Annie's 2014 Glog: FINAL Grow List before new 2014 glog

Began 2013 yesterday morning. 12 hour soak seed soak in potassium nitrate and H202 (diluted) in ice trays. Kept warm on heat mats. Mix is Promix BX with a lot of perlite added. Pre-moistened, then put in 72 cell 6 pack flats and bottom watered on heat mat to fully wet mix with Actinovate, kelp, Biotamax--a sliver--then drained, aerated with fork, then back to mats to await seeds. Lost a few seeds as I'm handier with turkey baster (obviously from seeds left in bulb when clean-up) when it's used for Q or turkey, but have plenty of viable seeds. Trying to prevent damping off. Seeds from Chris, Jamie (Romy6), Ed, Judy (pepperlover.com), peppergal, peppermania, Baker Creek, Trade Winds, Tomato Grower's Supply, My Patriot Supply . . . and my own saved. Now to prevent damping off. Have ordered Pyrethrin to go with Actinovate, lots of fans, soil temps were 85 this morning when wood stove was dying, restoked, back up to 90F, soil temps (sorry, no pic), as while carrying in wood in our ice and snow/ice storm yesterday morning, I fell. Sorta fell. Falling would have hurt less: why do we try to stop the inevitable? This is my first grow of superhots, so please, any suggestions?! Lemme know, please. Right now the domes are on again, but will be slanting them off in a couple days, if not sooner, and always, flats get 20 minutes fresh air in morning. (Freezing but fresh air <grin>.)

Lights and mylar box--other side of shelving unit is large white sheet (and I know the mylar is crinkled). Also there's some diluted Clorox gunk am gonna get off, but for now, I like the idea of diluted Clorox gunk.

Other side lights: fans

Thanks to so many helpful members here. I hope these seeds hook, live long, prosper, aka do not damp-off. Updates, I hope . Peace, Annie

 

[Silver_Surfer]

Plants look healthy and cozy in the straw. How many bales will you use on that garden?
 
Have thought about trying the beer can chicken, but your tasty pics have made me determined now.

 

[annie57]

Plants look healthy and cozy in the straw. How many bales will you use on that garden?
 
Have thought about trying the beer can chicken, but your tasty pics have made me determined now.

 
Hey, SS! Prob about 10 more bales because if ya don't put in on thick, no point. Although am wearing something other than sports bra and cammos next time around, gonna let them get wet again. Straw itch or grain mites hurt like mofo (wear snow gear if necessary); those grain/straw itch mite bites hurt, some swelling but this article from A&M told me to let the straw get wet again in order to breed grain mites/straw itch mites: "They are, therefore, considered to be natural enemies of arthropod pests," which would include aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, mater hornworms and corn earworms. Heck, the A&M article talked about using the straw as culture to breed grain mites in order to prey on fire ants! I dunno. Could explain why only got some spider mites when end of season stopped dousing with compost tea and stopped turning on drip-tape to water the plants AND straw.
 
Oh, yeah, beer can chicken makes even breast meat melt in mouth tender/flavorful. No small feat. You'll love it!

 

[WalkGood]

Muchacha I’m all out of “Like This” so these are for you

Dam it only lets me post 10, you deserve many mas with all dat hard work you've been doing ^_^
 
 
 

 

[Devv]

Thanks Annie, yeah cant wait till I get my first ripe pod. Knowing how impatient I am I will want to pick it before it is ready. Will be hard to not pick it, might have to post a sign up at the plant, do not pick me LOL

 

 
Going down to look at garden Rob. Had a small jalapeño yesterday--actually too large for smallish jal plant--so plucked it. Now that reasoning works for annuums but . . . you could shock collar yourself and the plants you might prematurely. . . hmm, drastic, huh? j/k!

 
 
Had to laugh reading these, I haven't picked a ripe Jal yet!
 
LB picks 'em early for poppers (she likes the size).
 
She never says anything, I just see them halved on the counter LOL

 

[koskorgul]

 
Going down to look at garden Rob. Had a small jalapeño yesterday--actually too large for smallish jal plant--so plucked it. Now that reasoning works for annuums but . . . you could shock collar yourself and the plants you might prematurely. . . hmm, drastic, huh? j/k!

LOl I might just have to try that. Better yet. Will just have to carry a beer or 3 with me when I go check things out, everytime I want to pick one I take a drink instead. Only issue I could see with that is that I might have to bring a cooler with me and would be passed out before I got to the end of the garden LMAO

 
 
 
Had to laugh reading these, I haven't picked a ripe Jal yet!
 
LB picks 'em early for poppers (she likes the size).
 
She never says anything, I just see them halved on the counter LOL

Thinking I am hoing to get a Jal from the local store so I can have some poppers later in the season. Didnt think about those until I read about the Jals halved on the counter

 

[RocketMan]

Garden's looking nice and tucked in Annie and they must be nice and comfortable with pods on the way.
 
Now, Mountain Dew can Chicken, that I'm going to have to try. Just sounds good, maybe a little home made mango salsa to go with, umm

 

[romy6]

 Oh goood lawd girl. Your chicken looks divine.
 
Always smile when  I read your glog   And I always save a few likes unlike Ramon for ya 
 
My gator baseball team is on the down so not to interested in Omaha but I wish your tar-heels the best. 
 
Garden is looking very nice. Plants look really green as they should 

 

[Silver_Surfer]

 
Hey, SS! Prob about 10 more bales because if ya don't put in on thick, no point. Although am wearing something other than sports bra and cammos next time around, gonna let them get wet again. Straw itch or grain mites hurt like mofo (wear snow gear if necessary); those grain/straw itch mite bites hurt, some swelling but this article from A&M told me to let the straw get wet again in order to breed grain mites/straw itch mites: "They are, therefore, considered to be natural enemies of arthropod pests," which would include aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, mater hornworms and corn earworms. Heck, the A&M article talked about using the straw as culture to breed grain mites in order to prey on fire ants! I dunno. Could explain why only got some spider mites when end of season stopped dousing with compost tea and stopped turning on drip-tape to water the plants AND straw.
 
Oh, yeah, beer can chicken makes even breast meat melt in mouth tender/flavorful. No small feat. You'll love it!

I spread the straw atop landscape fabric to shield the fabric against UV cause straw alone for me always lets the weeds through. 25 bales in the barn waiting to be used. Never had a problem with bites while spreading, but good to know about the grain mites. Would really like a solution to the fire ants; now that's a BITE too frequently encountered!

 

[Devv]

I spread the straw atop landscape fabric to shield the fabric against UV cause straw alone for me always lets the weeds through. 25 bales in the barn waiting to be used. Never had a problem with bites while spreading, but good to know about the grain mites. Would really like a solution to the fire ants; now that's a BITE too frequently encountered!

 
Ever try newspaper under the straw? Wet a bunch in a 5 gal bucket and spread it about 8 sheets thick, put hay over it. At the end of the season just till it under.
 
I'm still trying to decide the best way to mulch here. Ditch flooding doesn't like mulch, perhaps between the rows...then there's getting grazer during the spring..

 

[annie57]

Garden's looking nice and tucked in Annie and they must be nice and comfortable with pods on the way.
 
Now, Mountain Dew can Chicken, that I'm going to have to try. Just sounds good, maybe a little home made mango salsa to go with, umm

 
Def going mango salsa later this summer, Brother Bill! Want some fresh hot pods go with it!   I don't drink alcohol no mo, so sometimes I buy Diet-Mtn Dew in can to have on hand to pour mango or pineapple juice into; H20 would probably steam the bird but think some tropical flavors effect taste, along with pods, albeit frozen at this time, stuffed in cavity with other herbs!
 

 Oh goood lawd girl. Your chicken looks divine.
 
Always smile when  I read your glog   And I always save a few likes unlike Ramon for ya 
 
My gator baseball team is on the down so not to interested in Omaha but I wish your tar-heels the best. 
 
Garden is looking very nice. Plants look really green as they should 

 
Thanks Jamie! That chicken was good! Fixed it for Daddy--Memorial Day--he tends to dislike breast meat but loved that juicy stuff!  Am sorry about Gators being down but they're not out and should get past Austin Peay; it scares me, after 9 appearances and no titles, that Heels ranked #1 going into CWS . . . but then unless in time-warp and in reference to 2008-2009 pre-season Heels basketball, all 1 rankings of my alma mater scare me. But . . . whew: SKO HEELS!
 
Aw, that's so sweet of you to save "likes" for lil ole me   Yet "everybody loves Ramon's" (I know: incorrect pronunciation) 
 

which is supposed to be "You like this"
 
 

I spread the straw atop landscape fabric to shield the fabric against UV cause straw alone for me always lets the weeds through. 25 bales in the barn waiting to be used. Never had a problem with bites while spreading, but good to know about the grain mites. Would really like a solution to the fire ants; now that's a BITE too frequently encountered!

 
Fire ants, not too plentiful around here. In Eastern NC, yep. Loved burning hills when lived "down east." Working for landscape crew after arriving in Austin, mowed over LARGE MOUND of 'em w/push mower. As I stopped mower or slowed it to check carb or something. Mowing at church, no water hose hooked up, NADA. Was in hospital for a freakin' WEEK! Ate me up. Now, or last I accidentally checked it, cleaning fish in SW FL, everybody else was dancing and I kept cleaning fish--they left pustules--but just popped 'em, slapped some lemon j. on feet/legs, nothing other than that. But for 10 years lived in Austin I burned those hills every time I saw one, entrances and exits with kerosene. Friend had flame thrower for scorpions--that was kinda fun to make jellied kerosene and hit ant hills with that. (I know it sounds just terrible of me? No; they're evil.)

 

[annie57]

 
Ever try newspaper under the straw? Wet a bunch in a 5 gal bucket and spread it about 8 sheets thick, put hay over it. At the end of the season just till it under.
 
I'm still trying to decide the best way to mulch here. Ditch flooding doesn't like mulch, perhaps between the rows...then there's getting grazer during the spring..

 
Growing or buying haygrazer, Scott?
 
Yep. I save newspaper and cardboard all winter, use wheelbarrows of water to wet it, then straw goes down.

 

[Sanarda]

That's very interesting about the hay mites and bugs. Hay is not plentiful around these city parts.

 

[annie57]

That's very interesting about the hay mites and bugs. Hay is not plentiful around these city parts.

 
Hay, as far as I know, doesn't create enviro for grain aka straw itch mites, as hay is grass and straw is stalk from cereals. I love straw as a mulch but "won't get fooled again" by "spoiled hay." I put it on THICK one year. Took another 4 yrs. to BEGIN to get rid of quack grass, bermuda, crab, common mallow, which is in some conspiracy with quack grass as companion-weed, because gotta trust whoever grew the hay, what cutting it was--fescue is what we mostly have and I uh, got this off C-list like an idiot: NEVER again. Can get wheat straw, although bales are smaller and cost more, from Lowe's/Home Depot. That "spoiled" hay was a damned nightmare!

 

[WalkGood]

Ok, ok a page and a half of chatter, now where's the updated garden pics

 

[PIC 1]

Annie once again your updates pack a whirlwind of info.
The foil on the chicken didn't deflect my radar cause I zoomed right into that one...
What more can one put over hot coals but some "slam dancing chickens" ...I bet that meal dished out well.
Wow, pods on the JA and Red Drop already......you must have a secret potion.

 

[Devv]

I would like to buy hay grazer, one round bale would do.
 
Straw, never seen it sold around here would be cleaner I'm sure.
 
Ok I think Ramon wins here....you are overdue

 

[WalkGood]

Ok I think Ramon wins here....you are overdue

ROFLMAO
 
Regarding hay ... while I'd love to test it, seaweed is free for me and the test plants that I used it on are loving it! Now I've been to the beach the last 3 weeks to start a new batch and gather some extra for ground cover, no weed was found :/ That said, we have some strong squalls moving thru the last 3 days and I feel confident I'll get my bail soon and the seaweed too

 

[Sanarda]

Hay, as far as I know, doesn't create enviro for grain aka straw itch mites, as hay is grass and straw is stalk from cereals. I love straw as a mulch but "won't get fooled again" by "spoiled hay." I put it on THICK one year. Took another 4 yrs. to BEGIN to get rid of quack grass, bermuda, crab, common mallow, which is in some conspiracy with quack grass as companion-weed, because gotta trust whoever grew the hay, what cutting it was--fescue is what we mostly have and I uh, got this off C-list like an idiot: NEVER again. Can get wheat straw, although bales are smaller and cost more, from Lowe's/Home Depot. That "spoiled" hay was a damned nightmare!

Oh snap. Now you taught me that there is a difference between straw and hay. Us NY city girls don't know much about this kind of stuff. It's a shame really.

 

[Devv]

Oh snap. Now you taught me that there is a difference between straw and hay. Us NY city girls don't know much about this kind of stuff. It's a shame really.

 
 
Down here in Tejas I've never heard the term straw used, which is actually correct. Everyone bales their leftovers after they harvest the grains. They even bale the corn waste and sell it as bedding.
As from NY I escaped in '78...been learning since...we never stop learning

 

[MGOLD86]

Wow Annie, those birds looked pretty damn amazing!   My mouth was watering, and I may have to change up my weekend dinner plans!...oh, and the garden looks great too