Stetto's First Winter Grow ('16-'17)

Malarky said:

congrats Eric!
Have your Mystery Aji Amarillo's set any pods yet?

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You know Matt, I really have no expectation from them. They still flower and bloom and refuse to produce pollen. I've even tried to cross pollinate with the ajis, which the only other plant I have that is flowering.

I got all summer though, right?

Congrats Eric , PODDAGE !  Yard looks sweet , nothing like being out in the stick ,   I wouldn't have it any other way myself . Have a Great time in CO. Safe travels to ya !

stettoman said:

The original goal of this grow was to find if I could do a winter start and actually keep an aji Amarillo alive to the point of harvesting ripe pods. In zone 3. Which, without my knowledge has been redesignated a fringe zone 4  ...
 
I officially report success!!!
 

 
We're heading to CO in the morning to visit our salsa-making friends, so this is timely. I have to wonder what she'll do with ORANGE pods! 

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Congrats Eric, those gals are in the dirt.
 
I hope the weather holds and you have a great year.
 
Enjoy  the trip!

The recuperation from 10 days on the road was grueling. Too much catching up. Then the band had a gig last night, of course me with no rehearsals in over three weeks. It went surprisingly well.

The pepper plants all spent those 10 days in one stage of shock or another. Most are still just coming out of it. I lost only one, a jalapeno tormenta. The Aji White Lightning Bolt looks to be the most robust, that one in a 5 gallon sack.

The weather has been predictably unpredictable, I was told it rained every day we were gone, all day soakers, but there's been a scant quarter inch in the 10 days since we got back. It appears the sweet peppers Scott sent are going to love it here, but don't quote me.

A whitetail wandered through them this morning, thankfully went straight between the rows, no tastetesting.

It's good to be home.

Congrats on the AA pods, Eric!  Good job getting
those to produce for you.  Now that you have plants
in the dirt, the fun begins!

Yesterday was humbling. I purchased a soil testing kit and learned some things about my primordial ooze: I am depleted in nutrients and off-the-scale alkyline across the entirety of the 8th acre.

I have 60 lbs. of Espoma organic soil acidifier shipping as I speak.

Adjustments must be made.

Boy, I'm afraid to have a soil test done. I'm sure it will mean yet mo work for me
 
Please be careful with the soil acidfier, one can't take back to much. Better to add in 3-4 small doses a few weeks apart. Just sayin'
 
How did you like the Aji Amarillo? We picked our first the other day; the wife tried it and it went in our meal. Good stuff!

Yea, take it easy with the PH adjustments. You've already nuked your plants once this year...
 
As for nutes, I can send you a box of Tucson's Finest Grade A Bat Poop.  Lightning in a bottle!  It will give your plants a serious case of Bat Crap Fever. 
 
Post some more pics if you get a chance....

Devv said:

Boy, I'm afraid to have a soil test done. I'm sure it will mean yet mo work for me
 
Please be careful with the soil acidfier, one can't take back to much. Better to add in 3-4 small doses a few weeks apart. Just sayin'
 
How did you like the Aji Amarillo? We picked our first the other day; the wife tried it and it went in our meal. Good stuff!

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Geonerd said:

Yea, take it easy with the PH adjustments. You've already nuked your plants once this year...
 
As for nutes, I can send you a box of Tucson's Finest Grade A Bat Poop.  Lightning in a bottle!  It will give your plants a serious case of Bat Crap Fever. 
 
Post some more pics if you get a chance....

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Yessir boys, commencing to take it easy with the acid adjustments....
 
Pics, you say? Well, ok. I'll start with the potted ladies on the deck.
 
This is a Rocoto Amarillo, seed from Malarky. It had an adverse reaction to a bug spray used to kill a PDreadie assassin. But it has many teensy flower buds and I have a hope...
 

 
Speak of the Devil! My recovering PDreadie SS, courtesy of Windchicken via Malarky. I believe it is both pissed and thankful, so I should get my Scotch Bonnet buckets full...
 

 
And here is an Aji White Lightning Bolt, the rambunctious one of the lot, I believe Geonerd shared the seed, ultimately sourced from BPiela.
 

 
My Lazarus Pepper, the Aji Lemon Drop. Back from the dead always trumps dead.....I, uh...always say...
 

 
Geo sent me some pods one day, and one that I tried out of the box was an Aji Mango. Numb--EEE!! So I planted one, which has finally come out of a slumber and shows signs of thriving!
 
Note the hopeful grow stake inserted for inspirational purposes...
 

 
I potted a couple of PaulG's F5 Aji Amarillos. They didn't seem to like me much at the beginning, but the ones that the DEER AREN'T EATING are doing wonderfully.
 

 
On to the 8th acre. These plants, though not racing for the sky, aren't all that unhealthy looking. In fact I only lost one pepper plant out here, a jalapeno. That was BEFORE THE FEKKIN' DEER....
 

 
Yes, weeds. I'm having trouble getting out there with a tiller or hoe because it keeps raining. I don't. Hoe. Muck. The area sans weeds was a science experiment with a product called Preen, which I will be using more and more...
 
An example of not-so-starving-for-nutes....yet. One of Devv's Sweet Paprika plants, adorned with dozens of tiny flower buds ready to make me paprika.
 

 
Ah, my tomatoes. Amish Paste they are, and growing faster than any I've planted these last 15 years. If the blight don't get them I should be swimming in sauce come August....
 

 
...a-a-a-a-nd FEKKIN' DEER TRACKS IN MY PEPPER PATCH. The dogs (seen in the prior tomato pic) went nuts about 6 am this morning. In 8 years of living in this particular spot I've NEVER had the deer invade, but invade they did last night. My exotic and superhots survived, except for one Aji Amarillo that I believe can come back, but the bastiges ate half of Momma's bell peppers to the nub, all of the lettuce and spinach, ate every last Christmas lima plant, started eating the leaves off my honey-crisp apple tree and trampled the shit outta...These are young'uns, this year's fawns, by the size of the prints.
 
Makes me want to hunt their mothers down and......Well, that'll have to wait til November, but BOY! Will I enjoy venison this Fall!!
 

 
Here is the victim Aji Amarillo. They left just enough...
 

 
 
So then, how was your Saturday morning?

Man that sucks about the deer . I would say I would put a cage over each one , but all is Looking good  ,  
 
Have you ever put down a thick layer of good hay ( johnathan ) to keep the weeds at bay ? It also breaks down to nice rich black soil .

moruga welder said:

Man that sucks about the deer . I would say I would put a cage over each one , but all is Looking good  ,  
 
Have you ever put down a thick layer of good hay ( johnathan ) to keep the weeds at bay ? It also breaks down to nice rich black soil .

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Frank, I've been thinking about all kinds of things, from hay to sphagnum peat to even tilling in perlite. My dilemma is energy spent against result and satisfaction. The wife has me talked into a raised bed for her strawbs next year, Malarky's setup has me thinking of raised beds for at least the peppers and tomatoes....
 
The deer I just want to eat.....

Oh, and the 8th acre had this thing in it this morning. The dogs cornered it. This pic is taken, of course, after the Mamma has cleaned it up and adopted it...
 
Can't be 6 weeks....
 

Sorry about the deer. They belong in the freezer, not in yer garden
 
Critters is why my garden is fenced. Not so pretty, but not care, it's just us out here, and it works It was first introduced to keep the dogs from "helping", and has expanded to meet current needs.
 
Funny how nothing eats the maters?? Speaking of, we have a few Amish Paste maties on the vine. For here the plant was a late entry this season; but next year I will plant 8 or 10 to see how they do. The ones on the vine look mas inviting
 
Thanks for turning me on to them buddy!
 
Your plants in the pots show some real promise! Looking forward to seeing them kick some tail
 
Plenty of feral kitties around here, they work the field rattas and nakers

Devv said:

Sorry about the deer. They belong in the freezer, not in yer garden
 
Critters is why my garden is fenced. Not so pretty, but not care, it's just us out here, and it works It was first introduced to keep the dogs from "helping", and has expanded to meet current needs.
 
Funny how nothing eats the maters?? Speaking of, we have a few Amish Paste maties on the vine. For here the plant was a late entry this season; but next year I will plant 8 or 10 to see how they do. The ones on the vine look mas inviting
 
Thanks for turning me on to them buddy!
 
Your plants in the pots show some real promise! Looking forward to seeing them kick some tail
 
Plenty of feral kitties around here, they work the field rattas and nakers

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I have a few in the freezer, you'd think that would deter naughty, wouldn't you....?
 
Fenced. Right! You reminded me that in our last place we had a deer/rabbit issue, and I set up a low-charge electric fence that did a pretty good job of keeping both out. I went to the shed, and after an hour of excavation I found the gear. Only took the wife and I a half hour to set up.
 

 
I even had a half roll of new wire to string.
 

 
Don't let the deer fool you, Scott. What had me buying this "dog fence" in the first place was the deer in the tomatoes. They would take a single bite out of every fruit on the vine, ruining them all.
 
I really don't get deer and their eating habits.
 
Oh, you had asked about our Amarillos. They tasted really good, but had very little punch in the way of heat. I'm hoping that they man up with subsequent pickins...

I can't get over the charcoal look of your soil! Mine in it's original state is like blonde beach sand...LOL
 
I hope the hot wire fence does the trick  
 
No deer here, could be the 2 Blue Lacy dogs keeping them at bay.
 
Yeah, the Amarillo doesn't have much heat, but the wife likes that level. So I'll grow them again. Most of my grow is for her anyways She's now officially hooked on peppers

Being NOT a subscriber to photobucket, I have no fear of being charged to post this pic-ture.
 
Holiday weekend, seem to have successfully fended off the deer (for now) and unbelievably all my peppers are coming back, the Aji Amarillos right up front and bushing like crazy. That last little plant on the very right end of the pic (besides onions) is a Borg9 from Mpicante, had completely died and one day sprouted a leaf the size of the head of a pin. The paprika is flowered up, none of these plants are over 10" tall, especially after the deer.
 
I'm going to the lake. Will try to be back Tuesday. Might not though. I may not be growing monsters, but they are doing quite well on autopilot.....
 
Happy 4th everyone!!
 

The garden looks great Eric!
 
Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Back in the saddle.
 

I was intent on an overall update today, but not a whole lot has developed in the last few days. I got some more weeding done where it's important. There are a lot of flower buds out in the 8th acre, for all except the Aji Amarillos. They are apparently continuing to regroup after the Bambi attack of 6/23. Everything is looking healthy, if not diminutive. Not the least of which this Borg9 Plant that was literally eaten to the ground, not even the stem showing above ground. I may have to overwinter this little gem from Mpicante just to get a pod, but talk about the endeavor to persevere!!
 
  
 
And right behind it I found that the Aji Oro Rocoto from Malarky has set blossoms! My first purple pepper blooms!!
 

 
Winner of Quickest to Recover From Deer Attack Award goes to the Aji Angelo, seed sourced from Geonerd.
 

 
And Devv, I got 2 Gochus, a Kurts, a Bieber, a large Orange Thai, ALL looking to produce! But I'm most impressed with the Sweet Paprika you sent me; instead of trying to redevelop leaves and branches, first thing that little bastige done was start pumping flowers! No, not a whole mess of them, I doubt there's enough time for any of these plants to get caught up with where they were before Deer Day, but just to see a plant flip off a natural enemy and make fruit anyway is amazing to me!!
 

 
I do hope the aji amarillos get started soon, they are short, but they are bushy.
 
The Amarillo on the deck is flowering and setting fruit, the ripening pods above attest to that. They didn't have benefit of deer.
 
Three of my favorites, not necessarily biggest or best, but they, like that poor little Borg9, have defied antagonists, nature-wise and me.
 
They are my Rocoto Amarillo, which suffered from pesticide attack (right). It is about to blossom too (love that purple!!). Thanks Malarky!
 
My Papa Dreadie Scotch Bonnet (in the back, and lookin' mighty good), victim of a large, hungry caterpillar that was eradicated via extreme measures that'd like to kill the poor afore mentioned Rocoto....Hat's off again to Malarky & Windchicken, upward nod to Mr. Dreadie hisself...
 
And not the least an Aji White Lightning Bolt (F2?), seeds stealthed to me by Geonerd via Ben Piela (on the left, y'all). This plant was actually the LAST seeds put to soil, almost two weeks after everything else was settled in. I'd say more than caught up. If I like the result I may be planting F3 next Spring....
 

 
Like I said, I would have offered an update, but not much going on quite yet...
 
 
 
Oh, then again...The wild raspberries are coming in!!
 

 
 
Thanks for your time, and stay tuned!!
 
From the stettoman's little 8th acre to yours.....
 

 

I forgots. Looks like there will be apples this Fall too....
 
Gonna be one heavy tree when these guys mature.