DesertChris' High Desert Extreme Gardening Glog

StupidJerk · Apr 1, 2013

stc3248 said:
I put my germ trays away...I am done!!! For now.

No kidding! I have about 50 plants and I'm wondering where I'm going to put them all. I'm starting to think Chris is going to be supplying all of the restaurants in Southern California.

DesertChris · Apr 1, 2013

OK, just counted 1031 + 39 in the trays now, makes 1070

StupidJerk said:
No kidding! I have about 50 plants and I'm wondering where I'm going to put them all. I'm starting to think Chris is going to be supplying all of the restaurants in Southern California.

LOL!! I wish

That would be awesome, but I fear I may just be supplying myself and the family with way mpre than we need...

I may end up supplying the rabbits and ground squirrels an all you can eat hot pepper buffett...lol

I figure I should mention that....
Say I did have 1,500 plants/seedlings
Then perhaps 500 lose the natural selection contest, leaving 1,000
Those 1,000 survive the wind, heat, sun, rabbits, squirrels etc. but are maybe half the size the could potentially get to.

So in reality that would be equal to 500 good plants.....right?....right?....right?.....

I am going to use that line of reasoning to justify the insanity.....lol

Pulpiteer · Apr 2, 2013

I do remember at one point you said you were done planting seeds - and that was like 5 plantings ago.

what a massive grow! You'll have to get lots of pics to document the insanity of the plant out for us

DesertChris · Apr 2, 2013

Oh for sure I will get lots of pics.

I only added 4 more varieties...lol... I have to be done now though....time is running out for starting seeds.

1. Japones (store bought dried pods, not sure the exact variety, AjiJoe said something in a different thread about a couple japanese peppers they would likely be)
2. Serranos....more Serranos.... (packet I found in the old seed box while looking for beet seeds)
3. AjiJoe Surprise Hot Mix (which he sent with peach bhuts and wild brazil.... Thanks Joe!

)
4. Grand Bell Mix (another packet I found in the old seed box while looking for beet seeds...lol)

I planted AjiJoes seeds and within 5 days saw a hook on the wild brazils, 6 days a peach bhut hook, and 6 days for first surprise hot mix hook

His seeds just want to grow!!

Those older Grand Bell Mix seeds started hooking at 4 days!

And the dang Choc. Bhuts from pepperlover are stubbornly not popping yet after 13 days

0/41
Same thing for The Hot Jamaican Reds from pepperjoe..... 1/20 after 113 days (at least one popped though)

koskorgul · Apr 2, 2013

1070 and here I am wondering what I am going to do with about 55, LOL

I had 3 more Carib Red haps pop through yesterday. Only have 2 more to go along with a Ghost and a Douglah and then I am done trying to germ more. If the remainder dont sprout, well I "think" I will still be done with trying to sow more seeds.

Sawyer · Apr 2, 2013

DesertChris said:
And the dang Choc. Bhuts from pepperlover are stubbornly not popping yet after 13 days 0/41

I only got one healthy plant and one runt from my PL Choc/Brown BJ. I am getting some good germination from my second planting of PL Yellow BJ, five or six as of this morning after 10 days. They started popping yesterday.

Speaking of surprises, do we know what's in the AjiJoe Surprise Hot Mix? I'm getting some pretty good germination from those, too, even though they are a year old and were exposed to 100+ temperatures last summer.

Edit: typo

DesertChris · Apr 2, 2013

Sawyer said:
I only got one healthy plant and one runt from my PL Choc/Brown BJ. I am getting some good germination from my second planting of PL Yellow BJ, five or six as of this morning after 10 days. The started popping yesterday.

Speaking of surprises, do we know what's in the AjiJoe Surprise Hot Mix? I'm getting some pretty good germination from those, too, even though they are a year old and were exposed to 100+ temperatures last summer.

I poked around in some of the choc bhut pellets.... the seeds are plump and yellow, but no radicle showing yet.
I am surprised they aren't germing yet, all the other seeds I got from her have germinated pretty well, and pretty quickly.

Those Surprise seeds are still a surprise. I believe he mixes a couple varieties into the pack...They definately want to grow. He'll identify them for us later

I'm fairly disappointed in the germ rate of the Hot Red Jamaican seeds from pepperjoe too..... one popped, but the other 19 are doing nothing yet.
It is a shame, because I thought they would be a great one to grow. Hopefully more pop, or at least the one that did thrives.....

koskorgul said:
1070 and here I am wondering what I am going to do with about 55, LOL

I had 3 more Carib Red haps pop through yesterday. Only have 2 more to go along with a Ghost and a Douglah and then I am done trying to germ more. If the remainder dont sprout, well I "think" I will still be done with trying to sow more seeds.

Sounds like yours are doing great

I still have a few hundred pellets with seeds in them ...waiting for them to pop..when they are done, I think that will be it for me

Then all the rest of my seed sowing will be direct in the ground sowing of other food crops

Devv · Apr 2, 2013

Wow Chris!

Me thinks a 4" plant spacing will be needed! :surprised:

Can't wait until I get to see things progress.

Take care,

Scott

PS: Step one of the peppers anonymous credo is to put away the germ tray :rolleyes:

edit: typo me?

DesertChris · Apr 3, 2013

Devv said:
Wow Chris!

Me thinks a 4" plant spacing will be needed!

Can't wait until I get to see things progress.

Take care,

Scott

PS: Step one of the peppers anonymous credo is to put away the germ tray

edit: typo me?

Thanks Scott

Ummmmm....can't put the trays away yet, they are still somewhat full...lol...maybe 60% full of pellets....i might need to count them.

If I give them 4' spacing, they will all blow away like tumbleweeds...hahahaha (yes, we have tumbleweeds blowing through the yard toofrequently)
I am thinking close hedge style planting in rows. The rows will be parallel to the prevailing wind direction West to East.

Things should really start to take off in the next month as things warm up a little. Days have been 60°-80°, but nights in the 40°-50° range.

Dang, I sure wish peppers germimated and grew as fast as tomato plants!.Some of my tomato seedlings are looking pretty darn good already

3/5King · Apr 3, 2013

I don't know if you practice it but topping will help create bushier, more compact plants that produce an increased number of nodes. Might help keep them protected from cold and high winds.

koskorgul · Apr 3, 2013

DesertChris said:
Sounds like yours are doing great

Thanks. I had another 2 pop last night and wouldnt ya know it, one was a double. LOL Have 53 that has now sprouted and with another 3 to go. Total of 56 plants if everything sprouts. Have room for about 40ish plants and that is including some that will be in 5 gal buckets

Devv · Apr 3, 2013

Things should really start to take off in the next month as things warm up a little. Days have been 60°-80°, but nights in the 40°-50° range.

Dang, I sure wish peppers germimated and grew as fast as tomato plants!.Some of my tomato seedlings are looking pretty darn good already

Now if it would just stay that warm eh?

The Maties do take off much better! I pot them as soon as they throw the second set of leaves potting them up to the crown.

Here's to warmer weather!

Scott

DesertChris · Apr 3, 2013

84 degrees today!
Plants loved it, but still cool nights and not so warm days coming.....

I need to count the current days hooks, might be approaching 1100

Sawyer · Apr 3, 2013

I guess you are a little closer to the sun up there than most of us.

DesertChris · Apr 3, 2013

Sawyer said:
I guess you are a little closer to the sun up there than most of us.

The weather here is unique.

Cold (for southern california) in the winter, crazy hot in the summer, windier than anywhere I have ever lived (once the wind blew hard as heck day and night for 40 days straight)
The spring and fall are just plain awesome though

Ok, just counted the new hooks etc in the germ trays....only 50 more since last night...hahahaha

So new total is.... 1120 plants, seedlings, hooks..... both the sweets and the hots

Sawyer · Apr 4, 2013

Do you have any wind power generating capability?

DesertChris · Apr 4, 2013

Sawyer said:
Do you have any wind power generating capability?

I wish!! If we owned this property, and were staying here long term, I would put in solar panels and a windmill or 2. (Expensive for the parts and permits though)

I would never have to pay an electric bill again.
In fact, it is windy as heck right this very second.

If I look to the North, I can see windmill farms just 10 miles away from here!

Sawyer · Apr 4, 2013

You have to have a permit to install solar panels or a windmill on your own property way out in the boonies? You are in the boonies, aren't you?

DesertChris · Apr 4, 2013

Sawyer said:
You have to have a permit to install solar panels or a windmill on your own property way out in the boonies? You are in the boonies, aren't you?

Los Angeles County....the very northern edge. We are 11 miles out of town (Lancaster).
So, maybe halfway to the boonies....lol
They want permits to even pass gas around here. A couple miles North is Kern County.
Over there you can do just about whatever you want.

If the panels were not on the house, but on the ground, I think no permit needed.
The windmill has a huge permit fee...in the thousands of $$

Pulpiteer · Apr 6, 2013

DesertChris said:
Los Angeles County....the very northern edge. We are 11 miles out of town (Lancaster).
So, maybe halfway to the boonies....lol
They want permits to even pass gas around here. A couple miles North is Kern County.
Over there you can do just about whatever you want.

If the panels were not on the house, but on the ground, I think no permit needed.
The windmill has a huge permit fee...in the thousands of $$

As I grow more libertarian leaning this stuff just drives me nuts. Regulations getting in the way of your trying to be a good steward and less of a strain on the environment. I imagine a windmill itself would be cost prohibitive though. Those things have to cost a bit....