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JJJ Glog 2015....Peppers,Peppers,Peppers.....

Peppers,Peppers,Peppers.....
 
This starts my third Grow Log on THP.
 
And “I (as we all promise) am cutting back this year”, but we'll all struggle not to plant willy-nilly way more than we can easily get in the ground, consume, or harvest for next summer. There are many less innocent passions to pursue so, “what the hay?” My goal as far as cut-back, is to not end up with more that 45 plants in the ground about the end of May. But the “sowing itch” could make that 60 in a heart beat.
 
It's about time to get some soil made up. Last year I think for the first time I started to really get a handle and some decent results in the making of container soils, due mostly to the advice of Ganjagirl on a 420 site. Plus, I tried some plain ol' coir with hydro nutes and that  works as good as soil. Even grew some tomatoe transplants in pure, well-composted oak leaves and guano tea. Worked just fine. I made a trip to an organic farm supply last September and stocked up to add to what a scrounge up locally. I have some bricks of coir and a bale of sphagnum already soaking, worm casting, azomite, kelp, perlite, vermiculite, compost, composted oak leaves, glacial rock dust, oyster shell grit, dolomite, and a few other goodies at the ready to start thinking seriously about a final recipe. [SIZE=10pt]Thirty days is good to let everything meld before sowing in, but 60 days is better. So it's none too early.[/SIZE]
 
I'm still looking for that magic start date that gets the best-sized transplant plant in the ground with plenty of time to ripen fruit. The super-hots, manzanos, and a few others are the main lots that I want to time-tweak. First year, supers were sown in early February, the plants were smallish (bad soil, cool grow area) at mid-May plant out. Still they made a more than adequate crop, though some varieties had a lot of green pods at frost. That can be a factor of summer heat interrupting pollination and not just immature plants. Then the there's day length...so many variables, so few equations. A lot of things work plenty well enough, I have a habit of over-thinking. The next year I started early in January, good soil and warm grow space, thinking bigger plants would produce more ripe pods and maybe sooner too. It was better, but the the plants may have been a little root bound, it was dry for a month after plant-out, for what ever reason they seemed to stall in the ground, more than just a little transplant shock, but nothing major. So this year I'm going to do a bit of a straddle. A few early January supers, but moving to a gallon pot at about 4-6 weeks. Last year, I moved a few from 3.5” to 5” but I think there wasn't enough recovery time or pot volume to make a difference from the ones that stayed in 3.5” square (deep) pots. But in the end, this year's protocols will be just slightly better educated guesses with plenty of unknowns to keep me interested.
 
Anyway's here is my sowing calendar for peppers subject to change (without discretion)

 

 

 
Sowing dates will also flex I'm sure. I just need something to help me focus and control the Itch.
I've spent a fair amount of time getting my seed database in order this past year. 
 
I'm doing a little less experimenting variety wise this year. Lots fewer supers, but plenty enough to heat things up. I've thought of growing supers in 5 gal SIP buckets, but before I do that I need to hook them up on a float-controlled water supply. A SIP with a big plant in it sometimes need watering everyday and I'd rather side-step that everyday thing.
 
One pepper that I'm getting good mileage from on the dinner plate is the Manzano. I've still got good fresh peppers in the fridge over a month old. 
 
I grew 6 plants and some had ripening issues, but I've got a couple of early starts already going in 5" pots.
 

 
At this rate I'll have to prune or something make it to May. Those sprouted in about 11 days and are 5 weeks from seed. 
 
 
Rather than idle my grow shelves I've been cropping lettuce and chard on them for salads since an extra cold Nov decimated my outdoor lettuce bed among other things.
 

This is 25 days from seeding.
 
I did get my garlic in the ground a little earlier this year (about a month ago) and a nice layer of composted leaves on it.
 

 
I should start giving it liquid nutes about late February.
 
The only real expansion I have in mind is a series of small raised beds about  30" x 48" for herbs, perennials, and what not.
 

 
Plus some 4x4 for roses, 
 
Maybe some wine grapes - Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Riesling, do OK around here.
 
I'll likely plant another 25 raspberries in late March.
 
2015 could be the year I finally start some bee hives. Ya never know.
 
Thanks for reading.
 
Thanks, guys
 
I did get my grow medium mixed, although I'll be using up my last batch until February rolls around. 
Also, I still have a yard of used potting mix from my SIP buckets I need to re-amend.
 
Here's the latest recipe:
 


 
I'd rather use the TomatoTone if it were not a little rich for my blood. It's not too bad$$ if you can get the big sacks. It has mycros in it. I've never used the  Harmony. It is primarily chicken poo. I think this batch will be fine. Working with organics I find the nitrogen cycle the trickiest to get right. Time is an important ingredient, Although I'm pretty sure I could raise plants in pure coco coir with a liquid diet of  fresh teas from  Seabird Guano and kelp (or maybe comfrey). 
 

 
I may give it a small drink of some Epson salts and  yogurt whey when I turn the heap in a week or two.
Scrounging around in my shed, I found a peck or two of dried comfrey that I'll also feed to it some time closer to use date.
 

 
For now I've just dumped it on a tarp and wrapped it up. It can't be in an air-tight container so the microbes can breath nor can you just leave it open to rain either. Freezing will likely slow it considerably, so I'll bring some of it inside during January.
 
Thanks for reading
 
JJJessee said:
Thanks, guys
 
I did get my grow medium mixed, although I'll be using up my last batch until February rolls around. 
Also, I still have a yard of used potting mix from my SIP buckets I need to re-amend.
 
Here's the latest recipe:
 


 
JJJ, how do you mix up your medium? From pics it looks like you're turning it with a shovel in wheel barrow. Will all that fit in one batch, or do you break it up?
 
Thanks guys.
Just got back from visiting family for Christmas a couple days ago.
 
The Manzanos are moving right along -forking and budding.
 

 
They were a little dry when I got back. Probably were only watered twice while I was away. This pair seems to be growing well enough. I thought  more robust perhaps than last year, but on review I had one or more blooming at just over 8 weeks. These were sown on 11/9/14, popped on 11/20/14, so just under 7 weeks from sprouting. I've removed several flower buds, so about the same I guess. I'll up pot these in early or mid-February and again early April. Some pruning might also occur. My OW Manzano isn't going to re-sprout it seems.
 
But my bonchi candidate is coming around.
 

 

 
I don't think I'll remove any more wood until I see some new limbs forming the I can wire.
But I welcome any suggestions as this is my first effort.  A Fidalgo roxa would make a nice bonchi. It has  an unusual pod shape. and purplish foliage. I might try it as a bonchi from seedling.
 
 
It's been 3 weeks on the newest potting soil batch.
 

I had not turned it until today. It had a nice fuzzy coat of mycellium. I may  feed it again 3-4 weeks before I start using it. It seems a little on the peat-y side so I may tweek it with some perilte or small bark chips at some point.
My last batch is almost gone after filling some pots for my onion seed.
 

 
Austrailian Brown - a medium sized yellow good for storage. Intermediate day.
He Shi Ko - from seed I saved last year. It's a bunching type which I haven't fully got the hang of yet. 
Gaint Musselberg Leeks - my third try at the leek family.
Zebrune Shallots - a purplish torpedo shaped. 
I'm at intermediate-day latitude, and most onions seem to favor long or short-day development.
 
beyond nons....
 

Hellborus niger ready to bloom, but the old foliage on several is looking pretty ratty.
 
 
 

Hellborus foetida. I just brought it in a couple years ago and this one and a few others have adapted well.
 
Thanks for reading
 
Looks like you're on track for another great season!
 
Good job on the Manzano's! I really wish they would produce here, but it just gets too hot.
 
Keep it green!
 
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