Devv-2017-Having a good time in the dirt

Devv · Feb 24, 2017

Yeah, I have two kids and both have "moved back in" more than once over the years. Now they're 32 and soon to be 35, and I have 5 Grandkids. I "think" they have finally figured life out...LOL

Thanks for stopping by Randy!

Tomorrow I'll be getting dirt under my fingernails. I can't wait to be in the garden!

BaliHotPepper · Feb 24, 2017

Very nice grow and beautifull plants.
Great varieties that i havent even heard before.

Best luck for the season.

Devv · Feb 25, 2017

BaliHotPepper said:
Very nice grow and beautifull plants.
Great varieties that i havent even heard before.

Best luck for the season.

Thanks Bali,

Holler if you need some seeds!

------------

It was rather windy and cold this morning. Funny how it's only nasty on the weekends all winter long. LB and I washed the cars early on as the driveway is not windy, then we moved into the garden as the sun warmed up the morning. Now that the car is fixed:

Got some dirt time in.

Got the IRT plastic mulch down, on top of the hugel bed, finally. The scrap plywood is to stop the wind. Still need to build the hoop house. And of course properly secure the IRT. At least it's warming the soil now.

These and a few more will go in the hugel bed. I'm going with the Annuum's there first.

My GrowDown gals..

The B-Goat is kickin' it!

Just loving the coloration here. I hope it stays! Seeds from Chuck.

Now I mentioned being distracted above. Quite a few plants grew a bunch, hit the lights and have some scarring. Or I would show more...

moruga welder · Feb 25, 2017

The plants are looking great Scott ! Sorry to hear about the car , I'd come unglued on the dealership ! I don't have much patience for that garbage , for what you pay . Hope they make it good for you . :party:

Devv · Feb 25, 2017

Last season I had quite a few questions asked about how I get the tomato plants so large.

Well here's how; it's rather simple. And I wish I could grow peppers as well

Normal dirt day is 3-1, I'm a week early this year, as it's been really warm.

I start them 7 weeks before my intended dirt day. They grow so fast I don't give them much while inside; just a bit of fish emulsion.

Here they are when I move them from the 3.5" pots to the #1 pots. I place the plant in the larger pot at the bottom, and trim any leaves below the crown, adding dirt to just below the crown.
Back under the lights.

Normally I would have added more soil to fill the pot and top water to start the stem going to root. I didn't have the time this go-round.

Here I've trimmed all the leaves, but the crown, and I cover everything but the crown. Just an inch or so of soil on top of the stem. I plant in ditches and more dirt naturally fills in another inch. They will stand up in a day or so and just grow like crazy as all the stem and the roots are feeding. When I pull them up the roots will be around 15"s long horizontally, and of course going down.

And this is what you can get. This is May 15th of last year.
Now I push them hard, and they grow really fast. And I have to do that because they need to set fruit before the temps get above 90°. So I have Blossom End Rot issues. I combat that with a foliar application of Calmag; twice a week. I use 1oz per gallon and apply it using an old style watering can. It has to be done in the morning. Applying it in a watering solution at the roots does not work. If I don't use the Calmag I will lose 50% or better. I've been grow maters for 35 years.

Still working on my pepper growing skills, only 5 years into this and not there yet in my estimation.

Devv · Feb 25, 2017

moruga welder said:
The plants are looking great Scott ! Sorry to hear about the car , I'd come unglued on the dealership ! I don't have much patience for that garbage , for what you pay . Hope they make it good for you .

Thanks Frank,

Yeah the car thang was hard for me. It was the first time I've had to bring one in for repairs. And one doesn't want to leave a brand new black car with over 500hp at the dealer. That and I was a fuel and emissions specialist for 17 years with the GM products. So I couldn't stand it when they couldn't nail it down. I used to work with the tech, and we repaired it together on Wednesday. The repair was to replace the right side fuel module, this car has a left and right. The right side has a fuel pressure regulator/check valve. It was releasing at 101 psi versus specs at 82 psi. This caused the PCM to not pulse the injectors when the fuel pressure sensor reported the high pressure. This only occurred on a hot soak restart; after the car had sit 10 minutes. This allowed the engine temps to go from 200° to around 215°, due to the coolant was no long circulating. At this time the fuel in the fuel system reacted to the hot soak and the pressure went up..

OK enough of that..one can't forget 17 years of 60 hour weeks...LOL

moruga welder · Feb 25, 2017

Thats how i put mine in , people thought i was crazy when i told them to lay them down . More roots better plant ! they will root anywhere

Devv said:
Last season I had quite a few questions asked about how I get the tomato plants so large.

Well here's how; it's rather simple. And I wish I could grow peppers as well

Normal dirt day is 3-1, I'm a week early this year, as it's been really warm.

I start them 7 weeks before my intended dirt day. They grow so fast I don't give them much while inside; just a bit of fish emulsion.

Here they are when I move them from the 3.5" pots to the #1 pots. I place the plant in the larger pot at the bottom, and trim any leaves below the crown, adding dirt to just below the crown.
Back under the lights.

Normally I would have added more soil to fill the pot and top water to start the stem going to root. I didn't have the time this go-round.

Here I've trimmed all the leaves, but the crown, and I cover everything but the crown. Just an inch or so of soil on top of the stem. I plant in ditches and more dirt naturally fills in another inch. They will stand up in a day or so and just grow like crazy as all the stem and the roots are feeding. When I pull them up the roots will be around 15"s long horizontally, and of course going down.

And this is what you can get. This is May 15th of last year.
Now I push them hard, and they grow really fast. And I have to do that because they need to set fruit before the temps get above 90°. So I have Blossom End Rot issues. I combat that with a foliar application of Calmag; twice a week. I use 1oz per gallon and apply it using an old style watering can. It has to be done in the morning. Applying it in a watering solution at the roots does not work. If I don't use the Calmag I will lose 50% or better. I've been grow maters for 35 years.

Still working on my pepper growing skills, only 5 years into this and not there yet in my estimation.

moruga welder · Feb 25, 2017

Devv said:
Thanks Frank,

Yeah the car thang was hard for me. It was the first time I've had to bring one in for repairs. And one doesn't want to leave a brand new black car with over 500hp at the dealer. That and I was a fuel and emissions specialist for 17 years with the GM products. So I couldn't stand it when they couldn't nail it down. I used to work with the tech, and we repaired it together on Wednesday. The repair was to replace the right side fuel module, this car has a left and right. The right side has a fuel pressure regulator/check valve. It was releasing at 101 psi versus specs at 82 psi. This caused the PCM to not pulse the injectors when the fuel pressure sensor reported the high pressure. This only occurred on a hot soak restart; after the car had sit 10 minutes. This allowed the engine temps to go from 200° to around 215°, due to the coolant was no long circulating. At this time the fuel in the fuel system reacted to the hot soak and the pressure went up..

OK enough of that..one can't forget 17 years of 60 hour weeks...LOL

whew ! what in the hell happened to the old days simple carburetor , fuel filter , etc. These things are a nightmare without a good scanner .

stickman · Feb 25, 2017

Cheese... you've been a busy boy Scott! Glad you got the auto dialed in. Tomatoes in the dirt and IRT down with low row cover to follow... Shwing! Will you bury the edges of the plastic mulch or use sod staples? :thumbsup:

Devv · Feb 25, 2017

moruga welder said:
whew ! what in the hell happened to the old days simple carburetor , fuel filter , etc. These things are a nightmare without a good scanner .

Yep! And I will soon have one

And they no longer have fuel filters, it's done in the tank...

Devv · Feb 25, 2017

stickman said:
Cheese... you've been a busy boy Scott! Glad you got the auto dialed in. Tomatoes in the dirt and IRT down with low row cover to follow... Shwing! Will you bury the edges of the plastic mulch or use sod staples?

Rick, I've been running hard for the last 5 weeks! At the dealership 3 days a week, which killed my time. And got the 20 acres shredded somehow, had to replace a rear tube in the tractor. Now that's a young man's job..LOL. That and trying to keep the grow on schedule. I think I'm getting there.

I'll probably use the dirt this time around. Although being a pack rat, I may have the materials to make the sod staples. I think I have some 1/8 or 3/16" galvanized really stiff wire here some where. Now that I think of it the dirt may work better with the winds, and the staples for the center overlap.

Devv · Feb 25, 2017

moruga welder said:
Thats how i put mine in , people thought i was crazy when i told them to lay them down . More roots better plant ! they will root anywhere

Yes sir! I've been doing it this way for many, many moons. And while most peeps buy the small plants and set them out, mine are starting to flower and just go nuts.

Devv · Feb 26, 2017

I have a few gals out and soaking up the sun.

Naturally I didn't get near what I wanted to get done this weekend. But I keep trying...

stickman · Feb 26, 2017

Man! I can't wait to see those babies take off when you get them transplanted Scott! Good on ya!

PaulG · Feb 27, 2017

Wow, lots happening here, Scott! Your plants
are crazy robust and yearning for root room!

The sun makes me jealous :mope:

randyp · Feb 27, 2017

Scott sorry about the car problems.I saved 3000$ in Dec-Jan on my car with Youtube-Amazon Prime and a used air compressor I bought.Just love youtube for ideas where to start a project.
I am giving my buddies up here a look at how you do your Toms buddy.That is impressive. :onfire:

Datil · Feb 27, 2017

Devv said:
Naturally I didn't get near what I wanted to get done this weekend. But I keep trying...

I hear ya Scott, i would need a couple of 4 day long weekends

Plants look great though!

Fab

Devv · Feb 28, 2017

stickman said:
Man! I can't wait to see those babies take off when you get them transplanted Scott! Good on ya!

Thanks Rick!

After 2 days outside they exploded in growth! Now moved to the South of the house to protect them from the incoming winds, and then inside for 2 days. I made sod staples from 8 or 10 gauge galvanized wire, and staked down the IRT. Saturday the Annuums hit it. I'm thinking I won't have to use a row cover, but if I do need one I have all the materials

Devv · Feb 28, 2017

PaulG said:
Wow, lots happening here, Scott! Your plants
are crazy robust and yearning for root room!

The sun makes me jealous

Thanks Paul!

I'm starting to see the wood form :party:

Actually it's been really cloudy with the sun breaking out late in the day. Perfect weather for full sun hardening of the plants.

Devv · Feb 28, 2017

randyp said:
Scott sorry about the car problems.I saved 3000$ in Dec-Jan on my car with Youtube-Amazon Prime and a used air compressor I bought.Just love youtube for ideas where to start a project.
I am giving my buddies up here a look at how you do your Toms buddy.That is impressive.

Thanks Randy!

Tomatoes I got down, been growing them for 35 years. Peppers....I may just be getting the hang of. I've learned 12" or better with bark on the trunk come dirt day is the way to go here in the semi desert.

So what did you do to your car? I have most everything here except a lift; and my mind is clicking away on that idea! I never parted with all the tools I acquired while working as an auto tech. The shop was designed for one, but the boss (LB) wanted me to do wood working.