DesertChris' High Desert Extreme Gardening Glog

DocNrock · Mar 17, 2013

Your twins are doing better than the one I had pop last year. Mine died before either got true leaves.

DesertChris · Mar 17, 2013

DocNrock said:
Your twins are doing better than the one I had pop last year. Mine died before either got true leaves.

I wasn't sure if they would make it....hoping they do!

The wind finally died back, neighbors came over, adults transplanted 111+ germ tray seedlings into cups, while we had the little kids watering everything in sight.. lol...including the rocks in the backyard

I now have room in the germ trays to sow the various bhut seeds from pepperlover, and the habanero/bonnets etc from pepperjoe.
And maybe the rest of Ed's red bhuts too, just so I can go truly overboard.

I just have to rearrange the pellets with seeds that haven't popped yet, make new "seating charts", soak more peat pellets, and sow seeds in them....
Maybe late tonight when the family is asleep.

Sawyer said:
What kind of bug is that at the base of the twins?

They resemble giant flying ants, but aren't ants or termites.... We get them this time of year, and they are attracted to lights....I am hoping they are a predator and not vegetarians. So I left him alone to see what happens....

Seedlings freshly in their cups

Some of the actual plants...getting hardened off (or is it beat up from the wind and sun...lol)
Butch T's, Morugas, Giant Bhuts, Reapers and Vipers...
They aren't pretty after the pest incident, and the sticking them into the outside world, but this will toughen em up so they can survive when they go into the ground someday

stc3248 · Mar 18, 2013

Nice work Chris! 111 is a load of work...but wait till harvest time when you start picking them all!!!

DesertChris · Mar 18, 2013

stc3248 said:
Nice work Chris! 111 is a load of work...but wait till harvest time when you start picking them all!!!

The lucky thing is that the neighbors/garden partners little kids just love harvest time...especially the peppers and tomatoes..so we put them to work picking anything up to a cayenne level of heat

The hotter stuff is for me, so I get the honor of harvesting those.

Man, I can't wait until there are some ripe pods of any variety to eat!!!!!!!
Frozen, and dried are great, but nothing beats fresh off the plants

Pulpiteer · Mar 18, 2013

You'll have a ton to harvest, that's for sure. I was amazed at how many peppers I had to deal with. It's a lot of work, but a lot of reward too. That's great that you've got helpers like that. Good fun time for everyone. Plants are looking good Chris!

DesertChris · Mar 18, 2013

Pulpiteer said:
You'll have a ton to harvest, that's for sure. I was amazed at how many peppers I had to deal with. It's a lot of work, but a lot of reward too. That's great that you've got helpers like that. Good fun time for everyone. Plants are looking good Chris!

Thanks Andy

By the way, those yellow 7 pot seeds you sent me have set a new record for me.
3 days and I had a hook, another hook this morning on the 4th day.
I don't think I ever had a hook in 3 days before, I know I have at 4 days.

And that was just putting them into moist peat pellets with no presoaking

And at an average temp of 75° or so...lol

DesertChris · Mar 18, 2013

Found these fine mesh bags in a drawer this morning....looks like 80 of them.
Anyone think they would work ok for flowerbud / pod isolation....
Below the string, they are 3"x3"....I'm not sure if they are large enough.
I've never tried to isolate before, but this many varieties, I figure I should for seeds to grow next year, trading and just plain old sharing.
They are technically free (which I love!) since I didn't even know they were in that drawer...lol

Sawyer · Mar 18, 2013

They might be an inconvenient size, too small to cover a whole limb, but too bulky to isolate a single flower. You might trim a limb back to a node with flower(s) and be able to use them there. As far as the material, I'd say it should work fine since cross-pollination is primarily the result of insects, not wind.

I've heard of people using 1/2 of a clear gel cap (the kind folks use to make their own herbal capsules) to cover a flower before it opens, to ensure self-pollination only. Someone here not too long ago pointed out that rain and/or heavy dew can melt/deform/dislodge the capsules, but that might not be a problem in your environment. They only have to be isolated from just before the flower opens until after the baby pod has formed.

I've also read somewhere of placing a drop of glue on the end of the unopened blossom to use the petals themselves for isolation, but I don't know of anyone who has done that successfully.

I'm going to try making some bags out of lightweight row cover (I have lots) using diluted rubber cement to form the seams instead of stitching.

DesertChris · Mar 18, 2013

I kind of figured they were a bit small, and inconvenient shape...I was pondering the gelcap idea, and I figure those are cheap. I'll check the cost at the natural food store in town. I know I have seen them there.

Pulpiteer · Mar 18, 2013

I think Sawyer's right as far as the mesh bags go - maybe an inconvenient size, but if you do trim back, seems like it would work. I think the key thing here is that you already have them - so they are definitely worth a try. I've got to try to isolate for some seed this year, so I'm trying to think of ideas myself.

Glad those seeds worked so well for you! Mine have taken off pretty well. I hope they grow true because the pods they came from were beautiful.

DesertChris · Mar 18, 2013

After very careful surgery involving tweezers and an Xacto knife...I managed to get that chinstrap hemet off of that mustard hab.
He had broken through the wrong side of the seed shell, with his cots halway out of the top, but is now free

Andy, I was thinking maybe i could use the mesh from the bags somehow....modify them in some way....

Those yellow 7's seem to want to grow grow grow....i just looked, and there is another day 4 hook peaking out!
I am goimg to assume they will grow true....and will it into happening....lol

Devv · Mar 18, 2013

Chris,

All looking good!

Betcha can't wait for dirt day!

Scott

DesertChris · Mar 18, 2013

Devv said:
Chris,

All looking good!

Betcha can't wait for dirt day!

Scott

You hit that right on the nose!!

I still have a ton to do to get the garden spots ready...done nothing but look at them...lol
But definately can't wait!!!!

stc3248 · Mar 18, 2013

I think you can make those bags work with a little imagination...Things are lookin up here in Socal. Great job on the surgery!

DesertChris · Mar 18, 2013

stc3248 said:
I think you can make those bags work with a little imagination...Things are lookin up here in Socal. Great job on the surgery!

It was touch and go, on the operatimg table, but he pulled through...lol

Weather has been great here, but this afternoon it got cloudy and windy

Hopefull we don't get any freezing temps anytime soon though!!

DesertChris · Mar 20, 2013

Update.....

Sowed seeds.again last night.

Red Bhuts (Ed's and Judy's)
White Bhut
Purple Bhut
Orange Bhut
Indian Carbon Bhut
Bih Jolokia
Yellow Bhut
Yellow BrainStrain
Red Savina
White Habanero
Scotch Bonnet
Hot Jamaican Red
Bolivian Rainbow
more Jalapenos

A total of about 550 seeds

Today need to sow....
Chocolate Bhut
Yellow Bhut
White Bhut
Purple Bhut
Indian Carbon Bhut

and a few more sweet peppers...
Melrose
Corno di Rossa
Corno di Giallo
Chinese Giant

Then I just will have one more round of seed sowing in a couple days when seeds from the ever so generous AjiJoe!
Those will be....
Wild Brazil (very excited about that one)
Peach Bhut

And then I am done sowing pepper seeds....I promise....

Dang, I'm going to need a lot more cups, and a whole lot more potting soil.........

Oh, First flower of the year

Too bad it is on a young Anaheim plant, and those are ones that I am not as interested in...lol
But a flower is a good thing no matter what variety

Just ignore all the dirt on the leaves...It has been pretty windy the last few days.

Sawyer · Mar 20, 2013

Impressive collection of bhuts.

stc3248 · Mar 20, 2013

Yup...the list is BHUTiful...you will be harvesting your BHUT off for sure.

Sanarda · Mar 20, 2013

That is an impressive amount of plants. You will absolutely be extra busy this season. Good luck with the new sows

DesertChris · Mar 20, 2013

Sawyer said:
Impressive collection of bhuts.

I think we have plenty of them now....but I did see a mention of Carmel Bhuts...Must resist....Probably couldn't find anywhere with them for sale anyway, so I think I am safe...LOL

stc3248 said:
Yup...the list is BHUTiful...you will be harvesting your BHUT off for sure.

Hahahaha.....And working my Bhut off to get to harvest time.

Sanarda said:
That is an impressive amount of plants. You will absolutely be extra busy this season. Good luck with the new sows

Thank you! I agree, extra busy, but at least it is doing what I enjoy

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]OK, sowed these so far today:[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Chocolate Bhut[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Yellow Bhut[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]White Bhut[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Purple Bhut[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Indian Carbon Bhut[/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]and since there was some room in the trays, I decided on some more:[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Orange Manzanos[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Tobago Seasoning[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Mystery Red Habanero (this didn't germinate the first time, so giving them another go)[/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Now need to sow those sweet peppers, and then just wait for the AjiJoe seeds, and convince myself not to sow anymore peppers.[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]I probably should sow more tomatoes though![/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]And it is getting closer to time to prep the garden spaces, and sowing all the "other" food crops

[/background]