Better Late than Pepper

Terrible puns aside, I'm getting a very late start to the growing year.  This is my first attempt at growing peppers, but I'm hoping that I can get some experience and some hot sauce by the end of the year.  Fortunately I live in a mild climate and I think that means I can grow into winter.
 
My plan was to get started in March, but due to what's happened this year, I haven't had the opportunity until recently. On top of that, two separate orders of seeds I ordered never arrived so I'm not getting to plant all that I wanted, but I've got a few seeds in the works. I've been raring to go and annoying my wife  , but I decided to get started with what I have on hand and try to salvage what's left of the year.  Here are the seeds I've planted so far:
 
Cherry Bomb
Yellow Moruga Scorpion
Red Moruga Scorpion
Carolina Reaper
Bhut Jolokia Chocolate
Orange Habanero
Red Caribbean Habanero
Hot Lemon Habanero
Naga Viper
Jalapeno
Serrano
 
I was able to get a mini greenhouse and heating mat for the seeds so they're tucked away in the dining room. I'm winging it and going off of what I've seen on youtube and read online. I feel like I've watched hours and hours of pepper videos and I'm excited, can't wait to see what happens and I hope the wait has been worth it.
 
 
 
 

 

[The_NorthEast_ChileMan]

Looking good!!!!
 

 

[PaulG]

to the glogosphere, Matt.
 
Sorry to hear that some of your seeds
didn't get to you. Have you ordered
from Semillas la Palma?
 
Your list has lots of hotties on it, depending
on where you are in Spain, they should do
well for you. We lived in Spain on several
occasions - Valladolid, Vitoria and Segovia.
I always enjoyed our time there, whether for
short visits or living there. I miss it a lot. Segovia
is my favorite of the three, although Vitoria is
awesome, too. We lived there just after the
election of Felipe Gonzalez.
 
Good luck diving into the pepper-growing pond!
What is your germinating medium?

 

[luvmesump3pp3rz]

good luck! 

 

[ahayastani]

FWP, you're in Murcia? Many Northern Europeans go there to spend the winter
 
With the cuarentena relieved, you can at least begin with those things that are important in life

 

[FarWestPep]

Looking good!!!!
 

 
Thanks! I'll need it! 
 

to the glogosphere, Matt.
 
Sorry to hear that some of your seeds
didn't get to you. Have you ordered
from Semillas la Palma?
 
Your list has lots of hotties on it, depending
on where you are in Spain, they should do
well for you. We lived in Spain on several
occasions - Valladolid, Vitoria and Segovia.
I always enjoyed our time there, whether for
short visits or living there. I miss it a lot. Segovia
is my favorite of the three, although Vitoria is
awesome, too. We lived there just after the
election of Felipe Gonzalez.
 
Good luck diving into the pepper-growing pond!
What is your germinating medium?

 
I ordered seeds from Semillas Las Palmas and from Fatalli Seeds. I don't know what happened, but neither have shown up. I've been like a dog looking out the window everyday for the postman, but Correos doesn't have the best track record. Of course I'm impatient, but I know the quarantine put things behind schedule so maybe they'll show up eventually and I can use them next year 
 
I need to do more traveling in Spain as I've spent most of my time here in the south. It's amazing the differences among the south, center, and north of Spain. I'd like to go back to Galicia and Asturias and really get to know the areas sometime in the future. My wife really liked Segovia as well. She told me about the little pig dish (cochinillo) that sounds delicious. Did you ever try it? You beat me here, I only moved in 2016. When was the last time you were in Spain?
 
I picked up a basic seed starting mix which is made up mostly of peat moss and I added some vermiculite to that. Oddly enough, there aren't as many options around here store-wise. I miss being able to pop into Home Depot or the local nursery, but we'll see what happens!
 

good luck! 

 
Thanks! I'm keeping my fingers crossed 
 

FWP, you're in Murcia? Many Northern Europeans go there to spend the winter
 
With the cuarentena relieved, you can at least begin with those things that are important in life

 
Yeah I'm here in Murcia. The local tourists have already started to going to the beaches and I know they're going to open up the borders in the next few weeks. Everybody is itching to get out of town and get some sand beneath their toes 
 
That's right! Time to start doing more little by little!

 

[PaulG]

When we worked in Valladolid, part of my work took me to Oviedo, Asturias, and on one vacation with my father we spent 3 weeks in Northern Spain starting in Santiago de Compostela and working our way east to San Sebastian, To my way of thinking the cuisine in the North is so good. The Basque in Alava and the Rioja, the Asturianos and Galicianos really know how to eat! Segovia is no slouch either. The cochinillo is widely known alright, and delicious, but my favorite there is Lechazo, the wood-fired-oven-cooked lamb. Makes me salivate just thinking about it  
 
Not from Spain. We were in Vitoria in 1981-82, In Valladolid in 1986-87, and lived in Segovia in 2018. In between we visited there many times, Navarra, Burgos, Barcelona, Granada, Toledo, Salamanca, Valencia, and lots of small pueblos in the Rioja and Ribera del Duero wine regions. We grew to love Spain very much. We would still like to spend some more time in Murcia ands other points south.
 
I hope that your seeds from Semillas show up. I have had good luck with them. Have you gotten to know any local gardeners in Chiapas, yet? They could probably help you a lot with finding materials, etc. Anyway, good luck going forward. sorry to hijack your grow log with all the Spain stuff  

 

[FarWestPep]

When we worked in Valladolid, part of my work took me to Oviedo, Asturias, and on one vacation with my father we spent 3 weeks in Northern Spain starting in Santiago de Compostela and working our way east to San Sebastian, To my way of thinking the cuisine in the North is so good. The Basque in Alava and the Rioja, the Asturianos and Galicianos really know how to eat! Segovia is no slouch either. The cochinillo is widely known alright, and delicious, but my favorite there is Lechazo, the wood-fired-oven-cooked lamb. Makes me salivate just thinking about it  
 
Not from Spain. We were in Vitoria in 1981-82, In Valladolid in 1986-87, and lived in Segovia in 2018. In between we visited there many times, Navarra, Burgos, Barcelona, Granada, Toledo, Salamanca, Valencia, and lots of small pueblos in the Rioja and Ribera del Duero wine regions. We grew to love Spain very much. We would still like to spend some more time in Murcia ands other points south.
 
I hope that your seeds from Semillas show up. I have had good luck with them. Have you gotten to know any local gardeners in Chiapas, yet? They could probably help you a lot with finding materials, etc. Anyway, good luck going forward. sorry to hijack your grow log with all the Spain stuff  

 
 
You've really got the north covered! I've never heard of Lechazo, but it sounds delicious. Once things calm down here, I'll have to make my way up north to try that along with the other northern cuisine. Of course I'm biased toward the southern food, which is great too. Some dishes seem to be the same all over the country, but with regional differences. I'm a sucker for a good empanadilla and octopus. My mother-in-law spoils my wife and I   The tapas in the US really doesn't compare to what you find here. Lots of good cheap seafood and the jamon is so much better. I've convinced my wife to get a leg of jamon so we'll be real Spaniards 
 
Even though Spain doesn't compare in size to the US, it's amazing how much there is to see from pueblo to pueblo. I'm thankful to have a Spanish wife who can really show me all there is, otherwise I would miss so much. We'll have to do what you've done and get around to check out more places. I definitely recommend Murcia, it's truly a hidden gem. Everyone is very nice, but the accent definitely takes some getting used to    I don't mind talking about Spain at all, it's a big part of my life now    Fortunately for me, the seeds did finally show up and I've got them all planted and waiting to pop 

 

[FarWestPep]

Well it turns out that annoying the people at the post office can occasionally pay off! I talked to the workers and my seeds from Semillas Las Palmas and Fatalii showed up on the same day. The hardest part was deciding what and what not to plant. After hemming and hawing for a bit, I finished prepping and planted. I tried the tea soaking method and put everything I wanted to plant in cups overnight.
 
As I was getting the seed tray ready, I noticed that some of the seeds I had planted the previous week had already started to germinate. Definitely did some fist pumping    It's pretty exciting seeing the seeds come to life. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going and keep them alive   Seems that about 6 or so of the varietes have germinated, although they're getting a bit leggy. I'm not familiar with grow lights, but a kit I purchased came with a CFL bulb. I put it just above the plastic cover so I'm hoping that's enough to provide light while the other seeds germinate. I took the picture before I moved the lamp all the way down. I'll have to play it by ear and see how they plants respond.
 
The other seeds that I decided to add the roster are:
 
Scotch Bonnet Trenton FM
Hungarian Hot Wax
Piaozinho Amarela
Ancho Poblano
Rocoto Manz. Amarillo
Biker Billy Jalapeno
Fatalii
Lemon Drop
Ancho San Luis
Bahamian Goat
7pot Bubblegum
Primo x Butch T
7pot Brainstrain
Scotch Bonnet MOA red
Golden Marconi
Sugar Rush Peach
Brazilian Starfish
Moruga Chocolate
 
I think I've got a good variety of hot and milder peppers. I'm curious to see how quickly some of these will grow and who the stragglers will be
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[ahayastani]

FarWestPep, why do you use a grow setup? I checked the current weather conditions for Murcia and they are quite like what I have at the moment, only that nights here are 23-25°C. I grow everything outside, protected from the sun, spray some water now and then (nebulizer)... 
 

 

[Devv]

We're currently having temps @ 22-35° here. I just did something I've never done, and that is start peppers in early summer (no travel with COVID). I germinated outside in the shade, moved to East sun until true leaves came in. And then out there in full sun.
 
Good luck with your grow!

 

[PaulG]

Glad those other seeds showed up! Now
you have a regulation grow going!
 
I'd be careful with damping off with your germinator
dome on. Usually, when sprouts show up and the
cotys are green, I the the dome off so they don't
damp off at the soil level due to the high humidity.
My experience, anyway.
 
Good luck getting it going in the warm Spanish sun!

 

[FarWestPep]

FarWestPep, why do you use a grow setup? I checked the current weather conditions for Murcia and they are quite like what I have at the moment, only that nights here are 23-25°C. I grow everything outside, protected from the sun, spray some water now and then (nebulizer)... 
 

 
It's true, the weather here is pretty good for growing right. I'd love to have the chance to grow outside, but unfortunately my apartment doesn't have good exposure and I only get a little bit of sunlight on my balcony. Funnily enough, I get more sun during the winter when it's colder than I do now in the summer. Eventually I'll make use of a terrace, but the time being I'm using the lights to help me get going. Now the next couple of months will be interesting. It gets scorching hot here in July and August so I'll have to figure out some kind of shade 
 

We're currently having temps @ 22-35° here. I just did something I've never done, and that is start peppers in early summer (no travel with COVID). I germinated outside in the shade, moved to East sun until true leaves came in. And then out there in full sun.
 
Good luck with your grow!

 
I have the urge to grow throughout the year, even if it's only a few plants. I'm lucky with the climate in this part of the world so it could be possible if I'm successful this time around. Now whether my wife lets me use the lights year round is another thing    I might end up just giving some plants away to my in-laws. 
 
How are your plants dealing with watering while outside, everyday or every couple of days?
 

Glad those other seeds showed up! Now
you have a regulation grow going!
 
I'd be careful with damping off with your germinator
dome on. Usually, when sprouts show up and the
cotys are green, I the the dome off so they don't
damp off at the soil level due to the high humidity.
My experience, anyway.
 
Good luck getting it going in the warm Spanish sun!

 
I'm pretty happy the finally got here, I was getting pretty impatient. I heeded your advice and removed the dome, thanks for the tip. I know it would be disappointing to see the plants die after getting them to pop. Interestingly, after removing the dome, the seedling cells that have sprouted have remained nice and moist, while the newest seed cells haven been drying up faster. I'm keeping an eye on them and keeping them wet, but I don't want to overdo it 

 

[FarWestPep]

The seedlings I planted last Friday have made some good progress. 10 out of the original 11 varieties have poked through the "dirt" and are looking pretty good. The only one that hasn't grown so far is the Cherry Bomb. Some of the original seeds weren't necessarily from the most reputable dealer so we'll see if they are what they say they are. Although I won't know until down the road once the fruit has developed. 
 
I'm eagerly waiting for the other varieties to grow, but for now it's the waiting game and checking the tray five times a day    You could probably say I'm obsessing a little bit, I think staying at home for the past few months has made me a bit crazy  Taking PaulG's advice, I removed the humidity dome to keep the seedlings from an early death. Initially, I was only giving a little bit of water every few days, but now the medium is drying out a bit faster without the dome. I'm making sure the top doesn't get too dry and might have to do a daily watering. I've been spoiled by the quick growth of the first batch of seeds, but I've read that the superhots need up to a month or two to actually germinate.  

 

[PaulG]

Often I just use a spray bottle to keep the cells
moist after the dome comes off. You are right
in that it requires a bit more attention once the
dome comes off.

 

[Tybo]

Often I just use a spray bottle to keep the cells
moist after the dome comes off. You are right
in that it requires a bit more attention once the
dome comes off.

 
 
Yep!  I do the same thing.  I keep a spray bottle right by the seedlings.  They get a mist and the soil gets a few squirts as needed.  A lot better than trying to "pour" from something and end up drowning them.

 

[FarWestPep]

Often I just use a spray bottle to keep the cells
moist after the dome comes off. You are right
in that it requires a bit more attention once the
dome comes off.

 
I've got a pressurized sprayer which seems to be working nicely. In the past, I've killed house plants by over watering them, but this seems to work much better for me and the peppers.  Makes it harder for me to kill them at this stage 
 

 
 
Yep!  I do the same thing.  I keep a spray bottle right by the seedlings.  They get a mist and the soil gets a few squirts as needed.  A lot better than trying to "pour" from something and end up drowning them.

 
Admittedly I employed that method in the past, but the spraying is much easier. I like having the tray to help with moderation as well.

 

[FarWestPep]

It's been another couple of days and the plants seem to be doing well. Most everything has sprouted, except for about five or six varieties, but perhaps they'll make an appearance at a later date. Of the most recently planted seeds, the Piaozinho, Fatalii, Sugar Rush, and Rocoto have yet to germinate. I've heard a couple of those are more difficult to germinate than other varieties so I don't know if I'll have any success with them this year. I'm going to wait a few more days for some of the stragglers, but then I'm going to remove the heat mat. 
 
Apart from the daily spraying of water on top, I just gave the whole tray a watering from below and the cells really sucked up the water. I got a little distracted by only spraying and didn't realize that it's been a week since I gave them a real chance to drink up. I think that was a good thing because the seedlings are looking good to my eye. Some are a bit taller than I'd like, but I think I can address this when I go to transplant and can bury them closer to the cotyledons. I've got a fan on them for an hour everyday in an effort to strengthen up the lanky guys. The Serranos are really dominating in growth and practically touching the lightbulb, whereas the others are more content closer to the surface. The jalapenos f1 I've got in the front have huuuge cotyledons. I picked up those seeds in Germany over a year ago and I'm assuming their F1 status means they're going to be prolific.
 
Speaking of jalapenos, my Biker Billy seeds have suffered a massacre. All 5 seeds germinated, but only 1 came up without the seed shell still attached. I attempted to do some minor surgery and ended up taking off the tops of 3   There's still one good one and I hope I can keep that one going as I was pretty jazzed to try this type of jalapeno. Unfortunately my clumsy hands ripped the tops off of a couple others as well. Safe to say I'm putting the tweezers down and letting the seeds do their thing for the time being. One of the Brazilian Starfishes still has half of its cotyledons so maybe it'll pull through despite my best efforts.
 
When I planted last week, I decided to do a little side experiment at the same time. I cut some water bottles in half and made a self watering system with some string in the bottom feeding water to the top. I used coco fiber instead of the seed starting mix that I used with the others. Unfortunately I didn't have room on my teeny heating mat so I just put them in the window that gets some morning sunlight to try and keep them warm. They took a bit longer than the peppers in the seed tray, but they're finally popping through the medium. Only one or two in each, but something is something. I think I prefer the seed starting mix (peat moss, sand, compost) to the coco fiber. I've got a little pot with some cilantro growing as well, a plant that will get much use in our kitchen as I try to bring Mexico to Spain.
 
After about 11 days of growing this year, I can definitely say I'm hooked. I know it's still quite early in the process and everything could die in a couple of weeks, but I'm enjoying it. It's fun checking the plants everyday and staring into each of the cells looking for that little green hook growing up. Let's hope this enthusiasm continues!

 

[FarWestPep]

Looks like the last few peppers are coming in! Since the last post, the Fatalii, Sugar Rush Peach, and Rocoto have been spotted poking their heads through. I've got about 93% germination and I'm super happy about that. With the late comers growing, I've decided to remove the heat mat. Some of the true leaves have been growing so I'm going to start thinking about some fertilizer. I think I'm going to wait until there are two sets on most before I do any feeding. I'm hoping it won't be too much for the smaller plants, but I'll make sure to dilute the mixture enough to not do any damage. I'm going to try out BioBizz fish mix or grow as I've heard some good things about that brand. 
 
The cilantro pot is close to the lights, but not quite under them so you can see that they're reaching. Unfortunately I'm going to have to leave them there since I don't have any space in the tray. That being said, I think they're getting enough light and can survive until I move them elsewhere. 
 
The capillary bottles are doing okay as well, a couple more seeds have germinated. I'm honestly half-assing them until I figure out what I'm going to do with them. I was finally able to put them on the balcony which gets a little bit of direct sunlight in the mornings. 
 
 

 

[FarWestPep]

Overdue update. Most of the peppers are doing pretty well. My serranos grew so quickly that they were touching the lightbulb and got a little burned, oops. I noticed that some of my peppers' leaves began turning a purple color, as well as the stems. I'm guessing this is due to the proximity of the light, which I've since raised up. The cells have been getting crowded so I decided to undertake mass murder and transplant into larger containers. Boy was it hard to pick one of each after putting so much care and attention into growing all of them. I'm giving a few away to my mother-in-law, nieces, and nephews, which helps to lessen the sting from the culling. These will be hotter than anything they're used to, but maybe I can convert some of them into eating spicier foods. 
 
I've been saving a bunch of water bottles over the past couple of months along with my daughter's formula containers. I figured I would try and reuse the bottles and cans instead of buying some pots, although I'm not sure how I feel about the water bottles after prepping. I'm worried the bottles are so tall that it will be difficult to bottom water effectively and that the holes I cut aren't good enough. I suppose I can still spray water on top if necessary    I picked up some BioBizz light mix and added some leftover vermiculite. Just from feel alone I like the stuff, nice and fluffy. After a bit of rough handling and ripping roots, I got everything squared away. The trays really pack some weight now, I need to make sure they don't break on me when I'm moving them back and forth. I watered with some root seaweed stuff that's supposed to help with transplant shock. I really hope it works because it would be a big bummer to lose everything after being so giddy for the first few weeks. I'm gonna give the peps a rest without light for the next day/day and a half and see how they're doing after that. The two trays of transplants barely fit under the lights I've got hung up and I may need add more if it's not enough. I'll add some after photos once the sun comes up. 
 
Happy 4th of July everyone!