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Peter's 2014 Grow Log

I planted these seeds last night.  I soaked them in a diluted tea solution for a few hours.
 
7-pot Brainstrain - Red x 4
7-Pot Primo x 2
Brown Congo x 2
Jalepeno x 3
Naga Morich x 4
Peter Pepper x 2
Reaper x 4
Red Bhut x 4
Serrano x 3
Trinidad 7-pod Brainstrain - Yellow x 2
White Yucatan Habanero x 2
Yellow Jellybean x 4
 
Should be 36 plants total, but I planted 3 seeds for each one, will clip the smaller ones. One of the Serrano's bounced into the Peter Pepper tray. I think I got the right one back out, but they looked almost identical. So there might be a surprise later. 
 
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trays.jpg

 
I converted an old turtle tank for keeping the seeds warm. There is a heat pad underneath the tray. The light is an aquarium light used for growing aquatic plants. It's 2 t-5s, 6700K. I have it on now to generate more heat, and for the seedlings when they sprout. I have a 2ft, 4 bulb t-5 fixture that I'm going to setup next to this tank for when they get bigger.
 
germBox.jpg

 
The shot glass is a Naga Morich I'm growing for a facebook contest. 
 
This is my first year growing from seed. I grew a few pepper plants last year that I got from Lowes, as starters. 
 
I'm a little nervous hoping everything goes right. I know I'll check these constantly.
 
Thanks all for the well wishes. Just checked the soil temp with a meat thermometer. It looks between 85 and 90.
 
Before putting the seeds in yesterday, I pre-moistened the soil. I'm using Dr. Earth Root Zone Starter Mix. After placing the seeds I soaked water from the bottom for about 25 minutes, then poured out the excess. Before they sprout, should I just lightly spray the top as needed to the top layer moist, then bottom water only after they come up? I feel like a mother hen.
 
Peter S said:
Before they sprout, should I just lightly spray the top as needed to the top layer moist, then bottom water only after they come up? I feel like a mother hen.
 
     You got it, mang! Just make sure the soil zone around the seed stays moist. (Covering with plastic wrap can help regulate moisture levels, too.) If a sprouted seed dries out, it's toast…
     During this time, it's important to keep an eye out for mold growth. Sometimes it seems almost inevitable that your soil will get a little "fuzzy" during the germination process (especially if you're sprouting your seeds in soil). Too much mold on the soil's surface can cause young seedlings to damp off. Once they sprout, proper bottom watering will make surface mold all but impossible.
     Good luck on your grow!
 
dash 2, I'm getting some sprouts but it's getting harder to keep the ones that haven't come up moist, and the others a little dryer on top. I shouldn't have planted so many different varieties together in the cell 6-packs, maybe I should have used individual containers. I think I saw a dreaded fungus gnat on one of the cells this morning. I might dose with some diluted h2o2 later.
 
Some of the sprouts have part the seeds attached too. I think I planted them too shallow. I haven't messed with them, and several have come off on their own. I'll post some more pics soon.
 
That's pretty fast hookin' for a naga morich, or any pepper really.
So, you're doing something right.
 
Yes, juggling mositure levels between  seeds and cotys it tricky, and as you've seen, an easy way to separate them is helpful.
 
Looks like you are sprouting for one plant per cell. Maybe after a day or two after a coty appears go ahead an pot it up to a 2.5 or 3.5 pot, deep version, if you can find them. Or just cut the plastic cell off the others as they sprout and move it.
They need to be within 2-3" of the fluorescent lights soon after sprouting. But watch for heat.
You'll learn a lot about tweaking micro-climates in the next month or two. :D
 
 
What kind of potting soil are you using?
 
When do these bad girls get to go outside and play?
 
Container grow? or in-ground?
 
Inquiring minds want to know. :D
 
Hello there fellow Carolinian!! Looks like you got yourself a nice list of peppers and I like your seed propagator setup as well.  Buried with an iced over 5 inches here but today it is time to move some seeds into cups as well.  You got a quick germination on your supers.  I have 4 Ghosts sprouted and awaiting my 7 Pots and Trini Scorps going on 2 weeks in the tray.  Hope it is a great season for you!!
Drop me a line if you near in NC.  
 
Mike
 
 
JJJessee said:
That's pretty fast hookin' for a naga morich, or any pepper really.
So, you're doing something right.
 
Yes, juggling mositure levels between  seeds and cotys it tricky, and as you've seen, an easy way to separate them is helpful.
 
Looks like you are sprouting for one plant per cell. Maybe after a day or two after a coty appears go ahead an pot it up to a 2.5 or 3.5 pot, deep version, if you can find them. Or just cut the plastic cell off the others as they sprout and move it.
They need to be within 2-3" of the fluorescent lights soon after sprouting. But watch for heat.
You'll learn a lot about tweaking micro-climates in the next month or two. :D
 
 
What kind of potting soil are you using?
 
When do these bad girls get to go outside and play?
 
Container grow? or in-ground?
 
Inquiring minds want to know. :D
 
JJJ, I'm using Dr. Earth Root Zone Starter Mix with some Myco Maximum mixed in. Although the Dr. Earth has something similar in it as well. The only thing I don't like about the Dr. Earth is the giant boulders of perlite. I'm putting 3 seeds per cell, but only keeping the best one of the three. I'm glad I did that, as some haven't come up yet. My plan is to pot them up to 18oz off-brand red Solo cups after some true leaves come out. I want to put them outside around the 1st week of May, depending on how the weather is. If they get too big for the solo cups, I'll pot them up into something bigger until they need to go out. I want to put about 10 or 15 in 5 gallon buckets, and the rest in the ground. I'm not sure what to use when potting up to the solo cups and then outside. I guess I can use the Dr. Earth for cups, and start adding some fertilizer. I'm not sure about outside yet. 
 
FireEater101 said:
Hello there fellow Carolinian!! Looks like you got yourself a nice list of peppers and I like your seed propagator setup as well.  Buried with an iced over 5 inches here but today it is time to move some seeds into cups as well.  You got a quick germination on your supers.  I have 4 Ghosts sprouted and awaiting my 7 Pots and Trini Scorps going on 2 weeks in the tray.  Hope it is a great season for you!!
Drop me a line if you near in NC.  
 
Mike
Mike, 

Thanks for the kind words on my improvised propagator. Somehow aluminum foil makes everything look high tech   :). We got lots of snow here too. Our St. Bernard loved it though. No power issues fortunately. Good luck with your grow. I'll try to find your glog if you have one up. I'm down that way a few times a year. I grew up about 30 miles NE of Raleigh and still have some family in the area.
 
I have a bunch of updated pics. I started a bunch more in 3oz dixie cups, some are duplicates of what I started originally. I had ordered some more seeds from Pepperlover, and she hooked me up with a bunch of extra, so I have to grow them :).  Here's the list of what I started this past Sunday.
 
7-pot Brainstrain - Red x2
7-Pot Primo x1
Bhut Jolokia Red x2
Bull's Heart x2
Hot Banana x2
Indian P-C1 x2
Jalepeno "Cracked" x2
Large Thick Cayenne x2
Mako akokɔsrade x2
Naga Morich x2
Red Fatali x2
Sweet Cayenne x2
Trinidad 7-pod Brainstrain - Yellow x1
Yellow Jellybean x2
 
Here are the cups in the germination area.
 
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I moved the trays to under my 2ft 4bulb t5ho setup next to it. We bought a kerosene heater for backup heat in case we lost electricity.  Didn't need it thankfully. I made good use of the box.
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Here's a view without the cardboard in front
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I don't think this will be enough room for all I have started, especially after putting them in bigger containers. I'll need to figure out something when I get to that point.
 
Here are my Reapers and Red Bhuts
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Reapers and Red Brainstrain that have come up
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7-Pot Primo and Yellow Jelly Bean
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Serranos and 1 Jalepeno
photo%25202%2520%25284%2529.JPG

 
Peter Peppers, Brown Congos, and White Yucatan Habs
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Yellow Brainstrains and Naga Morichs
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My shotglass contest Naga Morich
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Peter S said:
 

 
Mike, 

Thanks for the kind words on my improvised propagator. Somehow aluminum foil makes everything look high tech   :). We got lots of snow here too. Our St. Bernard loved it though. No power issues fortunately. Good luck with your grow. I'll try to find your glog if you have one up. I'm down that way a few times a year. I grew up about 30 miles NE of Raleigh and still have some family in the area.
 
I have a bunch of updated pics. I started a bunch more in 3oz dixie cups, some are duplicates of what I started originally. I had ordered some more seeds from Pepperlover, and she hooked me up with a bunch of extra, so I have to grow them :).  Here's the list of what I started this past Sunday.
 
7-pot Brainstrain - Red x2
7-Pot Primo x1
Bhut Jolokia Red x2
Bull's Heart x2
Hot Banana x2
Indian P-C1 x2
Jalepeno "Cracked" x2
Large Thick Cayenne x2
Mako akokɔsrade x2
Naga Morich x2
Red Fatali x2
Sweet Cayenne x2
Trinidad 7-pod Brainstrain - Yellow x1
Yellow Jellybean x2
 
 
 
You are most welcome!! Hey "affordable high tech" thats my cup of tea too!! Aluminum is pretty fancy!! Good to hear that this crazy storm didn't give you much grief like us too, no power issues thankfully here.  I am just S of Raleigh btw Garner and Fuquay.  If you are ever here maybe we can do a pepper exhange sometime.  
 
Your pepper list looks good.  I too last year bought most of my seeds from pepperlover.com A+++ vendor in my opinion.  I had germination rates on all of the varieties from there above 80%.  I even had 100% on my Red Bhuts 12 for 12 seeds.  Look out too I had a crazy year last year and planted about 110 from seeds.  PL sent me 3-4 extra varieties and I too had to plant them all.  So yes I got carried away.  I am going to start my 2014 glog this afternoon.  Check it out and follow along.  I will follow you here as well.  Here is to no more snow and springtime soon!!
 
Found this guy in my peppers today. I Googled it and think it's something that could be bad so I killed it.
 
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Peter S said:
Found this guy in my peppers today. I Googled it and think it's something that could be bad so I killed it.
 
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I have seen those around here too.  I am no expert but I do believe that is a stink bug.  I can't remember them ever causing me problems in past seasons but I read they do like to eat and can damage peppers.  Of course best to remove him like you did.  I hope you don't see anymore anytime soon!!
 
FireEater101 said:
 
 
I have seen those around here too.  I am no expert but I do believe that is a stink bug.  I can't remember them ever causing me problems in past seasons but I read they do like to eat and can damage peppers.  Of course best to remove him like you did.  I hope you don't see anymore anytime soon!!
Yeah I read they can damage many types of plants, didn't want to take any chances. Maybe he just came in while I had the basement door open this morning.
 
Lookin' good, Peter. 
I think you'll probably be OK in the solos until about May1, but it could be close.
There is a product that I'm investigating, and probably should have already been using, called Cannazym, that helps breaking down dead roots faster, reclaiming space in the medium so the problems of root binding are delayed or eliminated.
 
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