Devv: Someday, I'll get this right, South Tejas Growing

Well I'm way behind this season. Hopefully I can do better....no guarantees!
 
I'm still trying to figure out this "new normal", my brother said it took him a full year.
 
Any way:
 
Last year, could be the year before as they all seem to meld together now   I cleared the Crepe Myrtle trees that were invading the garden root-wise. That spot WAS the original garden 31 years ago.
 

 
Now that area looks like this:
 

 
I added 600 square feet to the garden, the soil is pretty darned saweet! Back then I added 16 yards of Black Gumbo to help with the drainage. Then LB wanted a pool, which is now gone. Garden reclaimed! The goal is to have a crop rotation so we can keep diseases at bay, as I mainly used the 1,600 sf fenced area for night shades.
 
During the off season I made some Bio Char. I need to take pics of the new kiln I made, that will come later.
 
Crunched char. I use the tractor to crush it on the driveway, it's laid on an old sheet to make it easier to pick up.
 

 
I use the old chipper-shredder to grind it. First I wet it so the dust isn't an issue.
 

 

 
Then I grind all this, and this is just a sample of what gets ground.
 

 
Then it rests here until we add it to the soil.
 

 
 
 

 

[Devv]

So it's not just like some lump charcoal when your done? I wonder if a guy could use a little less wood in the outside barrel and come out with some good lump. Or maybe start with bigger chunks/logs.
Those are some mighty fine looking pieces of mesquite you have there btw. I'd probably have to use oak, pecan or maybe some fruit wood. I don't think we have e mesquite here

This is weird. I know I answered this and posted pics. AND, PaulG had posted, and I answered that. A restore from a backup?
 
So yes, it's lump charcoal.
 

 

 
I dunno why it came out gray in the barrel. 4 tries did
 

 

[Devv]

All the sunshade is up, and most of the bird netting as well. We're @ 95°, glad it's up.
 
 

 
The reason I took this pic is to show the difference between good sunshade and cheap sunshade. Most of what I have is the good stuff. I have 2 10x20' pieces of the cheapo stuff. It's 2 years old and is falling apart. Yeah, I gave the Amazon stuff a shot.
 

 
Thunder Mystery
 
 
 

 
Thunder 3
 

 
Here you go Paul, Sugar Rush Cream. This how all my pods have ever looked like. Not correct?  Regardless, they are good

 

[Devv]

 
Should be able to pick these Nardello's in the morning..
 

 
Thunder Mystery in the dirt. I didn't think I had any with the green pods.
 

 
Thunder 3 in the dirt.
 

 
Thunder 2 in the dirt.

 

[Devv]

 
TripPaul Threat White in the dirt.

 

[PaulG]

 
 
Thunder Mystery
Thunder 3
 
 
Here you go Paul, Sugar Rush Cream. This how all my pods have ever looked like. Not correct?  Regardless, they are good

I don't know what the proper phenotype is, Scott.
Maybe when they go outside, the pods will
look different on my plant. Right now, they
are little round balls.
 

 
Thunder Mystery in the dirt. I didn't think I had any with the green pods.
Will be interesting to see how those color up!
 
 
Thunder 3 in the dirt.
 
 
Thunder 2 in the dirt.

All of your Purple thunder plants look really good.
Mine have a long ways to go to catch up, if they
recover from the aphid infestation.
 

 
 
TripPaul Threat White in the dirt.

Ditto this beauty. Those are great looking pods.
You're killin' it this year, my friend!

 

[Devv]

I don't know what the proper phenotype is, Scott.
Maybe when they go outside, the pods will
look different on my plant. Right now, they
are little round balls.
 
All of your Purple thunder plants look really good.
Mine have a long ways to go to catch up, if they
recover from the aphid infestation.
 
Ditto this beauty. Those are great looking pods.
You're killin' it this year, my friend!

Thanks Paul!
 
And thanks for the seeds!
 

 

 
Finally we have some spring produce

 

[Ghost Pepper Revolution]

Very cool stuff except the weather, 95 dang and I thought we get hot down here 
sugar rush creams lookin good and if they taste good who cares 

 

[Devv]

Thanks GPR!
 
Yesterday topped out @ 99° here, today it's 80° and the wind is blowing like crazy from the North.
 
One thing about here is it's normally quite arid, except for earlier in the week!

 

[Mr.joe]

What percentage shade cloth are you using?

 

[Devv]

What percentage shade cloth are you using?

Most of it is 30%. Out of the 2,200sf we have covered a 20x20' piece is 40%. I really didn't see a difference between the 2.
 
Without it we get sun-scald on all the night shades, and it's up a month early this year, mainly because I lost a few peppers already to scalding.
I usually buy it from the https://www.greenhousemegastore.com, it's really good stuff. I'm in year 7 or 8 with the oldest cloth and it's still really good.
I'll be replacing the cheap stuff for next year.
I also have chicken wire on most of the original 1,600sf, and use bird netting as well to keep the birds from decimating the maters.
I have been tempted to box in the Peach trees with chicken wire as well. My brother and his wife were here in February, and said they never saw so many birds before. It's kind of wild out here

 

[Walchit]

My sugar rush cream were a little less elongated. I have pictures I need to get off of my old phone, if I remember I will post one when I do. I thought they were a pretty good pepper myself, I need to grow them again next year.

I'd say they are probably pretty close to these but I haven't grown peach peppadew. Idk.

https://www.amazon.com/Peachadew-Peppapeach-Pepperdew-Heirloom-Premium/dp/B07GT6BXF4

 

[Devv]

So are you going to try and make charcoal?
 
A 55 gallon and a 30 gallon drum are the easiest way to get your feet wet..

 

[PaulG]

Hey, Scott. glad to see the seeds made it in decent time.
I guess USPS still gots it!

 

[Mr.joe]

So are you going to try and make charcoal?
 
A 55 gallon and a 30 gallon drum are the easiest way to get your feet wet..

I've been kicking the idea around, I always have extra projects going all the time. I might go for it at some point

 

[Walchit]

^ditto

 

[PtMD989]

I work with a guy who made charcoal very similar to your setup Devv. He used Apple wood, said it burns/cooks great with hardly any ash, compared to the store bought charcoal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Devv]

Hey, Scott. glad to see the seeds made it in decent time.
I guess USPS still gots it!

Oh, and they arrived unscathed, thanks again!
 
I'll get some of them planted this week when things slow down a bit around here.

 

[Tybo]

So are you going to try and make charcoal?
 
A 55 gallon and a 30 gallon drum are the easiest way to get your feet wet..

 
 
Where do you find barrel's?  We have a chemical company near here but I'd be leary about any residuals.

 

[Devv]

@ Mr. Joe
@ Walchit
 
Believe it or not, I find it relaxing to process the wood. I don't kill myself doing it and the end result is free charcoal.
 

PtMD989: I work with a guy who made charcoal very similar to your setup Devv. He used Apple wood, said it burns/cooks great with hardly any ash, compared to the store bought charcoal.

 
I originally got the idea when my brother-inlaw brought some lump charcoal to the deer lease close to 20 years ago, and have been making it ever since. One afternoon while I was cooking wood, drinking a cold one on the porch, while reading National Geographic, I stumbled on an article about Terra Preta...AKA Biochar. I made a batch, crushed it and tilled in 3"s worth to a small plot, then planted corn in that plot and in the untreated soil. The results got me hooked.

 

[Devv]

 
 
Where do you find barrel's?  We have a chemical company near here but I'd be leary about any residuals.

Around here there was a guy who sold barrels,  the barrels I purchased were used to ship volume honey. So yes, I would be cautious of the origin. I paid $20 each for the 55 gallon ones.