Beginner w/ First pepper garden - 2x2 tent grow - 150 watt - Coco Coir and GH Flora Nutrients

Hello and Welcome to my first pepper grow journal. I am not a gardener and I don’t have access to a garden, so I am limited to growing in my basement. I WELCOME INPUT, SO PLEASE JUMP IN IF I AM DOING SOMETHING WRONG. I will be using a 2x2x6 grow tent to keep the plants warm and reflect more light. I have a 150 watt ViparSpectra LED for the space. I see that most of the pepper plants that I ordered are only expected to grow 2’ tall, so I’m hoping to squeeze four plants in the tent. This will put them 12” apart which is a little too tight I suspect. I will buy a larger tent (3x2 or 3x3) if it gets too tight (and if I enjoy this new hobby). I’ve been doing a lot of reading and preparation for this hobby….i hope it proves to be a rewarding hobby. My supplies and seeds will be here within a week.

Here is the growing space.I know it’s not much space to work with, but I can always add a second tent if I enjoy growing peppers and need more space as they get larger.

Here are most of the peppers that I ordered. I was originally planning to grow Shishito, Thai Chiles, Sweet mini bell peppers and lunchbox peppers. However, I saw so many pepper varieties on this forum that I decided to order more exotic seeds and try a few. I am undecided as to which 4 I plan to grow first. I am still waiting for my germination equipment to arrive (heating pad, humidity dome, starter soil), so I have a few days to decide. The more I research this topic, the more I’m amazed by the variety of peppers available.

I am planning to use these self feeding pots for my peppers. I need to have the ability to ignore them for a day or two at times. I’m hoping these feeders help keep them watered and fed automatically. The medium I am using is Coco Loco mixed with perlite. It’s a fast draining coco medium that allows for faster growth, but it doesn’t provide many nutrients. I will be feeding General Hydroponics Flora Series (Gro, Micro and Bloom), CalMag and seaweed extract, both of which work well with wick feeders.

More details and photos next week when I have the seeds in their propagator.

 

[growyourown]

just an idea, you have 6' height in the tent, if you buy/build some kind of shelf and get a second light you can double what you put in there...

at least until they get so tall that they're too close to the lights...

 

[Tdub]

just an idea, you have 6' height in the tent, if you buy/build some kind of shelf and get a second light you can double what you put in there...

at least until they get so tall that they're too close to the lights...

That is Brilliant! Thank you! I do have another small grow lamp that I could add. I will look at this more closely and evaluate the cost of a shelf vs the cost of an additional tent. Thank you Growyourown.

 

[Black Compass]

If you are having trouble with cool temps at night, raise the plants off the concrete floor some and insulate below them. Good luck!

 

[Tdub]

If you are having trouble with cool temps at night, raise the plants off the concrete floor some and insulate below them. Good luck!

Thank you! Yes, I didn’t consider the fact that the floor is probably cold. I will put some carpeting under the tent. Thank you for the tip!

 

[CaneDog]

Looks like a nice growing setup. Good luck!

 

[HellfireFarm]

If this is your setup for all year, I think it may be a little tight*, but if you're growing for yourself, not enough to be a problem. I like the second shelf idea - my chinense's get up to 2.5', and the annuums reach a bit over 3' max, so just keep the tops trimmed if they get too tall.

* Due to the tops of the plants wanting to spread out as they mature - but if you remove the cover later in the season even that shouldn't be a problem.

I know the recommendation is 18" in rows 30" apart - but I plant mine in rows of 3 across, all spaced 1 foot apart and they still produce like mad.

Happy growing!

 

[Tdub]

If this is your setup for all year, I think it may be a little tight*, but if you're growing for yourself, not enough to be a problem. I like the second shelf idea - my chinense's get up to 2.5', and the annuums reach a bit over 3' max, so just keep the tops trimmed if they get too tall.

* Due to the tops of the plants wanting to spread out as they mature - but if you remove the cover later in the season even that shouldn't be a problem.

I know the recommendation is 18" in rows 30" apart - but I plant mine in rows of 3 across, all spaced 1 foot apart and they still produce like mad.

Happy growing!

Thank you Hellfire for the input and for your reference to your plant heights! I had to look up “annuums” and “chinense” on Google, but that really had me imagining what a full tent could look like. If my tent were 7-8 feet tall, I’d feel better with the shelf option. I would like to leave a little room around the LEDs for cooling which makes the vertical space even more limiting. So I just placed an order for a 2’ x 3’ tent which should allow me to grow 6 plants using your actual spacing. The shelving proved to be an expensive option, so that made my decision easier too.

I’ll probably try running both tents this time since I’ll probably kill off a few plants on my first attempt.

Thanks again to you and everyone for helping me get this right. Much appreciated…..I will pay it forward someday.

 

[Tdub]

Good Morming,
The plan is slowly coming together….thank you to several members for the input. A few more items are on order to support adding the new 2x3 grow tent.

As a reminder, this is my first attempt at peppers so this plan could completely fall apart. I wouldn’t follow my lead when there are much more knowledgeable pepper growers on this site. I’m just sharing my past indoor growing experience and trying to adapt it to peppers.

Here is the plan:
One 2x2 tent with four plants
One 2x3 tent 5-6 plants
Tents will be placed on carpet scraps to protect them from the cold basement floor.

GROWING MEDIUM
Coco Coir and Perlite, a medium that offers the faster growth of hydroponics without the equipment of a hydroponic system.
Note that coco has no nutritional value, so I will include nutrients with every feeding. See below for my nutrient plan.
There is an interesting tutorial on this site at https://thehotpepper.com/threads/growing-in-coco-tutorial.72938/

Coco needs to be rinsed (a lot of potential salt and small pieces to be rinsed away from coco) and buffered (soaked with CalMag) before use unless you buy a previously cleaned and buffered brick like those from CannaCoco. It’s very convenient because it can be stored in dried bricks. Unlike soil, there aren’t any issues with fungus gnats in coco.

I have a small supply of CocoLoco from a previous grow. I plan to blend it with this coco and added perlite.


NUTRIENTS FOR COCO COIR
I use the General Hydroponics Flora Trio series of nutrients, but I don’t use the FloraGro since it adds so much nitrogen. I use a variation of the “Lucas Formula” which only uses two of the three trio nutrients…FloraMicro and FloraBloom. The FloraGro product has a lot of nitrogen….the other two formulas deliver plenty of nitrogen without needing to add FloraGro. My understanding is that too much nitrogen can reduce pepper production, so I will not be using FloraGro unless I see a nitrogen deficiency.

The Lucas Formula is for SOIL grows, but there are two recipes that adapt this Lucas Formula specifically for Coco. “Head’s Formula” consists of using a different ratio: 1ml of Flora Micro, and 2ml of Flora Bloom, per litre of water, along with .25 gram of Epsom salt per water. I personally use the “Ironhead Formula” which uses CalMag instead of epsom salts. During the vegetative growth, I plan to use 6ml of FloraMicro per gallon, 9ml of FloraBloom and 1.5ml of CalMag. During the flowering and fruit production, I will reduce the FloraMicro to 4ml/gallon and increase the FloraBloom to 10 ml/gallon.

You can see the N-P-K on these products. As you can see, there’s plenty of Nitrogen in the FloraMicro.



FEEDING IN COCO

Coco likes frequent irrigation to maintain a good EC at the root zone. It also doesn’t hold water like soil given its drainage qualities. I’m unable to commit to watering every single day, so I will be using self-watering feeders to deliver the nutrients and water. I’m using multiple watering devices to see what works best.

The only self watering feeders that I have used are made by AC Infinity. These are designed to hold 3 or 5 gallon fabric pots and use wicks to deliver the nutrient solution to the bottom of the pot. There is no top watering needed with these feeders. They are amazing feeders, but they are a little large for a tent at 16” across. I plan to use four of these in the two tents and squeeze smaller planters in the open space. I also plan to attempt to modify these to hold 2 1-gallon fabric pots on each base for some very small pepper plants.

Note that some products such as those containing iron can clog wicks.



I’m also testing two versions of these household self watering planters in varying sizes. Unlike the AC Infinity feeders above which are 16” in diameter, these are only 8, 10 and 12 inch planters. I should be able to squeeze these into the spare spaces in the tents.




Now we wait for the deliveries to show up…..seeds, propagator, heat mat, containers, coco coir and tent are all in progress. Can’t wait to get started! I will try to document my preparation and implementation with photos once everything shows up. Hopefully that’s the end of my equipment needs. (I already have a spare grow light)

As usual, if anyone sees any opportunities for improvement, I welcome your input. Thanks in advance!

My research for today:
Should I start my seeds in coco, or start my seeds in rapid rooters?
Which varieties of pepper from my orders are the smallest plants… can I grow in one gallon fabric pots?
Which varieties l pepper are the largest and need the three gallon fabric pots?

 

[growyourown]

PVC pipe is what i was imagining. you could build a cube 2' x 2' x 3' with 28' of tubing plus 8 elbow joints, and use a piece of wood or plastic to go on top.

 

[Tdub]

Hello,
Posting this to my grow journal for future reference when I start assigning seedlings to different sized pots. I had a few hours set aside to try to research plants. Decided to see if ChatGPT could rank my pepper seeds by mature plant size and provide scoville units and a taste description. This website saved me a ton of research online. Wow!

That Aji Rico pepper is probably the one that I’m most excited about. While I can handle hot sauces that include reapers and ghost peppers, I don’t think I can handle much more than a raw jalapeño with fresh peppers.

Edit…..added third chart for reference to replace first two slides. Much better recap for me. Sorry for the changes.

 

[Tdub]

PVC pipe is what i was imagining. you could build a cube 2' x 2' x 3' with 28' of tubing plus 8 elbow joints, and use a piece of wood or plastic to go on top.

Thank you growyourown…That’s a very cost effective solution. Most of the racks I saw were close to the price of a tent and I was concerned about running out of vertical space. These peppers grow larger than I expected. If I decide to expand the pepper garden, I’ll definitely go with the PVC in the 2x3 text. I saw a few examples online and it looks easy to make. Thanks for sharing the idea.

 

[HellfireFarm]

Keep the tops trimmed and you should be fine.

 

[Black Compass]

Like Hellfire said, keep them trimmed up and no worries. You can also look into a Screen of Green (ScROG) type training on the plants once you decide which individual plants from each genetic line you want to keep. Once theyre tied and grow into the screen you will have to cut them out. This technique maximizes your lights footprint and yield in confined spaces.

 

[Tdub]

Well, progress is being made very slowly but there is progress. The second tent and the propagation station arrived and they have been set up. Now I am just waiting for seeds which have been delayed due to weather. I now have ten square feet of space….a 2x2 tent and a 2x3 tent. I’m hoping for ten plants total…which could be tight in this space. Here is a sample layout showing 4 10-inch pots in the 2x2 space.




Below is an updated plant summary from Chat GPT. I plan to grow ten plants, so I am guessing that I will sow 5 seeds from each pepper variety in the propagation station. This is for my future planting reference. I hope to plant by next weekend.

I am changing my container selection to 4 10-inch self watering containers and 6 12-inch self watering containers. I am returning the AC Infinity watering system as they are too large at 16” for the 2x2 tent and the 2x3 tent.



Here are my planned seeds, ranked by Scoville units.

1. **Biquinho Red**
- *Scoville Units:* Mild (0-1,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 12-inch, 12-18 inches, 10-12 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 15-25 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 14-21 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Whiteflies, Aphids
- *Harvesting Tips:* Harvest when red for a sweet, fruity flavor.
- *Culinary Uses:* Excellent for snacking, pickling, or as a garnish.
- *Flavor Profile:* Sweet and fruity
- *Texture:* Tender
- *Pruning Tips:* Trim away overcrowded branches for better air circulation.

2. **Patio Fire & Ice**
- *Scoville Units:* Mild (0-1,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 12-inch, 14-20 inches, 12-14 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 25-35 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 7-14 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Thrips, Aphids
- *Harvesting Tips:* Pick when fully mature for maximum heat.
- *Culinary Uses:* Adds heat to salsas, sauces, and spicy dishes.
- *Flavor Profile:* Intense heat with a hint of sweetness
- *Texture:* Crunchy
- *Pruning Tips:* Remove lower branches for improved air circulation.

3. **Satan's Kiss**
- *Scoville Units:* Mild (0-1,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 10-inch, 12-18 inches, 10-12 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 20-30 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 7-14 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-7.0
- *Common Pests:* Aphids, Spider Mites
- *Harvesting Tips:* Pick when fully red for optimal sweetness.
- *Culinary Uses:* Ideal for stuffing, grilling, or pickling.
- *Flavor Profile:* Sweet with a hint of fruity notes
- *Texture:* Tender
- *Pruning Tips:* Trim back leggy branches to maintain a compact shape.

4. **Bulgarian Carrot**
- *Scoville Units:* Mild to Medium (5,000-30,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 10-inch, 16-22 inches, 14-16 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 30-40 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 10-14 days
- *pH Range:* 6.2-7.0
- *Common Pests:* Flea Beetles, Aphids
- *Harvesting Tips:* Harvest when orange for a sweet, fruity flavor.
- *Culinary Uses:* Great for hot sauces, relishes, and garnishes.
- *Flavor Profile:* Sweet and slightly earthy
- *Texture:* Crunchy
- *Pruning Tips:* Remove dead or yellowing leaves to promote plant health.

5. **Aji Cachucha**
- *Scoville Units:* Mild (0-1,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 10-inch, 14-20 inches, 12-14 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 25-35 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 10-14 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Whiteflies, Aphids
- *Harvesting Tips:* Pick when fully mature for a sweet, tropical flavor.
- *Culinary Uses:* Great for salads, ceviche, or sautéing.
- *Flavor Profile:* Sweet and tropical
- *Texture:* Crisp
- *Pruning Tips:* Pinch off the tips of branches to encourage bushier growth.

6. **Jalapeno Sweet**
- *Scoville Units:* Mild (0-1,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 12-inch, 14-20 inches, 12-14 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 20-30 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 14-21 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Aphids, Whiteflies
- *Harvesting Tips:* Harvest when green or red; milder when green.
- *Culinary Uses:* Versatile pepper for stuffing, grilling, or fresh eating.
- *Flavor Profile:* Sweet with a mild heat
- *Texture:* Tender
- *Pruning Tips:* Pinch off the tops to encourage branching and fuller growth.

7. **Fresno**
- *Scoville Units:* Mild (2,500-10,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 12-inch, 14-20 inches, 12-14 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 25-35 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 14-21 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Aphids, Whiteflies
- *Harvesting Tips:* Pick when red; green peppers are milder.
- *Culinary Uses:* Perfect for fresh salsas, grilling, or pickling.
- *Flavor Profile:* Mildly sweet with a hint of heat
- *Texture:* Crisp
- *Pruning Tips:* Trim excessive foliage to allow sunlight penetration.

8. **Dragon's Toe Pepper**
- *Scoville Units:* Medium (30,000-50,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 12-inch, 16-24 inches, 12-14 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 20-30 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 14-21 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Aphids, Spider Mites
- *Harvesting Tips:* Pick when fully mature for a medium heat level.
- *Culinary Uses:* Adds a kick to various dishes; suitable for drying.
- *Flavor Profile:* Medium heat with earthy tones
- *Texture:* Crisp

9. **Cherry Mini Hot F1 Pepper**
- *Scoville Units:* Medium (30,000-50,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 10-inch, 12-18 inches, 10-12 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 30-40 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 14-21 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Aphids, Whiteflies
- *Harvesting Tips:* Harvest when red for a small, hot flavor.
- *Culinary Uses:* Perfect for spicy sauces, garnishes, or fresh eating.
- *Flavor Profile:* Intense heat with a hint of sweetness
- *Texture:* Crisp
- *Pruning Tips:* Trim back leggy branches to maintain a compact shape.

10. **Orange Scotch Bonnet Pepper**
- *Scoville Units:* Hot (100,000-350,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 12-inch, 18-24 inches, 14-16 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 25-35 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 14-21 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Aphids, Spider Mites
- *Harvesting Tips:* Harvest when orange for a fruity and spicy flavor.
- *Culinary Uses:* Essential in Caribbean cuisine; great for hot sauces.
- *Flavor Profile:* Fruity and extremely hot
- *Texture:* Crisp

11. **Red Bonnet Pepper**
- *Scoville Units:* Hot (100,000-350,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 12-inch, 18-24 inches, 14-16 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 20-30 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 14-21 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Aphids, Spider Mites
- *Harvesting Tips:* Harvest when red for a bold and spicy flavor.
- *Culinary Uses:* Ideal for hot sauces, marinades, or pickling.
- *Flavor Profile:* Intense heat with earthy undertones
- *Texture:* Crisp

12. **Yellow Scotch Bonnet Pepper**
- *Scoville Units:* Hot (100,000-350,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 12-inch, 18-24 inches, 14-16 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 25-35 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 14-21 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Aphids, Spider Mites
- *Harvesting Tips:* Harvest when yellow for a fruity and spicy flavor.
- *Culinary Uses:* Adds vibrant color and heat to dishes; great for salsas.
- *Flavor Profile:* Fruity and extremely hot
- *Texture:* Crisp

13. **Habanero Mayan Red Pepper**
- *Scoville Units:* Hot (100,000-350,000)
- *Container Size, Height, Width:* 12-inch, 18-24 inches, 14-16 inches
- *Yield:* Moderate (Approx. 20-30 peppers per season)
- *Support:* Stakes/Cages
- *Germination Time:* 14-21 days
- *pH Range:* 6.0-6.8
- *Common Pests:* Aphids, Spider Mites
- *Harvesting Tips:* Harvest when red for a fiery and fruity flavor.
- *Culinary Uses:* Ideal for spicy salsas, hot sauces, and fiery dishes.
- *Flavor Profile:* Fiery and fruity
- *Texture:* Crisp

 

[Tdub]

Day 1
1/17/2024
Yesterday and this morning have been productive. Below is a little documentation for my grow journal so I can refer back on my next grow. If I’m providing too many details, I apologize but this seems to be the best place for me to log it.

I took a gamble yesterday and transplanted some seeds to the propagation station with the new seeds. Now that the Shishito seeds are getting heat and light, they’re starting to pop. They’re supposed to germinate quickly, but they’ve been in cold conditions without much light for two weeks. This really woke two seeds up. I’m setting the heat mat soil temperature to 82 degrees…..hope that’s right.

I only need one to survive, but I am hoping to transplant two plants to each planter initially and then remove the weaker plant in a week or two. I would assume that is a common practice? Or else I will leave a backup in the propagation station in case the transplant doesn’t survive.


This Shishito didn’t look like it was buried enough, so I placed some soil loosely over the seed shell and misted the entire tray with reverse osmosis water plus seaweed extract at a 5.8 ph. If it’s meant to be….she’ll push through the light coco mix. In hindsight, I should have left her alone. I actually don’t know if the seed shell is supposed to be underground or above ground….i assumed it should be buried.




I planted all of my first attempted peppers yesterday and labeled each row. I might have messed up with the seed vendor that I chose who apparently had some bad reviews for sending incorrect seeds. I’ll consider this a test to see if they’re any better than their online reputation and post a review at the end and provide my honest feedback. 11 varieties with 5-6 seeds per variety planted….hopefully I get 11 varieties that match the photos. I also have my first “hot” or “very hot” seeds coming this week. If any pepper variety fails to sprout, I’ll be swapping out for some red scotch bonnet.

Seeds are in Coco Loco medium, a coco coir mix that includes some nutrients. I am misting with reverse osmosis water plus 28ml/g of Maxicrop seaweed, 4ml/g of CalMag, .25 ml/g of Flora Micro and Flora Bloom, and then ph down to 5.8 ph. I am also bottom-feeding with the same solution. Temperature is being maintained at 82 degrees. LED lights are on low (3). Vents in the propagation station are open. Nutrient solution is at ppm 600 or an EC of 1.2.



Due to the large quantity of growing medium I will need, I decided to save a little money and save my back by using compressed coco coir. I ordered a ten pound brick which produces 18 gallons of coco coir when mixed with 7-8 gallons of water. For me…I treat my water with three products…..chlorine remover (aquarium product), cal mag and ph down (my tap has a high ph and coco likes 5.8). So I treated all water and expanded my coco yesterday. Then I buffered it for 18 hours in my treated water plus extra CalMag.

I had to do a lot of research on cleaning and buffering coco coir bricks….all I can say is that it’s challenging to do in a basement. The first step for treating coco is rinsing and buffering for 24 hours.My solution for buffering includes chlorine remover, 7.5ml /g of CalMag and ph down to 5.8ph. I purchased a high quality coco brand that claims to be prerinsed and with a low sodium content, so I’m going with only one rinse and only one buffer period. If you don’t prebuffer, I believe there is a risk that the coco coir will draw calcium away from the peppers. If that happens, it sounds like a risk for blossom end rot as that is a calcium deficiency according to my research. I am considering conducting a second buffering.

My point is that coco is a lot of work, but I don’t like the risk of insect eggs indoors that are sometimes included in bagged soils. It’s also lighter and fluffier than soil so it’s more difficult to overwater. Here is one 10 pound coco coir brick after expanding into 18 gallons of coir. I’m adding 5 gallons of perlite (3 gallons chunky, 2 gallons medium).

12-inch planters arrive today. I will use one to measure the volume of each planter to determine if I need to mix up more soil. My initial thought is that I’m shy by 6-7 gallons…more coco on order.


So there have been a few changes since my initial plan, but it’s coming together.

 

[Tdub]

Day 3
1/19/24
Current nutrients in RO water: GH Flora Gro, Micro and Bloom at 0.25 ml/g, CalMag at 4ml/g, ph at 5.8, ppm at 600, EC 1.2

A cold nine degree day which makes me appreciate indoor gardening today.

The Shishito pepper seeds that I transplanted to the new propagator seem to be taking hold. I didn’t expect them to make it, but they just needed more warmth. Heatmat is set to maintain soil temperature at 83 degrees. I was only planning to grow one container for each pepper variety, but I’m tempted to run two of these since they’re reported to be easy-snacking peppers that I’d like to be able to share with family. The other snacking pepper called a Biquinho will get two plants too. I’ve never tried these peppers….we don’t get much variety here at the stores.

I don’t know when these plants will be large enough to remove from the propagator. I assume that I have another 4-11 days for germination on the rest of the seeds, so hopefully they don’t mind living under the humidity dome for a while. I am refreshing the air in the humidity dome daily. I’m really curious to watch them grow.

Next step for 2-3 of each pepper seedling will be half gallon pots. I’d like to limit myself to one grow light as long as possible.

I also decided to do a second buffering to the coco coir. So in total I soaked all coco for 18 hours the first time and 22 hours the second time in a solution of water treated with aquarium chlorine/chloramine remover*, cal mag (7.5 ml/g),and ph down to 5.8ph. Prebuffered coco is looking better and better. (*i have chloramines in my water which doesn’t dissipate like chlorine and it inhibits plant growth).

I’m looking for a good gardening website or app for tracking a plant growing season but having no luck. I’ll post details here until I figure out a solution. I’m looking for an app or website that captures a history of nutrient levels used, plant height by variety, germination time, time to first production, estimated yield, and photos. I think I’m going to end up with a spreadsheet or continuing to post to this site.

Most seem to be for cannabis groups who probably don’t want to see my pepper plants.

Tents are set up and dialed in…spending this much time in my basement with these tents is encouraging me to clean and straighten this mess. Another benefit of basement growing. I like the mix of 10 and 12 inch pots to since it me a little room to work in the tent.

 

[Tdub]

Day 3
1/19/24

Change in plans due to the Shishito plants germinating so much sooner than the other seeds. My research is indicating that seedlings don’t like humidity domes, so I decided to transplant three of the seedlings now into 0.5 gallon pots. That splits my risk between two different growing methods to increase the likelihood of getting two healthy pepper plants. Desired temperature and humidity in the tent is set to 84 degrees and 80% humidity (I don’t think I can achieve that). Heat mat set to 82 degrees and thermometer probe placed in the soil. I added some coco in fabric pots simply to wick water and increase humidity in the tent. Seems to help. Oscillating Fan is set to blow on the plants for ten minutes every half hour. I still have several sprouts in the propagation tray, so now we see which ones perform better. This may determine how I decide to handle other seedlings.

The LED lamp is set at manufacturer recommendation for first three days of acclimation….24 inches at 40% power.

My first peppers are officially planted now. (Ignore the failed herbs, they’re due for the waste bin once I run out of room).

 

[Black Compass]

Great start! Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[Tdub]

Great start! Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Thank you. I’m having a lot of fun with this and I feel like I have everything I need for a successful grow except the experience. Bring on the seedlings!