...some more than others. 
 
Devv...that was on OKgrowing's Glog. Hard water can stop them up pretty quick. They only run off two AA batteries, so not a lot of torque to move the parts in there. They are a great value, and when running smoothly those two little AAs will last all season, but a little maintenance is required when you have hard water. What I do is put a cap on each output and fill with CLR from the top while cycling the valves. Once they're stuck this may take some time and fresh batteries, but eventually you'll get the CLR all the way through. I do each of the two outputs on mine at the same time...once I am certain I got it full I let it sit for a while then cycle it some more until it is running smooth again then drain and run some clean water through it...done. They're not too pricey, but at $40 they ain't cheap enough for me to throw away just for gumming up!!!
 
Triple "J"...Zone 6, hmmm. I think you'd do well with some of the wild Baccatum types like Bird Aji would do very well there and should get very big. Pequins would do well also, they can take some cold and really take the summer heat. You could grow any of them though with a little patience, TLC and correct location in your garden. Most wilds like to grow in filtered sun with a little direct early or late. I also think the Chacoense and CGN 19198 I am growing would do awesome there...remind me later in the season and I will send some seeds your way!  
Porter is still being Porter...just getting old. He spends most of his time indoors these days. At 14 he's really old for a large dog, but still tries to act like a puppy when he's out and about and hurts himself. I will try to get some shots of the old man one of these days.
 
OK quick set of pics...
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Here is the C. Chacoense Var Exile from John that got topped...may take over this little garden if I don't do some pruning.
 
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It is absolutely loaded with sideways pods. They have more size to them than I thought they would. Most between 3/4" and 1" long.
 
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C. Galapagoense also from John (Pr0digal_son) this one is the largest of three I put in the ground. They're all taking their time...VERY slow to grow, but looking healthy and starting to branch out a bit.
 
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They're also doing a little of this now!!! :dance:
 
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The Cap. 1530 (Pr0digal_son) growing vine-like through it's companion plants. Many open flowers, and a few set pods...I keep just missing the prime flower pics, but will catch one at the right time one of these days. These and the 19198's have stunning little flowers.
 
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Here is my best flower pic so far on the 1530...doesn't do them justice.
 
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One of two Eximium plants I put in the ground...this one was also very slow to grow while in the grow room...but now that they're in-ground are really taking off.
 
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Here is the other little Eximium...very pretty little plants! I hope they push through to production.
 
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The sun-tanned pequins are going to be a pod/powder factory!!! This plant is setting many more pods per node than the one I grew last year.
 
Look away now if you're squeamish...
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Here is just a little of the pack-rat carnage. The good news it I think they may have finally gotten to some of the heat in a few of the big-jims like they did in the Jalapeno patch. 
 
Oh...and on the Jals, I finally got to sample a well ripened Jalafuego. I failed to take pics, but I really took my time and sampled it right. I cut the pod into sections and ate some of the pod wall and then some placenta separately with dinner last night. The pod walls were fairly mild with a sweet typical jal flavor...(very good) but the heat was a little disappointing. :mope: Until...I moved on to the placenta....WOW!!!  :fireball: Very long and VERY hot burn that even produced a few hiccups and eventually went on to burn on the inside of the ears if you know what I mean! Definitely not your average Jalapeno! My wife loves her pickled and poppered jals...but I will have to cut much of the placenta out to tame them a bit for her. The pods reminded me (heat wise not flavor) a lot of a Bishops Crown where the pod walls have almost zero heat but the placenta is hot (much hotter in these jals). Bottom line is it's a winner...pods are huge, hot and flavorful. Too bad they're a hybrid...so sharing seeds is out, but I do suggest ordering you some if you can find them!!!  
 
Nice bro.........your C.Galapagoense is marching right along....it seems that the plant has started a growth spurt.
 
All the wilds are healthy looking..............John and his magical seeds..................hehe
 
Another round of pics...just 'cause!
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My growdown plants are really starting to make a move! Woot! 
 
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Well, except for this one that my son and nephew topped with an airsoft rifle...
 
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CGN 19198 (Pr0digal_Son) I have three of these in the ground...and this one is the second largest. I have some pods and flowers, but once again I have not been able to properly capture that moment...
 
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Here are a few ready to open.
 
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A little blurry, but this is the other Chacoense Var. Exile (Pr0digal_son) taking on a more traditional growth habit than it's topped sibling. 
 
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Here is the largest CGN 19198, another vine-like grower. With some digging I found side shoots popping out of the Nasturtiums all over the place. One can be seen popping out along with the Onions on the right of the photo.
 
 
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Speaking of my Boy and Nephew...and growing up fast. Here they are at my daughter's graduation party making some new friends. Lol...That's my boy in the black tank top...
 
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and my 16 yo Daughter...being a ham for the cam.
 
Last but not least, back by popular (well mainly Triple "J") demand...
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Porter posing in front of the freshly staked Numex chiles...
 
All for now, hope you're all having a great week!!!
Shane
 
Nice update Shane!
 
Plants are looking stellar!
 
Nice looking kids you have, your son looks to be in a good location! And tell him to practice more with that airsoft! He missed one!
 
I already freed up one timer, two more to go ;) I've worked really hard at trying not to have to water so much, and up until now I've gone 4-5 days. But summer is here and its getting hot earlier, and staying hot later. Vay-Kay time is my worry.
 
Keep doing what you're doing, and have a great week!
 
millworkman said:
Great shots Shane.  Garden is looking great and those long term grows(kids) ain't to shabby either.
Thanks! Those long terms sure do seem to fly by...oldest going off to college in a couple months. Damn...
 
 
Devv said:
Nice update Shane!
 
Plants are looking stellar!
 
Nice looking kids you have, your son looks to be in a good location! And tell him to practice more with that airsoft! He missed one!
 
I already freed up one timer, two more to go ;) I've worked really hard at trying not to have to water so much, and up until now I've gone 4-5 days. But summer is here and its getting hot earlier, and staying hot later. Vay-Kay time is my worry.
 
Keep doing what you're doing, and have a great week!
Thanks Scott...I will keep the boy practicing. He's in football camp for the next month...then season starts, I should be able to get him back out there shooting by November. Lol
 
Glad the timer trick worked for you. On the real stubborn ones I spray in some penetrating oil, rinse and then use the CLR to finish the job.
 
 
stickman said:
Didn't know if you caught it Shane, but the OW Manzano you sent last year is starting to flower as of today... Cheers!
Have a great weekend!
I did Rick!!! Congrats, and great to see he's still kicking! I think that overwinter will set pods quicker and at a higher rate than you first year plant, even if it ain't as perdy. Good call on the OW!
 
 
maximumcapsicum said:
Great update Shane! Airsoft pruning always delivers the best results.
Well...that depends on perspective I guess, but it is effective, and more fun than the pruning sheers I suppose!
 
 
So my two weeks of leave have really flown by, but I sure did get a ton done and had some wonderful time with the family. My mom flew out from Tx and helped a ton in the garden. Didn't spend too much time updating here, because I didn't want to take away from the time with her. We added some Nons around the yard and even scored a few pepper plants!!! I may need a bump...or two. Here goes...
 
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Let's start small...very small! The lone Tovarii really struggled in the grow room...and even when outside in the container. I finally just put the little thing in the ground and it looks to be liking it! Some nice green new growth, still a very small plant in a big ugly world though. Speaking of ugly, just a few spots down in the same plot...
 
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I planted this awesome "volunteer" Red Rocoto I found at the Nursery...was really stoked! I have grown plenty of Manzanos, but never a Rocoto, but the next morning she looked...
 
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Like this...damn, damn, damn!!! I have never had any sign of rabbits or squirrels, but this was not the work of pack rats! The nice orange dust has prevented their return for a few days, but I am still worried about this and the other plants in this garden. The good news is...
 
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They had a replacement...and friends!!! Another Red Rocoto in the center flanked by an Apache Pepper on the left and a Chenzo on the right...
 
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Chenzo flower...
 
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CGN 19198 (Pr0digal_son) flower...
 
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C. 1530 (Pr0digal_son) flower
 
My wife had been eyeing some bricks that had been discarded after a neighbor did some renovations...and since it's her birthday this weekend...
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My son and I snatched them up and put them to some use...
 
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Porter thought he'd help by un-leveling what we'd already leveled and packed...lol
 
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Ahhh...time for a cold one or three!!! Notice the nice additions of the plants around the new patio...
 
10...will be back in a bit!!!
 
Thanks Rick!!!
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Here's another view of the new patio...
 
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Explosive Ember...
 
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Apache suffering from severe over watering by the nursery. Never heard of these so I googled them and they are mainly an ornamental with a little kick.
 
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Chenzo, cool looking little plant! The pods look like mini jalapenos with a sun tan...Both this one and the Apache were bought with the idea of going Bonchi with them later on...speaking of Jalapenos.
 
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They're starting to turn for me!!!
 
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I am so sold on these Jalafuegos! First to set, bigger pods, plenty hot and first to ripen all that and super prolific big healthy plants.
 
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First real pull of the season...Mucho Nacho and Big Jims to the left and Jalafuego and Joe E. Parkers to the right...
 
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Someone had asked about corking a while back...both varieties have some light corking, here are the Mucho Nachos...Nice big beefy pods, I have oven mitt sized hands.
 
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:dance:  :party: The Jalafuegos are freaking HUGE!!! :woohoo: They also have some light corking...well picked Jals can only mean one thing...
 
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Yup...Popper time!!! In the oven now, I will give you the play by play tomorrow or the next day.
 
Thanks for checking in folks!!! Back to the grind and to check on my Barracks plants tomorrow!
Shane
 
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