• If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.

Tips?

With a new season upon us, Maybe it's a good time to share tips and tricks we have learned over the seasons to help out some new growers.

Tips For germination?

Tips for high yield?

Your opinion of perfect soil?

Food and fertilizer tips?

Do and don't tips?

*Any of your "secrets" you post here will be fair game ;)
 
Currently my plants are growing the fastest they have yet and it's Autumn here in Adelaide. Average 20 Celsius
 
I took a new approach to the soil and stopped fertilising them with bottled nutrients. I top dressed with compost and then mulched with leaves and stems from trimmings. Each week I top dress with malted barley that I grind up and water it in. I also introduced some worms
 
Well first off will you be starting indoors? Im not sure of the weather where you are. But I will tell you what I have done so far and I am happy with the results..
I used the paper towel and bag trick for germination. Worked very well. most of my supers started in 5-10 days. after they started I put them into seed pods that I filled with 1/2 vermaculite and 1/2 seed starting mix. It worked pretty well, drained well and seemed to be loose enough to breathe but tight enough that the little guys didnt fall over. After the seed pods, I went to solo cups. My potting mix consists of an organic soil called "vigoro" it has a decent amount of composted cow manure, Perilite and commercial potting soil. Equal parts of each. again, it drains well, does not stay wet to long and everyone seems happy and healthy. I made sure to make holes in the bottoms of the cups for bottom feeding and I also mist the plants 1-2 times a day.
 
In conclusion, As far as I have seen and experienced, you want some air flow, well draining soil and some warmth with a good light. I just started using fish fert in adjacent weeks to epsom salt. I feed every week, with in between waterings as needed (in between waterings do not have any kind of feed)....
 
Check out the pics and posts in my glog if you want. I will say that everyone here has much to do with my success so far. very good community to be part of.
 
I germinated in rock wool cubes in a humidity dome this year - big fan. No handling of fragile seeds, just plant the entire cube in soil. Due to moving I started this year (my second season) the same time as last year - March 5th (I am in NorCal and last year I was harvesting peppers until November).

Obviously I'm looking to start around New Years for future grows. I'm currently using 2'x4' 8 bulb T5. LEDs have come down so much - next year I am thinking 2 600w full spectrum LEDs in a 4'x4' tent.
 
GnarlyPepper said:
Tip of the Day: When painting indoors, always use proper ventilation. 
 
 
Bonus Tip: Don't eat egg salad on the subway train.
 
 

:rofl: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA That is just funny
 
Germination: I use coir pellts under humidity dome on heat mats, thermostatically controlled ~85°F.
 
High yeild: I do not know about that, but in my experience, the more you pick, the more you get.
 
Perfect soil: No such thing; I believe that it depends on your particular climate and what varieties you grow. However, I believe well-drained soil is necessary.
 
Food and fertilizer: I do the organic thing. Alaska Fish, Alaska Seaweed, Neptunes Harvest Crab Shell (pulverized). The fish and seaweed mixed with tap water at 80% of recommended concentration, applied weekly starting in July throughout the season. Powdered crab shell tilled in a month before planting. I also till in organic blood meal and bone meal.
 
Do pay attention to your plants, watching for disease or pests.
 
Do not:
Overwater
Overfertilize
Overthink it. The plants know what to do, just let them do their thing.
 
Back
Top