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Scarlet Fire's 2012-2013 Glog updated 8/10/13

OK, so I finally have the 16 plants I can fit in my growspace, so here's what it looks like. These are all at staggered stages of growth for now, but only by a few weeks at most, so once the most recent seedlings catch up, it should look more uniform. Once again, my grow is at my dad's place 20-25 min away from my home, so I only see my plants once a week due to 40 hours/week of work in another county, and having a wife and 6 year-old here at home. Hopefully I won't get swamped by life during harvest season again and let this glog go neglected like last year's did.

Again I'm using General Organics nutrients plus Scott's bone meal, and all these young plants are potted up in a 50/50 mix of Fafard Organic and Fox Farm Light Warrior. Once they get transplanted, it'll be all Fafard Organic plus extra vermiculite. Oh yeah, the light is a 400w Metal Halide. Closer to spring time, I'll probably decrease the light hours and switch to High Pressure Sodium, but I've gotta play it by ear until I know how this setup will work.

2013 Grow List
(all pairs of one kind are side by side in the left and middle columns; singles are on the far right)

Black Naga (x2)
Fatalii (x2)
CGN 21500 (x2)
Billy Boy Red Douglah (x2)
Spicy Mustard Habanero (x2)
Carolina Reaper (x1)
7 Pot Jonah (x1)
Purple Jalapeno (x1)
Biquinho Yellow (x1)
Scotch Bonnet (x1)
7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow (x1)

Thanks to THP members for all but 5 of these seeds!
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Sorry I forgot the real camera for the first post. These are cell phone pics, but could be worse.

As you can see, they're in a storage area upstairs from my dad's garage. Not ideal, but it was my only shot at getting started indoors while I'm back in GA for the next few years. It's well-insulated, but NON-heated, so the MH light is on 18/6 along with a small space heater right next to the plants. The sickly little plant on the ground is a Peter Pepper my grandmother started in a ziplock bag and gave to me last month. I have no interest in keeping it, but I figure I'll let it live while there's still room for it.

Why only 16 plants? Because the frame we built can fit them 4x4 in 10-inch containers once they get big, and with only one bulb, I think any more would be pushing it. TRUST me, I wish I had the resources for 25+ plants, but beggars can't be choosers.

I'm going to be visiting the grow every Friday or Saturday to check on things and take pictures, so expect an update every weekend. As long as the night temps don't get too low in there, and I don't lose anymore to early nute burn, I think these are my keepers.
 
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PexPeppers said:
youre losing a LOT of light by having it that far away.
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I know, gotta find the rest of my chain. I bought 25 feet last year and the rest is somewhere in my gardening junk downstairs from the grow. The upside is that they don't dry out in the week I'm away from them between waterings. I only get about 30 min a week with the plants, so there's always a list of things to tweak by the time I get there. Also going to put my germination heating pad underneath them next week to fight these low night temps.
 
Scarlet Fire said:
I know, gotta find the rest of my chain. I bought 25 feet last year and the rest is somewhere in my gardening junk downstairs from the grow. The upside is that they don't dry out in the week I'm away from them between waterings. I only get about 30 min a week with the plants, so there's always a list of things to tweak by the time I get there. Also going to put my germination heating pad underneath them next week to fight these low night temps.
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If you want to keep more light in, wrap it all in mylar!
 
PexPeppers said:
cinder blocks or whatever else you may have at hand
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If I can't find the rest of my chain next week when I go to feed, I'm going to stack more buckets underneath to raise it. That way I can just lower it a little at a time as they get taller. Mylar is probably part of the plan after Xmas once I have some money and the leaves start competing for light.
 
Scarlet Fire said:
If I can't find the rest of my chain next week when I go to feed, I'm going to stack more buckets underneath to raise it. That way I can just lower it a little at a time as they get taller. Mylar is probably part of the plan after Xmas once I have some money and the leaves start competing for light.
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sounds good!
 
I had to swing by my dad's today to pick up an xmas package, and found a length of chain when I checked on the grow. Was able to lower the light a bit and noticed that they've grown a good bit in the last week. I'm starting to think I won't be able to wait until after xmas to transplant them.

12/5/12
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Everything's doing alright, so I think this will be the official 2013 line up, plus my 6 overwinters (whatever lives, that is).
 
Already falling behind on this glog, as well as upkeep for the grow itself to be honest. Glad xmas is behind us, and I can finally get back on track. Everything got repotted last weekend, but yet again I'm left with a great distance between the light and my plants. Gotta try to pick up another length of chain next weekend. Anyway, here are some cell pics of how everything looked this morning (I brought the real camera, but it was uncharged :mad: ).
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I've got a space heater running 24/7 in there, which I think is helping them fight the cold during the 6 hours of darkness each day.

On a different, but not unrelated note, I just found out yesterday that my 8-week work training trip to New Hampshire has been reduced to 4 weeks, and pushed off until January 20th due to inclement weather. This is a massive relief for a number of reasons, but it should also allow for me to leave my wife with a much smaller assignment in caring for the grow while I'm gone.

Oh yeah - the local garden store quit stocking Fafard organic. Probably because they were overcharging so much that I'm the only one who ever bought it. These are potted up in a 50/50 mixture of organic miracle grow, and an organic compost I forget the name of, along with lots of perlite and vermiculite.
 
Coming along nicely. I thought for sure I'd find some sick plants today because it's been very cold (for down here) lately, and the little space heater next to the plants can only do so much in such a large room, but looks like they're doing alright. Purple Jalapeno, and a Black Naga are already showing flowers.

1.5.13
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Last update for a while. I'm leaving in the morning for my job training in New Hampshire, so my wife will be tending the plants. I'm very anxious to see how things will look in a month. These were taken yesterday:

1.18.13
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First pod produced: Purple Jalapeno!
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My 6 overwinters got their monthly watering. 1 Bhut, 1 Charleston Cayenne, 2 Chocolate Habaneros, and 2 Cow Horns.

I'm hoping to see some taller plants with more buds when I return on February 13th. Take care folks!
 
OK, I got a 4 day trip home from work to spend with my family. I've got to head back north the day after tomorrow, and won't be home for good until mid-March. I was able to drop by my dad's shortly yesterday to check on the plants. They've grown quite a bit, but were very dry, and the room was like 85 degrees. I raised the light about half a foot, decreased their photoperiod to 14/10, watered the hell out of everything, and opened the window to outside to let some of the excess heat out.

2.14.13
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Overall, looking not bad for only getting 2 or 3 visits in the last month before yesterday.
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This poor CGN 21500 is barely hanging on, but luckily I have another of this variety. If it looks absolutely hopeless in 2 days, I'm going to throw it out, and move one of my overwinters into its place to start regenerating foliage.
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My Carolina Reaper is probably the 2nd sickest plant of the 16, but I'm confident it will be in good health again with some TLC. I'd hate to lose my only Reaper, since I lost my last 10 seeds.
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This Purple Jalapeno was very tasty, but had minimal heat. I guess that's not so bad though, since this year's crop is mostly superhots.
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No surprise that the plants on the perimeter of the garden have grown the tallest, as they're farthest from the bulb. Left to right: Yellow Brain Strain, 7 Pot Jonah, Black Naga, and Yellow Biquinho.

My dad has offered to give them an extra watering or 2 a week, in addition to my wife continuing to feed and rotate them once weekly.

Sorry this is such an abbreviated update, but I'm just home to see my family. As long as half the grow was still alive, I'd be plenty grateful. Can't WAIT to get this trip over with, and have everything transplanted and ready for the great outdoors by late March.

Check back in a month!
 
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