What's up pepper heads...
I am an American living in Alexandria, Egypt and I love spicy fire breathing food. I have been living here for 2 years now and can find only a couple of different types of peppers. I found Jalapenos’ in a jar and what looks and tastes like a Kung Pao pepper but nothing in the superhots category and no decent sauces. Wistfully looking at all the awesome sauces and seeds on the internet I started a wish list on Amazon and pointed my mother to it via my wife’s facebook page as my birthday approached. Then a couple of months ago we received a box from grandma with lots of goodies for the kids and wife and about half of my wish list. Yes!
I don't have a fancy setup or even an un-fancy setup, just some store bought soil, a few pots, and some cardboard egg cartons that I used as starters. God made seeds to get eaten and pooped out by birds or other animals and just grow out there in the wild right? Hehehe
There are some nurseries around but they are outside the city but I don't know where they are. My Arabic still sucks even after hundreds of hours of classes and complete immersion so it makes it hard to get around or find things. (You never realize how big of a vocabulary you need to have descent conversation until you begin learning a new language.)
Not to metion there really aren't any big box type stores except Carefoure wich is sort of like a super Walmart but not. Most stores are super niche and carry only certian items. Like one store might have nothing but screws and bolts and around the corner you might find nails of all sizes, chain, and hinges. Another store will have only pvc pipe and connectors while to get fixtures you will have to go to another store. There is a system to this and the locals know well but for me coming from the land of Home Depot and Walmart I am lost.
Anyway, I couldn't wait to get growing even though it is so late in the summer. I figure it doesn't start to cool off (60's-70's) until late Oct/early Nov here and I have never seen or heard frost even in the dead of winter so I would give it a shot.
I started the seeds at the beginning of July using the wet paper towel method and began planting as they sprouted. The Jalapenos were up first, along with some of the Cayenne, then a few Moruga's and Butch T's, with the Bhut's and Tepin's as well as all the stragglers from the Morgua and ButchT packets. Everything was planted between July 15 and July 29. I germinated about 10-15 of each variety with hopes of keeping two of each for harvesting. I had about an 80% sprout rate.
After planting the seedlings I lost quite a bunch of the Bhuts and Tepins that just never came out of the dirt. All the Jalapenos came up but about half wilted and I removed them left the ones that looked strong. 95% of the Butch T's and Moruga's came up but started turning white after I left them in the sun too long one day trying to dry them out from a botched automatic watering system I tried to setup before we went out of town for a week.
Needless to say if anything survives my gardening skills it will be one hella strong plant.
Here are some pics I took this morning 8/8/2013 This is 2 weeks give or take. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated just remember I don't have a lot of resources available where here in Egypt that I know of and I live on the 14th floor of an apartment.
This is the only soil I found. The Superpeat was inside the Friends bag.
Moruga's and Butch T's got a little sunburned
Jalapeno's and Cayenne
Poor little Bhut's
Tepin's
A mix of Tepin and Bhut that were late sprouts.
I'll keep you updated every few weeks as the little guys grow. Heres to a good late season harvest
I am an American living in Alexandria, Egypt and I love spicy fire breathing food. I have been living here for 2 years now and can find only a couple of different types of peppers. I found Jalapenos’ in a jar and what looks and tastes like a Kung Pao pepper but nothing in the superhots category and no decent sauces. Wistfully looking at all the awesome sauces and seeds on the internet I started a wish list on Amazon and pointed my mother to it via my wife’s facebook page as my birthday approached. Then a couple of months ago we received a box from grandma with lots of goodies for the kids and wife and about half of my wish list. Yes!
I don't have a fancy setup or even an un-fancy setup, just some store bought soil, a few pots, and some cardboard egg cartons that I used as starters. God made seeds to get eaten and pooped out by birds or other animals and just grow out there in the wild right? Hehehe
There are some nurseries around but they are outside the city but I don't know where they are. My Arabic still sucks even after hundreds of hours of classes and complete immersion so it makes it hard to get around or find things. (You never realize how big of a vocabulary you need to have descent conversation until you begin learning a new language.)
Not to metion there really aren't any big box type stores except Carefoure wich is sort of like a super Walmart but not. Most stores are super niche and carry only certian items. Like one store might have nothing but screws and bolts and around the corner you might find nails of all sizes, chain, and hinges. Another store will have only pvc pipe and connectors while to get fixtures you will have to go to another store. There is a system to this and the locals know well but for me coming from the land of Home Depot and Walmart I am lost.
Anyway, I couldn't wait to get growing even though it is so late in the summer. I figure it doesn't start to cool off (60's-70's) until late Oct/early Nov here and I have never seen or heard frost even in the dead of winter so I would give it a shot.
I started the seeds at the beginning of July using the wet paper towel method and began planting as they sprouted. The Jalapenos were up first, along with some of the Cayenne, then a few Moruga's and Butch T's, with the Bhut's and Tepin's as well as all the stragglers from the Morgua and ButchT packets. Everything was planted between July 15 and July 29. I germinated about 10-15 of each variety with hopes of keeping two of each for harvesting. I had about an 80% sprout rate.
After planting the seedlings I lost quite a bunch of the Bhuts and Tepins that just never came out of the dirt. All the Jalapenos came up but about half wilted and I removed them left the ones that looked strong. 95% of the Butch T's and Moruga's came up but started turning white after I left them in the sun too long one day trying to dry them out from a botched automatic watering system I tried to setup before we went out of town for a week.
Needless to say if anything survives my gardening skills it will be one hella strong plant.
Here are some pics I took this morning 8/8/2013 This is 2 weeks give or take. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated just remember I don't have a lot of resources available where here in Egypt that I know of and I live on the 14th floor of an apartment.
This is the only soil I found. The Superpeat was inside the Friends bag.
Moruga's and Butch T's got a little sunburned
Jalapeno's and Cayenne
Poor little Bhut's
Tepin's
A mix of Tepin and Bhut that were late sprouts.
I'll keep you updated every few weeks as the little guys grow. Heres to a good late season harvest
BB, from Durham NC
