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DC Balcony Glog

I am relatively new to this forum and have been posting here and there.  Think this might make more sense.  
 
I am in Washington DC and have a 3rd floor condo with a West facing balcony.  Figuring out what will grow out there has been trying.  Extremely hot and dry in the summer.  Water has to be carried from the kitchen sink.  Rarely will anything last over winter.  Lots of pest problems because too high for many pest predators.  I love to cook and love hot foods.  The answer was obvious.
 
Here is last years set up:

 

 

 
I usually buy 12 plants from Chiliplants.com.  It's all I can do to take the 40 or so I want and pair it down to 12.
 
This year I was given some seeds from Jason at Jason's Fire Fusions Hot Sauce.  It took me down a bad road.  I have never been successful at starting from seed.  In fact, tried once, failed miserably and have never done it since.  BUT, since I had this gift of Red Brain and Tiny Tobasco, I thought I would try.  While I was at it I threw in some seeds from my fav from last year, the Chultepino. (I think I spell it differently every time I type it, but prolific, tasty, and wonderful.)
 
I work at a catering company, so trays, cups, lids etc. came easily.  I bought a heat mat and went to town.  
 


 
Imagine my surprise when:

First one up was one of my own that I threw in just because.
Then two!

 
Then one of Jason's Brain Strains.

 
I have very little space and limited outlets, so for now grow lights are not an option.  This is my set up and I move them to the sun when I am here and it is shining.
The tiny Tobascos started to come up last Thursday, the day of the snowstorm here.  I had too much time to stare at them and think.  I moved them under the lights too early, they shrivled.
 
Pulled them, put them back under the dome.
 
Today I got frusterated with the lack of growth and pulled all the non growing cups.  They were completely dry.  My spritzing was not enough water.  I repotted the almost plants in plastic, they had been in paper egg cups and I think that was a problem, planted the last of my Tiny Tobasco seeds and we'll see.
 
Potted up my 2 chultepenos and they look good.  The Brain Strain is next.
 
 
Also placed my yearly order with Cross Country Nursery today.  Was going to limit it to 6, since they changed their limit but just couldn't.  This could be an interesting season.
 
Grow list from Cross Country:
 
Ammazzo
Cherry Chocolate
Cochiti
Fatalii
Fire
Fish
Goat's Weed
Habanera white 2
Jalapeño Early
Merah
Shishito
Trinidad Scorpion
 
So far so good.  Looking forward to spring!
 
 
 
 
 
Think the brain strain is under potted.



Repotted in all I have left. A grow bag. It didn't like it and got all droopy. Put an umbrella to shield from the direct sun. We'll see what happens.

 
Time for an update. May be challenging doing multiple photos with new format, but I'm going to try...
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My OW reaper is alive and looking better, but not sure I'm going to get any pods.
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Tiny Tobascos from seed. Wasn't sure I would get anything but we'll see

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The big hairy one is Goats Weed, in the back Ammazzo, and in the front cayenne
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Nice Cayanne pod!
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Big one on the left is Trinidad Scorpion, on the right Fatali, in the back Early Jalepeno that doesn't seem to be very early...
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Red Brain grown from seed. It has Giant leaves.
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And two Chupetinos that came from my favorite plant lat year.

Doing well on the DC Balcony!
Whoops, missed a pot. Chocolate Cherry is the big one, Shishito on the left with the two pepper pics following and white habanero in the front. Very slow grower

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Hi there. A fellow DCist here who is working on growing my first-ever peppers. wanted to comment so I could follow along. Today is going to be sweltering, so i wrapped my buckets in cardboard boxes to give them some shelter. Good luck to your collection! 
 
Hi Fitsea, welcome to THP! You will find so much info here.

Where in DC are you? Growing in containers or the ground? Are you dealing with this tonight?

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Hi Fitsea, welcome to THP! You will find so much info here.

Where in DC are you? Growing in containers or the ground? Are you dealing with this tonight?

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Alynne said:
Hi Fitsea, welcome to THP! You will find so much info here.
Where in DC are you? Growing in containers or the ground? Are you dealing with this tonight?
Thanks! Yeah, I have no idea what I'm doing, so I'm definitely looking to get a lot out of this forum!
I'm growing 4 cultivars in some HD buckets on my rooftop in CoHei: Jalapeño, Orange Habanero, Serrano, and Anaheim. Got 'em as adolescents from the Columbia Heights farmers market, and have transplanted them from the plastic nursery pots to some 6"ers I got from Target, and then into the 5gal buckets. A little too much love, plus the recent heat is seeing my Hab and Ser drop flowers, but I'm not sad to see the stems and branches bulk up. Meanwhile, I bought the jal with some flowers or peppers growing, but pruned them for transplant. Haven't seen anything new in the intervening month...

As for that storm, it was nuts! Had put those boxes around my buckets to shield the roots from yesterday's heat. Came home to them just wrecked, haha. One box (had around my Ana and Jal) was blown off and took some leaves with it.

It's a shame, too; been wanting them to dry out from Saturday, and the rain keeps coming. Looks like I'll have to find a way to bring 'em indoors Friday and Saturday....

Enough about me, though. How fare yours?
 
Fit sea, I would love pics. Just caged the Goats Weed and the chocolate cherry. They are huge! Roofs are tough, no protection. Do you have a water source up there or do you carry?
 
Will have to post pics tomorrow, since I'm on mobile, now. How are chocolates? Been hearing good things, but I'm not a huge fan of smokey outside of my BBQ.

As for the roof, it's pretty barren. While there's no water up there, several neighbors are growing, and we all just haul the water up. Though, with all this rain, who needs to water? I actually pulled my guys inside tonight after about 5 minutes of the storm, just to let them dry out and to protect them from the wind.

Also, one of my neighbors has a cow horn and bell growing in a pot up there. Jealous that his cow horns are growing in, but would be worried about cross-pollination with a bell. As it is, I'm worried that my Anny is going to c/p and muddle all of my hots (and am debating spreading them across the roof)!
 
EDIT: I posted some pics to an Imgur album. I put 'em there so that they're in my album, and can pull 'em easily down the line. http://imgur.com/a/fZeAQ
 
Fitsea said:
Will have to post pics tomorrow, since I'm on mobile, now. How are chocolates? Been hearing good things, but I'm not a huge fan of smokey outside of my BBQ.
As for the roof, it's pretty barren. While there's no water up there, several neighbors are growing, and we all just haul the water up. Though, with all this rain, who needs to water? I actually pulled my guys inside tonight after about 5 minutes of the storm, just to let them dry out and to protect them from the wind.
Also, one of my neighbors has a cow horn and bell growing in a pot up there. Jealous that his cow horns are growing in, but would be worried about cross-pollination with a bell. As it is, I'm worried that my Anny is going to c/p and muddle all of my hots (and am debating spreading them across the roof)!
 
EDIT: I posted some pics to an Imgur album. I put 'em there so that they're in my album, and can pull 'em easily down the line. http://imgur.com/a/fZeAQ

Saw the pics. Was worried at first but they are filling out. Are they getting all day full sun? This is looking to be a brutal summer and some shade for part of the day would be beneficial. You are also going to have to water every day which gets tiring. I group mine together, 3 to a 15 gallon pot. The tall ones give a little shade to the smaller and they shade the soil to help with evaporation. Good luck!
 
Alynne said:
Are they getting all day full sun?
They are. I moved them into the full sun versus a location where they'll get shaded in the late afternoon/evening because I was worried about cross pollination with a neighbor's bells. Though they're a few plants down, I was worried about insects being drawn by all of the little beasts being in a line. Not worried about having to carry the water, though. I enjoy doting on these guys. Haha. Plus, I have access to a 4-5 liter can , which proved enough water to all four pots in one go.
 
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