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

Time for the 2014 start...
 
Many of these plants were made possible by the generous people of the THP sending me seeds and pods Thanks!
 
I'm looking forward to warmer weather and dirt day!
 
I have a bunch of seeds started, and plants at all the stages.
 
Here's the grow bench, a T8 x4 on top and T5 x4 on the bottom, as you can see it's loaded.
 

 
Top rack:

 
Bottom rack:

 
I like starting the seeds in Jiffy Pellets, as soon as they stand up I trim the mesh off and plant them 1/2" proud in a pot, or in this case a cup.
 
Red Rocotto the lonely Pube..

 
A few plants living under the T5, I'm super impressed with this light!
 
Choc Hab
 

 
Bhut x Y7 x Choc Bhut Douglah-Spicegeist
 

 
 
Bhut x Y7 F2-Spicegeist

 
 
Yellow Cardi- Jamie

 
 
Choc Scorp-Ramon

 
Peach Bhut- Annie

 
 
 
Going to do some tilling will post more later

 

[capsidadburn]

Great display as usual Scott!  Love your end of the hard day meal!  I take it back, you do know how to relax!  Good thinking on the temp observation of the hoop structure.  I'm no where ready to do that yet.  I was hoping to just cap off my new raised bed with the plastic before I fill it for the tunnel protection.  Would like to put plants in it mid to late Feb.
 
Have a good week and stay warm!
 
Mike

 

[Jeff H]

The over winter plants look good. Not much hope for that 'peno though. But maybe, just maybe there is some life left.

 

[Devv]

Nice OW!!!

Thanks Jeff!
 
I try to get them out in the sun, but the weather so far this winter has been colder than normal.
 

It will bounce back, just needs some TLC, Scott

I hope so, hate to lose any of them. It's the only one that hasn't sprouted any leaves. It was harvested in the same manner as the rest. Perhaps as it continues to warm this month.

Great display as usual Scott!  Love your end of the hard day meal!  I take it back, you do know how to relax!  Good thinking on the temp observation of the hoop structure.  I'm no where ready to do that yet.  I was hoping to just cap off my new raised bed with the plastic before I fill it for the tunnel protection.  Would like to put plants in it mid to late Feb.
 
Have a good week and stay warm!
 
Mike

Thanks Mike!
 
Every year LB buys a Prime Rib roast at Christmas time, she quarters 2 medium garlic cloves and makes a small hole to insert each one on top. She then adds a little Worcestershire sauce and lays bacon on top. After we eat the primary meal we slice the roast and freeze the rest in to meal sized portions with an equal portion of the  Au Jus. The Au Jus is made from drippings and a can of beef bullion, with a little  Worcestershire sauce.
 
My concern with the hoop house is high temps. I know the plants can handle 25° cold without frost no problem, I've had those kinds of temps with fully exposed plants and they did fine with the aid of a sprinkler, as it did hard frost that time.
 
So I'm thinking most of the time the sides will be open during the day so it can breathe. looks like I'll have dirty shoes at work for a month or so!
 

The over winter plants look good. Not much hope for that 'peno though. But maybe, just maybe there is some life left.

 
It really hasn't had a color change in the few branches I've left on it, but if it doesn't make it I have many replacements.
 
Still outa likes

 

[stickman]

My concern with the hoop house is high temps. I know the plants can handle 25° cold without frost no problem, I've had those kinds of temps with fully exposed plants and they did fine with the aid of a sprinkler, as it did hard frost that time.

 
It's true... You've gotta be dancing fairly close attendance when using low row covers with plastic sheeting to cover. Cloudy days aren't a problem, but on sunny days it could easily get over 100 degrees if you leave them buttoned up. I just open the ends of the row cover on sunny mornings and make sure I button everything up a couple of hours before sundown. When things warm up a little bit more I find it's good to swap out the poly sheeting for agricultural fabric like Agribon. It still holds a bit of heat, but won't overheat, and rain gets through it to the plants underneath.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Thanks for the info Scott! Everything is so much healthier this year that I am optimistic about hardening off, even though they'll basically have to go straight outside.

 

[Jeff H]

Keep us updated with the hoop house. I've never done that before and it looks interesting.

 

[Devv]

 
It's true... You've gotta be dancing fairly close attendance when using low row covers with plastic sheeting to cover. Cloudy days aren't a problem, but on sunny days it could easily get over 100 degrees if you leave them buttoned up. I just open the ends of the row cover on sunny mornings and make sure I button everything up a couple of hours before sundown. When things warm up a little bit more I find it's good to swap out the poly sheeting for agricultural fabric like Agribon. It still holds a bit of heat, but won't overheat, and rain gets through it to the plants underneath.

I've been watching the temps:
 
First number is ambient temp.
 
45 was 56 cloudy 2-2 @ 4:30PM
46 was 70 sun out for just a bit 2-3 @ 2:45PM
45 was 60 clouded up 2-3 @ 4:20PM
 
It's supposed to be 70° tomorrow, so that will be a good test. I have the units ends facing West and East, so some flow will move through. The good thing is I work 5 miles from the house, so if temps start to climb I'm coming home. AND I get off at 2:30PM, so things should work well.
 

Thanks for the info Scott! Everything is so much healthier this year that I am optimistic about hardening off, even though they'll basically have to go straight outside.

Adam,
 
I was thinking about that today. Even a few boards can be used as a sun shade. The sun is always moving across the sky so whats in shade will go to full sun and back to shade. The open distance against the shade (board width) will determine the percentage. Could be an inexpensive solution. I'm thinking 1x4's.
 

Keep us updated with the hoop house. I've never done that before and it looks interesting.

I posted the last two days readings in my reply to Rick above. Tomorrow I want to put a another thermometer in the soil and add some black plastic for a better idea. I should some have a good temp representation by the weekend. I'm going to build another to move some potted plants in too, the house is packed! I also brought a list to work today to see if the guys who want plants will pony up. I only want 4 bucks a plant for 1' tall ones in 1 gal pots. Showed them the hoop house and both want to make one. We'll see..
 
So yeah, I can see it getting hot quickly in there

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Thanks Scott! Yeah I was thinking of trying something like that. I think they even have  a couple of spare 1x4's laying around the garden.

 

[stickman]

I've been watching the temps:
 
First number is ambient temp.
 
45 was 56 cloudy 2-2 @ 4:30PM
46 was 70 sun out for just a bit 2-3 @ 2:45PM
45 was 60 clouded up 2-3 @ 4:20PM
 
It's supposed to be 70° tomorrow, so that will be a good test. I have the units ends facing West and East, so some flow will move through. The good thing is I work 5 miles from the house, so if temps start to climb I'm coming home. AND I get off at 2:30PM, so things should work well.
 
Adam,
 
I was thinking about that today. Even a few boards can be used as a sun shade. The sun is always moving across the sky so whats in shade will go to full sun and back to shade. The open distance against the shade (board width) will determine the percentage. Could be an inexpensive solution. I'm thinking 1x4's.
 
I posted the last two days readings in my reply to Rick above. Tomorrow I want to put a another thermometer in the soil and add some black plastic for a better idea. I should some have a good temp representation by the weekend. I'm going to build another to move some potted plants in too, the house is packed! I also brought a list to work today to see if the guys who want plants will pony up. I only want 4 bucks a plant for 1' tall ones in 1 gal pots. Showed them the hoop house and both want to make one. We'll see..
 
So yeah, I can see it getting hot quickly in there

 
If you only got 70 degrees in the low row cover with partial sun, just wait until you put the black plastic mulch down on top of the ground...
 
For best results, rake the soil out smooth and even so the black plastic is in contact with as much of the soil surface as possible. Bury the edges to fasten them down well and keep the wind from getting underneath, and place a few stones or sod staples on top to keep the plastic mulch from billowing in the wind. When you're ready to plant, just punch holes in the mulch and put the seedlings in them.

 

[Devv]

Thanks Scott! Yeah I was thinking of trying something like that. I think they even have  a couple of spare 1x4's laying around the garden.

And a week or 1.5 weeks should be enough, once they grow the new leaves the rest can get ugly. They don't last any way.
 

 
If you only got 70 degrees in the low row cover with partial sun, just wait until you put the black plastic mulch down on top of the ground...
 
For best results, rake the soil out smooth and even so the black plastic is in contact with as much of the soil surface as possible. Bury the edges to fasten them down well and keep the wind from getting underneath, and place a few stones or sod staples on top to keep the plastic mulch from billowing in the wind. When you're ready to plant, just punch holes in the mulch and put the seedlings in them.

If the wind is favorable I will do that tomorrow. I have week of weather extremes to log, and hope to plant a few this weekend! Gonna start small and build.

 

[PIC 1]

Wow, theres some good reading to be had here. Scott I didn't realize you had such a wide fluctuation of temperatures this time of year. That's a great idea having a hoop dome.
I have something similar, but use fiber embedded vizqueen that I can roll up from each side. Rick is absolutely right it can go from 50 deg in the early morning to about 100 deg underneath at high noon. If I know (during Springtime) that the afternoon temps could hit 70 then I'll roll the sides up and drap 60% shadecloth over the tops. The young plants can always use air circ.
 
The plants in the gal+ containers look healthy and fit to plant.....nice job with the startup!
 
Prime Rib and King Crab.........need I say more...........or shall I just think of seconds..........can't get enough of that combo...
 
Cool updates as usual...

 

[Trippa]

Hoop house , prime Rib, Crab, chilli plants, ... Its a veritable smorgasbord of goodness in here ... Its all looking great bro.

 

[Devv]

Wow, theres some good reading to be had here. Scott I didn't realize you had such a wide fluctuation of temperatures this time of year. That's a great idea having a hoop dome.
I have something similar, but use fiber embedded vizqueen that I can roll up from each side. Rick is absolutely right it can go from 50 deg in the early morning to about 100 deg underneath at high noon. If I know (during Springtime) that the afternoon temps could hit 70 then I'll roll the sides up and drap 60% shadecloth over the tops. The young plants can always use air circ.
 
The plants in the gal+ containers look healthy and fit to plant.....nice job with the startup!
 
Prime Rib and King Crab.........need I say more...........or shall I just think of seconds..........can't get enough of that combo...
 
Cool updates as usual...

Thanks Greg!
 
This is not a normal year for sure! I got the hoop house bug from you and Rick; if it can get them going and setting pods before the heat locks them down then we did right. I'm still working on getting to know how it behaves before I put any plants in there. I have the materials for a second one which goes up this weekend. One for the planting experiment, the second to help with the space issues I've created here
 
So I guess I need to use the shade cloth as well when the suns out. I have the big one it should do.
 
Can't get enough of the PR and crab! LB catches it on sale and fills the freezer.
 
 

Hoop house , prime Rib, Crab, chilli plants, ... Its a veritable smorgasbord of goodness in here ... Its all looking great bro.

Thanks Trip!
Hoping for a break in the weather here, it's been way colder than normal this winter.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Nice update Scott! Is the second hoop house going next to the first?

 

[Sawyer]

Looking good, Scott.  Sprouts, OWs, hoop house.  And the food... I had to take a break from getting caught up here when I saw that food pic.

 

[JoeFish]

Looking good... Im taking notes too!  
 
Anyone got a good picture of these funky reapers I've been seeing.

 

[Jeff H]

Looking good... Im taking notes too!  
 
Anyone got a good picture of these funky reapers I've been seeing.

 
Devv's glog last year should have a few pics. 

 

[JoeFish]

Thanks sir

 

[Sawyer]

Looking good... Im taking notes too!  
 
Anyone got a good picture of these funky reapers I've been seeing.

 
I posted a picture of my version in my 2013 glog, look here.  We don't know yet how similar Scott's and my plants are, but we're each growing both this year.

 

[JoeFish]

 
I posted a picture of my version in my 2013 glog, look here.  We don't know yet how similar Scott's and my plants are, but we're each growing both this year.

 
I checked them out and they look great!