• 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!
 
That last batch of pics with all those peppers is amazing. Good work Rick!
 
And yes, the YBS plant is in a class of its own. And darned if it doesn't make just killer salsa :P
 
karoo said:
Some great looking pods and plants.
That dehydrator looks fantastic.
One more thing to do. The "must do" DIY list is growing.

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
Cheers Jacques! We're on the downhill side of summer here so it should only be a few more months 'til you can plant out again. Have you started your chiles yet?
bpiela said:
Looks like you solved the pepper maggot issue!  Congrats!  Pods look great!
 
I think you're right Ben... not planting Annuums for a year where the infestation had been and planting garlic in their place seems to have let the little bastiges know it was time to move on.
Thanks for the good vibe! I'm not sure if the Malagueta will give me any ripe pods this year, but the rest are loaded and mostly beginning to ripen. I picked my first ripe PDN x Bonda this morning, and had half of it in an egg 'n cheese sandwich... that was plenty. [emoji16] I also picked my first ripe Rezha pod. I'll probably cook it up with pasta tonight. I'm starting to pick my Alfanerdz Douglahs too
Devv said:
That last batch of pics with all those peppers is amazing. Good work Rick!
 
And yes, the YBS plant is in a class of its own. And darned if it doesn't make just killer salsa :P
Yeah, I'll bet it makes killer salsa, it sure has a nice fruity flavor and TS heat. Plant's really kicking into production mode now... I should get close to a kilo of pods if the weather co-operates. Cheers Scott!
16558d90b24ee8578c627ef1a20e5508.jpg
9deb00dbbd12328995c8b9641743900d.jpg
e630d5590fec42482dac33187ba15007.jpg
2ab162d37bb74867f7e5202a9c815c7d.jpg



Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
f455f7f28dc7976a1a1d789e388a243f.jpg
 
Trident chilli said:
Really nice pods Rick very envious... nice shapes
Cheers John, we're finally in the sweet spot here. How are things on your side of the pond? Bonnets ripening yet? Mine are finally ripening. The pic showing them in hand gives you an idea of size.
karoo said:
Planting out just weeks away over here.
Spring and last frost on sept 1.
Growbox bursting out of it's seems.
I figured you'd have things well underway... Have you started posting pics?

Well folks, I'm starting to pick ripe pods in sufficient quantities to make it worth putting them in the solar dehydrator.... Szegedi Paprikas, Aleppo Peppers, Pequins, Goat's Weeds and Tepin crosses. I'm picking ripe Kapias too. Woot!
db2499fc3d342772e68ed5b27018acf3.jpg
54433ab55d4ba8fd02f323066523a557.jpg
f1c3f5cae6e0968bb0c5284a94ea9ef2.jpg
7c2a84fd3915d397153dcaae3c617164.jpg


Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
4eb2f0ed7c4e9e4d072aa2fc4ec8f6a7.jpg
 
Genetikx said:
Really nice MOAs Rick!

Good to see things are in high gear
Cheers Ryan! They're from seeds collected from my "prize-winning" MoA in the "Land of the Giants biggest Bonnet challenge" last year. I don't blame the THP member for lining up a grand prize provider that later welched out, but that's life in the big city I'm afraid. [emoji52]

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 
karoo said:
I bumped and updated my glog for you , easier to find now. :dance:
Cheers Jacques! I'll hafta check it out mos' def. [emoji111]
Devv said:
All looking good up your way Rick!
 
I keep looking at that calendar, about 30 days and I'm back in business :shh:
Thanks for the good vibe Scott. [emoji16] We'll be waiting to see how your garden does when it gets its second wind.

I'm getting a couple more chiles ripening up and coming to the table now... Yellow CARDI Scorpion and Red Rocoto. I'll hafta look and see if the Malagueta is atarting to blossom yet...

Cheers all!
88677580887ef07fad3f96049c44c271.jpg
e6156fed989ec6c3516bc99c86037561.jpg


Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 
The Chinense chiles are really stepping up here now... right on time. [emoji16] here's one day's harvest of MoAs, Douglahs, CARDI Yellow Scorps. There's even a ripe Manzano. The only fly in the ointment is what looks like pepper maggots in the Red Rocotos. 4 pods looked to be ripening and they turned out to be all infested. [emoji34] Hopefully that's all... the rest look OK.

I've got roughly a kilo and a half of pods to process ATM... time to start smoking, drying and canning!

I hope you all are doing well and pulling in great harvests.
2ea7ff23e3d9ffa66b9320b9191a9311.jpg
83cba4c3b129b1aa45ace887b191c6dd.jpg



Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
56e372c926951e20e22867e730399d59.jpg
 
Walchit said:
Looking good! I have a bunch that need processed right now too.
Devv said:
Glad to see the season turned out so well Rick! I haven't even thought about doing anything with my earlier harvests other than freezing what LB didn't dry.
Cheers guys! I'm definitely in sauce-making mode with the Chinense varieties, and drying my Annuums in the solar dehydrator. I finished a case of tomato-based sauce with Bhuts today that's incredible on pizza if mixed into the tomato sauce on it. I went out to my Mom's for a cookout today and she sent us home with a little over 8 quarts of blueberries from her bushes. Next up is a batch of my blueberry-based "Moose Breath" hot sauce made with Yellow Brains.

We pulled the last of the pole beans this weekend and removed the plants since we had an outbreak of Mexican Bean Beetles, but on the flip side we picked a wheelbarrow full of sweet onions and half a 5 gal pail of Roma-type tomatoes .

I hope everybody had a great Labor Day!
543559d43355d746956d4cac2308bc4b.jpg
1711b0bdefba85a1386baa0b6466a6d2.jpg
0f4cb64f6cb7580296dd4be25f29a7bf.jpg


Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 
Bhuter said:
I'm sorry, my friend. I shouldn't have been so vague.
Nice haul on the onions. Maybe one of these years I will get some onions in. When do you plant yours?

And that sauce looks good. I'm still waiting on my artwork for my tomato based batch I just made
 
Devv said:
Good stuff there Rick! Actually I planted Onion seeds yesterday ;)
Cool! Which variety did you plant Scott?

I recently picked up a book called "Eating on the Wild Side" by Jo Robinson, that talked about which varieties of common vegetables have the best antioxidant and phytonutrient content, and how best to store and prepare them to preserve those properties. I was pretty surprised to read that the big sweet onions had the least nutritional value. I love southern-fried onion rings made with them as an occasional treat, so I won't stop planting them completely, but will be planting the more pungent yellow storage onions for the bulk of my crop. Scallions are up to 15 times more nutritious than onions but don't store as long. I'll plant a couple blocks of winter-hardy "Evergreen" scallions and harvest as needed through the growing season.
Walchit said:
Nice haul on the onions. Maybe one of these years I will get some onions in. When do you plant yours?

And that sauce looks good. I'm still waiting on my artwork for my tomato based batch I just made
I start the seeds indoors about mid-January and transplant them outside when the crocus starts blooming. They can take a light freeze just fine in early spring, and grow bigger and faster from seeds rather than from sets.

We had our county fair last weekend, and I did extremely well this year... 9 first places, 4 second places and 1 third place, as well as best collection of peppers and best of show in the produce category for my Thai eggplants.

The MoA's and TS plants are tapering off here now and the Bhuts are producing the heaviest. I'm also starting to pick Rocotos and Manzanos. I've been drying my Annuum pods in the solar dehydrator but the days have been mostly cloudy or drizzly the last few weeks so I was forced to puree 2 cups of ripe Goat's Weed chiles with salt, vinegar and garlic and freeze it in small containers for use in stir-fries this winter. So far I have a pint of dried Pequins, a quart of dried Tepin crosses, nearly a quart of dried Goat's Weed chiles and fifteen 1-pint jars of pickled Jalapeno rings. The Chinense varieties have backed up to the point that I'm gonna make my "Self-immolation" hot sauce tomorrow to use up the bulk of them.

Take care all... I hope you're bringing in some great harvests this weekend! [emoji16]
7abbb58f313b11069f01689936a7e017.jpg
fd73295444873470b20be599091e5a7c.jpg
225fd60615a23ab90f067716adbbf4ca.jpg
c403a90a101b366bc566f5f4414b18cd.jpg
178eec095e3af6cb0da159181c08d316.jpg


41e9b7a6d7754853b78bb1953792fb5f.jpg
aa8db998adec6a83cd527d9eb2976715.jpg
 
Hi all!

The Wife's away this morning, so I'm making a batch of my "Self Immolation" sauce by roasting 3 pounds of my hottest chiles and as many heads of garlic. When they're nice and soft I'll puree them in a blender with fresh basil leaves, vinegar and salt, and run it all through a food mill before bottling. Last year it made four 7-ounce bottles of sauce, so I expect similar results this time.
Fans going in the kitchen windows blowing out and more windows open on the other side of the house to make a good cross draft! [emoji6]
4b6738f1a9c50fcb57285e86d0f77a33.jpg



68564e3055409686a4d14c01d278e599.jpg
 
Back
Top