A Fishy Winter Grow: Stuff in a Tent

Be it ever so humble...
 

 
Currently, there are three pepper plants on the bottom (the four all the way on the right are garlic experiments). The one that's nice and rootbound in a tiny container on the right is a manganji, which I pretty much just want to see the pheno from. In the bags on the left, there's shishito (which I found out my wife loves, so that goes on the list), and Greek pepperoncini, a.k.a. Friggitello.
 
I'm really hoping to grow giant white habanero, both over the winter and outside next year, but so far I've had no luck at all getting them to germinate. Which really sucks, because I was hoping to cross those with CGN 21500 and possibly larger sweet varieties. 21500 was also supposed to be the fourth tent pepper. I should have isolated seeds for that coming from my current plant soon.
 
But as I've been attempting to germinate those GW habs, I also started a couple other things. My purple UFO did not grow true, but I started more to see if I can get something on-pheno; on the top shelf, I have two new seedlings from that envelope in rockwool. I also have two very healthy-looking sugar rush peach in there. While I'd prefer to grow the peach outside next year, if I can't get those GW habs to take, I might have to switch, and that could be a pretty good candidate.
 
So the current plan is to have four one-gallon bags on the bottom with a nice selection of mild to medium hot peppers, and go through just as much hybridization experimentation as I can with rockwool and Khang Starr style mini-Kratky bottles.

 

[internationalfish]

Thanks I'll look into it... as if I need more misc grow stuff.

 
If we're gauging our grow stuff on need... well that just doesn't sound like any fun at all.
 
DUCK DUCK GRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY DUCK!

 

[Bookers]

The discs are sold for this purpose? What are they called?

CZ garden supply 2" net cup with cloner collar... was a 25 piece combo about 18.00 us

Fish, nice dr scholl's lol

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[internationalfish]

Fish, nice dr scholl's lol

 
Haha, unfortunately, you have to scroll past Amazon's dumbass recommendations to get to the actual results.
 
Really, though, I think life is sweeter with a bit of sole. 

 

[Downriver]

 
I've never ordered these myself, but it seems like they're referred to as foam/neoprene/etc. collars/inserts.
 
There's probably a cheap and easy way to DIY it, which hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in with, but some of those look reasonably affordable.

 
The secret word is: POOL NOODLE
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FBfIqFIj3c

 

[PaulG]

Great video share, DR. Love the DIY stuff!

 

[CaneDog]

Looking great!
 
Was it CaneDog that loves those foam discs? I know someone around here swears by them.

 
I've cut a few out of closed cell foam sheets I've have lying around, but just because it was an easy Jerry-rig.
 

 
The secret word is: POOL NOODLE
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FBfIqFIj3c

 
This looks like an interesting idea. Good stuff, DR.

 

[internationalfish]

That's usin' yer noodle. 
 
In other news, just got a hook in my third can.
 

 
It's another Lemon Starrburst. So now I'm just waiting on the Trippaul Threat to come up.

 

[internationalfish]

...and right on its heels, literally overnight:
 

 
That's 100% germination on the Starrburst! Think I'm going to have to pull the smaller ones and stick them in rock wool elsewhere; don't want to waste these sprouts.

 

[Bookers]

Nice going Fish!

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[internationalfish]

Just split out my two extra KSLSB sprouts into rock wool, and we've got another ghost-or-corno-di-toro that came up unexpectedly and has been moved into a bottle. Tomorrow I'm planning to toss that purple UFO for being off-pheno and promote the sugar rush peach to a 1-gallon bag o' coir. That'll free up two Kratky bottles, which leaves me with just three before I'm topped up (my larger small trays will hold nine of these, so I painted up 18, and that's where I'm stopping. Totally. Stopping, definitely, absolutely. Done).
 
Anyway, it seems like I'm going to be way behind for the outdoor season. Still, I've swapped in the 1000W to replace the 300W the sprouts were reaching hard for (it's all Chinese knockoff crap, which is certainly overrated anyway), so I think I should be able to get faster growth out of them than the UFO and SRP I was really conservative with.
 
I've pretty much decided annuum is my species of choice in terms of flavor and variety, so I'm looking forward to having more of those to work with. Still, the biggest disappointment is going to have to be giving up on the giant white habs (my very last seed is in rock wool now), which I'd really hoped to cross with other things... I'm sure I'll find other combos, but it's more than a bit of a let-down.
 
With the size and girth of those SRPs, it seems to me picking up bell pepper seeds to grow next year might be the quickest way to get cross-breeding fodder I'll likely enjoy.

 

[Bookers]

Sounds like you have a plan! I do believe I'll end up with 30 varieties and a few extras. I don't have a plan for swapping from kratky to dirt until after frost here in Pennsylvania. I still have my popcorn ready for more shenanigans!!! Cheers!

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[internationalfish]

Sounds like you have a plan! I do believe I'll end up with 30 varieties and a few extras. I don't have a plan for swapping from kratky to dirt until after frost here in Pennsylvania.

Wow, thirty varieties! You're gonna be pretty damn busy at the height of the season.

I still have my popcorn ready for more shenanigans!!! Cheers!

Then shenanigans you shall have, good sir.

 

[Bookers]

It's all good. It's the love of flower and spice. I have plans to share a few with those who can't get em started. I prob have 6 or 7 Chocolate Moruga seedlings and an ow. These are great flavor. I know a thai restaurant owner gets 1 and a vietnamese restaurant owner gets 1. Then there are family and friends...

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[internationalfish]

It's all good. It's the love of flower and spice. I have plans to share a few with those who can't get em started. I prob have 6 or 7 Chocolate Moruga seedlings and an ow. These are great flavor. I know a thai restaurant owner gets 1 and a vietnamese restaurant owner gets 1. Then there are family and friends...

 
It'd be pretty awesome to go to a local restaurant and order something that comes out with your peppers in it.
 
Full view of the current state of things.
 

 
Friggitello in the back doing pretty well, and in front of him, the newly bagged sugar rush peach. Hoping that one enjoys the extra space after growing up in one of those little Kratky bottles. Also hope it doesn't mind too much having a net pot buried with it; hoping I can just leave it there and salvage it when this plant finishes its run.
 
Cans in the back, doing pretty well. Need to cull two of the Nanbu soon, but haven't picked the winner yet.
 
In the front left are yellow cherry tomatoes and shiso in the bottles. This is the first time I've seen one of these little bottles take so long to sprout; my coworkers started several other plants the same way at the same time that are all now going strong. Not sure how I managed to screw this up... 

 
Next to those, two little germination containers. The top might still push out a sprout or two -- two would be perfect, that'd fill up the last of my mini Kratky bottles -- but the one on the bottom is pretty much waiting for me to get bored and throw the last few cubes out.
 
On the right, the mini jungle. Everything seems to be doing reasonably well, and they're liking having their own dedicated light. I just performed helmet surgery on one sprout, and while I'm pretty sure I botched it, I figure I'll give it a day or two and see if it survives. If not, I guess I'll need three more to round out the bottles.

 

[Bookers]

That's awesome! You're too generous fish. I only hope to get better skilled at this game and understand it like some guru's here. It's a joy none the less...

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[Bookers]

Here are those chocolate moruga peppers from last year. Im growing one I think might have crossed with reaper fingers crossed lol

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[PaulG]

There is a lot going on in that little
grow space, ‘Fish!
 
Having the second light on the right
side is just the ticket.

 

[lespaulde]

Yeah man, digging that dual light setup as well - this should really speed things up and you'll be machete'ing through the jungle before you know it! xD

And I know what you mean with Annuums being favorite in terms of flavor; I hope to know whether Rocotos are my cup of tea after this season and I definitely really like a handful of Chinense, but you basically can't seem to go wrong with Annuum...

Looking forward to seeing what crosses you'll develop over the years, and keeping my fingers crossed for your white habs!

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[Bookers]

Nice! White Hab? My ears are open. Had a few seeds couple times, white hab wouldn't pop for me... *following*

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[internationalfish]

Here are those chocolate moruga peppers from last year. Im growing one I think might have crossed with reaper fingers crossed lol

 
Oh man, that choco reaper looks freaking awesome! Anything in that picture would be WAY too hot for me, but good luck anyway.
 

Having the second light on the right
side is just the ticket.

 
Yeah, seems to be working well so far. When the temperatures get back into happy territory I'll be able to use the bottom rack again, so the clutter will dissipate quite a bit.
 

Looking forward to seeing what crosses you'll develop over the years, and keeping my fingers crossed for your white habs!

 
Thanks! Yeah, with the variety I should be getting once these start fruiting, definitely looking forward to picking some victims to cross. Been waiting a lot longer than I had wanted to, so hopefully I can get started in the next few months.
 

Nice! White Hab? My ears are open. Had a few seeds couple times, white hab wouldn't pop for me... *following*

 
I grew a giant white hab plant when I first started playing with these little Kratky bottles, but the setup just didn't work well, and I tossed it before it fruited... unfortunately, since then, not a single one of the remaining seeds has sprouted. Down to the very last seed now, and I'm not optimistic, but if it does pop, that'd be pretty great.