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Eephus's 2011 Grow Log

So I've never done a grow log, but this is my third consecutive growing season (chiles and other veggies), and I'm not really sure how many overall.

It's becoming a Christmas tradition for me to start seeds after all the hubbub has died down. Usually the 26th or 27th. Probably will be both earlier and later this time 'round.

I've got a very basic germination setup that consists of two 6' 2x4 square frames and some cross bracing, plus plywood for the trays. Each 'rack' (there are two) can hold three 48" fluorescent rigs with one grow light and one 'sunlight' spectrum light. I'll post pictures when able.

This time, I've been relegated to the back office at work, having been banned from gardening activities inside my own home. It sounds ominous, doesn't it? Mainly just because we're at kid #2 as of a few weeks back, and we're out of spare rooms. We need to move, but the school district is too good, and I digress...

Anyway, I'm sorting my final grow lists out and I'll continue to post here and solicit advice (which I continue to need plenty of) as I go along. My intent is to start between 360-450 seedlings of various kinds, assess the non-germs and attrition rate in late February, and then sell off or give away any excesses.

My tomatoes are set. I'm growing JD's Special C-Tex, Porter, Sungold, and Cherokee Purple.

I'll also germinate some greens (kale and chard) and some herbs (borage, basil).

But mostly, it'll be peppers.

I also aim to do a lazily controlled experiment to compare germination rates and growth rates between starter media, including PET-based cubes, bark-based cubes (Root Riot), rockwool, and two types of potting soil.

I'm excited about starting up again, and it's weird to still have fruit ripening outside right now when while I'll have starts going again. Last year, we got hit hard on 12/6. This year, we haven't had a nasty freeze yet. Just a few light ones, and most of my 2010 stock in pots is doing just fine.

That's all for now...
 
Tomatoes

JD's Special C-Tex
Sungold
Porter
Cherokee Purple
Gary'O Sena
El Salvadora

Sweet Peppers

Aji Dulce Yellow
Ashe County Pimento
Belize Sweet
Cachucha
Corbaci
Jimmy Nardello's
Kaleidoscope
Piquillo
St. Vincent Seasoning
Tobago Seasoning
Trinidad Perfume
Venezuelan Sweet Habanero
Zavory

Hot Peppers

7-Pot
Aji Angelo
Aji Limo Rojo
Aji Panca
Aribibi Gusano
Black Scorpion Tongue
Bhut Jolokia (Red)
Bhut Jolokia (Yellow)
Bulgarian Carrot
Cajamarca
Catarina
Chile de Arbol
Chilhaucle Negro
Chilhaucle Rojo
Chocolate Habanero
Costeno Amarillo
Criolla Sella
Datil
Fatalii
Garden Vato Habanero
Habanero de Arbol
Hawaiian Sweet Hot
Lemon Drop
Manzano (Red)
Manzano (Orange)
Manzano (Yellow)
Naga Jolokia
NuMex Heritage 6-4
NuMex Heritage Big Jim
Onza Roja
Piment da Neyde
Pimenta Barro do Robiero
Santa Fe Grande
Thai
White Habanero
Yellow Scorpion
 
Soaking my first 'batch' in liquid seaweed solution tonight. Testing three different locally available soil mixes. Four seeds each of six varieties.

7-Pot
Aji Limo Rojo
Jimmy Nardello's
Manzano/Rocoto (Red)
Naga Jolokia
Nepalese Bell

Figured I'd get some chinense, annums, pubescens and baccatums in the same run, just to see how they roll.
 
So I've never done a grow log, but this is my third consecutive growing season (chiles and other veggies), and I'm not really sure how many overall.

This time, I've been relegated to the back office at work, having been banned from gardening activities inside my own home. It sounds ominous, doesn't it? Mainly just because we're at kid #2 as of a few weeks back, and we're out of spare rooms. We need to move, but the school district is too good, and I digress...

Are you protecting your plants from the kids? My 2yr. old has already gone after my hotezel peppers and one of my bhuts. Where do you work that you have back office space to grow in? :)
 
Are you protecting your plants from the kids? My 2yr. old has already gone after my hotezel peppers and one of my bhuts. Where do you work that you have back office space to grow in? :)

:)

I'm protecting my plants from my kids (and cats), and my kids from my plants. Some of the hot peppers will give my kids a nasty jolt (seeds, flakes, etc.). As much joy as it would give me to see my cat squirm (he's earned it, believe me), I don't want my kids to get a trial by fire.

It's a family-owned race track business, so they tolerate my hi-jinx. It's actually my office. But I have plenty of room, and I actually work outside of it most of the time.
 
Started Round 2 soaking in seaweed this afternoon. This batch includes:

Aji Dulce Yellow
Aji Panca (chinense)
Aribibi Gusano
Cajamarca
Piment Barro do Robiero
Belize Sweet
Bhut Jolokia
Datil
Fatalii
Habanero de Arbol
Lemon Drop
Manzano (Orange)
Piment da Neyde
St. Vincent Seasoning
Trinidad Perfume
Venezuelan Sweet Habanero
Yellow Scorpon CARDI
Zavory

Mostly trying to get the chinense and pubes growing as early as possible to get out in mid-March.

Baccatums and annums will be sowed in early/mid January.
 
Do u soak the seeds on their own in seaweed solution? Does this help ur germination rates? I need to know cos my first year growing has seen some less than perfect germination.
 
Do u soak the seeds on their own in seaweed solution? Does this help ur germination rates? I need to know cos my first year growing has seen some less than perfect germination.

I did it inconsistently last year, and got what I thought to be better rates. Very unscientific and a possible placebo effect. But can't hurt anything.
 
First sprouts are up! Interestingly, in two different soil types, it is the Aji Limo Rojo that has emerged first.

Hopefully more to come soon...
 
Finally have some photos!

Naga Jolokia


Trinidad Perfume


Yellow Bhut


Overwintered Manzano


Overwintered Criolla Sella, looking pretty spindly


More to come later...
 
Okay, more...

Aji Dulce Yelow


Overwintered Chocolate Habanero. Note the blooms. Most seem to have dropped after blooming so far. But this is a third-year plant that gave me fruit twice last year. Can't wait to see what it does this year in a bigger pot.


St. Vincent's Seasoning (so far the largest chinense plant I have going)


Anaheims and a few other annums are starting their first flush now...


Kaleidoscope starting to bud as well. Still not sure if this is an annum or baccatum. If the latter, it'll be my earliest baccatum producer.
 
And finally...

7 Pot, in a pot


Overwintered Chile de Arbol. Check out the weird growth on the right side. That was the original bud out after I got it back outside. The new growth on the left is normal looking.


Overwintered White Bullet Hab, with a Vietnamese Multicolor volunteer!


And now some stuff in the ground.

Overwintered orange hab straight from Mexico, courtesy of Garden Vato


7-Pot


Criolla Sella. Check out how much bigger it is versus the overwintered one. Still trying to figure out which plants are worth overwintering. May only be the chinenses/slow growers.


Gen 2 Chocolate Hab from the third-year mama plant. These are growing very nicely. Have three total, all in different locales in the yard.


And one of my favs, a Naga that was weedeated by my neighbor's yard guy. It's back!
 
Looking really nice! and great list!
I think if the yard guy weedeated my plants
There may be some human fertilizer! :lol:
Great plants!

Kevin
 
Great looking plants Eephus, Like the motivational signs! Do they help?

I don't have a sports car.

Mike

lol. I forgot the silly signs were in there. My daughter (3) bought them for me last year. The 'Pray For Rain' one is definitely meaningful right now. Nasty drought a brewin' here.

Mike, if you ever find yourself in my 'hood, look me up anyway. I'll give you a thrill ride. If you like rollercoasters, you'll love this. If not, stay far away. ;)
 
I like the "grow dammit!" the best. :lol:

An interesting mix of nice stocky plants and tall, leggy ones you got there, Eephus. :P

Nah, seriously, looking gooood!

That's my fav, too!

I didn't grow many annums in the early part of the year last year, so I'm not sure if they're too tall 'n' skinny or not. But the overwintered Criolla Sella, and to a lesser extent the Manzano, look kind rough. But the Criolla was a tall slender plant for me last year, too. It rained down pods all year, though. I loved that thing. Have three of them growing this year. I should have half a pound of yellow powder by the EOY. lol.
 
Looking really nice! and great list!
I think if the yard guy weedeated my plants
There may be some human fertilizer! :lol:
Great plants!

Kevin

lol. Just careless and hamfisted. Just like about 90% of yard guys. They did it a bunch last year, too. Just on that side of the bed that is adjacent to his driveway. This was the first time the guy was actually there, though. I finally walked over and had a talk with Hugo about how damn long it takes these things to make peppers to begin with. Told him if he'd stop weedeating the damn plants, I'd give him some peppers to take home in the fall. :D
 
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