Greetings all. So this year I've decided to go completely nuts and do 1152 plants, or about double the number I had last year. Here's the list:
1. old yellow 7 pot 246 (6x41)
2. 2020 yellow 7 pot 246 (6x41)
3. OG ghost 2020 96 (6x16)
4. 7 pot primo 96 (6x16)
5. seasoning pepper 96 (6x16)
6. aji guyana 36 (6x6)
7. orange scorpion 36 (6x6)
8. p. dreadie 96 (6x16)
9. chocolate hab 204 (6x34)
total: 1152 (192)
The final numbers will be a little different due to some seeds not sprouting and me filling in those pots with extras of other varieties. The reason for the "6x" notation is I'm using 1020 trays with the 72 pot inserts to start them all, and they're divided into 6 pot partitions. Right now they're only taking up one of my shelves but once I pot them up into 3" pots there will be 18 per tray, and they'll occupy all 4 shelves. 16 trays per shelf x 18 plants per tray x 4 shelves = 1152. One thing I'm going to have to figure out is how to run all the lights. I have two 15 amp circuits in the basement, but each one can only run 6 lights, so 12 total, and I need 16 for all 4 shelves. I wired in switches so I can run the lights as either 2 bulb, 4 bulb, or 6 bulb. Running 4 bulbs they use about 260 watts. I have baseboard heaters upstairs that I never use, so I'm thinking I can yank one of those big 240v 40 amp breakers out of my box and replace them with two 120v breakers, and run new heavy gage wire to the room with the plants, and run however many lights I want. I have to consult with an electrician to make sure that'll work.
Note the two ballasts, the smaller one runs the two innermost bulbs, the other one runs the outer 4 bulbs.
After wiring in the switches.
I used those metal drywall corners to hang the lights, cut in half longways. This was easier than a bunch of hooks and they allow me to move the lights around a bit because they have holes all along them.
I started the seeds on 2/6. This is 10 days later. I also wound up starting a bunch more on 2/20 for ones that didn't come up. I got particularly bad germination on the p. dreadies. Those were a bit underripe when I picked them last year and a lot of the seeds were probably too immature. I also wound up taking the humidity domes off completely, it was getting too hot under there and the soil was staying too waterlogged.
This is on 3/4, so a few days ago. I think these are both yellow 7 pots, which are doing noticeably better than the others, per usual.
Ghosts on the left, seasoning peppers on the right except for the #3s, which I transplanted in from some of the doubles. The seasoning peppers had pretty bad germination too.
Full shelf.
In case you ever wondered what 5000 bottles looks like. They came in yesterday. I'm planning to start bottling the 2021 sauce next week. I applied for the big Lexington farmers market, haven't heard back yet but that's really my only hope of actually selling it all this year. Fingers crossed.
1. old yellow 7 pot 246 (6x41)
2. 2020 yellow 7 pot 246 (6x41)
3. OG ghost 2020 96 (6x16)
4. 7 pot primo 96 (6x16)
5. seasoning pepper 96 (6x16)
6. aji guyana 36 (6x6)
7. orange scorpion 36 (6x6)
8. p. dreadie 96 (6x16)
9. chocolate hab 204 (6x34)
total: 1152 (192)
The final numbers will be a little different due to some seeds not sprouting and me filling in those pots with extras of other varieties. The reason for the "6x" notation is I'm using 1020 trays with the 72 pot inserts to start them all, and they're divided into 6 pot partitions. Right now they're only taking up one of my shelves but once I pot them up into 3" pots there will be 18 per tray, and they'll occupy all 4 shelves. 16 trays per shelf x 18 plants per tray x 4 shelves = 1152. One thing I'm going to have to figure out is how to run all the lights. I have two 15 amp circuits in the basement, but each one can only run 6 lights, so 12 total, and I need 16 for all 4 shelves. I wired in switches so I can run the lights as either 2 bulb, 4 bulb, or 6 bulb. Running 4 bulbs they use about 260 watts. I have baseboard heaters upstairs that I never use, so I'm thinking I can yank one of those big 240v 40 amp breakers out of my box and replace them with two 120v breakers, and run new heavy gage wire to the room with the plants, and run however many lights I want. I have to consult with an electrician to make sure that'll work.
Note the two ballasts, the smaller one runs the two innermost bulbs, the other one runs the outer 4 bulbs.
After wiring in the switches.
I used those metal drywall corners to hang the lights, cut in half longways. This was easier than a bunch of hooks and they allow me to move the lights around a bit because they have holes all along them.
I started the seeds on 2/6. This is 10 days later. I also wound up starting a bunch more on 2/20 for ones that didn't come up. I got particularly bad germination on the p. dreadies. Those were a bit underripe when I picked them last year and a lot of the seeds were probably too immature. I also wound up taking the humidity domes off completely, it was getting too hot under there and the soil was staying too waterlogged.
This is on 3/4, so a few days ago. I think these are both yellow 7 pots, which are doing noticeably better than the others, per usual.
Ghosts on the left, seasoning peppers on the right except for the #3s, which I transplanted in from some of the doubles. The seasoning peppers had pretty bad germination too.
Full shelf.
In case you ever wondered what 5000 bottles looks like. They came in yesterday. I'm planning to start bottling the 2021 sauce next week. I applied for the big Lexington farmers market, haven't heard back yet but that's really my only hope of actually selling it all this year. Fingers crossed.
Hope you'll still have time to post some GLOG posts now and then 
