Devv's 2014- Stick a fork in me, I'm done....

Devv · Jan 19, 2014

Spicegeist said:
What a lineup! Really great work. You're going to have so many peppers this year!

GA Growhead said:
+1^

Thanks!

It's a lot more work than I thought when I started, especially when I have to move 90 or so plants in and out...but good for the brain! I gave a way a lot of peppers last year and expect to do the same this season. I owe the guys who load my truck up with leaves every fall! Wife's asking me to empty the freezers of peppers, so I guess I start a few ferments today.

OhioGrown said:
everything's looking nice man, nice thick stalks and not too stretchy. Ready to get into the ground and start thrivin', amirite?

Thanks!,

The Chinense are ready! But it's still too cool here, another 6 weeks at least. Some I'm having to trim back, and most are in wanna-be 1 gal pots, so I'll have a really nice root system come dirt day.

maximumcapsicum said:
Amazing list! Too bad I didn't get a chance to stop by yesterday... love the pool photos. You're ladies get to travel a bit! They seem to be enjoying it.

The sweet paprikas are quite hearty looking. Quite a beastly pepper. Scott is going to be buried in capsicums.

Thanks Adam!

I try and bring them outside as much as I can, they get a little sunburn and it helps harden them off. I have so many new varieties to taste this year, I can't wait!

Spicegeist · Jan 19, 2014

Devv said:
It's a lot more work than I thought when I started, especially when I have to move 90 or so plants in and out...but good for the brain!

I agree, though maybe more for the soul? Anyway, that's why I'm not growing that many plants this year. I had so much going on, but it was a good learning experience.

Devv · Jan 19, 2014

Spicegeist said:
I agree, though maybe more for the soul? Anyway, that's why I'm not growing that many plants this year. I had so much going on, but it was a good learning experience.

Yeah I spent the first 25 years under the hood of a car. The last 14 at a desk, I changed careers at 41. I can't sit still...LOL, great therapy!

The main reason I have so many growing this year is I received all these seeds and pods from THP members. This season I will decide which will be my staples, so many of these I haven't even tasted. Another thing is, we also plant a lot, the goal is to NOT buy from the stores. Last year I set 70 tom's and 70 peppers. This year 20 Tom's and I don't know how many peppers I'll put in the dirt yet, some are still germing..

Here's some of the youngest babies, the girls wearing the big panties are sunning it up and these are now under the T5.

Espelette Basque

Yellow Brain

Billy Biker

Douglah x ButchT x Superhot

Brown Egg

Numex Jalamundo

Bahamian Goat

Serrano

A non, Oregano

Another Goat, a real baby...

Have a few more..bump please

maximumcapsicum · Jan 19, 2014

They're looking very good Scott! Are these under all artificial light or are they getting a little burst of sunlight here and there? Pretty stealthy move slipping that oregano in there...

Devv · Jan 19, 2014

maximumcapsicum said:
They're looking very good Scott! Are these under all artificial light or are they getting a little burst of sunlight here and there? Pretty stealthy move slipping that oregano in there...

Thanks Adam!

These until yesterday have been under the T8, being the older plants are outside they're under the T5. I transplanted two yesterday and brought them outside, I had to move them into the shade, they were wilting....but the sun is hot today. 70°, yes!

Here's a few more.

This plant is interesting, tell me what you think, it's a Tam Jal:

Young Datil.

Jimmy Nardello

Yellow Fatalii

Giant White Hab

Aji Lemon

Tobago Treasure

Jamie's Green Hornets

Thanks for visiting!

maximumcapsicum · Jan 19, 2014

More great seedlings! You said you separate them out with a fork sometimes. Would that be in the solo cup?

Devv · Jan 19, 2014

maximumcapsicum said:
More great seedlings! You said you separate them out with a fork sometimes. Would that be in the solo cup?

I usually use the Jiffy pellets, well I'm out...go figure. And to go to San Antonio is a 3 hour deal. So I screened the MG potting soil, which then is mainly peat. I then put it in pots like the Green Hornet above. As you can see the seeds were planted in different spots. So I'll use a fork and then place them in solo. The Numex and Nardello's were transplanted yesterday. If I tried to do that with Jiffy's I think the plants would suffer...as they would be too close to one another..
Here's the garden in OW mode:

Free mulch on the left from the county, I scored 24 yds. Free leaves from work at right, I asked the grounds people to put the leaves in my truck, so far 4 loads...these guys get pepper love for their efforts

When I plant this spring I intend to put leaves between the rows, get them nice and wet, and place 10 sheets of wet newspaper over them, and then cover with the mulch. By the end of season I'll till it under.

The garden is 48x67, about 3,200 sq feet, large enough for my old self to work! That's a 20x40' frame for the 30% sunshade I use during the hot months.

I have it planted in Crimson clover and rye. It will be tilled under Feb. 15th. The first spot to the left where it's not real green is where I had the supers last season. it's going some with the clover, and the rye is starting to come up. It's been colder than normal this winter, or I would be on schedule. Stuff just won't grow when it keeps freezing.

Another angle..the soil is mainly sand, I've added heavy soil twice and geese like 50yds of compost the last 4 years. This year for the first time it puddles after a rain, this is big for me. I'm really trying to get away from watering every stinking day...

MeatHead1313 · Jan 19, 2014

Great looking seedlings and love the garden area. Do you just plant straight in the ground like it is or do you raise it up a bit first?

Devv · Jan 19, 2014

MeatHead1313 said:
Great looking seedlings and love the garden area. Do you just plant straight in the ground like it is or do you raise it up a bit first?

Thanks!,

Actually I plant in trenches about 3 or 4"s deep and flood with bubbler sprinkler heads. We don't get much rain here, raised beds would just make things worse. I guess we're semi desert here lately. I would love for things to get back the way they were 20 something years ago. We got decent rain back then! At this point I have 12"s of good soil before roots hit the hard pan. I almost doubled it in the last 2 seasons...

Essegi · Jan 19, 2014

Devv said:
Here's the garden in OW mode:

Nice place! And looks good with that cover!

stickman · Jan 19, 2014

Everything looks like it's gonna run on rails when you plant out in mid-February Scott! I'm particularly liking the look of your experiment into planting nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Up to the present I've added compost, composted manure, organic fertilizer and mineral amendments but I think what you're doing is much more cost effective... I'm thinking seriously about doing the same thing this year.

Your Tam Jalapeno looks like it has fused cotys.

meatfreak · Jan 19, 2014

Wow, you have a great plot and it's close to your house. You can remove the helmet of the Tam Jal by spraying it with water and then put some pressure on the side of it. That way you squeeze it off.

maximumcapsicum · Jan 19, 2014

That is a serious setup Scott. And your plant-out is right around the corner. Nice.

How hard is it to get the sunshade up during the hotter parts of the summer? I imagine it gets cramped with a bunch of big tall chinenses underneath, but you got plenty of room for walkways.

What's your layout look like?

Devv · Jan 19, 2014

Essegi said:
Nice place! And looks good with that cover!

Thanks,

I'm sitting on my hands waiting for dirt day!

stickman said:
Everything looks like it's gonna run on rails when you plant out in mid-February Scott! I'm particularly liking the look of your experiment into planting nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Up to the present I've added compost, composted manure, organic fertilizer and mineral amendments but I think what you're doing is much more cost effective... I'm thinking seriously about doing the same thing this year.

Your Tam Jalapeno looks like it has fused cotys.

Thanks Rick!

The rye is a nice dark green, that's a good sign!

Do you have time before plant out? Or is this at the end of the season? I don't know if I'll have the $$$ to do the row covers, the $11k for the new well is a killer on our budget, we're having to take a loan out to cover the expenses...

That Tam Jal, I wonder if it will do anything...just going to let it ride and see

meatfreak said:
Wow, you have a great plot and it's close to your house. You can remove the helmet of the Tam Jal by spraying it with water and then put some pressure on the side of it. That way you squeeze it off.

Thanks Stefan,

Been working that plot on and off for 25 years now, I'm on a get'er done attitude now. Those kind of helmets I just let go, it's just at the tip(s). The Annuums seem much better at solving their own issues..

maximumcapsicum said:
That is a serious setup Scott. And your plant-out is right around the corner. Nice.

How hard is it to get the sunshade up during the hotter parts of the summer? I imagine it gets cramped with a bunch of big tall chinenses underneath, but you got plenty of room for walkways.

What's your layout look like?

I use ropes to support the center when I pull up the sunshade, and ropes on both sides. I can do this by myself.

Layout? I fly by the seat of my pants..LOL

The layout happens when I decide to plant. Most of the pepper and tomatoes will go under the frame so I can shade them come the hot weather..

stc3248 · Jan 19, 2014

Yup Scott concur with Rick on the fused coty...that plus the seed hat will have it moving slow. Give it a spot with PLENTY of good light and once (if) it shoots out some true leaves it'll be fine. Luckily its a Jal...and no biggie either way.

Your photo skills are moving to the next level too! Very nice...the colors look perfect which are really hard to capture in most lighting conditions. Loving the look of your plot too, it looks set to explode in another month or two. Seems like just yesterday you were asking if growing in your area was even possible...now you're teaching the class! Gonna be one of my favorite spots to check in on this season! Give a shout if you need anything brother!

stickman · Jan 19, 2014

Devv said:
The rye is a nice dark green, that's a good sign!

Do you have time before plant out? Or is this at the end of the season? I don't know if I'll have the $$$ to do the row covers, the $11k for the new well is a killer on our budget, we're having to take a loan out to cover the expenses...

That Tam Jal, I wonder if it will do anything...just going to let it ride and see

I'll say it's a good sign! There was good nitrogen for it to scavenge up in the first place, and now you know it'll be fixed in place for the veggies.

I'll prep for spring planting as I always have since it's too late to put in cover crops now, but I like a mix of spring and fall veggies, so I'll plant early cover crops in the plots where I'll be planting things for fall harvest and over the whole garden when I clean up after final harvest. I want to see if I can limit my expenditures on amendments to the occasional bag of rock phosphate, green sand or agricultural lime and do all my fertilizing with green manure and compost made from our kitchen waste and the occasional bucket of chicken s#!&...

Low row covers are very cheap... I use 10 foot lengths of half inch PVC every 2 feet for the frame and cover them with 4 mil sheet poly. I set the ends of the pipe sections a foot deep and five feet apart, and the top of the arch ends up about waist high. If it's cheaper for you, you could use electrical conduit instead of the PVC. Both come in 10 foot lengths. The sheet poly isn't UV stabilized, so it only lasts a season or two (if you remove it when it's no longer needed and store it out of the sun), but it's cheap and effective.

maximumcapsicum · Jan 19, 2014

Is this the first year you've done a cover crop?

Jeff H · Jan 20, 2014

stickman said:
Everything looks like it's gonna run on rails when you plant out in mid-February Scott! I'm particularly liking the look of your experiment into planting nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Up to the present I've added compost, composted manure, organic fertilizer and mineral amendments but I think what you're doing is much more cost effective... I'm thinking seriously about doing the same thing this year.

I agree with Rick. Seriously thinking about doing the same next year. I just don't think the beans I'm growing in the corner of the garden will provide enough nitrogen. The challenge that Rick and I have is that it gets a whole lot colder up here than Texas. Need something that grows fast and in real low temperatures. I haven't figured out exactly what to grow yet.

stickman · Jan 20, 2014

Jeff H said:
I agree with Rick. Seriously thinking about doing the same next year. I just don't think the beans I'm growing in the corner of the garden will provide enough nitrogen. The challenge that Rick and I have is that it gets a whole lot colder up here than Texas. Need something that grows fast and in real low temperatures. I haven't figured out exactly what to grow yet.

This may help Jeff... good to know the extension service in your area is already working on it. I like their tract on the subject because it takes a hard look at the pluses and minuses ... http://ohioline.osu.edu/anr-fact/pdf/Using_Cover_crops.pdf

jedisushi06 · Jan 20, 2014

When do you put your plants in the ground? Do you grow any okra too?