misc Any winter chilli Pepper Experiments on the go ?

E

Englander

Hi Guy's

Just wondering how many of you are getting through the dark day's and night's of winter 🤔

Here in Scotland today my sunrise was 08:35 and sunset 15:40 ........and not really "light" for another 30 minutes after that ! 😭

I've kind of stumbled into a winter Kratky hydroponic experiment..........😗

I stumbled across some dried Hungarian Black chillies I grew back in 2018, curious to see if they were still viable I chucked a few in wee pot of soil covered with a plastic bag and put them in the greenhouse to my amazement they all germinated ! I had no intention of keeping them and didn't bother recording date sown etc.

As our temperatures tumbled I brought them into the kitchen window sill, from experience I know seedlings get real leggy on our window sills over winter due to such low natural light. Hence a few year's ago a made a DIY light box which has been transformative 🙂

Given my basic exploration of Kratky hydroponics earlier this year an idea formed about using these seedlings for a micro kratky experiment.

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Photo taken 1st November of my Hungarian black seedlings..............

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Also photo taken 1st November I pricked out a single seedling slapped it in some rockwool and put it in a tiny jar of water wrapped the jar I electrical tape to keep light out. And i left a single seedling in soil.

Both seedlings have just been left on my kitchen window sill no artificial light except when the kitchen light on but it way too high to really help.

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Next photo 24th November the difference quite remarkable ! The temperature on the window sill is pretty cool the soil seedling has lost its cotyledons 😲 and is obviously not happy but saying that it's not leggy but probably because it doesn't seem to be growing........

The micro kratky seedling still has it's cotyledons and seems to be growing nicely and not leggy 🙂

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Today 10th December all seems well with the micro kratky (dispite still not having any artificial light) the soil seedling appears to be in suspensioned animation !

As I am planning a mini kratky grow this winter with some F6 seed's under light's this has been an interesting but unexpected experiment.

Any of you got any experiments on the go ..............??
 
Sure... got most of my plants for next season growing already in our veranda. I germinate the seeds in my heated propagator and once they are starting to grow their first true leaves I take them out. The veranda is reasonably bright during the day but temperatures are not very high, resulting in very slow growth. I did the same during previous winter season and it worked quite well. This season is less successfull however. We'll see how it turns out, there's still plenty of time. Pictures may or may not follow 🤭
 
Hi Guy's

My little experiment is trundling along ........still on the window sill only getting natural day light approx 8.30am to 4pm at present.

I'm still surprised it's not got "Leggy" I'm wondering if the hydroponics are playing a part ??

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It's still in an old Spice jar which is precisely where it's going to stay !

You can see it starting to put out secondary shoots 🙂
 
There's also the off season grow off... how could you miss that? It's very busy! 🤣

contest - Off season grow off?

I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in doing an indoor grow off over the winter without use of lights, just for fun. Pepper of choice would be Grandpa's Siberian Home aka Siberian Home, Grandpa's Home, Grandpa's Siberian etc etc. It's small and good in pots and doesn't require a lot of...
thehotpepper.com thehotpepper.com
 
Hi Guy's

My little winter experiment in "micro kratky hydroponics" to force a Hungarian black to flower and fruit early has been interesting I've learnt alot 🤓

However I have not given it any artificial light and have been amazed by its progress, however if I'd given 16 -18 hrs of artificial light I'm sure it would be much further advice......:think:

In hind sight :banghead:I should have used my Scotch brains yellow f5 and given it artificial light to get f6 quicker 😎.......but I didn't......:whistle: but in future that exactly how I shall use what I'm learning from the experiment.

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Still in it tiny kratky Spice jar as of yesterday I've decided not to pinch it out as I want to flower quicker. Yesterday I spotted My first bud :dance:

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I've now changed the hydroponic mix to flowering/fruiting ratio............not there yet but a good experiment.


Stephen
 
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I have always wondered why those scotch brains are "just" F5... this hybrid must be around much longer and already way ahead of F5 if you ask me...? 🤔
 
Hi Guy's

Quick update on my wee mini Kratky experiment with Hungarian black chilli in spice jar it's been out in the greenhouse the last month or more nigh5 temps have open been 4 oC to 7 oC inside the greenhouse at night day time highs of 18 oC to 30 oC ......if the sun comes out ........

Today finally got my first open flower :dance:

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Hungarian black in it's like spice jar
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Ain't it preedy 😍

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Planning on using this method on some late sown chinense that would never fruit in our short season other wise 😘
 
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There about 30,000 shu nice taste pod's very jalapeño like in shape obviously start green then black then a lovely deep horse chestnut colour ......... 😘

They stay the same when cooked :thumbsup:
 
Hi Guy's

My wee winter experiment I'd say is about done :thumbsup: The objective was to try mini kratky hydroponic (spice jar) too try and get seeds quicker and in a space saving manner very important to those of us who can't grow outside 😟

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Pod's growing seeds not far away now :party:

I also learned at least in this case with this variety in the mini kratky on getting our very limited daylight on the kitchen window ledge it "didn't " go leggy like a seedling in soil always do ! 🤔

Next winter I will use this method again to progress F's to the next generation or find out like with my Black Naga that came out mustard whether it's a mutation or cross, however I will use my light box to increase hour's of light and obviously speed up the whole process.
 
Hi Guy's

Reckon my wee winter experiment is over.........pretty sure the seeds in these pod's will be variable ........🤔

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Objective achieved :thumbsup:🙂😎

Good fun very easy to do learnt alot re hydroponic ratios and keeping an eye on topping up in such small contain a 500ml fizzy pop bottle cut pretty much in half !

Another lesson learned raid friends and relatives recycling bin for glass jar of similar volume and neck size for a 2" net pot .......to stop the buggers falling over when they get top heavy 🤣

Great method to grow a large number of varieties in a very small space if you just want to try the flavour or want to get an F1 to an F2

Infact this method has already saved my bacon so to speak in my 2024 superhot trial I lost my potted Devils Nagabrain F4 in a cold wet spell just after potting it up 😭

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However I had a spare one in mini kratky.......it now has wee pod's starting so F5 seeds :party:
 
Hi Guy's

My wee winter experiment is over ................or is it 🤔 😁😗😉

Well no ! I had finished with the project/experiment was telling a colleague who I gave a spare Ring of fire to 2 years ago , he still has the plant it lives in his kitchen near the window !

I showed him the photos he loved the colour and wondered if it was ..........😗 spare ? And could he have it 🙏

I explained it was in hydroponics ( hes not a plant guy) and whilst small, very tall ..................

This then got me thinking ? Kratky to soil experiment combined with complete decapitation 😁🤔

Yes the experiment was not over !
It's now been a week or so I butchered the plant trimmed off alot of hydroponic root system and put it in mixture of compost, perlite, vermiculite .

Another lesson learned then are tough little buggers 👍

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The ex kratky decapitated Hungarian black chilli lives !

Once it's grown on a bit I shall give it to my mate it will be a house chillie .......
 
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