DesertChris' High Desert Extreme Gardening Glog

DesertChris · Mar 15, 2013

OK, got the sprouts into cups

Leaving the babies (plants, seedlings) outside again tonight.
And now test #2 begins....wind...gusts up to 35+ mph right now....
They are semi sheltered, so should roughen and toughen em up a bit....fingers crossed.

However....all the youngest seedlings are happy and warm under the lights in the dining room

Yay! Just talked to neighbors/garden partners, and the pepperlover.com order they made on sunday is here

I cant wait to see what it is...they couldn't remember what all was ordered, just that it was "a bunch of things that said Jolokia"....lol
Yes, i'll be sowing those seeds tonight!
And then i'll have to update the growlist too! (which is a mess, I need to alphabetize it, and credit folks where possible)

Waiting for a 5 variety order I made at pepperjoe on monday...hoping it gets here tomorrow...gotta get em going soon...the Springtime clock is ticking...tick tock tick tock

stc3248 · Mar 16, 2013

You got a longish season...not too late! Glad to see the overwinters up and running too! Your grow is getting out of freaking control!!! I LIKE IT!

Pulpiteer · Mar 16, 2013

I'm laughing as your grow list just blows up. It's like an addiction - I try to explain to people why I have so many and so many varieties. They all look neat, then you have to try that other one... then a new color... then this one is someone else's favorite... before you know it, you've got a ton of plants on your hands.

DesertChris · Mar 16, 2013

Ummmm....yes, it has gotten way out of control, and the neighbors just made it worse...lol...i'll post the additions later, watching a movie with my gal....It's time for her right now

Although....she usually tries to get me to go to bed early, and up early by saying "farmer hours dude"
Tonight, that became "Pepper Farmer hours dude"....Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha !!

DesertChris · Mar 16, 2013

The list grows.... it now has a life of its own....

From Pepperlover.com
Red Bhuts (2 packs)
Brown Bhuts (2 packs)
Yellow Bhuts (2 packs)
Orange Bhuts
Purple Bhuts
White Bhuts
'Bhut Jolokia India Carbon
Bih Jolokia (free

)
7 Pot Yellow Brain Strain (free

)

Let me just say that these seeds are quite lovely! After the canadian Bhut seeds that looked so darn bad, I am appreciating ones like this all the more!

Boy do I like when there are flakes in the bag with the seeds.... I love tasting them as a prelude of what is to come later

Oh, and the AjiJoe surprise Twins.... I freed them from their shared hemet, and they both seem to have a hint of a true leave! even if their cots are a bit shabby looking...

stc3248 said:
You got a longish season...not too late! Glad to see the overwinters up and running too! Your grow is getting out of freaking control!!! I LIKE IT!

Seriously....Out of freaking control describes it! I am now eyeing this other old animal pen that is maybe 20x20....that would be garden #4 if I plant there too. There is a hose bib within a hose length from it, so I really may have to do that.

Pulpiteer said:
I'm laughing as your grow list just blows up. It's like an addiction - I try to explain to people why I have so many and so many varieties. They all look neat, then you have to try that other one... then a new color... then this one is someone else's favorite... before you know it, you've got a ton of plants on your hands.

Oh man.... the dang list was meant to be 1/2 this size!! But somehow it has doubled (looks like around 76 varieties/strains)....I blame the neighbor

much easier than blaming myself...heeheehee

At least the neighbors said I didn't have to plant corn! (they kind of wanted to try that multicolor glass corn)
That was the one thing i didn't really want to grow this year. You have to plant a certain amount of it to pollinate the ears fully, and I need the room for other more fun stuff

Shoot, I don't even have enough germ trays to sow all these new seeds yet. not to mention that I am almost out of 20 oz plastic cups again, and potting soil too.....

Out of 4 -72 cell trays and 4-36 cell trays I only have 2-36 cell trays, and 22 cells in the others, available for sowing right now.
So 94 open slots.....and the 5 varieties of habby types hopefully arriving from pepperjoe soon....

All I know is that when the garden locations are finished, the water supply supplied, and they are in the ground, I will be able to breathe easy and watch them grow.

AND if I can figure out a very inexpensive, yet effective, way to isolate pods/branches/plants etc..... I should be able to get a large # of varieties of seeds for next year/trading/gifting/etc....

Oh, one more thing.... It is definately more than 35 mph gusts of wind right now....maybe closer to 50 mph.
Getting the ones outside for what will surely come during the growing season!
Toughen those guys up for sure....Make em stronger or kill them...one of the two.

stc3248 · Mar 16, 2013

Great list of Bhuts! I grew the Bhut rainbow last year and my Yellows and Chocolates were the most prolific...Yellow and red both had awesome flavors and each very distinct. This year the only one I grew was the Indian Carbon...but really wish I had started some yellows too. Good luck with yours! As far as the iso goes...pantyhose over the branch you wish to isolate works (Greg's (Pic1) technique).

highalt · Mar 16, 2013

After looking through your pics, I've decided that even though we're both considered "high desert", I got more of the high end, and you've got more of the desert end of things! We get the kind of winds you described, but ours are mainly in the spring. Our annual precipitation is around 10" - 12". What is yours there?

So on those rows, you are planting in between the rows, in the ditches, right? Growing up in the south, we always planted on top of the rows. My first year here, when I tried that, the other people at the community garden laughed at my ignorance! Last year, I buried a couple of soaker hoses along the rows, and had the best crop there ever. Surface watering dries up so quickly here, plus the ground's so hard it doesn't seem to penetrate, but watering underneath gets down to those roots.

I say if you've got the space, go ahead and grow one of EVERYTHING! I was that way for the first few years, but now I'm eliminating some of the crops that just don't do well for me, and concentrating on the stuff that does ... mainly peppers! :rofl:

DesertChris · Mar 16, 2013

highalt said:
After looking through your pics, I've decided that even though we're both considered "high desert", I got more of the high end, and you've got more of the desert end of things! We get the kind of winds you described, but ours are mainly in the spring. Our annual precipitation is around 10" - 12". What is yours there?

So on those rows, you are planting in between the rows, in the ditches, right? Growing up in the south, we always planted on top of the rows. My first year here, when I tried that, the other people at the community garden laughed at my ignorance! Last year, I buried a couple of soaker hoses along the rows, and had the best crop there ever. Surface watering dries up so quickly here, plus the ground's so hard it doesn't seem to penetrate, but watering underneath gets down to those roots.

I say if you've got the space, go ahead and grow one of EVERYTHING! I was that way for the first few years, but now I'm eliminating some of the crops that just don't do well for me, and concentrating on the stuff that does ... mainly peppers!

Dang...it is windy as heck right now! Must be howling at 50-60 mph

Yep, you are way higher in the sky, and we are dryer than you...I had to look it up, average rainfall here, a whopping 7.5"

Yes, planting in wells or ditches, or wells connected with ditches. It soaks in, and the hard ground can actually get super soft..wierd soil here, it was a lakebed, a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away

I wish I could buy some soaker hoses, but the budget doesn't allow that

In the heat of the summer, i'll be watering In the morning, and evening too.

My goal is to really find out what peppers grow well here, then next year, grow those varieties. The ones that don't will not be on that list!

We found out with tomatoes that small is better, and thick skins are good too.....cherry and plum sizes produced like crazy....beefsteak size varieties were very poor quality and slow producers. So this year we chose heirloom seeds and varieties that are either small fruits, or thick skin, or love hot weather, or any combination of the three

Pretty much my whole grow is an expiriment this year again....what food crops will do well, and what will not.
But we did choose stuff that says it does well in the heat.

I'm eagerly folllowing your glog too

stc3248 said:
Great list of Bhuts! I grew the Bhut rainbow last year and my Yellows and Chocolates were the most prolific...Yellow and red both had awesome flavors and each very distinct. This year the only one I grew was the Indian Carbon...but really wish I had started some yellows too. Good luck with yours! As far as the iso goes...pantyhose over the branch you wish to isolate works (Greg's (Pic1) technique).

I was thinking pantyhose too, but where in the world am I going to get enough....and free... or super cheap...

The bhuts seem to be the most numerous on the list now...lol... I hope they like hot, dry, windy weather!!

If you want some yellow bhut seeds from pepperlover, let me know, i'll send you some

Like you said, it's not too late yet

highalt · Mar 16, 2013

It's been many years since I purchased pantyhose, but I would think you could buy the knee high ones by the dozen at the dollar store for pretty cheap.

DesertChris · Mar 16, 2013

highalt said:
It's been many years since I purchased pantyhose, but I would think you could buy the knee high ones by the dozen at the dollar store for pretty cheap.

Oh, that's a great idea! And in my price range too

Cheap to Free.....LOL

DesertChris · Mar 16, 2013

Just measured that prospective garden location #4.....If I use it, it'll be called something like "Ed's Red Bhut Pepper Field"...lol
23.5'x22.5'......so 528.5 sq feet

I would have to till in some manure etc.... looks like the soil is going to need help.
Luckily Pony poop and Sheep manure are not in short supply...lol

Oh, and it looks like i'll have plenty of room in the germ trays for the new seeds

Woke up this morning to tons of hooks a poppin out

DesertChris · Mar 16, 2013

Just counted everything....as it stands right now....

445 hot pepper hooks, seedlings, plants, overwinters
135 sweet pepper hooks, seedlings
256 tomato seedlings
24 eggplant seedlings
16 tomatillo seedlings

Someday, after all seeds are popped, and things are more established, i'll have to figure out #'s of each variety and strain.
But right now it's all pretty much out of control, and I am too lazy to figure it out...lol

lots more seeds are in the germ trays (hots and sweets), and a bunch that need to be in the germ trays soon....
But I may need to germ some more tomatoes....i thought there were more of them...

Devv · Mar 16, 2013

I'm thinking you need to call a realtor and buy more land

DesertChris · Mar 16, 2013

Devv said:
I'm thinking you need to call a realtor and buy more land

LOL!!! My gal is actually a Realtor!

We had to walk away from our house a couple years ago when the economy hit rock bottom....couldn't make the high mortgage any more.
My income, and hers plummeted to an all time low.
That's why I have such a big "other food stuff" grow list...cut down on food expense!
But a friend rented us his house since he was moving out of state.
Same size land (2 1/2 acres), same size house, but 20 years newer.
We plan on moving out of state when the kids graduate high school (somewhere greener, with water around)
Maybe buy a house again then.....

There is an entire unused acre in the back that if I ran water to, could be a big ole pepper field, but I haven't reached that level of desperation yet...lol

Sawyer · Mar 16, 2013

You're on a well, right? Any worries about pumping it dry? The last time I had my well open to replace the foot valve, the water table was only about 30' down (it was a wet spring that year). The foot valve is at about 70' and the bottom of the well is around 80'. (So I can drop the foot valve another few feet if I ever need to.) A couple of years ago, I left the water running in the garden for 4 or 5 hours and the pump started sucking air. I keep my watering sessions down to a couple of hours at a time these days.

DesertChris · Mar 16, 2013

Yep, on a well....The water is 200 feet down, this one is 270 feet deep, I think....they have to use a pump in the bottom of the well since it so far down. Never came close to running dry, The neighbor's replaced there underground wellpump last year, so got a good idea of depth and water levels etc....

Also, the well has a 5,000 gallon storage tank. No ballast, so I just check it every few days and fill it back up when needed.
The pressure pump operates separately from the well pump....so I can water away with no issues.

When I lived in Northern California, the water was practically oozing out of the ground...the well at that house was 67 feet deep, with the pump above ground....easier to maintain, and far less costly to replace!!
The neighbor next door had his well at 55 feet.
No storage tank, just the pressure tank with bladder...way simpler system.

Sawyer · Mar 16, 2013

Yeah, that's all I have, a ground-level pump and small bladder tank. Your setup sounds like one a friend of mine in Pocatello has, except I think his submersible pumps a small flow almost continuously, only stopping if/when the storage tank gets full. His well can't sustain a high volume flow for very long at all.

DesertChris · Mar 16, 2013

I figured it out a while back, I can fill the whole tank in 4 hours....it works out to the submersible pumping 20 gallons a minute or thereabouts....
Never did try to figure out the rate from the pressure pump side of things.

DesertChris · Mar 17, 2013

Ok.....

I have bunches of seedlings that popped in the germ trays, but the wind is howling!
I need to get them in cups, but the potting table is on the porch.....
At some point today, i'll just have to man up and go play in the wind.

Oh, also, sown on 3-8 the fantastic Red Bhut seeds from Ed are 30/108 germinated already

24 of them in the germ tray, and want to be in cups of soil so they can grow grow grow

I think I just might sow the rest of those seeds from Ed, 100+, and make a dense patch of Red Bhuts in that 4th garden spot I am eyeing.

Update on the "AjiJoe Surprise" Twins that came from one seed.
I managed to get their helmet off, and they seem to be doing good.
Both have shabby looking cots, but both also have the beginnings of a true leaf

They are on the left in this photo

Sawyer · Mar 17, 2013

What kind of bug is that at the base of the twins?