Bob's 2019/2020 season GLOG - Thunder Downunder

I had a great season last summer. Plants all over the place. I think I had about 28 varieties and 60 or so plants.
 
All of them were great producers after I got the fruit fly under control. I didn't get any fruit fly the previous year so they took me by surprise and devastated my plants early in the season. I was ready to give up at one point.
 
Some of them are even still giving me fresh pods now in the middle of our winter. Amazing considering we are regularly getting temps down to 0°c overnight.
 
Anyway,
 
This year I am cutting it back a few notches, and will be better prepared for the ff.
 
I am going to rip out all the plants from last season and grow all new varieties this time (except the ones that are in the ground, if they overwinter then they can stay).
 
So I have set myself a goal of 10 varieties. One of each, maybe two of some. All grown in pots. All grown under fruit fly netting.
 
This years grow list
 
Ghost Bhut Jolokia
Yellow Reaper
Thor's Thunderbolt
Aleppo
Bonda Mahala
Pink Tiger
Ma Wartryx
Bad Brains
Lombok
Peach Bhut Jolokia
 
 
 
Tonight I planted the first seeds in the grow tent.
 
A month later than last year, but I had a few trips away planned which would have left them unattended and I doubt they would have survived.
 
 I haven't planted all of them yet because I didn't have enough jiffy pods to start them, but the rest won't be long.
 
Starting off with 5 seeds of each to see how that goes.
 
Fingers crossed.
 

 

[Downriver]

Best of luck this year Bob!

 

[karoo]

Will follow!
 
Good luck.

 

[dragonsfire]

Good Luck !

 

[bob65]

First signs of life.


 


Thor's Thunderbolt racing to be first.
 
 

 

[bob65]

A quick look this morning puts the tally so far at 3 x Thor's Thunderbolt and 1 x Yellow Reaper have popped their heads up.
 
 
Just thought I would put a photo of this plant up. Taken this morning.
 
Yellow Siam. One of last seasons plants. Continues to amaze me.
 
Middle of winter, subjected to the kind of neglect that can only come from a garden in winter, and the thing is still cranking out pods like crazy.
 

 
It mustn't have read the memo that says that plants must go dormant during winter.

 

[bob65]

More jiffy pods have turned up and I have now planted the rest of the seeds that were waiting.
 
Tonight I planted (x5 each)
 
Aleppo
Ghost Bhut
Lombok
Pink Tiger
 
Totals that have sprouted are
 
5 x Thor's Thunderbolt, 3 x Yellow Reaper, and 4 x Wartryx.
 
No sign of life yet from the Bonda Mhala,Bad Brains or Peach Bhut

 

[bob65]

Thor's Thunderbolt
 

 
Wartryx
 

 
Yellow Reaper
 

 
Peach Bhut (very lonely at the moment)
 

 

[CaneDog]

Man Bob, there's never a pause it seems in what you have going on!  Cool varieties too. Hopefully some siblings soon for peach bhut.

 

[bob65]

Thanks CD, The season just doesn't seem to have completely finished here this year, I am as surprised as anyone.
 
Only 3 week left of winter here, things can only look up.
 
This is a photo that I took yesterday of the Yellow Siam that seems to have coped particularly well over winter.
 

 

[bob65]

Photo update
 
4 x Ma Wartryx, 4 x Yellow Reaper, 4 x Thor's Thunderbolt
 

 
Ghost Bhut
 

 
Peach Bhut
 

 
Pink Tiger
 

 
3 x Lombok and 3 x Aleppo
 

 
 
No signs of life yet from the Bad Brains or the Bonda Mahala. I put some in Jiffy pods going on a month ago, and then some in paper towels a bit over a week ago but nothing from either. I have no more seeds for each so it will be time to start thinking about replacing them with something else soon.

 

[bob65]

A couple of progress shots.
 
1 month after the first seeds went in.
 

 

 

[PaulG]

Starts are looking just great, Bob!

 

[bob65]

I put the kids outside to play in the shade for a couple of hours of natural light, on this glorious afternoon 2nd day of Spring.
 

 

[SuburbanFowl]

Beaufitul. They grow so fast. What kind of potting mix and fertilisers have you been using?

 

[bob65]

Beaufitul. They grow so fast. What kind of potting mix and fertilisers have you been using?

 
 
I started them off in jiffy pellets, then used an all purpose type potting mix, and have bottom watered them a couple of times in half strength fish juice (Charlie Carp). Other than that just water.

 

[bob65]

This is the lonely little Peach Bhut I posted a picture of in post #8.
 
Hasn't grown any leaves (these are still the cotys). It is almost as if it has been topped.
 
I haven't culled it yet, kind of barracking for the underdog. I will keep it going until it either does something or dies.
 

 

[bob65]

Where there is hope.
 
I had a bunch of jiffy pods sitting aside that hadn't germinated after more than a month, I took them from the warmth of the tent  during the week while I was on night shift. I went to throw them away this morning and found this.
 

 
 
Not sure what it is.

 

[CaneDog]

A mystery grow now?  Maybe it's Peach Bhut's long awaited sibling!

 

[bob65]

Maybe, I did get another healthy looking Peach Bhut though.

I hope it is a Bonda Mahala or Bad Brains, neither of them sprouted.

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