CaneDog - Off-Season Season 2018/19

Thought I'd post a few pics of what I have going on indoors this off-season.  I used to do a winter indoor grow about every season, but this will be my first in a couple years now.  I went a bit over-board with the number of plants, as usual, but I've culled a few already and I have expansion room if needed.
 
I'm using a handy little extra walk-in closet to start things out. Keeps temp well and makes it easy to chill and work with the plants.
 

 
 
Most everything's potted up into 1g Boxer Browns now.  Here's a few of this season's players.
 
Baha Goat

 
 
Fatalii

 
Bhut Jolokia White - topped it early on as it was already wanting to branch like crazy

 
Butch T

 
Kathumby starting to bud up

 
 
And this guy is a 7 Pot White that sprouted late right up against another plant, so I yanked it out.  It had what seemed like only about 2mm of root still attached, but I stuck it in Kratky and it not only survived but seems fairly happy.

 
CD

 

[karoo]

Good looking plants.
Nice chill/chili space you have there.

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk

 

[PaulG]

Always good to see a PNW grower on the forum!
We need to get you to the NW ChiliFest next Fall!
 
Your grow closet looks like a 'clean room'     -
I can't even see a speck of dirt anywhere! Your
pot-ups  look great, very healthy and fresh
appearance.
 
Good luck with your indoor grow, CD.

 

[CaneDog]

Good looking plants.
Nice chill/chili space you have there.

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk

 
Thanks Karoo.  It is a good chill space at times to just hang out with the growing plants.  I'll enjoy watching your summer progress.  The way you're using the barrels is a great way of dealing with your sand and heat and it's always cool to see the ingenuity of pepper growers.
 

Always good to see a PNW grower on the forum!
We need to get you to the NW ChiliFest next Fall!
 
Your grow closet looks like a 'clean room'     -
I can't even see a speck of dirt anywhere! Your
pot-ups  look great, very healthy and fresh
appearance.
 
Good luck with your indoor grow, CD.

 
Ha!  That picture is probably day #1 when i moved into the grow space from germination.  It's far from a clean room now. Glad to have a fellow PNW'r stop by an drop a good word.
 
CD

 

[CaneDog]

So, the grow continues and not much happening of note.  I've been having to cull a bit because I got out over my skiis in pepper #'s and even with good space and lighting I think I need to thin the herd.  I'd topped a CGN 21500 recently to force some branching.  Damn thing was getting too tall too fast and as the Japanese (I believe) saying goes, the nail that stands out gets hammered. 
 
I decided I'd wedge graft a 7 Pot White onto the CGN and then back-fill the 7P White's container with the extra 7P White I had in Kratky - which was actually looking like a stronger plant that the original one. 
 
So, I took the scion off the 7PW, plucked most of the leaves, then yanked the rest of the plant.  The 7PW's roots weren't as developed as I'd expect, so I'm glad I decided to do this.
 

 
 
Next I wedge cut the scion for max tissue connection.

 
Cleft cut placement and Parafilm wrap to keep hydrated

 

 
Going to keep it under a brown plastic store bag for a week or so for reduced light and a humid environment.  If I were trying for the best chance of the graft taking I wouldn't have chose these two plants to work with, but they're the ones that made the most sense and I think it could look cool to mix these two varieties.  Hopefully it takes.
 

 

[CaneDog]

And here's the back-fill 7P White that got promoted from mini Kratky into the scion's 1g Boxer Brown.  I dusted the roots with mycorrhizae and gave it a shot of Hendrikus StartRight which will hopefully give it a little boost.
 

 

 
 

 

[PaulG]

Thanks for posting the wedge graft pix.  
That is something I've never had the reason to try,
but will be following to see how it goes.

 

[CaneDog]

I recently potted up a straggler that I'm psyched to be growing - Scotch Bonnet Allen Boatman. Big fan of bonnets, but never grown this one and I've heard only good things about it.  If it's as good as said, I'll isolated seed from it to use for multiple plants this summer.
 
The plant's doing great now, but was a pain in the butt to germinate.  The first 2 attempts failed and finally, after planting 5 seeds the third time, one finally took.  I expect it will be worth the effort though.
 

 

 

[CaneDog]

Also thinned out a couple topped plants recently.  I'm trying to keep plants as small and compact as possible so there's enough room and good air circulation, but that's always a challenge.  Usually when I top I pull a few leaves from the plant's center after the branches grow a bit and with more compact plants indoors I feel I need to open them up even more. 
 
This is before/after on a Peach Bhut SS.  I usually prune in two stages so the plants lose fewer leaves at a time - less risk of shock.  This time for the pics I just did it all at once.  In the next few days I plan to tie the branches in toward center just a little into the space created so they grow up more than out and save space. With the few extra leaves I took there should still be decent room for air flow.
 

 

 
Here's a more typical pruning I finished at the same time; a Scotch Brain I partially pruned a week or so ago and then finished today.
 
Half-pruned since last week

 
Finished today

 
CD

 

[stettoman]

Nice looking foliage. My window sill overwinters are starting to notice the shorters days and reacting accordingly. My LED overwinters are, except for some prolific flowering, staying somewhat dormant with very small leaves and nodes in a holding pattern. I used to have a nice 6' X 10' closet that would have been perfect, but was turned into a walk-in for the Mama's shoes...and purses...

Carry on, your grow is Stetto Approved!

 

[chelicerae]

Things are looking very good! Interesting to see a graft like that, I hope it takes, agree that it seems like a potentially cool cross (tasty cgn and insanely hot 7-pot)

 

[CaneDog]

Things are looking very good! Interesting to see a graft like that, I hope it takes, agree that it seems like a potentially cool cross (tasty cgn and insanely hot 7-pot)

Thanks chelicerae.  Been enjoying your indoor grow and hope your Aji pods start to color up soon. Those Baccatum seem to like to take their sweet time.

 

[CaneDog]

It's turned into a busy week. Got too crowded sooner than I expected so last night I moved my 9 tallest peppers into expansion space and fired up one of the 250W HPS.  I was concerned it might get too hot, but they're in the coldest room in the house and the temperature seems about perfect.  They'll need a fan soon, but that's not going to be today's problem.
 

 

 
The PdN in the back right is kinda a pain. Wants to grow tall and refuses to branch. I hope it will produce now without growing much taller. I don't really want to top it now, especially with it showing buds.

 

[CaneDog]

Quick update pics
 
Wedge graft.  Looking good so far.

 
And here are some unexpected recent additions to the grow.  Brain Strain Red OG seeds planted just over a week ago IIRC.  Damn these things are showing some good genetics!

 

[CaneDog]

Nice looking foliage. My window sill overwinters are starting to notice the shorters days and reacting accordingly. My LED overwinters are, except for some prolific flowering, staying somewhat dormant with very small leaves and nodes in a holding pattern. I used to have a nice 6' X 10' closet that would have been perfect, but was turned into a walk-in for the Mama's shoes...and purses...

Carry on, your grow is Stetto Approved!

 
Thanks man! Really looking forward to seeing your year 2 rocotos take off this next summer!

 

[Devv]

Well done!
 
You're off to a great start, and I enjoyed the graft report...

 

[CaneDog]

Well done!
 
You're off to a great start, and I enjoyed the graft report...

 
Thanks Devv.  Nice little haul of Cito's the other day in the Grow Down Under. I expect it'll be interesting competing June to June with the S.H. crew.

 

[CaneDog]

I quick update on this grow's topped plants.  Right now I have a BJ White, Peach Bhut, Scotch Brain, BMJ, and BOC topped. The plants topped when older tend to spread more, so I'm training these a bit to keep them compact.  The others probably will just need some leaves thinned to improve air circulation. 
 
My main goal for this winter's grow is to refresh/ build up my isolated seed stock, so with lots of different varieties growing I'm focused on controlling space. Overall, I'd like to have shorter more compact plants, even if it reduces pod production.
 
Anyhow, pics.
 
Bhut Jolokia White.  This guy got tied late so I had to bunch it low and then go second-level on it to bring the tips in.

 

 

 
Peach Bhut
 

 
 
and Scotch Brain

 
They'll probably get a week or so like this, then ties removed and a minor thinning if any leaves are bunching up in the center.
 
CD

 

[CaneDog]

and here's the remaining two topped ones. Both look like they'll do fine without any training.
 
Bonda Ma Jacques

 
Bhut Orange Copenhagen (Andy's King)

 

 

[Mr. West]

What's your goal with the ties, pulling the stalks together at the center? Looks like for the Bhut White its keeping them oriented vertically into the light.