cone9 - The Epilogue (2014 Glog)

Portuge · May 17, 2014

Sorry to hear about the Galapagoense seedling, do you still have seeds for it Dave?

cone9 · May 17, 2014

I was going to grow it in a container so I could bring it in over winter. I still have the other two seeds. I think I'll wait until everything else is planted and under control then try to germinate them the same way I did the first one. It may be to my advantage. If I get one going and it is still small it will be simpler to house over the winter.

Growing a pepper as challenging as I understand the C. galapaoense can be is probably premature for me At least in a as much as this is really only my first year growing peppers with any clue as to what I'm doing.

But hey, it's all your fault! You sent me the seeds and I know you must understand what grip this obsession gets on our lives!

PS - the C. chacoense is doing great!

PaulG · May 18, 2014

Tough break on the Galapaga, but the pubescens looks great!

Devv · May 18, 2014

cone9 said:
I was going to grow it in a container so I could bring it in over winter. I still have the other two seeds. I think I'll wait until everything else is planted and under control then try to germinate them the same way I did the first one. It may be to my advantage. If I get one going and it is still small it will be simpler to house over the winter.

Growing a pepper as challenging as I understand the C. galapaoense can be is probably premature for me At least in a as much as this is really only my first year growing peppers with any clue as to what I'm doing.

But hey, it's all your fault! You sent me the seeds and I know you must understand what grip this obsession gets on our lives!

PS - the C. chacoense is doing great!

So I was reading this thinking, well the Pubes look great....

Sometimes it just happens...

cone9 · May 18, 2014

PaulG said:
Tough break on the Galapaga, but the pubescens looks great!

Devv said:
So I was reading this thinking, well the Pubes look great....

Sometimes it just happens...

Thanks guys.

I have two more pubes still in Solo cups in the basement. One looks very much like the one planted in the pot but the other has leaves that are a much darker green. These came from mixed Manzano seed that Smokemaster sent me. It would be nice to get fruit from all three just to see what they produce, but I'll not hold my breath too long.

No planting took place today. The revised forecast is calling for 34 degrees and clear skies tonight - not my idea of a good dirt day!

The rest of the week looks to be great. Highs in the mid seventies to low eighties with nighttime lows in the 50s. Mostly scatted clouds, some days with full sun and only a little rain.. Gotta love that forecast! I figure we get past one more week and the chance of frost gets really low - just hope we don't get with monsoon weather like last spring.

cone9 · May 21, 2014

The kids wanted to be outside today. I accommodated them:

It rained this morning, but I wanted things done so I worked in the rain. I got the raised beds hoed and re-hoed, then raked until I was happy (and sore).
I've never tested my soil parameters before - I'm an old seat of the pants gardener - but I bought a test kit this year. pH looks to be about 6.5. Nitrogen and potassium were medium and phosphorus high.
Good to look at I guess, but frankly all I expect from an $11 test kit is to reassure me I'm not way off somewhere.

Here are the raised beds (end of one has my asparagus). The soil I had made up for last season. I mixed topsoil, peat, bagged composted manure, some potting mix and a little sand. I just tried to employ a little common sense as to the proportions.
It was nice and loose this year after just a bit of hoeing. Divided between the beds, I added 3 bags of Miracle Mix Garden Soil and about 40 gallons of compost I had made since last year.

I planted my tomatoes: Green Zebra, Cherry White, Cherry Chocolate, Orange Russian.

I've decided to cover the beds this year with a landscape fabric (It's actually a salvaged, non-woven fabric that had been used to protect artwork during shipping. I collected it after we unwrapped wall art being installed in my wife's business. I looked at this stuff and thought it looked just like landscape fabric, but this stuff was free!).

I also potted up some of the peppers that will be grown in containers.
These are Charapita, C. chacoense, 7 Pot White, Cream Fatalii and Tepin x Lemon Drop.

The rain passed and It was overcast all day. All the peppers were outside. They will now be in the garage part time until I'm comfortable they're adequately acclimated to the outdoors. I don't want to leave them out overnight as any significant winds will do some nasty damages. They are all still in Solo cups so the tall plants are very unstable.

I got a lot done today. I'm lichen the progress!

Devv · May 21, 2014

Looking very nice! The soil and plants look great! And you have a nice clean yard, unfortunately I don't....well something has to give :shh:

Can't wait to see everything in it's place loaded up with the fruits of your labor.

Weekends getting closer!

Jamison · May 21, 2014

Looks really good! I agree with all that Devv said, very beautiful, clean yard! Them raised beds should be booming this year. Your soil sounded spot on!

cone9 · May 26, 2014

Well, Dirt Day finally got here.

The past three days have been beautiful here - clear, sunny and high 70s. I moved the plants between sun and shade over these days to finish my acclimation. Starting tomorrow, we are to have a couple days of scattered thunder storms followed by a return to sunny skies by the weekend. It worked out as a perfect scenario for me to get my peppers in the dirt.

Last week I set all my plants out on the beds and decided where each was to go. I had 22 pepper plants to work in to these two beds so a planting guide was going to help me a lot. Late afternoon today, with chart in hand, I got started.

Here the first bed is done and the second underway:

They all looked like this after three months in Solo cups:

All in place here. Kinda' crowded, huh? Plants are 15" to 18" apart. Pretty tight, but with twenty different varieties making up those 22 plants I just couldn't leave any out!

Here are a few individuals in their new digs:
Tepin x Lemon Drop

TS Yellow CARDI

Aji Dulce Yellow

Cream Fatalii

As you may guess, this is not exactly what I was shooting for but I like the pic nonetheless:

Thanks for looking.

cone9 · Jun 1, 2014

"deja vu all over again"

Lots of small pods coming on now.

Jamaican Gold

Rain Forrest

Urfa Biber

Tepin x Lemon Drop

Cherry Bomb

Tomato Pepper

Ancient Sweet

They're all pretty small except the Ancient Sweet at about 3" and Cherry Bomb and Tomato at almost golf ball size. But, I'm pleased to see the plants setting so many pods growing nicely. The larger Tepin x Lemon Drop pods, at nearly a half inch, are noticeably larger today than yesterday (or maybe I just am oozing a bit too much enthusiasm).

Devv · Jun 1, 2014

Very nice Dave!

I know I posted here yesterday before we had the "deja vu" experience.

Congrats on your plant out, and I'm loving that poddage!

Runescape · Jun 2, 2014

Nice pods lol, no idea what a tomato pepper is...

cone9 · Jun 12, 2014

Jamaican Gold

Cream Fatalii (and something else as well no doubt!).
My plants grew from seed saved from these pods:

but look what my pods are looking like:

It will be interesting to see what developes, but I sure hope the other Cream Fatalii plant grows true. I am really looking forward to some. Those in the box were grown by SilverSurfer and were delicious! (maybe I let Devv keep track of what I was planting and where, so who knows what these will be!)

Urfa Biber

Tepin x Lemon Drop

Rain Forrest

chile_freak · Jun 13, 2014

Plants look great and those asparagus are getting very big!

Devv · Jun 13, 2014

Looking good Dave!

(maybe I let Devv keep track of what I was planting and where, so who knows what these will be!)

I love it! I did figure out the issue, just a little upside down dyslexia on the spreadsheet!

cone9 · Jun 21, 2014

Podding up.

First up - Not Cream Fatalii. I guess I mislabeled seed. I have three 'Cream Fatalii' plants. They all look alike and the two that have pods so far look like this. Time will show what they really are I guess, They obviously aren't Cream Fatalii (darn it). I was looking forward to having a nice crop of Cream Fatalii peppers - next year I guess.

These are Aji Dulce Yellow

Seasoning Pepper

TS CARDI Yellow - nice to see these coming on. This plant was started later than my others.

Mako Kokoo

Aji Omnicolor x unknown baccatum

Fatalii x Red Savina - this plant is loaded.

Brazilian Starfish.

Cherry Bomb - first peppers to be ripening.

Rain Forrest - getting some nice size on these pods and setting a lot more.

That's it. I'm having fun watching these grow!

Ragnar · Jun 21, 2014

Pods are looking great!

Devv · Jun 22, 2014

Looking good Dave!

I'm happy to see all those pods setting for you. One never knows what an OP pod is going to produce.

Keep it green!

Runescape · Jun 22, 2014

cone9 said:
(maybe I let Devv keep track of what I was planting and where, so who knows what these will be!)

Lol... but yea, they're probably some cross...

cone9 · Jun 29, 2014

Just an update from the past week.

We've had some fine garden growing weather of late. A nice balance of rain, heat, sun and warm nights. Everything grows, including the weeds.
I'm glad I did the landscape fabric over the beds - so nice to only pull a weed now and then that grows through a plant's hole.
I was a bit concerned the black color might make the soil too hot and am still thinking of adding a layer of light wood mulch on the fabric when the temps get into the 90s. Although by then the plants may be completely shading the cloth!

Today's pics:

Tomato pepper - the plant without the purple pods (obviously!).

7 Pot White. Glad to finally see some of these pods setting.

C. chacoense growing well but no blossoms as yet.

Ancient Sweet - the largest pod in about 9". I've not tasted before but the description sounded good enough to make the cut for one of my 'sweet' spots.

Brazilian Starfish is setting a nice load. SanPatricio sent me a few of these last year (from whence the seed came). I loved the sweet taste/moderate heat combination.

Fatalii x Red Savina. (Lots of pods here)

Rain Forrest. (...and here)

Aji Omnicolor x unknown baccatum. (...and here, too)

Cherry Bombs near to being eaten. I did have one last week - my first ripe pod and I didn't get a pic to share! It was only about the diameter of a dime and much hotter than the pods that produced the seed I used. Good peppers they are!

And at #10 I am pleased to present Queen Laurie's first blossom about to open. This plant was the slowest to germinate (excepting the dearly departed C. galapagoense) and never seemed the thrive like my others. I only had one and was concerned I'd lose the plant. I really want to try these peppers (OK, I really want to try all the other new stuff I'm growing too).