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New hobbyist looking for comments

B

Bladed

Hello there.  I am new into growing hot peppers, and have done quite a bit of reading (just found this site today) and have made some changes in what I was doing accordingly.  I am looking for some suggestions if anyone would like to take the time to comment.  
 
I am a fan of the Reaper, and also the Ghost pepper so I have started a Ghost plant and a set of Reaper seeds.  The Ghost seems to be doing reasonably well and has nearly tripled in size since I got it.  The Reapers are moving very slowly (as I understand is fairly normal) though they germinated very quickly.  Attached are pictures of both.
 
I have the Ghost outdoors (in Florida) and the Reapers are indoors in a 10g aquarium.  They have an LED red/blue light over them about 12 hours a day and a mat under the aquarium keeps the soil about 85 degrees or so.  I think my biggest concern and question is watering habits.  I give these guys very little water (in my opinion) with just a tablespoon or so on each plant every 3-4 days.  I noticed today the soil in the tank is very dry over all, brittle to the touch.  The plants though are green and while they aren't growing quickly, seem healthy.
 
So I am just looking for suggestions for overall improvement and maybe some additional opinion beyond what I read in the FAQ on when I should move these little guys into pots of their own.  Planting into the ground is not an option as I live in an apartment with just a small patio with direct light about 4-5 hours a day.  I plan to put them into 5 gallon bags when I put them into their "forever" home.
 
Thanks!
 
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The reaper seedlings are pretty leggy.  I'd advise you get the light over them down as close as possible without burning them.  
 
SmokenFire said:
The reaper seedlings are pretty leggy.  I'd advise you get the light over them down as close as possible without burning them.  
Click to expand...
 
The light sits on top of the 10G aquarium, 9.5 inches from the soil deck.  I can't really go closer than that.
 
I'm guessing the aquarium doesn't have drainage? I would get them out of there and into little pots or cups with drainage.
 
That should also get you closer to the light as well
 
I'm with hogleg on this one. My first thought was to get them into something with drainage pronto. Its only a matter of time until some serious root issues could develop without drainage. 
 
Be exceedingly gentle moving the little ones and they should be fine.
 
Those 5g fabric pots should work great, I use the 8 gallon version for my container plants and have been very pleased with them.
 
Bladed said:
 
The light sits on top of the 10G aquarium, 9.5 inches from the soil deck.  I can't really go closer than that.
Click to expand...
 
I'd advise that you transplant them into something with drainage as was already mentioned - perhaps then they could go back into the aquarium on top of the existing soil thereby being raised in height closer to the lamps.  If the light is too far above them they'll continue to stretch toward it, so when they eventually get planted out they will be spindly and weak - and susceptible to damage from wind and rain.
 
Water them just before transplanting will make it easier to get them out too.  Try and keep as much of their roots intact as possible. 
 
If you have enough room, I'd transplant them into solo cups. Should get them much closer to the light and it'll have some drainage. You could also leave the existing medium in if you trust the cups to sit flat on it.
 
I would take them out of aquarium and give them some wind to help them strenghten their roots and stem. Transplant them into individual pots with good drainage and they should be fine for some time.
 
Thank you all for advice.  I have moved them into 5G fabric bags as of this afternoon.  I was really shocked at how little root work they had, nearly non existent.  Here's hoping they like their new home.
 
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I'd be keen to see progress on those Reapers.
 
You may have little visual progress in such big containers, but all the business will be happening under the soil.
 
So something I've read that I think might affect me.  How important is wind and air current for growth? I have all the peppers indoors in 72 degrees under a light for 16 hours a day, but there is no real air current.  I suspect that when they flower I will have to put them outside to encourage the pollination, but at this stage should I be concerned with air movement?
 
You should really buy a cheap fan and point it at your plants while they are young. Air movement strengthens the stems and prevents fungal issues from occurring.

If you dont have strong stems you might have some damage when you put them outside or once they set pods inside.
 
So wanted to share an update on the reapers.  In my opinion I think they are growing slowly.  My Ghost pepper (which is outdoors) is blowing the doors off of these guys, having over quadrupled in size just in the past few months.  These Reapers now have quite a few more leaves, but haven't grown "up" very much at all, and the stalks are very thin.
 
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KAOS said:
I'd be keen to see progress on those Reapers.
 
You may have little visual progress in such big containers, but all the business will be happening under the soil.
Click to expand...
 

↑↑↑ - You might find a sudden boom in growth as soon as the roots have "grown" into their containers
 
 
In the same period of time, my Ghost Pepper has gone berserk.  No sign of any flowering, but a ton of leaves and a ton more budding.  It however is outside full time.
 
Ghost Pepper 7-17.jpg
 
Nice job. The reapers look like they have big healthy leaves and tight internodal spacing. Quite the turnaround from being leggy seedlings. The stems will thicken and you'll see some stretch between the nodes when they start to fork and flower.
 
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