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Aji Chombo's 2010 Grow Log

Hi everyone,

Have decided (been inspired by everyone else, really) to keep a thread here about my attempt to grow plants this year. Most of the weird, off-topic stuff I normally babble about I'll confine to my blog, but I'll share the photos and interesting capsicum related anecdotes here as well.

I managed to overwinter (of sorts. I'd call it more a random collection of stems with little green shoots still growing on them) some plants from last year, mostly the ones at the office. Among them were an Orange Habanero, a Chocolate Habanero, a Caribbean Red Habanero, a Naga Morich and a Rocoto Rojo. There was also a Datil* I overwintered at home (which I started really late last spring).

To my surprise upon returning from X-mas break, the Naga STILL had two pods! :shocked:

All the overwintered plants, save the Rocoto Rojo, have at least one flower at the moment. The Chocolate Habanero seems to be starting a new bloom. And this has been with minimal care and no feeding of nutrients for the past four months...:crazy:

As for this year's crop. I have planted, on 44 coir pellets and placed in 22 pellet trays:

Incubator One
2X Red Strawberry Guava (Supposed to be a frost hardy type of Guava)
2X Barrackpore 7Pot (a Chinense courtesy of Trinycoolieboy)
2X Peppermo Pepper (an unknown Chinense from Peppermo)
2X Antillais Hot (a Chinense courtesy of Vincent)
2X Royal Gold (another Chinense from Vincent)
2X Aji Limo Rojo (Chinense)
2X Brazilian Starfish (Baccatum)
2X Hot Apple (Annuum)
2X Red Squash (Chinense)
2X Ring of Fire (Annuum...technically three, but I only used two coir pots for the three seeds)
2X Maize Morado (Purple Corn!)

Incubator Two
2X Safi (Chinense. Really looking forward to this one)
2X Peach Habanero (Chinense)
2X Mustard Habanero (Chinense)
2X Scotch Bonnet Mixed (Chinense)
2X Jamaican Hot (Chinense)
2X Maize Morado (More Purple Corn!)
2X Fatalii (Chinense. Because last year two gorgeous looking plants only produced ONE pod!!!) :mad:
2X Cayenne (Annuum. Not Ring of Fire. Just for kicks)
2X Thai dragon (Annuum. Again, just for kicks)
2X Barrackpore 7Pot (might as well plant some more super hots)
2X Roselle (Hibiscus Sabdarifa. Flor de Jamaica for you Mexicans, Saril if you're from Aji Chombo Land)

Everything went in on 24 January. So far, about 45% of the seeds have germinated. The Purple Corn (Not a Chilli/Chile...actualy Corn), goodness me! those triffids are about 10 inches high at the moment!

I'm waiting for some more seeds to arrive in the post, which some of you have graciously sent to complete the growing list (really looking forward to all of them). But my other half always tells me I plant too many things and we end up with seedlings sprawled all over the house...

...nothing wrong with that! ;)

I also got a little hydroponics kit (Prepara Powerplant) for X-mas from my other half's mom, which I was going to use for Culantro (Eryngium foetidum), but that didn't seem to take, so I have instead plonked in some Rocket leaves, and in just 48 hours, the little sprouts are all over the little hydroponics setup. How they say you can grow chillies on such a small system is beyond me...though I guess if you just grow piri-piris or maybe a compact ornamental then it should be ok.

Aanywho, I've gone and babbled too much.

Will post pics when I find the missing USB cable from my camera.
 
Click to expand...
Quick question (or two):

My Datil plant (the overwintered one) has what I believe to be a colony of little black gnats (blackfly??) living in the soil. I thought they had dissappeared when the cold weather kicked in, but I discovered they had simply moved underground, using the little crevices in the potting soil.

What exactly are these little critters, and do they pose a threat to the plant? I had noticed today that it is a little 'limp', although the leaves are still green.

Also, I've got a few pots around the office of plants that didn't make it this winter. Is the soil in the pots re-usable for new plants, or does the root matter from the previous plant make it difficult to re-use?

Muchas Gracias :)
 
I think you've picked up fungus gnats. They show up when the top of the soil is moist. You'll find lots of info searching this forum and Google. I use products that contain BT and bottom water to keep them under control. Oh, and they won't kill your plant, but you should still try to get rid of them.

Also, I'd dump the old soil outside and start with a new mix for new plants.

Good luck with your garden this year!
 
Overwintered plant dilemma

I've got a bit of a dilemma with some of the plants I overwintered (my fault, really). Sorry for the images. Took them with me mobile phone:

Chocolate Habanero
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Naga Morich
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Orange Habanero
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As you can see, they are fairly scraggy, and most of the new growth is really high on the plants (the growth in the Chocolate Hab is at about 30 inches high). Despite the scraggy looks, all three plants are currently flowering, and there are signs of healthy and vigorous new growth, though this is restricted to the very tops of them.

I am debating whether or not to take cuttings from tops of the plants and scrap the main trunk.

I am not really good with cuttings, so I have no idea what to do. If I trim, say, the Chocolate Habanero down to 10 inches (just stump, really), and there are no leaves on the stump, will new growth occur?

I could really use some advise. :oops:
 
Quick Question (numero dos):

I've heard a few forum members talk about 'Leggy' seedlings. Most of my seedlings are that, really leggy (talking an inch and a half or more). This is because of a lack of sunlight in my flat, and no lamps.

Is 'leggyness' a serious problem for plants?
 
Not really updated this thread o'mine in a very long while...

Been lazy.

But the past week has been truly a summer week here in Liverpool.

So here's a good update of, and I paraphrase the great Marvin Gaye 'What's Growing on'

Allegedly the two on the left are Red Squash...the one on the right is a Jamaican Red Hot. All are supposed to be chinenses (riiiiiight)
P1020516sm.jpg


The Maize Morado!
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One of the new Chocolate Habanero pod-lings
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Datil plant (big trunk behind it is the Chocolate Habanero)
P1020522sm.jpg
 
My first Barrackpore 7-pot pod! :woohoo:

P1030486sm.jpg


Man, that is one SEXY looking pod!

I'm gonna go have a nice leftover Caribbean Lamb Curry I cooked up last night with it, hoping the heat has died down just a bit. :onfire: That pod is insanely hot! (and yet, I couldn't stop eating last night...)
 
It is indeed a dangerous pod.

I have had to eat the leftover curry very carefully. Mouth is still smarting...so tasty...yet so painful... :mouthonfire:
 
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