• Blog your pepper progress. The first image in your first post will be used to represent your Glog.

Stickman's 2018 Soil Mineralization Glog

Hi all! Now that the new year is here, it's time to swing into gear and get ready for the next season of growing chiles! I'll be starting my seeds in a few weeks, and after rotating the crops in my raised beds to get rid of the Pepper Maggots that showed up in 2016, I'll be able to plant a lot more this year. In the meantime, I thought I'd share what I do to prepare my garden soil for the start of the season. I've grown chiles in pots and in-ground, and for me at least, I seem to do better with the plants grown in the soil.
 
To start with, my garden soil is sandy, so I have to add lots of compost in the top six inches of soil to hold moisture and prevent nutrients from leaching away. Soil microbes break it down in just a few years though, so keeping it topped up is a yearly necessity. We compost our kitchen waste to that end, but there's never enough, so we also buy it from a local outfit that produces it commercially. I was put onto adding biochar as well by brother Scott (Devv.)  The biochar does the same things that humus does but it lasts longer and  helps the environment by sequestering carbon in the soil. I've also been reading about how amending with Montmorillonite clay can increase fertility and help with soil structure, but more on that in a future post.
 
At the end of each growing season I take soil samples from my various gardens and get them tested at Logan Labs in Ohio. They do a more thorough job than our UMass extension by testing for Cobalt, Molybdenum and Silicate levels as well as he usual suspects. :)    I'm taking a "Build and Maintain" approach toward soil nutrients because I want my plants to have the best organic nutrition available to them, and at the small scale I'm planting, it's affordable for me. http://nevegetable.org/cultural-practices/plant-nutrients  
 
Here's my last soil test, taken the end of November. It's the starting point for figuring what amendments I'll need when I prep my beds for planting in the spring. The pepper garden is bordered in yellow.
fall2017soiltest.png

 
In my next post I'll cover the math I use to figure that out. Cheers!
 
Devv said:
Are you going to try the Calmag for the maters this season?
 
I had zero BER this year using it.
Well, my soil test said I have more than adequate calcium Scott, the main problems come from the sandy soil and the upward creep of the pH. I put down Sulfur this year to correct the pH, I've got 10% organic matter in the soil to hold moisture and nutes at root level, and I mulched the 'maters with about 6 inches of straw to counter too quick evaporation... I think I'll try to get by without using the CalMag at first, but will begin using it as a root drench at the first sign of BER.

Here are the Annuums... the Tepins and Aleppo peppers are setting pods right now... and one of the Tepins aeems to be a cross of some sort. I'll have to go back to when I grew them last to find what was planted closest to them. Goat's Weed is starting to flower, Anchos are next, and all are showing new growth. The smallest plants are the Jals... the Jalafuegos are smaller than the Craig's Grande, but I think they'll pick up the pace when it warms up a little more at night.

 
Ancho
16383f15780cf9c1743aa78fb3748b43.jpg

 
Goat's Weeds
81f2244dd20764044b1a0218cd88c4b9.jpg

fce022c76db48b7252db7a7884f415de.jpg

 
Jalapeno Jalafuego
7a60ded3581c169d2d2abd9b6b396349.jpg

 
Jalapeno Craig's Grande
0461f6fbbf2b25e437b4211cf057a645.jpg

 
Aleppo
37446e916c26f8f65ee23a302bb330f8.jpg

 
Tepin mystery cross
b273ea52be84732a7470357d55691378.jpg

 
Pequin
443af7cee25f97f2264a1f118c4ff489.jpg

 
Rezha Pepper
eef1989cc19a36c210dc56cb78e2497b.jpg

 
Thai Masego Eggplant
eggplant5.27.jpg
 
Looking good Rick! And those Chinense will kick back in before you know it.
 
If you do decide to use Calmag apply it in  a foliar application. My experiments show it to be far more effective than using in a watering routine.
 
Devv said:
Looking good Rick! And those Chinense will kick back in before you know it.
 
If you do decide to use Calmag apply it in  a foliar application. My experiments show it to be far more effective than using in a watering routine.
Thanks for the input Scott... I'll remember your recommendations. Cheers!

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 
Boy, it's been a crazy few weeks around here... the news lately seems to be about all the rain and extreme wind the folks in the south and midwest have been getting. It hasn't been that extreme here except that the temperatures have been bouncing back and forth between cool and dry and hot and dry. Folks mowing their lawns here today have been kicking up huge clouds of dust it's so bad. I've been watering by hand whenever I get a spare moment between work, household chores and getting my truck ready for inspection... I'm beginning to question my decision to not use drip irrigation this season. The Annuums are doing the best, with the Tepins, Aleppo peppers and Goat's Weed chiles beginning pod up. All the Pubes and Chinense chiles in the back yard have forked, and the Scorpions are blossoming or starting to. Nights are still cool enough that they're dropping blossoms, but they usually do that here until around the end of June to July 4th. I'll be in and out of THP for the next little while and try to catch up on your glogs as best I can. Cheers all, and have a productive weekend!
0642feda80a67f7320074a3e35daa5ce.jpg
e3002cee8a2fe873fd64e143faa60596.jpg
3224ceff6b7cf5e81996d28ed2c401fc.jpg
3c06c833f52ea84ed6b158e5d222148f.jpg
afb849a64ec5423afe21d4246858e770.jpg
948f9cb702bd7510a2e336d4c01a1e7c.jpg
bd4fecdc4c607dbc70b3fe74ba8943be.jpg
9aef42403ea406b587d0c2cc159890e0.jpg
70871784d8dba07509ae844c1fef56e4.jpg


Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 
stickman said:
 
Oh great... get yourself a bucket of grits! Lol! [emoji14] The Pequins I started are looking pretty good. Have you started the ones I sent you yet?
 
Haha...no chilis started this year. I have a few that made it through winter, but with the move coming up soon,k we didn't start anything this year. I did throw in a few more tomatoes and loads of flowers to pretty the place up for the market. Sold over asking so I think that paid off. Will feel much better once we close the deal in a few weeks. 
 
Sawyer said:
"...chiles beginning (to) pod up..."

And that's what it's all about (until things move to the kitchen).

Congratulations and good luck going forward.
Cheers John! I hope things are popping along for you for sure.
stc3248 said:
 
Haha...no chilis started this year. I have a few that made it through winter, but with the move coming up soon,k we didn't start anything this year. I did throw in a few more tomatoes and loads of flowers to pretty the place up for the market. Sold over asking so I think that paid off. Will feel much better once we close the deal in a few weeks. 
I understand... better to wait 'til next year when you're better situated. Have your kids all flown the nest? If so, it'll be like you and your wife starting all over again after the move. I should have a couple of quarts of Pequins by the end of the season... lemme know if you want them, and I'll send one your way. Here's how they're looking right now.
7ba4f9fc0516025734fdcd5964788178.jpg
3523e3f58cc4162a362bce8012d461c8.jpg

 
Tepins have been podding up for a couple of weeks now. The first pods were longer than I'd expected, but one plant at least seems to be settling down to the expected shape.
 
 
Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 

Attachments

  • 20180608_075425.jpg
    20180608_075425.jpg
    87.7 KB · Views: 36
  • 20180608_075330.jpg
    20180608_075330.jpg
    86.8 KB · Views: 43
  • 20180608_193322.jpg
    20180608_193322.jpg
    81.5 KB · Views: 39
  • 20180608_193050.jpg
    20180608_193050.jpg
    76.1 KB · Views: 38
  • 20180608_193029.jpg
    20180608_193029.jpg
    97.6 KB · Views: 36
  • 20180608_193152.jpg
    20180608_193152.jpg
    63.3 KB · Views: 36
Looking good Rick. I get how you feel about the weather.
We're dealing with hot weatheer and constant storms here since the start of june.
Hail storms are commonly predicted and the predictions are often true.
Luckily we covered the whole garden with the netting, bUt not the pots. If the storm comes from the south they'll get the beating. Hopefully not.

Anyway. Interesting glog you have as usual. I hope they flower and pod up like crazy for you man. Take care.
 
tsurrie said:
Looking good Rick. I get how you feel about the weather.
We're dealing with hot weatheer and constant storms here since the start of june.
Hail storms are commonly predicted and the predictions are often true.
Luckily we covered the whole garden with the netting, bUt not the pots. If the storm comes from the south they'll get the beating. Hopefully not.

Anyway. Interesting glog you have as usual. I hope they flower and pod up like crazy for you man. Take care.
Hi Uros! I'd be happy to split the difference with you weather-wise. Sounds like you could use more sun, and I could use more warmth and rain. I've been irrigating by hand so far this season and supplementing with water from our rain barrel when it rains enough. We're slowly making progress.

The last couple of meals have been tasty and spicy... San Diego-style fish tacos last night with a Jalapeno coleslaw punched up with a few dried Pequins, and juevos rancheros divorciadas for breakfast this morning with both red and green salsa and a couple more Pequins.

Have a great weekend all!
459ef45a3608bb0d6ba5bba6c1cdf730.jpg
ecbd10441188d5c6da46e047b238e6c3.jpg


Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 
The Korean radishes that reseeded themselves in the garlic bed got so big, today I pulled them up and made Spring Radish Water Kimchi (Yeolmu Mulkimchi.) It really comes into its own during the hot summer months served chilled alongside other summer fare, or as part of a cold chicken broth and buckwheat noodle soup called Naengmyon.
568dd37e959fcbb82fc0fcb06c7cdf94.jpg


Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 
Looking good, Rick! It looks like our plants are about the same growth-wise. Chinense trying to put on side branches and top buds while Annuums are podding up. I'm gonna grow some Aleppo's next year, but this year I found a Syrian Haskorea at the local nursery. Plants from there are hit or miss, but I have high hopes for this one. Heat wave coming...hopefully it'll be good for them. They need to GROW!!! Lol. But it's been raining so often that I've only watered once. So I can't feed.

Great looking dishes, Chef!
:cheers:
 
Bhuter said:
Looking good, Rick! It looks like our plants are about the same growth-wise. Chinense trying to put on side branches and top buds while Annuums are podding up. I'm gonna grow some Aleppo's next year, but this year I found a Syrian Haskorea at the local nursery. Plants from there are hit or miss, but I have high hopes for this one. Heat wave coming...hopefully it'll be good for them. They need to GROW!!! Lol. But it's been raining so often that I've only watered once. So I can't feed.

Great looking dishes, Chef!
:cheers:
Heh... I hear ya 'bout the cool weather this spring. With the exception of the growdown plant, the Chinense and Pubiscens varieties only started to really green up and grow in the last week. The same is true of the Jalapenos and Rezha peppers... the Hungarian, Aleppo, Tepin Cross and Pequin chiles are the only Annuums podding up right now. I'll try not to envy your rain... we've only gotten about 8 inches since the beginning of April. I tried to use water from the rain barrel as much as possible, but it doesn't stretch very far when it's this dry. We'll get there in the end... at least the Pequins are drought tolerant... [emoji4]

The kimchi's ready and in the fridge. I made a cold asian noodle soup with it for lunch today that really hit the spot. The next two days are supposed to be very hot, so I guess I got the timing right.
 
Late afternoon pic just before sundown...
1529190193765.jpg


Have a productive weekend all!


 
 
 
 
 
TrentL said:
Looks like they are recovering well from the sunburn! Should take off real nice now.
 
 

Cheers Trent! The biggest problems here were cold overnight temps and lack of rain. The nights are pretty consistently in the upper 50s-low  to mid 60s now, so as long as I keep them watered, they should finally green up and grow. The furthest along are the over-wintered Douglah...
Dougie.jpg

 
and the Growdown Yellow Brainstrain that got a larger pot than the rest. Both are blooming now, and the rest will hopefully not be far behind.
YBS.jpg
YBS1.jpg

 
The canopy of the growdown plant next to my size 10 foot.
YBS2.jpg

 
I just picked a big bowl of Lambs Quarters to cook up for supper later...
lambsquarters.jpg

 
Probably with one of these recipes... https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/myeongaju-muchim
or Quelites with tomatoes...  http://ediblebajaarizona.com/season-of-quelites
 
Your brainstrain is definitely killing mine. It didn't like my soil mixture at first or something. All the backup plants I put in the ground caught up to it real quick. Hopefully you get the rain and the warm nights you need!
 
Looking good Rick!
 
I can't believe you're still getting 50's, our night times are 75°, day times 95-100°. Which is why I'm throwing in the towel. The maters are done, so pick and pull, and take a break. First time in the last 30 months ;)
 
Walchit said:
Your brainstrain is definitely killing mine. It didn't like my soil mixture at first or something. All the backup plants I put in the ground caught up to it real quick. Hopefully you get the rain and the warm nights you need!
Sorry to hear that..... sounds like we're banging our heads against the wall for different reasons... I think the main reason I've done as well as I have so far is the early (for New England) start and weekly feedings my plants got before transplanting outside, plus the soil prep the beds got. I'm really sold on soil testing and building it up organically.
Devv said:
Looking good Rick!
 
I can't believe you're still getting 50's, our night times are 75°, day times 95-100°. Which is why I'm throwing in the towel. The maters are done, so pick and pull, and take a break. First time in the last 30 months ;)
Heh... believe it brother. [emoji849] I'm glad your garden did so well for you this season though. As we continue to dial in our garden soil, I'll be really interested in comparing notes... as we get time. [emoji6]

Looking through the freezer downstairs I see we had a quart of Charro Beans, so it looks like supper will be quelites with tomatoes, poblanos and frijoles, with rice and tortillas. Here's the finished product.
95802936c4d9a13c3ff0a93b49596463.jpg

 
 
bpiela said:
Looking great Rick!  Both plants and food look fantastic.
 

Cheers Ben! I hope all is well with you?
 
The Annuums are in full production mode now, as shown by all those dropped skirts on the plastic mulch...
skirts6.24.jpg

 
The plants have greened up and really begun to grow too.
annuums6.24.jpg

 
The Aleppo peppers are the biggest pods at the moment...
aleppo6.24.jpg

 
... and the Pequins are the most prolific.
pequins6.24.jpg

 
Rezha, Jalapenos and Kapia Ajvarski peppers are just starting to bloom. Here are the Ajvarskis.
ajvarski6.24.jpg

 
Kurtovska Kapias
Kurtovska6.24.jpg

 
Paprikas
paprika6.24.jpg

 
Poblanos
Poblano6.24.jpg

 
Goat's Weed
GoatsWeed6.24.jpg

 
In the pepper bed behind the house, the MoA Bonnets, CARDI Yellow Scorpion and Red Rocoto have joined the Yellow Brains and Douglah in blossoming, and the PDN x Bonda crosses will be next. Here's a Rocoto blossom.
rocoto6.24.jpg

 
Hope you all have a happy and productive weekend all. Cheers!
 
Back
Top