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2019 Hay Bale Pepper Patch

I've been a member for a while but never posted a grow log. My usual garden is too boring for that. I use 20-30 pots and overwinter my mama plants in a hillbilly winter shelter. Our ground here isn't good for in soil gardening and I've not been enthused enough to undertake the work and expense to build raised beds.
 
Now I have my peppers working the way I want and have the need for a much larger grow to supply a project. The main peppers I'll grow will be reaper, douglah and fatalii. For a couple of years I'll do hay bale gardens and heap tons of organic trash into the area. I have monumental amounts of pine straw, oak leaves and bonfire ash every year to dump in the walkways. I think this will do a world of good to make this new garden area mo'betta for eventual in ground growing.
 
I closed off a 38x38 patch in the NE field that gets full sun. This is the area I chose. The big painted guy is my fertilizer supplier.
 
The little painted guy is my running buddy and load inspector.
 
 
 

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Here's the 5th weekly growth comparison picture of the same bush baby section.
 
So far, what I've found good to eat is black beauty zucchini and yellow straightneck heirloom squash, sharpei and jalapeño peppers, little gem leaf lettuce, old homestead green beans, dill, sweet basil and cinnamon basil. Really hoping to get ahead of the worms and have some edible tomatoes soon.
 
 
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I sure do feel ya with the worm issues. I hate when I grab a ripe tom and it's mushy-gooey on the far side. I threw away two bigger than softball German Pinks this afternoon. The wife and I read up on the worms and you can treat the soil with BT as well. Read up on their life cycle..
 
Devv said:
I sure do feel ya with the worm issues. I hate when I grab a ripe tom and it's mushy-gooey on the far side. I threw away two bigger than softball German Pinks this afternoon. The wife and I read up on the worms and you can treat the soil with BT as well. Read up on their life cycle..
Click to expand...
 
I think I found the mother lode today. Some poke salad weeds up in the trees and 20 yards from the garden that were crawling with worms and some other bug that looked like it's uglier counterpart from hell.  I haven't seen any of these weevil-looking things in the garden but they acted like they have some kind of symbiotic good buddy relationship going. See pic here in Unc's grow log.
 
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/70555-next-to-my-chair/page-17#entry1633512
 
I will see if I can find the lifecycle of an armyworm and read up but if they're coming in by land, I laid down a barrier. I mixed a tank of 1% pure chlorpyrifos and flat out nuked the area with the infested poke salad but good. Then I laid down a perimeter around the entire garden and for good measure, I drew a line around every bale row.
 
I'll look into the dipel dust too. You spray that out with something like a rose duster?

 
 
DWB said:
 
I think I found the mother lode today. Some poke salad weeds up in the trees and 20 yards from the garden that were crawling with worms and some other bug that looked like it's uglier counterpart from hell.  I haven't seen any of these weevil-looking things in the garden but they acted like they have some kind of symbiotic good buddy relationship going. See pic here in Unc's grow log.
 
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/70555-next-to-my-chair/page-17#entry1633512
 
I will see if I can find the lifecycle of an armyworm and read up but if they're coming in by land, I laid down a barrier. I mixed a tank of 1% pure chlorpyrifos and flat out nuked the area with the infested poke salad but good. Then I laid down a perimeter around the entire garden and for good measure, I drew a line around every bale row.
 
I'll look into the dipel dust too. You spray that out with something like a rose duster?
 
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The original Dipel Dust we purchased came in these 1lb(?) cans
 
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ferti-lome-Dipel-Garden-Dust-Insect-Killer/38691597?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=1148&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42423897272&wl4=aud-566049426705:pla-51320962143&wl5=9027968&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=112562587&wl11=online&wl12=38691597&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv-rHpea34gIVDb7ACh2iiQ-JEAQYBCABEgLwRPD_BwE
 
Except we paid 3 bucks. I now have 2 4lb bags (6-7 bucks each), and will refill the shakers.
 
Edit: when I checked the link I saw $12 shipping! They crazy!
 
 
I think what's needed for spray, and probably dust, is great coverage. Hard to coat anything totally in the jungle but I haven't found a worm (dead or alive) after doing the 8 gallon spray on Tuesday. I did a 10 gallon spray this evening and added some surfactant to make it stick mo' betta. I really hosed them down. Fundamentally, irrigating with BT. I think it's working. I've actually picked three "meatless" tomatoes today.
 
I decided to get me a gallon of the stuff. That will make me 256 gallons of finished spray so I can make it rain BT. Got it here:
https://thelandscaperstore.com/products/thuricide-hpc-gallon-caterpillar-worm-control-15-128-oz-southern-ag
It cost me $34.88 delivered. Promo code for 10% discount is Lawn2012
 
Hey Paul, maybe I post a non-disgusting picture for you now?. My sharpei is the only pepper I've ever known to ripen from green to brown to red.
 
cBAGwRX.jpg

 
 
 
DWB said:
Here's the 5th weekly growth comparison picture of the same bush baby section.
 
So far, what I've found good to eat is black beauty zucchini and yellow straightneck heirloom squash, sharpei and jalapeño peppers, little gem leaf lettuce, old homestead green beans, dill, sweet basil and cinnamon basil. Really hoping to get ahead of the worms and have some edible tomatoes soon.
 
 
elNlvdf.jpg

 
Click to expand...
 
Is your Black Beauty Zucchini spreading or is it gorwing like a squash plant? I have some that seems to be doing both, thinking my seeds are bad, but I've never grew zucchini before.
 
 
Same six plants. Sixth week growth picture.
 
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What I did Monday. I burned some lump charcoal and red oak to heat 9 pounds of brisket at 250° for 9 hours to an internal temp of 205°. Then wrapped it in foil and a beach towel for an hour. Yes indeed, it was juicy and tender.
 
 
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