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StettoGro '19: In For a Dime

76....In English that would be ALMOST TWICE AS DAMNED MANY AS LAST YEAR.
 
Ah well, Last year I dwelled on downsizing, this year I must have assumed it would be automatic.
 
I argued with myself over whether to glog at all this year, other than to carry over noobishness from the last two seasons I don't have that much to offer...But everyone loves to see a Zone 3 die-hard gardener scratch and claw his way through a short season!!
 
Anyhow, this is how my week started---I was particularly proud of my innovative use of the pill caddy.... :idea:
 
Soakin seeds.jpg

 
That was the first "load", almost all black seeds. The next day the yellow seeds went in while the black ones found their nests. The sad thing is the seeds I didn't put in; the Paprika and the Urfa Biber and the Aji Limo and the and the and the...Until that damned greenhouse gets itself magically erected I gotta limit myself.
 
OK, at least one of each Pubescen is going into fivers or larger containers. So will the best of the Pimenta De Neyde x Bonda Ma Jacques and my Sri Lanka Chilli Red competitor and what long season peppers I can. What goes into the 8th acre this year will be treated to a till-less grow, it's at least worth a try. Most of the anuums will be out there.
 
For what it's worth, here is the current state of my grow....
 
76 starts.jpg

 
Pubescens:
CaneDog
Big Apple Red Rocoto--3
Mini Brown Rocoto--3
De Seda Yellow/Orange Rocoto--3
Costa Rica Red Rocoto--3
XL Brown Rocoto--3
Gelbe Riesen Yellow Rocoto--3
Gelbe Riesen Var--3
Arequipa Giant Red Rocoto--3
 
Greenchilemonster
Giant Yellow Rocoto--3
Turbo Pube--3
Ecuador Red Rocoto---3
Aji Largo Rocoto--3
Large Red Rocoto--1
 
Chinense:
Greenchilemonster
Aji Arnaucho--2
Papa Dreadie SB--3
 
PaulG
Pimenta de Neyde x Bonda Ma Jacques Violet F6--3
Pimenta de Neyde x Bonda Ma Jacques White F6--3
 
Anuum:
Pepper Guru
Sri Lanka Chilli Red Growdown --2
Sri Lanka Chilli Red Off-Pheno (?)--1
 
Devv
Jimmy Nardello--3
 
Moruga Welder
Aleppo--3
Antake--2
Antep Aci Dolma--3
 
Tradewinds Fruit
Big Jim--6
Sante Fe Grande--2
 
Costco (yup, seeds from store peppers)
Red Bell (for the Darlin' Bride and her stir-fry)--6
 
I still have the OWs, Aji Amarillo, Aji Mango, Turbo Pube, Large Red Rocoto, Rocoto Rojo (2), Peruvian Red Rocoto (2) Ecuador Red Rocoto, Large Orange Thai, Aji Oro, Rocoto Arequipena, but I didn't want to brag.
 
Let the love-hate begin! I'm gonna start it with a Voodoo Ranger....
 
 
 
 
 
 
Uncle_Eccoli said:
The weather is certainly frustrating, but at least you've got lots of good window space!  Taking trips outside?
 
 
duck.jpg
 
HAW!! We had a mob of Mallards in the 8th acre this morning! 1 hen and a half dozen...ahermmm....uh, gentlemen. There was some chasin' and some fightin' and some f--well, it's that time of year.
 
On a positive note, first oriole flew in to our jelly feeder yesterday, almost a week early, and the hummingbirds showed up this morning...The effing barn swallows are here too, my favorite....said nobody in this house ever... :violin:  :flamethrower:
 
DWB said:
I saw on the news MN is getting hit by blizzards and Duluth got nearly a foot of snow between today and yesterday. I hope this isn't trashing your plans.
Nope. We're just 10-to-15° below seasonal averages (again), which means frost almost every night and cold windy days where it does little to exert the effort to haul them in & out.

I know some growers down in that snow event area (GIP, Skullbiker?), this isn't just a shit Spring for me.
 
stettoman said:
 
It's a Cycle of Life thing, Matt, they don't tend to work out great...My dad was enrolled in Hospice last week, his time is short. I do appreciate the thought.
 
Hell, I might have it backwards and will be checking in here for the relief & release of the anxiety involved with dealing with siblings and non-family members much more often.
 
I am sorry to hear about your papa, Eric. It's tough
when you know the end is drawing closer and there
is so much to say. We were fortunate that my dad
lived with us for ten years before he got sick and died,
so we really got to know him again after my mother died.
It was about the same time I started in on THP - 2012.
The forum was a much needed release and shelter from
the storm. We understand if you are OC for a bit. 
 
Hope that plant out date of three weeks from now comes
to pass for you, buddy. I think we are looking at starting
plant out early next week. The greenhouse plants have
hardened off pretty well. The garage plants having a tougher
time adapting, but lots of water during the hot windy days
seems to be holding them on course for the moment.
 
Peace be with you and your family, my friend.
 
PaulG said:
 
I am sorry to hear about your papa, Eric. It's tough
when you know the end is drawing closer and there
is so much to say. We were fortunate that my dad
lived with us for ten years before he got sick and died,
so we really got to know him again after my mother died.
It was about the same time I started in on THP - 2012.
The forum was a much needed release and shelter from
the storm. We understand if you are OC for a bit. 
 
Hope that plant out date of three weeks from now comes
to pass for you, buddy. I think we are looking at starting
plant out early next week. The greenhouse plants have
hardened off pretty well. The garage plants having a tougher
time adapting, but lots of water during the hot windy days
seems to be holding them on course for the moment.
 
Peace be with you and your family, my friend.
 
Hey Paul, thank you for your thoughts, they mean much.
 
...That goes for all of you.
 
Sorry to hear about your father Stettoman. It isn't an easy process but I will say that the faster the process concludes, the easier it is on everyone. If it lasts 2.5 years you get really exhausted. Now you can get back to living and most importantly having a routine. 
 
Rellenos look very good!. 
 
Zippy said:
Sorry to hear about your father Stettoman. It isn't an easy process but I will say that the faster the process concludes, the easier it is on everyone. If it lasts 2.5 years you get really exhausted. Now you can get back to living and most importantly having a routine. 
 
Rellenos look very good!. 
Thanks for that. You're right, it is grueling,

On another Dad note, around four years ago he handed me a little galvinized gallon pail, half full of dirt with a 5-inch stick sporting one small leaf at the top. He says to me "BUCKEYE!", which of course triggered the WTF face expression I carry around for just these circumstances.

This morning it is 5 feet tall and FLOWERING.

20190514_091241.jpg


A legacy. My Dad is a lifelong tree guy, and made one of me. My property is riddled with basswood, spruce, piss-elm, willow and maple trees he helped me dig up out of his woods & I relocated here...
 
stettoman said:
Thanks for that. You're right, it is grueling,

On another Dad note, around four years ago he handed me a little galvinized gallon pail, half full of dirt with a 5-inch stick sporting one small leaf at the top. He says to me "BUCKEYE!", which of course triggered the WTF face expression I carry around for just these circumstances.

This morning it is 5 feet tall and FLOWERING.

attachicon.gif
20190514_091241.jpg

A legacy. My Dad is a lifelong tree guy, and made one of me. My property is riddled with basswood, spruce, piss-elm, willow and maple trees he helped me dig up out of his woods & I relocated here...
That is so cool [emoji41] [emoji16][emoji106].


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Well, I'm running all kinds of late for all kinds of reasons, but my starts aren't suffering for it, though there confined space might be slowing them down. I gave some plants away to people I know will at least mean well...

...and I finally got a couple put in their summer shorts & tank tops:

20190521_102718.jpg


20190521_102831.jpg


The non-Pubescen kids are at least enjoying a very breezy day in a rare nearly sunny day. Good day for hardening. The runt is a Bell, no big deal (I know, I know, they ALL look like runts, but they're healthy runts...such is my lot).

2019-05-21 10.42.29.jpg


Then there's this guy: a red squirrel. Viscious, destructive, the bomb throwing terrorist of the squirrel world. Like the chipmonks (chokecherry marauders) and rabbits (fruit tree murderers) this one must go. This is the first year we've had them, and if I don't get them out before they breed they'll be here forever...

20190521_103052.jpg


That's what I got today. Please utilize this information prudently...
 
stettoman said:
Then there's this guy: a red squirrel. Viscious, destructive, the bomb throwing terrorist of the squirrel world. Like the chipmonks (chokecherry marauders) and rabbits (fruit tree murderers) this one must go. This is the first year we've had them, and if I don't get them out before they breed they'll be here forever...
 
 
They're suckers for a little 24x7x7 box trap baited with nuts. We had a crew around here my wife had tamed. It went on for many generations and eventually, the last generation of this particular dynasty became destructive and started eating the house. I caught one a day for a while and delivered them into the wildlife management area across the road.
 
 
Uncle_Eccoli said:
I. HATE. SQUIRRELS.  
 
Me too, on the reds and black ones. We don't have any grays, but lots of fox squirrels, which are more like watchdogs than anything else; They bark at anything within their perimeter.
 
DWB said:
 
They're suckers for a little 24x7x7 box trap baited with nuts. We had a crew around here my wife had tamed. It went on for many generations and eventually, the last generation of this particular dynasty became destructive and started eating the house. I caught one a day for a while and delivered them into the wildlife management area across the road.
 
 
Yessir, I have those traps and even a smaller one we caught an ermine in the house with two winters ago. If I catch him in one, I'll go ahead and drive him about 20 miles east to a lush federal wildlife refuge called Tamarac. If I catch him in a trap...
 
Uncle_Eccoli said:
If you take them a little ways away they come back.  Take them farther away and they die.  I'm not above shooting them, personally.
 
The only reason he lives now is that the Benelli was in the studio stripped down for a good clean-n-oilin'. The chipmonks get no benefit of a live trap, but the Darlin' Bride has already uttered the words "but he's so cute!", so traps first, as per her request.
 
CaneDog said:
Nice to see your peppers out chilling on the deck in some sun. Those rocoto leans tell me they're ready to get going, so hopefully the warm sunnies start rolling in.  Liking the look of your potting mix too; happy roots for happy plants!
 
Squirrels > Rabbits IMO, but neither is best.  Just too much risk with younger plants.
 
Thanks Dog. The mix is a wonky one that my OWs perked up to, so I wrote the specs down: 2 parts Garden Master Potting Soil (.03-.12-.17), 1 part Schultz Perlite (because it has 0-0-0), a trowel of primordial ooze from the 8th acre per 2 cu. ft of potting mix. Though the soil out of the 8th acre is pretty nutritious stuff, it hinders drainage. It's like the 3rd recipe I tried, and finally got the clue to quit adding any fish fert initially.
 
The red squirrels are not shy to get up on the deck and nibble. So far the peppers have been left alone, though they haven't been out much. They must go.
 
Orekoc said:
Old copies of the Joy of Cooking have directions on how to dress a squirrel.  Free protein.
 
I have yet to try it, but I'm told that fox squirrel, besides being the size of a cat, supposedly has the best overall flavor. I'm told red squirrel tastes like ass, but if they give me the right amount of motivation red squirrel will be my first epicurean endeavor into rodentia de delicatessen...
 
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