Charlesquik's Tech Log 2018

Here we go another year with you guys     

This year I will be advancing to the new level. I learned a lot last year about automation and I will fix all the encountered problems. 
 
Last year I only had a Meizhi 450 watt led. I tested a lot of thing with that light and I can definitely say LED are the future.

Now I got with my dad :
 
1x  Meizhi 450 watt LED
2x Generic 1000 watt LED from amazon
1x Apollo 10 750 watt LED
1x Apollo 8 600 watt LED

Apollo lights are worth the price. They are powerful and well built. (Even got a remote on the 10)
 
1000 watt LED from amazon don't even hold a candle to the Apollo.

Back on pepper....

I decided to plant 50 seeds and I'll choose later on which one I keep because I only have room for 25-30 in the greenhouse.

Some seeds didn't grow after 2 weeks so I replanted the empty spots.

Here my tray at the moment :

2x 7 pot Brainstrain yellow
2x 7 pot Primo red
2x Scotch Connet yellow
2x Aji Verde
2x Early Jalapeno
2x Reaper
2x Fatalii
2x Devil Tongue red
2x Aji Cito
2x Starfish
2x Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
2x Bhut Jolokia peach
2x Aji Jobito
2x Cayenne (Trying some old seeds)
2x Joes Long Cayenne
2x Gold Bhutlah
2x Nagabon Jolokia
2x Ghenghis
2x Hot fingers
2x Sukari
2x Aleppo
2x Thai orange
1x Red Dominican Habanero
1x Bishop crown
1x Trinidad Mystery
1x Hair pepper
1x Oily Paste
1x Trinidad beans

I replanted about 25 seeds today... (I planted them too deep the first time so my bad)

Also last year I overwintered 4 plants, but I was really busy during winter and I forgot to water them.... They are only good as fire starter now 
 
If you guys remember, I left all my plants in the outdoor greenhouse as a test, but I didn't check yet (They are 100% dead for sure because you know -30 Celsius   )
 
 
Here is the small setup where we germinate the seeds and grows salads and fine herbs.
 

And there is a bigger setup in the basement with the Apollo fixture, but I don't have a picture yet.

 
These are today pictures....yeah I know I'm late, but there is still 6 feet of snow in the backyard 

 

 
 
Hope you guys have a wonderful growing season.

 

[charlesquik]

Current setup is my old meizhi because the apollo 8 is too powerful for younglings
 
We taped two plastic greenhouse together and its not too bad. Also using an old PC fan for air circulation and stressing the plants.

 
 
Plants from last update
 

 
 
Plants from the new seeds I planted
 

 
There is still some peppers in the incubato, but next week all plants will be transplanted.
 

The two plants in the middle are bell peppers plant from a friend.
 

 
Picture of the Apollo 8

 
 

 

[charlesquik]

Alright everything is transplanted in bigger pot.

The waiting game begin
 
Here my Apollo 8 in action on my step dad bell pepper.
 
We cannot go in this room without UV glasses, because it hurt the eyes.
 

 
Sorry for shitty cellphone quality
 
I lowered my meizhi by 6 inches because the plants were starting to stretch a little bit.

When the youngling on the left get a little bit bigger, ill swap with the Apollo. 
 

 
 

 

 

[Devv]

looks good from my house!

 

[charlesquik]

Switched for the Apollo 8 today.

Let the fun begin
 

 

[charlesquik]

Everything is going good, plants are growing and snow is melting 
 
Today I cut the plants head (I count 8 leaves and cut on top of that) They will get bushier.
 
Also added some nitrogen.
 
This is by far my best year thank to pro led equipment and a lot of nutriment.
 
Here is one of my gold buthlah

 
Monstrous bell pepper
 

 
Another plant with stretchy leg :p
 

 

 

[charlesquik]

It's almost time to bring the plants outside.
 
 
Last week I gave away a lot of peppers to friends.
 
2x Jalapeno
1x Aji Verde
1x Sukari
1x Aji Jobito
1x Thai Orange
1x Starfish
2x Yellow Scotch Bonnet
1x Cayenne

 
 
For now I'm hardening the biggest plants.
 
Temperature is still a little bit cold during the night so I'M not risking it. 

Transplanted the biggest peppers last week. They have nice roots density. 

 
Ready for hardening 
 

Also prepared the pot for peppers. I will transfer them next week when night are over 10 celcius.
 

 
I chose 24 plants for the greenhouse. ( I lack the space for more   )
 
 
1x Bishop Crown
1x Aleppo
1x Red Devil's Tongue
2x Gold Bhutlah
1x 7 Pot Primo
2x Jalapeno
1x Aji Cito
1x Sukari
1x Aji Verde
1x Cayenne
1x Fatalii
1x Ghenghis
1x Aji Jobito
1x Hot fingers
1x Red Dominican Habanero 
1x Yellow Scotch Bonnet
2x Yellow 7 Pot Brainstrain
1x Reaper
1x Peach Bhut Jolokia
1x Starfish
1x Trinidad Moruga Scorpion


I will also bring two plants to my new apartment
 
1x Thai Orange
1x Yellow Scotch Bonnet
 

I will give away the rest of my peppers to other people

1x 7 Pot Primo ( too small)
1x Aleppo
1x Hot finger
1x Cayenne
1x Devil Tongue
1x Aji Cito
 
 
That bring the total to 16 plants that I gave away for other to get them addicted to this hobby
 
 

 

[charlesquik]

After 1 week of hardening, the plants are ready to be transferred to the greenhouse.
 

 
There is even a little pepper growing on the hot finger already.
 

 
Made a small chance in the air flow to reduce humidity. We got this big blower for free and it is about 3 time stronger than the last one.
 

 
 

 

 
I'm being infested by tomatoes until the night are hotter
 
I will install the auto drip system soon.
 
 
For a quick comparison this was may 27th last year 
 

 
And this was june 17th in 2016
 

 

[charlesquik]

For the moment we are not using the arduino automation. 
 
We are using an inkbird itc-308. It automatically control the temperature by switching between heating and cooling  depending on a  temperature threshold. 
 

 
Well actually we are using the arduino for the linear actuator but we have to manually switch between positive and negative current on the board. I will soon make the same setup than last year.

 

 
My setup is pretty redneck, but it work lol

 
I didn't get enough pressure with one long line of 24 sprinkler so I made two line. Work perfectly now.
 

 

[charlesquik]

Little update 2018-06-09
 
Some pictures of the plants. They are doing pretty good.
 
Red Dominican habanero

 
Hot fingers
 

 

Aleppo
 

 
Cayenne
 

 
ghenghis
 

 

 

[lespaulde]

Impressive work, hope you have a bountiful harvest!

Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk

 

[charlesquik]

Little update 2018-07-14

Got my first ripe hot finger

 
Primo are getting bigger

 
First Aleppo almost ready!
 

 
Yellow brainstrain is doing well, but I wont win the growdown haha
 

 
Finally my cayenne is producing
 

 
Devil's Tongue
 

 
 
Jalapeno are doing not bad
 

 
Best year so far
 
 

 

[CaneDog]

Looking good!  Always a good feeling to be ahead of last year at the same time.

 

[PaulG]

It just gets better every season, Charles!  
 
Good work, my friend - looking very successful to date!

 

[charlesquik]

Thank you Paul, I'm pretty satisfied with my success to date. However the red Dominican habanero is not with us anymore. He died for some reason... The leaves started to wrinkles like if there is not enough water and he eventually died  (The humidity indicator was the same than the other plants) . I guess I've put too much fertilizer in this one.

 

[charlesquik]

First Harvest!
 
Hot fingers, Cayenne, Trinidad moruga scorpion, jalapeno, Aleppo

 

[charlesquik]

Devil's tongue are doing fairly good
 

 

[charlesquik]

2018-08-07 harvest 
 
Jalapeno
Devil tongue
Aji cito
Scotch bonnet
Sukari
Oily paste
Cayenne
Aleppo
Primo

 
also a lot of tomatoes 
 

 
feuerwerk tomato
 

 
 
shit load of garlic !
 

 
 
 

 

[charlesquik]

2018-08-14 Harvest

2018-08-19 harvest
 

 

[charlesquik]

Today harvest (2018-05-25)
 
Take note that the 7 pot primo and the ghanghis khan didnt grow true to their pheno. 

Also the scoville unit was for my friends and instagram and are really approximative

 
The best looking brainstrain
 
 

 
This one is supposed to be a brainstrain, but the pods on this plant are not bumpy at all. Cool looking and I saved the seeds.
Also I put all the "non-bumpy brainstrain" in the golden bhutlah stack which I'm sure is just a cool name for yellow 7 pot lol
 

 
 
Ill be making a shit load of powder in the next days.