• Everything other than hot peppers. Questions, discussion, and grow logs. Cannabis grow pics are only allowed when posted from a legal juridstiction.

2022 Outside-In

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Tinkerbelle099 said:
have you never heard of the Super hot Vole Pepper? :rofl:
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Can't say I have, but I know they don't like peppers very much. Anything else low hanging will get at least a sampling done on it. I don't think I've ever found a vole-nibbled pepper.
 
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Downriver said:
That's just their way of calling in (making) reinforcements to attack those aphids, lol..
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I prefer the larvae over the adults.. They are far more voracious and don't divide their focus. I was hoping to switch to Convergent Hippodamia, but the cold moved in too fast and I lost the idea in the rush. If I manage to collect some when the weather warms up, I'm going to have to isolate them until I can get around to collecting this new spawn. Might just skip it for this year.. Harmonia are really great to work with, and they seem to appreciate the winter oasis.


Looks like I am going to get a few isolated pods off this CP-203! The non-isolated plant has quite a few more pods, but they aren't coloring yet. These remind me of pictures I've seen of a couple of other Baccatum varieties, but they don't come to mind now. One of the small and infested Peach Caterpillar photo bombing in the back. Window seats are reserved for hosts.

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A little more perspective on the Aji Bird, which I'm guessing is PI#238061?? I still need to go back and figure out the duration on these, but they were fast. I lost some pod size with the indoor isolation, and the outdoor-grown ones came in up to 1.5cm long and up to 1cm wide, with a neat cherry shape. Decidulightful flavor similar to Challeano or Bishop's Crown with a good lasting heat, hotter than an average Challeano, but not as hot as a LemonDrop. The two topped ones are small enough that I might just roll with them for the winter, as is.
These are pictures of the Outdoor ones, for a better idea of typical pod sizes.

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This was my first year growing any form of Baccatum v. Baccatum, and won't be my last. I'll be starting a run from the open pollinated ones earlier next season.

If I'm correct in my deduction, and these originate from Bolivia.. I have to wonder at what the flavor of the Baccatum v. Baccatum of Peru are like. So far I haven't any other Baccatum that approaches the flavor of those Peruvian Sweet Red Baccatum v. Pendulum.

From what I've read about Baccatum v. Baccatum in the Chile Monograph, I'm excited to see how these manage in the Greenroom this winter. I was also a bit surprised to read about the preferences and tolerances of Baccatum v. Umb.. But not enough to tempt me with them again.
 
Downriver said:
I agree, that Aji Bird is a looker. You should jump on the seed train and throw a few of these on! :D
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The train was where I originally got them, but I don't think it's in the cards for me this season.. I've got a full set for next year and probably the year following already. You are welcome to some if you want to run them though.. Don't think I have your address on file.


Hoping this Chinense pans out as deciduous, but this JLH White Habanero sure takes it's time.
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A couple of the isolated 203 were ready today, but the OP one is still showing no signs of coloring up..

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Here's a pod comparison between the OP Bird Aji and the isolated 203.. Note this is the biggest 203 pod on the plant too, most of the unripe ones on the OP plant aren't quite as big, but close. To me they seem pretty comparable in size, but we'll see how the flavor compares later. The 203 definitely runs a bit longer than the Bird, from flower to harvest.

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Also have the promise of trying a Black Naga x PeriPeri Brown "Red" in the very near future.. Maybe tomorrow. Here's hoping it isn't quite as hot as the Brown version. I see the aphids have found it.. Probably still a good week ago on the hatching of reinforcements, but I see lots of young Orius roving around the plants. I'll be clearing out more space so I can get to the window and keep a better critter count.. Hard to tell how the Aphidius are doing without being able to examine the window.
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The cold blast coupled with all the wind, managed to slip up under the sides of the Greenhouse and most of the stuff in there is looking pretty blasted. I'm not going to bother with it until it warms up a little more here over the next few days.. Then I think we are going to switch over to the winter crops, and see how we do with those in there.
 
Cleaning up in the greenhouse today and noticed there was still some life in some of these peppers. Also tried a barely starting to color Bird Aji and see myself eating a lot of them unripe now. Not sure if it was the cold or just how they taste at that stage, but it was arguably better and more complex than when ripe.. Really sweet burst of flavor, and then a pleasing heat that doesn't quite hit jalapeno level. Very juicy, and between sweet peas, pear, and the green, non-soapy flavor of baccatum, if that makes any sense.
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Arthropod news:
Almost all of the new generation of Harmonia are either gone or evolving into their GX state right now, giving the aphids a chance to regroup and repoop out the next million minions.. Thankfully there are plenty of Aphidius handling business.
I was hoping to not order troops this year, but the spiders really reduced my first generation of them, so now I'm getting some Convergents like I wanted to rear anyway. Hopefully they play nice.

For now I'm doing selective control until they arrive. 150 was the least I could get, without paying extra, so I'm going to have a lot of mouths to feed soon. Maybe I'll find someone local who wants to split them with me.

The spiders really did a number on the Orius population too, but there are still some lingering so I expect a rebound. I also haven't seen as many miniature Rove beetles at the window this year and hope the predatory mites aren't impacting their population too much.

Not a trace of the whiteflies, and very few thrips to be found.. Unless I really hunt. I did notice an increasing population of a tiny tiger fly in here, but I'm not getting my hopes up with all the spiders we have in here this year.. I probably see one of them for every two fungus gnats, neither seem to be going anywhere fast, and the gnats mainly hang out in the compost bucket.

Plant news:
I need to do something about this Abutilon though, it's getting a little lanky. I read something about not hard pruning them, so I'm trying to dig deeper into that a little before I do anything. My intent is to root the cuttings, either way. Anyone have insights?
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Speaking of cuttings.. Uvalde got another pruning and here's hoping this one roots! She looks just her Mom.. Go figure.
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Uvalde Wild AnnG, started early 2019, if I recall correct.. This is one of the two originals from seed. Definitely one of my oldest, and most resilient Capsicum.
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Speaking of rooting, I had to cut back the Nettle in one of the pots and tried to root the cuttings.. Did root them, rather. Easy as peas.
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Well, that was quick! Just about a week to go from the last instar to beetle, and about 3 weeks from birth to beetle.. I feel like that was the fastest generation I've had so far. Over half of the new ones are out and about now. I didn't bother counting the number of winged aphids I culled yesterday, but it's nice to have more help.
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Turns out.. The purple freak (not PdN xSBJ7) is deciduous. Haven't tried the pod yet. Cutback imminent.
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I've also found a rival for the Mini-Brown Roc in regards to disgusting flavors. This Mystery Min was heatless and flavorless to a degree I've not encountered yet.. I had to try a second one just to be sure, but she has been put out to pasture. Shame too, because she was sporting some of the faint striping I had with some of the first round of these. This pepper actually rolled my stomach with the indescribable flavor I'm glad I can't relate.
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Thanks for the tip. I've never seen them in numbers like this year. All the pecan trees were infested with aphids so I think that has something to do with it.
 
Just as fast as the nettle cuttings rooted, they became infested with spider mites.. Where these little beasts come from every winter is beyond me. Luckily, I've got some mites that enjoy killing them. Tis a shame they are mostly confined to this culture.. But they dominate in here and I don't have to worry much about escaping targets.
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Obvious sign I need to increase the humidity in there. Also going to spend more time figuring these little demons out this winter.. They work in mysterious ways.
 
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