Mas Fuego's South Florida Grow 2017

mas_fuego · Feb 3, 2017

solid7 said:
Tomatillos are hit and miss. I had one plant that was loaded with more than it could bear. It didn't set until late in the summer. I had another one that set fruit when it was 8" tall, after the cold moved in. There were many more that never did anything. The best tip with tomatillos, is to plant a lot, cull the ones that aren't producing within a few weeks of the first one.
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I'm just going to say that tomatillos are crazy prolific producers, when they go. If you have 2 bearing plants, you have one too many!

Good word, thanks.

reelfunkedup · Feb 3, 2017

solid7 said:
Tomatillos are hit and miss. I had one plant that was loaded with more than it could bear. It didn't set until late in the summer. I had another one that set fruit when it was 8" tall, after the cold moved in. There were many more that never did anything. The best tip with tomatillos, is to plant a lot, cull the ones that aren't producing within a few weeks of the first one.
.
I'm just going to say that tomatillos are crazy prolific producers, when they go. If you have 2 bearing plants, you have one too many!

Exactly how I figured they would be after that season. I was planning on starting about a half dozen this year before I realized I had no more seeds. At this point, I'm OK forgoing them for other plants. Fueg, you gotta keep us updated on those. I'm hoping to grow vicariously through you for now.

solid7 · Feb 3, 2017

reelfunkedup said:
Exactly how I figured they would be after that season. I was planning on starting about a half dozen this year before I realized I had no more seeds. At this point, I'm OK forgoing them for other plants. Fueg, you gotta keep us updated on those. I'm hoping to grow vicariously through you for now.

Tomatillos produce some crazy volunteers. If you planted in-ground, just go check your plot this spring, and look for tightly clustered seedlings. Or, if you want some seeds, let me know.

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By the way, if you like tomatillos, I highly recommend the purple ones.

mas_fuego · Feb 3, 2017

reelfunkedup said:
I haven't known anyone else with that problem. Also, I grew them on a whim and kind of just went with set-and-forget. I was going to try again this year with more care, but the seeds went missing and I never got around to getting any more. If anything, just watch for whitefly and feed them regularly.

solid7 said:
Tomatillos are hit and miss. I had one plant that was loaded with more than it could bear. It didn't set until late in the summer. I had another one that set fruit when it was 8" tall, after the cold moved in. There were many more that never did anything. The best tip with tomatillos, is to plant a lot, cull the ones that aren't producing within a few weeks of the first one.
.
I'm just going to say that tomatillos are crazy prolific producers, when they go. If you have 2 bearing plants, you have one too many!

I didn't even buy these seeds. I got tomatillos from the Publix to make salsa verde and saved some seeds. I have no idea if these will produce but I am not likely to devote too many resources to something I can buy at Publix for $1. The plants seem to grow fairly slow so far. I am only container gardening and every pot is time and $$$.

mas_fuego · Feb 6, 2017

So I finally had a day off so I decided it was time to replant a few of the plants. Some needed it more than others. I am still experimenting with my soil mix and I think I might have made it not dense enough. We will see. I may have to watch the watering a little more closely before repotting again.

The main candidates:

Aji Habenero - Tradewinds Seeds

Red Paper Lantern Habenero - Juanitos

Cherry Peppers

Aji Lemon Drop

Yellow 7 pot
This one is a massive victory. I first germinated it mid December. After sprouting I put it outside where it got completely drenched several times. It just stopped growing. I wrote it off. I was new to germinating seeds and I would put them in a tray to water from the bottom. It would rain in the night and they would get soaked. I would dump out the tray and it would rain again and again and again. It was a really wet dry season here.

Anyway, I decided to repot this and give it a chance to live and here it is. Will it grow to fruiting? Who knows. But the fact it is growing is rewarding.

I also repotted some tomatillos, cucamellon and Everglades tomatoes

One more

mas_fuego · Feb 16, 2017

Not sure if anyone is even following along here but . . .

I bought 1 gallon Viagrow grow bags on Amazon for various reasons. I really like them.

I didn't take pics of potting them up and whatnot. But here are two tomatillos and a serrano I left neglected in a solo cup. It refused to die so I decided to reward it.

I may need to start a new post for this one but anyone know what is wrong with my Ghost pepper?

I got some mystery seeds that simply said Red Sweet. Here is what they look like. Pretty sure they are cherry peppers. We shall see.

Last but not least, Some cherry tomatoes

mas_fuego · Feb 23, 2017

So I have been trying to figure how to use my drip system with 1 gallon pots without having to hook up a drip line for each one. Here is what I have come up with. I put 6 grow bags in a tray and rig up some drip line in a circle.

Close up

They are .08gph drip lines so that is about perfect for me.

Here is what my smallest plants lin solo cups ook like

Slightly larger guys

And some of the larger ones in solo cups

mas_fuego · Feb 23, 2017

Though there is some disagreement, I seem to have broad mites. You can catch all the fun here http://thehotpepper.com/topic/63808-could-this-be-something-other-than-over-watering/?p=1425291

I sprayed with some soapy stuff and have ordered some other stuff today.

mas_fuego · Mar 1, 2017

I have nuked my plants with the sulfur stuff and pruned them. Here are how most of my affected plants look.

I have one more I will butcher after the fruit ripens.

mas_fuego · Mar 4, 2017

Got some odd shaped Scotch Bonnet

But some normals getting ripe.

solid7 · Mar 4, 2017

mas_fuego said:
Got some odd shaped Scotch Bonnet

Nothing odd about that Scotch Bonnet.

mas_fuego · Mar 8, 2017

Dried my Scorpians in the oven at 170 for like, forever and put them in a grinder. Now the peppers that were too hot for me to eat have become the spice that is too hot for me to use.

mas_fuego · Mar 11, 2017

How I am doing my drip irrigation currently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6IDq2s5cT0

juanitos · Mar 24, 2017

looks good

mas_fuego · Apr 15, 2017

Ok, I haven't posted many pics because . . . I didn't think there was much interesting happening. Not that now is really any different.

Aji Lemon Drop in 1 gallon bag

roots while repotting

New bucket. Thihnk it is 4 gallon

Brazilian Ghost Pepper that I snatched from the hands of the broad mites

Red Paper Lantern: Seeds from Juanitos

Zavery - Never tasted this one. Looking forward to seeing what it is like

Aji Habenero

Red Paper Lantern

More updates hopefully on Monday.

mas_fuego · Apr 21, 2017

My Chocolate Habanero was ready to leave the 1 gallon grow bag

In her new home

Brazilian Ghost Pepper

Scotch Bonnet Red. This things is short and bushy. don't know why. It is producing though. Fruit is really tasty and hotter than I was expecting.

Zavery - I am really looking forward to seeing what the fruit will be like on this one.

Scotch Bonnet MOA

Aji OmniColor

Aji Habenero - I have two of these and they are really thin plants. Not a lot of leaves.

What is out right now

In the wings

PaulG · Apr 22, 2017

Your grow looks great, Carl. What ever happened with the
Broad Mites, the plants look great?

"I may need to start a new post for this one but anyone know what is wrong with my Ghost pepper?"

Looks like a little leaf spot. I'd just cut off any affected leaves,
and if any others show signs of it, just cut them off, too. If it
gets serious, or as a preventative, Pepper Guru recommends
Bond Fruit, Nut and Orchard spray.

Keep up the good work!

mas_fuego · Apr 25, 2017

PaulG said:
Your grow looks great, Carl. What ever happened with the
Broad Mites, the plants look great?

"I may need to start a new post for this one but anyone know what is wrong with my Ghost pepper?"

Looks like a little leaf spot. I'd just cut off any affected leaves,
and if any others show signs of it, just cut them off, too. If it
gets serious, or as a preventative, Pepper Guru recommends
Bond Fruit, Nut and Orchard spray.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks. I need to update that thread . . . Actually, wait while I go find it.
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/63808-could-this-be-something-other-than-over-watering

short version, my one plant that was semi-mature got striped of all foliage and made it. And thats it.

mas_fuego · Apr 26, 2017

Cherry Bomb

Brazilian Ghost Peppers

Aji Lemon Drop

mas_fuego · Apr 28, 2017

Finally got my Nute system working.

I am still trying to figure out how much I should run but I am finally on autopilot!