CaneDog 2021

Well, here we go again.  The indoor offseason got away from me around the turn of the year, so I decided to shut things down and start clean with the new outdoor season. 
 
I dropped all the wilds, rocotos, baccatum, chinense and frutescens earlier this month and, excepting wilds, pretty much everything is up and growing.  One thing I did different this year was I didn't presoak seeds, except for a few wilds.  I checked the days-to-germinate for the first round varieties against how they did last year and, based on a quick look, it seems they were generally maybe a couple days slower, which is about what I'd expect.
 
Today, I transplanted all the baccatum (except Berry Amarillo) plus a few Moz Piri Piri (thanks Tybo!), which are sitting on top of the lights until they root in a bit and can go back below. 

 
I'm upping my tomato game this season - or at least increasing the varieties.  Usually I just grow San Marzano and Moskvich, maybe the occasional other.  This season I'm branching out a bit more with the varieties, which include Black Krim and Opalka from Dragonsfire and a bunch from Sandia.  I figure tomatoes usually germinate easy enough, so I just stuck them in a humidome toward the back of the T5HO tent where I hope they'll be happy. 

 
The other big task today was dropping all the annuum into the Coleman.  After this annuum round I'll have just a final 2 varieties I'm waiting for in the mail, then I'll be done starting peppers for the season.

 
The last bit of news is I lucked out and will have access to two 10' x 40' plots at the community garden this year, which will include the better-located one that was new to me last year.  I was concerned I'd have access to only 1 this season, which would have significantly decreased my grow.  Anyhow, I'm super happy to have all that space and I'm sure I'll find a way to make it seem like not quite enough
 
Thanks to all who contributed seeds and otherwise to my grow this year.  I hope everyone blows the doors off it this summer!
 
CD

 

[ze_test]

hello
 
Nice photos again. They different from what i have, that's a bit of darkness, interesting i don't remember having that. I know what you mean about the taste more or less they chare some similarities in flavor maybe i had a lithe fresh to.
Thanks a lot for the offer may be next time have a lot on my plait right now and i'm late can't go wild .
 
I have some dried at reach let me see if i'm not mistaken. 
Starting from the bottom  small, bigger is more oval than yours, and normal piri piri  all the 3  the other are upright pods. 
I had another one similar to the normal, but it is not here within reach now
 
The last one is another type a but i saved (still investigating the matter) this one go down it may be similar to te bigger but when is in the plant is very different even the plant is.

 

[CaneDog]

Hey 'Dog, did that lone Aji Oro germ for ya? Believe it or not I got 100% out of mine! I hate culling, but I had no idea they'd come up like this!

Thing is, with everything going on here this year I absent-mindedly left all the Ajo Oro, Rocoto Rojo, Hyper X and your Awesome Orange seeds in the kerosene/WD40 solution for THREE FULL DAYS before sticking them in dirt (Fox Farm Ocean Forest), and they all popped within the week. Last year sucked for germination, this year is gangbusters. That Ocean Forest just became my seedling medium.

Keep me posted on your Aji Oro, if she pops, eh?

 
You're getting great results.  I might have to make a trip to Home Depot and stock up on the seed fuel myself.
 
Nothing from the Oro yet, but given the timing I decided to make it work for it if it wanted to be a part of this outdoor season.  I planted only 1 seed, no soak, and no supplemental heat.  I'd put a baggy over the top to retain moisture, which I recently removed and watered it some.  If it's going to do anything I'd expect it to be in the next few days after that watering and I'll post it up.  If this one doesn't come up, I'll be planting a small indoor grow probably around July and your Oro will be a part of that.  I grew an Aji Largo and a De Seda rocoto inside over this last winter and I think I figured out how to get them to produce well inside, so the Oro would be the test of that.

 

[CaneDog]

 
hello
 
Nice photos again. They different from what i have, that's a bit of darkness, interesting i don't remember having that. I know what you mean about the taste more or less they chare some similarities in flavor maybe i had a lithe fresh to.
Thanks a lot for the offer may be next time have a lot on my plait right now and i'm late can't go wild .
 
I have some dried at reach let me see if i'm not mistaken. 
Starting from the bottom  small, bigger is more oval than yours, and normal piri piri  all the 3  the other are upright pods. 
I had another one similar to the normal, but it is not here within reach now
 
The last one is another type a but i saved (still investigating the matter) this one go down it may be similar to te bigger but when is in the plant is very different even the plant is.
 

 
Cool.  Looks like about 5cm +/- for the pod length of the bigger ones and maybe 1.25-2cm in width, even dried.  Those bigger ones are definitely good sized pods.  Are you growing some of these varieties this season?   Do you have any special things you make with your piri piri pods?

 

[stettoman]

Y
 

 
You're getting great results.  I might have to make a trip to Home Depot and stock up on the seed fuel myself.
 
Nothing from the Oro yet, but given the timing I decided to make it work for it if it wanted to be a part of this outdoor season.  I planted only 1 seed, no soak, and no supplemental heat.  I'd put a baggy over the top to retain moisture, which I recently removed and watered it some.  If it's going to do anything I'd expect it to be in the next few days after that watering and I'll post it up.  If this one doesn't come up, I'll be planting a small indoor grow probably around July and your Oro will be a part of that.  I grew an Aji Largo and a De Seda rocoto inside over this last winter and I think I figured out how to get them to produce well inside, so the Oro would be the test of that.

 
Yeah, producing inside...I think that the only Rocoto I've had any kind of luck doing that inside was Turbo Pube, though I never had a problem getting any of them to flower...
 
I just got my Sandia Serrano seeds for my GIP grow, just put them in the solution. I know, late, but I'll just container grow them and let them finish inside if they must...
 
You got awful good things growing there, mange. I wish I'd have started so early. We're looking at a fair decent Spring here north of the Tundra...

 

[CaneDog]

A few more pic's to post this morning.  I've been doing a lot of potting up the past few days.  It's also time to start hardening off the annuums.
 
Here's a tray of jalapeno and serrano that I just put out this morning.  So far the baccatum and pubescens have adjusted well to the outside sun.  IIRC, the rows from right to left are J. Zapotec; J. Lemon Spice; J. Zapotec x Purple Jalap F3; Serrano Tampiqueño (Sandia); Serrano Hidalgo; and the last row has a Zapotec at the top and a couple Orange Spice Jalap's beneath. I'm hoping being outside will help the O Spices with their crinkly leave issues. 
 

 
This Hidalgo Serrano is a bit of a head scratcher.  It's been dark dark green and slow growing from the start, which I thought might be overfertilization - I'd mixed some organic granular fertilizer into the transplant mix and thought maybe it had gotten a poorly mixed clump of it in its pot..  So I decided to put into new soil and found it's roots were massive for its size.  Not really sure what's happening here, but I would have expected weak roots and that's certainly not the case.  (All wet because it just got watered after transplant).

 

 
Here's a few rocotos I planted for the season.  Most of my rocotos will be overwinters this year.  IIRC from upper right clockwise they're Giant Red Arequipa; Puna Pica Orange; Gelbe Riesen/Giant Yellow; and Orange Arequipa; 

 
Aji Largo rocoto that was growing inside OW.

 
This is a super hot "mutt" that sat outside through freezing overnight temperatures as a cull, but somehow survived.  When I saw some new growth I cleaned it up and it looks ready to go again.  I'm very surprised this guy's alive, let alone looking so healthy.

 

 

[Inoks]

Real nice! I'm a bit bummed that I didnt grow any rocotos this year. Luckily there is always next year

 

[CaneDog]

Real nice! I'm a bit bummed that I didnt grow any rocotos this year. Luckily there is always next year

 
Thanks!  It's tough to make those choices when there are so many interesting varieties to grow.  I'm lucky to have over 70 M2 of space at a local community garden in addition to container plant space at home, yet I still anguish over the final cuts  
 
I grew more baccatum this year and started fewer rocotos as a result.  A couple of the baccatum are new for me, so they'll be particularly interesting.  Your Aji Ahuachapan is a very interesting one too.  The early growth of yours looks a lot like the Aji Guyana I'm growing and that one is a big producer.

 

[PaulG]

Looks like your grow is picking up steam, CD!
 
That little Hidalgo Serrano might be a real champion.
I can foresee lots of possibilities for something that
small and healthy.
 
Can't wait to see what else is cooking at Doctor
Dog's place!

 

[ahayastani]

Interesting growth going in there in Washington...  
 
The aji largo rocoto is new to me. The pepper shape is not what I'd typically expect from a rocoto.
 
I second your experience of aji guyana being a heavy producer. Damn, I've got two plants and they keep me (and all passer-by) absolutely fascinated. We've got daily temperatures of 35-38°C now and plants drop quite a lot of flowers, but not aji guyana. They just keep on pumping out new peppers, even though the bushes are still loaded...

 

[CaneDog]

Interesting growth going in there in Washington...
 
The aji largo rocoto is new to me. The pepper shape is not what I'd typically expect from a rocoto.
 
I second your experience of aji guyana being a heavy producer. Damn, I've got two plants and they keep me (and all passer-by) absolutely fascinated. We've got daily temperatures of 35-38°C now and plants drop quite a lot of flowers, but not aji guyana. They just keep on pumping out new peppers, even though the bushes are still loaded...

 
Lots of good things are happening with the warmer weather. If it were like this more consistently during May and June we'd have a heck of a season up here in the PNW.
 
Aji largo has the narrowest pod I've seen yet on a rocoto and seems to stand out that way from the rest.  I've grown others that have a more narrow shape than usual, but they all seems to have shoulders on them making them closer to triangular.  The Largo tend to produce well too and I'm hoping with this head start I can get a big plant and a lot of pods from this one this season.
 
The Aji Guyana seem like a winner for you down there.  How you found good uses for all those pods?

 

[ahayastani]

 
The Aji Guyana seem like a winner for you down there.  How you found good uses for all those pods?

 
I'm still waiting for the firstlings to ripen, but it won't take long anymore. The oldest peppers are acquiring a yellowish tone. Thus far I have the impression that this plant is continuously in production mode. Most varieties I have experience with produce in waves, but this aji guyana has been continously flowering and spawning pods since mid-March, without taking a brake or slowing down. Staking is an absolute necessity!
 
I have sown more baccatum varieties than last year because I like their taste. Also, we make a type of pickles that acquires a particular taste with baccatum peppers. I hope I can make them your acquaintance once we have enough production to start our pickling micro-enterprise again

 

[CaneDog]

That micro-pickling sounds darn good. 
 
I'd been planning to do some pickling with this season's harvest - even planting one or two varieties for that special purpose - but I hadn't thought of pickling aji guyana (or any baccatum).  Now, I might have to give that a try.

 

[CaneDog]

I moved some more annuums outside to harden off and the deck is getting pretty full.  This a Mexico themed tray, with Chilaca (Pasilla Bajio); Chile de Arbol; Puya; Mulato Isleño; and two varieties of Mirasol/Guajillo, one from BDBeatz via the train (looked really good last year) and a Mirasol Giadone Pueblo from Sandia seeds. 
 
The Giadone has a bit of a backstory and is supposed to pack over twice the heat of a typical Mirasol - https://www.sandiaseed.com/products/pueblo-mirasol-giadone-chile-seeds-authentic-from-colorado 
 
I'll be curious to see if that's true.
 

 

[ahayastani]

Plants look small but very ready to have a growth spurt
 
Guajillo is the chile I use most often in the kitchen. As a matter of fact, I use it almost daily. The commercial varieties typically have low pungency (read "child friendly" ) and good flavour. I add them to every tomato-based sauce, including bolognese sauce. It lacks a very pronounced flavour, but gives an appreciable flavour-kick to the preparation. I've also added it to ground beef (think: hamburgers) as a colorant. I have, however, never used this chile fresh (mirasol), only dried (guajillo).
 
Pasilla is also frequently used in the Mexican kitchen, but it has a very specific taste that you can't just combine with anything and hope the result will be good The taste of pasilla can dominate the taste  of your preparation. Also here, I have never used fresh chilaca, only dried pasilla.
 
 

 

[CaneDog]

Plants look small but very ready to have a growth spurt

 
Definitely the former still and hopefully the latter.     They're at about 6 weeks now and have had time to settle into those containers since transplant so I'm hoping the natural sun kicks them right into gear.  
 
I appreciate the ideas on use and will definitely try them in sauces like that.  I want to experiment with a variety of uses of these guys in particular and get some good utility from them.

 

[HeatMiser]

Looking good CD! 
 
With rain in the forecast for next week I was wondering if maybe I started hardening them off too early. Good to know you're also doing the same. 

 

[ze_test]

 
Cool.  Looks like about 5cm +/- for the pod length of the bigger ones and maybe 1.25-2cm in width, even dried.  Those bigger ones are definitely good sized pods.  Are you growing some of these varieties this season?   Do you have any special things you make with your piri piri pods?

hello
 Exactly, i think so, i have so germinating, nothing special, soft sauces powder for the cooking , dried some to cooking to.
 If you don't know tipes of sauces  portuguese or african with piri piri try search molhos piri piri receitas ( but afther you have to translate if you put piri pirir sauces thre search will be difrent)you have with olive oil, whiskey. 

 

[CaneDog]

It's been slow around here, but the season's starting to move forward now with the warmer weather and longer days. I've been prepping the community garden plots, which should be ready for planting by - or at least after - next weekend.  I'm looking forward to getting all the starter plants on the deck moved out there so I have some space back there again.
 
This is a cicek biber, a Turkish clustering pepper reputed to be great for pickling.  I have a few of them started and I'll probably keep this particular one in a container at home so I can watch it more closely through the season.  It's my first time growing these and they look like they're going to be dense and productive.

 
I didn't grow the Dorset Naga last year - first time in a good while - but I'll have one this year again.  Been a solid utility pepper for me for a good while now.  For a (predominantly) chinense, it doesn't seem to mind the cold that much nor getting pushed right out into the sun.

 
Of the six variegated jalapeno I have growing, these appear to be the "best" two and will get potted up PDQ.  What I'm looking for with these is a good balance of white and green in each leaf, preferably a decent anthocyanin content in the stems, and reasonably strong growth.

 
Hope everyone's doing well.  Feels like the season's ready to kick it into gear now!
CD

 

[PaulG]

Looking good, CD. It's good too be nearing
plant-out. I'm ready to relax for a bit instead
of herding cats.
 
the VJ's look good. I hope they turn out to
be winners for you. 

 

[CaneDog]

It's been while with not too much exciting happening with the peppers, but things are starting to come around.  The last few weeks I've been breaking off time whenever possible to get out to the community garden and prepare the plots.  One is mostly finished and planted now and the other has been weeded and dug over and is ready for the next wave of transplants - which will really free up space on my deck.
 
Plot 1 has a couple 5 x 10 raised beds (plus a smaller bed of strawberries closest in the pic).  In the far one are baccatum (Aji Amarillo, Giallo Arancio, Giallo x Aji Amarillo F1, Berry Amarillo, Aji Guyana, Malawi Piquante) and a couple Mozambique Piri Piri.  In the nearer/middle bed are rocotos (Giant Red Arequipa, Orange Arequipa, Gelbe Riesen, CAP 1242, Puna Pica Orange, Tatiana F5), a couple Zimbabwe Piri Piri, and a couple others peppers.
 
The 2 rows to the left contains some tomatoes and a bunch of annuum.  There's various other stuff planted around, too.
 

 
 
Plot 2 has been a bear for maintenance and in just over a year I've completely turned it over 4 times, dealing with copious amounts of matted grass and weeds in the process.  To reduce the workload, I order some fairly thick landscape fabric - which just arrived - so I was out tonight to finish the last little bit of weeding and put down the cloth.  
 

 

 
Can't wait to get these rows planted and get things on cruise control.  Things should be looking good soon enough!