DesertChris' High Desert Extreme Gardening Glog

Jandek · Mar 28, 2013

Great glog. Thanks for sharing!

stc3248 · Mar 28, 2013

Chris...the 100 was focused at your Canadian Bhuts. What's their count now? If you hit over 50% germination I would call them ok seeds. Most reputable places are higher, but that's an ok # from a relatively unknown source. Now...will they grow true???

The 1000 may or may not fall...but you're close enough in my book.

WalkGood · Mar 28, 2013

DesertChris said:
I was reading your egg technique, pure genius!!!

I am convinced it works....there are some seeds where I was not sure they would germinate.
Such as pods from farmers market, dried store pods etc....
Every single borg style sowing resulted in borg style germinating! LOL

Even the pequin seeds from pods that may have been smoked, germinated using the borg sowing technique

I can’t take credit for the egg starter technique, it’s something I learned from my grandfather and mom at a very early age many moons ago, lol. I sometimes do up to 3 in one egg but unless the seeds are really good I’ll get one or two. I may try the Borg technique in there but I’ll have to transplant sooner. Plus dividing out the shell for it’s nutriments one is sure to get short changed.

Devv · Mar 28, 2013

Hahahaha, I thought this place was peppers anonymous.....oh wait.... This is "pepper enablers"

We did can some stuff last year...pepper jelly and pickled peppers.
Probably do more this year.
But I think I will dry as much as possible.
Oh, and I am going to have to figure out how to make sauces and bottle them for later use too.

Canning those maters will save you a ton of space, we've been doing it for years. And I agree, I too need to learn how to better preserve the peppers. I give tons away, but that too is a good thing.

Cya soon,

Scott

DesertChris · Mar 28, 2013

Devv said:
Canning those maters will save you a ton of space, we've been doing it for years. And I agree, I too need to learn how to better preserve the peppers. I give tons away, but that too is a good thing.

Cya soon,

Scott

We canned some green cherry tomatoes in vinegar last year, people loved them! Those were the only ones I canned though.
The rest was peppers

Here is the first start of a pod of the year, 2 anaheim plants each have one of these on them.

And #3 & #4 start of a pods are on a Giant Bhut!! (I sure hope these grow!)

WalkGood · Mar 28, 2013

Chris, dam Giant Bhut pods, your ahead of me on supers … congrats ^_^ ... Now what are the little white/slightly yellowish specs I see on the leaves in the first picture? Hope not bugs, if it’s white fly, dem are easy to kill off.

DesertChris · Mar 28, 2013

WalkGood said:
Chris, dam Giant Bhut pods, your ahead of me on supers … congrats ^_^ ... Now what are the little white/slightly yellowish specs I see on the leaves in the first picture? Hope not bugs, if it’s white fly, dem are easy to kill off.

Well, they are just "start of pods"...lol

Those specks are likely just a few eggs from the stupid unidentifiable bugs I have been battling....eliminated 98% of them, and have a few more to kill.
I need to go buy some ladybugs....they might help out a little.

Also, there is some dirt, and pyrethrin residue on those leaves too...lol

Awesome thing of the day.

The daughter hates hot peppers.

The neighbor took us to the local mexican food restaurant to celebrate something.
I took dried Pequin pods in a snack size ziplock bag to add to my food

My gal unknowingly used that bag for the daughter's school snack, of grapes.
She came home, and said she had a bone to pick with one or both of us....Bwahahahaha
Then she admitted they were "ok" tasting, but ate them and kinda enjoyed them because they were different!

Hahahahahaha...... Spicy Grapes

Devv · Mar 28, 2013

Hahahahahaha...... Spicy Grapes

LOL, break 'em in slow

DesertChris · Mar 28, 2013

The boy is super excited, I showed him the pod starts on that giant bhut.
He loves spicy stuff, especially hot wings.
He then looked at the moruga and butch t plants that have buds forming, and said "I can't wait for those!"

Good boy....lol

He is funny, he loves habaneros and hotter on up, in the heat scale, but hates bell peppers, jalapenos etc.... It's the heat he enjoys, but the flavor of the milds he doesn't like.

Devv · Mar 28, 2013

He is funny, he loves habaneros and hotter on up, in the heat scale, but hates bell peppers, jalapenos etc.... It's the heat he enjoys, but the flavor of the milds he doesn't like.

Ok ask me why bells give me immediate indigestion, but the hots don't bother me? Maybe he's there?

Heritage wise I'm half Italian, half German (geese what a combo for a temper), OK where was I going with this? Brain fart again...thinking...OK here I go again.

I love Italian food, that's why we grow tons of maters to can for red sauce (WOP term for spaghetti sauce), but stuffed peppers...I can't tolerate bells. The wife cooks the batch with one bell and the stuffed peppers are all Poblano's

Weird eh? but that's me...

stc3248 · Mar 29, 2013

Congrats on podding up brother!

DesertChris · Mar 29, 2013

stc3248 said:
Congrats on podding up brother!

Thanks! I was a little excited to see a start of a pod peaking out of the giant bhut flowers...the plant is a bit small, but i'll let it try to grow them.
There is a crazy fused on the stem and calyx pair of flowers on that plant too. Never seen that before....maybe it'll make a weird double pod fused at the calyx...lol

I almost forgot....24 more hooks today, but can't put them into the cups till tomorrow...
That makes approximately 973 total (Sweet and Hot)

I'll have to find (Everything is randomly mixed up) all the cups with Canadian Express seedlings in them to get a total on them, but I conservatively figure there are at least 50, probably more like 65 so far.......
In all reality, 200 seeds for $4.58 or so, then the $5 or so shipping....if they grow true, then that price for 50+ seedlings is actually a pretty good deal as far as internet seed purchasing goes. Even if the actual % of germination iends up at 25-50%
Although, it is all speculation on my part until I count them, and of course if they indeed grow Red Bhuts

Devv said:
Ok ask me why bells give me immediate indigestion, but the hots don't bother me? Maybe he's there?

Heritage wise I'm half Italian, half German (geese what a combo for a temper), OK where was I going with this? Brain fart again...thinking...OK here I go again.

I love Italian food, that's why we grow tons of maters to can for red sauce (WOP term for spaghetti sauce), but stuffed peppers...I can't tolerate bells. The wife cooks the batch with one bell and the stuffed peppers are all Poblano's

Weird eh? but that's me...

LOL, both kids just don't like the flavor of bell peppers, red, yellow, orange or green....
The boy doesn't even like jalapenos, he thinks they taste like bell peppers.
But give him something with Orange Habanero in it, and he is happy as can be...

I wouldn't even bother growing bell peppers if my gal didn't love them, and the neighbors like them too.
I like them, but dang, they grow slow, and they're not big producers....

We had so many tomatoes (red and green) right before the first fall/winter frost...
I picked em all, and let them ripen in fruit boxes in the kitchen....
I think I made about 12-15 gallons of Marinara sauce in November/December last year, and froze it all...lol
Ate some a couple days ago with some homemade gnocchi

Oh, and Orange Manzanos are pissing me off....LOL
I had around 15 germinate and pop up wearing spiffy black helmets....
They just sat there forever with those helmets on, not one of em grew out of it.

Tonight I ended up getting impatient and performing helmet removal surgery on them.
All but 2 had pretty much rotten cotelydons.
Those 2 had maybe half good cots.

Man I hope they both grow.... I really like the flavor of them.
As a backup, I put another 25 or so seeds into the germ trays 9 days ago....i peaked into the pellets, and saw a radicle starting, so there may be hope

koskorgul · Mar 29, 2013

Had to do a helmut removal surgery on one of mine. Tried to do it as careful as I could but ended up pulling like breaking half each cot off. I kept it seperated and as close to the light source as i could. It pulled through and has strated to sprout its first set of true leaves. Thought I had killed it when the cap and half the cots came off.

DesertChris · Mar 29, 2013

koskorgul said:
Had to do a helmut removal surgery on one of mine. Tried to do it as careful as I could but ended up pulling like breaking half each cot off. I kept it seperated and as close to the light source as i could. It pulled through and has strated to sprout its first set of true leaves. Thought I had killed it when the cap and half the cots came off.

With the volume of seeds I have sown, along came my fair share of helmet heads.
Most I let grow out of them, but some required surgery. Some did well, some did not.

OK, counted the Canadian Express Bhuts....looks like 61 so, and they are still popping up......
I seriously hope they grow true.

Devv · Mar 29, 2013

Re: Helmet heads

I had the bhut helmet head, AKA bhuthead wear the helmet for about 2 weeks. Today I decided to perform surgery and didn't have to, the helmet slid right off with no resistance.

So what the heck, let em be and test em every so often. I misted it every time I saw it.

Happy Easter there in windy world!

BTW mo wind Tuesday...what the heck?

Scott

DesertChris · Mar 29, 2013

Happy Easter to you too!

Boo.....Wind....Boo........

That is my favorite method too.....just let them grow out of the helmet

OK, new totals
Peppers - 991
Tomatoes - 372

Oh, and I noticed a flower today on one of the TS Butch T Plants

The boy was once again excited....lol

StupidJerk · Mar 30, 2013

I just skimmed through, wow! Looks like a lot went on during my vacation. Quite an amazing grow you have going, I am very jealous!!

DesertChris · Mar 30, 2013

StupidJerk said:
I just skimmed through, wow! Looks like a lot went on during my vacation. Quite an amazing grow you have going, I am very jealous!!

Amazing thanks to your seeds you contributed!! {and other kind folks)
It remains to be seen how well everything does when it hits the soil...sand...dirt...clay...lol

New totals....
Tomatoes - 390
Peppers - 1011 !!!! (and still popping up

)

I am super happy 4 Red Savinas popped, and 1 Jamaican Red (I hope more of both pop though!!)

Still waiting on any of the Brown/Chocolate Bhuts from pepperlover to pop....I sure hope they pop soon, I sowed around 41 seeds!

StupidJerk.....Amazingly the chocolate bhuts you sent me popped in 5 days!!!!!!!

sicman · Mar 30, 2013

nice!! went threw the whole thread. great looking property and grow. best of luck,cant wait to see them plants looking like monsters.

DesertChris · Mar 30, 2013

sicman said:
nice!! went threw the whole thread. great looking property and grow. best of luck,cant wait to see them plants looking like monsters.

Thank you!
Wow, you read the whole thread, that must have taken some time!I sure hope they look like monsters...lol

Probably, more likely, they will be medium sized wind blown sunblasted desert plants.

Although, I just used some frozen jalapeno pods today for the first time in a while, and I had forgotten how hot they really get grown here.
Makes grocery store pods seem like bell peppers...lol

I am super curious to see how superhots grow here, since this will be the first time.
My habaneros were also extra hot last year, so if that holds true for the supers, I will be in a bit of danger...