A Pepperhead glog: Pickling, Saucing, and Powdering

Okay Chiliheads,
At the end of the month I will begin my crop for this season, as it seems the hard core chilis take a while to germinate. Then it got me thinking...Why not run a few experiments to see what germination method works best. People seemed to have some issues with the Reapers so I figure I'll start there and do the same with some other superhots and compare the results.
I'm going to try three methods of germination: Overnight soaking in a solution, scarifying the seeds then overnighting in a damp towel, and for a control just straight into the dirt.
For the solution I'm going to experiment with a vinegar base, I'm thinking equal parts vinegar and water and a little H2O2. I'm trying vinegar off the animal digestive tract transportation and deposit theory. Let's see if the vinegar acidity breaks down the shell a little.
I'm going to use a matchbook to scarify the seeds for the damp papertowels.
I will do my best to post temps, soil conditions, water amounts, etc.
All results with some pictures and colorful graphs will be posted.

I know this forum is full of smartypants, many with much smarter pants than me, so I actively encourage ideas and constructive criticisms to make this as scientifically accurate as I can make it. Perhaps a recommendation for the vinegar solution?

What this Glog is: Hopefully fun and educational for the Glogger and the reader.

What it is not: A forum to whine about the seed suppliers. Even the slightest grumble about any of the suppliers of my seeds will get you reported. My Glog, my rules.

So give me some ideas and the last week of January I'll be ready to go! Enjoy!

 

[Pepperhead]

Currently I have 3 varieties with pods-Ghost, PK and today discovered my first Dorset.  I also have a bell or two.  Left to pod: Orange hab, Carribean red hab, Reaper, Jonah, 7 pot, 7 Pot Bubblegum, Butch T and Brain Strain.
 
On another note...Lots o' tomatoes!  Tried some extreme gardening's Azos to try to clone a Juliet tomato today.  Hopefully it works as advertised.

 

[Pepperhead]

I picked up some fox farms Tiger Bloom yesterday. I've been using Grow Big off and on all season. Anyonr else use these?

 

[Pepperhead]

Finally a couple of little Reapers!  And a couple of Carribean red habs.  No ripe pods yet but here's what's podded so far:
 
Ghosts-ridiculous number
Dorset-catching up
Carribean Reds-finally
Reapers- about time
Prik Kee- good amount
 
It was my smaller Reaper, too.  My big leafy one is still only putting out small buds.
 
Still waiting on:
 
Jonah
7 Pot Bubblegum
Butch T
Regular 7 Pot (but 7 pots hate me)
Brain Strain
Grocery Store Orange Hab.
 
No movement at all on the tomato clone.  I think it was too big to start.  I'm going to try a smaller one later.

 

[Pepperhead]

Forgot to add Primos to my no pod list, but now it's too late.  One of my garden Primos now has a pod!  A grocery store hab as well.  They're on the move, and hopefully we'll see pods on the other slackers soon.  Hopefully see a little red here soon on my Ghosts and Dorsets.
 
Hopefully I'll find time to get the camera out and post pictures this week.  I'm aiming for tomorrow or Thursday.  I'll try to do a full garden spread.

 

[Pepperhead]

Here are a few pod pictures I took today.  Everything still green, but it can't be long now.

Out of focus but there's my first Primo.
 

 
My first little hab.
 

 
Caribbean Red Hab
 

 
A lot of Bhuts on this plant.  It's a big producer.
 
 
 

 
A really nice dorset from another productive plant.
 

 
Found my first Jonah today!
 

 
First couple of reapers.
 

 
A really pointy bhut off of one of my smaller plants.
 
I made a long, rambling video with all my garden stuff but the camera I used makes the video jumpy and I was afraid people would have seizures so this is what you get.  Until I use a better video camera, that is.

 

[Seacowboy]

Glad to see all the rain hasn't set you back. I'll be back in town tomorrow to see if I can pull something off at my place.

 

[Pepperhead]

Just had to adjust my watering.  It's been pretty wet here, but everything seems to be making it.  Plants are podding up nicely, got some tomatoes ripening.  Pumpkins and watermelons starting to blow up.  Life's been good, other than the whole world outside my little garden.

 

[Pepperhead]

My big Reaper is finally putting out pods.  That leaves Brain Strain, Butch T, and 7 Pots (which hate me) as my only slackers.  I'm going to head to Southern States or my local big box store on Monday to pick up some Perlite and compost and try to fill some more buckets so I can finally get my last little orphans out of thier little peat pots.  I've got one more Reaper, another spiteful 7 Pot, and a mystery pepper (which I think might be a hab) along with a coupla tomatoes.  I might even be able to clear my deck after this.
 
Edit: Oh and my bubblegums haven't podded yet, either, but that's because I pruned them to try to encourage growth

 

[Pepperhead]

First Butch T today!  I also have 4 habby reapers and one stingery reaper.  We'll see what the majority are when my others start podding up.

 

[Pepperhead]

Sorry it's out of focus but you should still be able to make out the stinger on this little Reaper.
 

 

[Pepperhead]

So only 3 stragglers left as my "mystery pepper" now has a few pistils showing.  I suspect it's a hab, but we'll see.
 
I'm going to let one pruned Bubblegum grow out without a second cut so I should get peppers before the end of summer.  The second one I'll clip again to see what kind of growth I can get.
 
Brain Strain, hateful 7 Pots, and Bubblegums left to go.
 
No more orphans left on my deck now.  Got some compost, perlite and vermiculite at the Big Box, mixed in some peat and lime, and voila!  Dirt.  Everything is in buckets now so we'll see how things go. 
Had a few tomatoes get Blossom end rot.  Not sure what caused this, so I cut out the Grow Big, as it is high Ammoniacal Nitrogen, which I read blocks calcium intake.  I added some powdered egg shells to hopefully boost the calcium.  We'll see what happens.  I wouldn't reccommend the MG expanda soil.  I don't care for how it looks, and I'm not sure it's the best choice for long term soil.  I couldn't say for sure, but I think it was a contributing factor to the BER.
 
I'll try to get a pic up of the mystery plant this weekend.  When I have some decent pods I'll post them in the ID forum.
 
Oh, and finally a little red.  On my PK, one pod should be close to fully red by the time I get home in the morning.

 

[Pepperhead]

OMG!  I was just sitting around thinking about making sauce and stuff and I realized...What the hell am I going to do with myself after the season?  I have been exceptionally garden obsessive this year.  Hunting season is pretty short, and I can only do that for a couple of weeks (I better bone up on my Archery or get a muzzle loader).
 
  What am I supposed to do?

 

[Pepperhead]

Checked my habs today.  Whattaya think:
 

 
Kind of unusual looking habs, eh?  A little ghosty looking?  Not what the hab from the grocery store looked like that the seeds came from.  I think I need to label my plants better.

 

[Seacowboy]

Get a muzzleloader. While I prefer to use my bow I will take both, when the season allows of course, gain all the range but have the option on the up close shoots with the bow.

 

[Pepperhead]

Usually I just go during rifle season, but my success rate is much better harvesting peppers.  When I go it's more like armed hiking.

Just a quick note on my opinion of arranged marriages.  It is practice that, in the past, may have worked for some cultures as a way of sharing land or combining wealth.  Some parents just wanted the best for their children in order to raise their stature in society, especially where there existed a caste system.  In modern western society this practice, except in small pockets, is largely frowned upon.  While there are still cultures that arrange marriages, In a truly free society I believe that one should be able to fall in love with, marry, and have children with whomever they want.
 
The point is: If anyone trades with me this year, there is probably a 50/50 chance the pod I give you will produce some kind of hybrid. 

 

[Pepperhead]

Big Garden Pic Day!
 
Pods and plants and stuff.  Will probably need a bump.
 

 
First off, none of my peppers grew this well last year.  Shows what good dirt can do.  This is my biggest and most productive Bhut.  Bunch of pods all over it.
 

 
Left to right: Big Dorset, Little Dorset, Jonah, Habby Reaper. 
 

 
I have 2 Reapers producing pods right now. This one produces Hab-like Reapers and the other one produces:
 

 
 
Stingy Reaper!  All from the same seed pack.
 

 
 
Have you met Jonah?
 

 
I'm very happy with my Dorsets.
 

 
Mystery pod.  I think it's a grocery store Hab.
 

 
This Butch T, along with my biggest 7 Pot and Brain Strain, Have been eaten alive By I suspect grasshoppers only because I haven't seen any Caterpillars.  I put it in the wagon hoping to protect it.  It's starting to pod nicely now.
 

 
See?
 

 
7 Pots hate me, but I think this one has started to warm up to me a bit because even though it is in a smaller pot, It's finally growing pods.  Unlike my big bucket one which is leafy and eaten up by pepper predators.
 
Bump anyone?

 

[AMG4heat]

Bumperoni

 

[Pepperhead]

Thanks!
 

 
This is one of my 7 pot Bubblegums, which has no pods because I pruned it.
 

 
Pepper predator?
 

 
This Brain Strain is really taking off now.  What?  You never planted a pepper in your herbs before?
 

 
These'll never get big like my bucket stuff, but that Bhut on the right is producing a lot of "Witch Nose Bhuts", which i think are pretty cool.  I've already patented the name and will be selling seeds for $25 per seed next season.  Continuing left there's a mystery tomato, and 2 pruned Dorsets.
 

 
My big, eaten up, non podding, spiteful 7 Pot.
 

 
The corner gardens, home to Reapers, 7 pot, Caribbean red hab, Primos, and bhuts.  And one Bell.
 

 
My one and only Primo pod.
 

 
Some Red Habs
 

 
About half my container collection.  Ignore the fat shadow.
 

 
Bhut (left) and the last pod holdout, Brain Strain.  This Strain is pretty ate up.  I think he needs a new home.
 
I hope you enjoyed the show.  I'm going to post my PK picks in the PK Growdown forum.  Thanks for reading!
 
stuff

 

[Pepperhead]

That's it.  I'm not posting anymore pics until I see some reddening going on.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Woo Hoo!  Reddening witch nose Ghost!  I'll have to call it Devil's nose soon.  And on my big Ghost plant, one of my pods has a wicked stinger!  No picture of that one until it's ripe and picked.

 

[wahlee76]

Great update(s).
 
Just hope the witch's nose doesn't fly away on a broom.
The Primo looks evil enough, a shame there's only one, yet.
 
Hope to see some more color soon