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

 

[Devv]

Great pics and healthy looking plants. Peppers in spring would be nice

Thanks Wally!
 
 

i wanna see them pods hanging already

Ha!
 
Me too! I do have a few getting ready to flower, but am going to snip them off until they get put in the dirt.

 

[Pinoy83]

what do you feed them?, i snip them when they small.i change my feeding this time, been mixing different things, and once a month i brew them some grow and bloom tea mixes i make, i make big batch like 35galon trash can, so i don't have to dilute it so they can get the full amount of nutes they need, they never burn so far the way i do it, so ill just keep doin it lol...

 

[Devv]

what do you feed them?, i snip them when they small.i change my feeding this time, been mixing different things, and once a month i brew them some grow and bloom tea mixes i make, i make big batch like 35galon trash can, so i don't have to dilute it so they can get the full amount of nutes they need, they never burn so far the way i do it, so ill just keep doin it lol...

I haven't fed them anything so far but a seaweed extract spray yesterday. I like to give them Hasta Gro 6-12-6 once they get bigger. I've never tried to make the tea, guess I need to give it a whirl. Not sure where to start..

 

[stickman]

Thanks Rick!
 
Already thinking next year I can plant later, gonna ride this out and see where it takes me. The Chinense germed really well, the Annuum's are starting to worry me, at 14 days (I believe) most are not doing anything.
 
Pretty sure that was Edema, not an expert. Those spots are now turning brown and drying on a few. When I read up on the subject it was mentioned that close space growing under lights promotes it. As well as over watering; I've been real stingy with the water, even waiting until I see some droop. Friday morning I watered expecting a sunny day of mid to high 70's, it was gloomy all day, and they stayed wet. The Red Rocotto wants to damp off, I hope it makes it!
 
I never compared our weather to New Orleans, I'm sure the coast makes it more stable there. Here it would be in the 80's if the fronts stopped rolling in from the north.
 
I'm going to try the row covers and mulch on part of the garden, partly for cost, and if a goof it up I don't want all the plants to suffer. I feel it will be a good experiment. The weather here is so unstable temp wise from November to April. The temps can sore into the 90's and that would not be a good thing. Another concern is the wicked winds we get.
 
So what type of plastic do you use? As in thickness... And how are you tying things down?

 
I just use 4 mil sheet poly because it's cheap and it does the job for the few weeks it's needed. You could buy UV stabilized greenhouse film, but that'll be much more costly. My low row covers are only waist high, and in order to get in there to water I don't stake down the edges of the plastic or bury them in the soil... I just space the hoops 2 feet apart and use a 12-15 pound rock at both ends of each hoop to hold them down. When I want to water I just roll the rocks off of one side and throw the plastic over to the other until I'm done. Then I put it all back again. I covered  2 parallel rows about 20 feet long. Greg made his covers much shorter, and stapled the edges of the plastic to 2x4s to hold them down... that way he doesn't have to deal with individual weights. Definitely try the method.. .I think you'll be charmed.

 

[Devv]

 
I just use 4 mil sheet poly because it's cheap and it does the job for the few weeks it's needed. You could buy UV stabilized greenhouse film, but that'll be much more costly. My low row covers are only waist high, and in order to get in there to water I don't stake down the edges of the plastic or bury them in the soil... I just space the hoops 2 feet apart and use a 12-15 pound rock at both ends of each hoop to hold them down. When I want to water I just roll the rocks off of one side and throw the plastic over to the other until I'm done. Then I put it all back again. I covered  2 parallel rows about 20 feet long. Greg made his covers much shorter, and stapled the edges of the plastic to 2x4s to hold them down... that way he doesn't have to deal with individual weights. Definitely try the method.. .I think you'll be charmed.

Al right!  Taking notes here, gonna see what's available in town this week.
 
I plan on setting something up prior to planting to learn how the temps swing during the day.
 
Thanks for the info Rick!

 

[Vegas_Chili]

Woah!!! I just miss the glog section for a bit and wow.

Looks like you're off to a very awesome start, nice and green healthy ladies.

I can't wait to see how your garden will unfold this coming season. Again all that hard work by adding all that good stuff to the soil.

Btw, that funky reaper powder is just too good. Really enjoyed that burn that reminded me of the 7 pot Jonah.

Best of luck in 2014 although you might not need it .

Here's to 2014!!

-Walt

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Wow. When do you think you will be planting out Devv?

 

[Devv]

Woah!!! I just miss the glog section for a bit and wow.

Looks like you're off to a very awesome start, nice and green healthy ladies.

I can't wait to see how your garden will unfold this coming season. Again all that hard work by adding all that good stuff to the soil.

Btw, that funky reaper powder is just too good. Really enjoyed that burn that reminded me of the 7 pot Jonah.

Best of luck in 2014 although you might not need it .

Here's to 2014!!

-Walt

Hey Walt!
 
Glad you enjoyed the powder. I made a puree out of the true reapers, last ones I harvested. Came out great, next year I'll share some here. This attempt, I was not sure if it would come out OK, guys at work loved it.
 
Thanks for the good vibes! I'm hoping for a killer season this year.
 

Wow. When do you think you will be planting out Devv?

Hi Adam,
 
I'm going to experiment, some will go out in the row covers. Rick has me convinced. I'll plant them late Feb., the rest mid March. They should be in 1 gal pots by then...where am I going to find the room? LOL

 

[stickman]

Al right!  Taking notes here, gonna see what's available in town this week.
 
I plan on setting something up prior to planting to learn how the temps swing during the day.
 
Thanks for the info Rick!

 
Sho' 'nuff... I'll be checking in to see how your experiment goes.

 

[Devv]

 
Sho' 'nuff... I'll be checking in to see how your experiment goes.

 Thursday I should be in SA, gonna buy some materials. I'm thinking of using some old 1.5" PVC I have that's been used for corners to protect the plants in the hose dragging days to set the 3/4" into, and tying them to the larger hammered in the ground pieces. When my son moved, he used our place as a dump..LOL, so I have a bunch of 4x4's to hold down the plastic..hey he's where I got the railroad ties from
 
 Non pepper related...but cute IMHO:
 
Being I'm vaykay for 2 weeks, and we're not traveling for a change, LB and I want to catch up around the house, no small chore here...I was out on the driveway splitting some of that lightning hit tree (old glog) and had to laugh, I ran and got the camera.
 
This is Pudding, one of our Rat Terriers. Cool dogs, they don't listen for sh!t, but we love them. They are protective and fearless, weighing in at 12-14 pounds, they will take on anything. I've seen them take on 2 Newfoundland's which are in the St. Bernard class for size. I wish I had a video of Sydney, jaws clamped on the tail of a 1,200lb cow, legs planted, she looked like she was water skiing LOL
 
So here's nutball Pudding, ten foot up in a tree. Guess who jumped the fence, climbed the tree and grabbed her before she fell.
 

 
Have a great week!
 
And if you're busy and away...Be safe and have a great holiday!
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all!

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

NOW that's my kind of squirrel dog!!!!

 

[maximumcapsicum]

It'll be interesting to see how he early plant out goes. When is your last frost normally? How early are you pushing it?

I was probably going to put up hoops and plastic, but not sure how early I can shoot for yet.

Happy holidays devv!!

 

[Devv]

NOW that's my kind of squirrel dog!!!!

LOL Jeff,
 
They spend their days chasing squirrels or anything else they can find. She was the one that figured out how to climb a round bale, never saw her do it, just would see her on top sleeping.
 
 

It'll be interesting to see how he early plant out goes. When is your last frost normally? How early are you pushing it?

I was probably going to put up hoops and plastic, but not sure how early I can shoot for yet.

Happy holidays devv!!

Hi Adam,
 
Our last frost can range from Feb 15th to March 30th, average one on the books is March 15th. 3 or 4 years ago it went down to around 24-26° on the 21st or 22nd of March; lucky for me it was a Friday night. I was up at 4AM checking things and the frost as already on the ground. I had all the spring crops planted, and we plant everything we eat, I turned the sprinkler on and let it run. At 7 or so I went to check and everything was encased in ice, just like an ice storm. I figured all was lost but left the sprinkler on until the ice melted. All the corn farmers lost their crops and had to replant. I lost 1 Jalapeno pepper.
 
So this year if the 10 day forecast looks OK I will try the hoops around mid Feb.; the maters, corn etc. March 1st, the rest of the peppers March 15th. I'm curious to see how well they do. The reason I plant peppers the 15th is they just sit there for the two weeks, I'm like why risk it? The rest of the crops kick in and grow. Rick has done really well using the row covers to lengthen his season, which is probably to short if he didn't improvise. For me it's beating the heat. I want the produce set before the temps soar. Around here they do that fast, April and May could be normal or 95°...and like last year I feared frost...
 
Go back and read Stickman's glog for 2013, he mentions the temps while using the row covers. I'll certainly be revisiting it to do the same.
 
LB and I went into town today to line up some parts for the well, seems the plate that supports the weight of the pipe and pump is rotted...NOT cool. But I have nothing else to do around here...LOL
 
Anyways we stopped at the snailmail store, I was floored when LB came out with her arms loaded.
 
Stefan_W sent us some seeds and candied almonds.

 
Going to sow some more in the morning!
 
Thanks Stefan and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
 
Gary (Windchicken) sent me some fresh (a bunch of) NagaBrain pods from the F1 plant and some F2 seeds along with a bonda x y7 cross.
 

 
Thanks Gary and may you also have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years!
 
Greg (PIC 1) sent me some (a ton) of hot sauce.

 
Can't wait to try them all, where do I start? I've only read about Greg's cooking, now I get to experience it!
 
Thanks Greg, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
 
Can't beat the pepper love here!

 

[stickman]

So this year if the 10 day forecast looks OK I will try the hoops around mid Feb.; the maters, corn etc. March 1st, the rest of the peppers March 15th. I'm curious to see how well they do. The reason I plant peppers the 15th is they just sit there for the two weeks, I'm like why risk it? The rest of the crops kick in and grow. Rick has done really well using the row covers to lengthen his season, which is probably to short if he didn't improvise. For me it's beating the heat. I want the produce set before the temps soar. Around here they do that fast, April and May could be normal or 95°...and like last year I feared frost...
 
Go back and read Stickman's glog for 2013, he mentions the temps while using the row covers. I'll certainly be revisiting it to do the same.
 
LB and I went into town today to line up some parts for the well, seems the plate that supports the weight of the pipe and pump is rotted...NOT cool. But I have nothing else to do around here...LOL
 
Anyways we stopped at the snailmail store, I was floored when LB came out with her arms loaded.
 
Stefan_W sent us some seeds and candied almonds.
 

 
Hi Guys,
   What I do is a two-part system. First I prep the soil, then I lay down the black plastic mulch and fasten down the edges well with sod staples. It's really important to rake out the soil underneath so there is as much soil in contact with the black plastic as possible. I punch holes in the black plastic and plant the seedlings in the holes. Then I put up the hoops and cover them with the poly sheeting. The idea is... the sun shines through the clear plastic onto the black plastic. The black plastic heats up in the sunlight and the soil underneath it absorbs the heat. During the day the sun warms the general area, and the microclimate next to the plants is additionally warmed by the soil they're planted in. At night when the sun goes down and the general area cools off there's still the warmth radiating from the soil to keep the plants warm, and putting a low row cover over the plants keeps it in a little longer. The system isn't enough to grow peppers in during freezing weather, you'd need a heated greenhouse for that, but it will keep them healthy when you're walking the edge as things begin to warm up in early spring.
   The fine points are that you need to: (a) closely monitor the high and low temps inside daily. I use a cheap and effective min./max. thermometer . To avoid cooking the plants inside I open up the ends of the row cover on warm days to vent excess heat. On a  sunny day in mid-april with outside temperatures around 60 degrees and the ends of the row cover open,  I measured a temp. of 98 degrees inside it. If I hadn't unbuttoned it, it could have easily gotten to over 110 degrees!... And (b) Since it's warmer than normal inside the row cover, it can dry out very quickly, and the seedlings are still at a vulnerable stage. Pay attention to the moisture in the soil inside and make sure they have enough to carry them through the warmest part of the day. Until the day when we have a water line I can hook a hose timer and soaker hose to, I hand water, and modify half liter water bottles into funnels and set them into the ground between the plants. I fill the water bottles, and the water slowly seeps into the soil at root level.
 
Pudding reminds me of the dog in Farley Mowat's book "The Dog That Wouldn't Be". He was also a champion climber of trees and ladders, and a great hunting dog besides. If you love dogs and natural history, you'd really enjoy it.

 

[WalkGood]

Simply awesome \o/ ... I think you'll enjoy the sauces, I know I have been

 

[Devv]

 
Hi Guys,
   What I do is a two-part system. First I prep the soil, then I lay down the black plastic mulch and fasten down the edges well with sod staples. It's really important to rake out the soil underneath so there is as much soil in contact with the black plastic as possible. I punch holes in the black plastic and plant the seedlings in the holes. Then I put up the hoops and cover them with the poly sheeting. The idea is... the sun shines through the clear plastic onto the black plastic. The black plastic heats up in the sunlight and the soil underneath it absorbs the heat. During the day the sun warms the general area, and the microclimate next to the plants is additionally warmed by the soil they're planted in. At night when the sun goes down and the general area cools off there's still the warmth radiating from the soil to keep the plants warm, and putting a low row cover over the plants keeps it in a little longer. The system isn't enough to grow peppers in during freezing weather, you'd need a heated greenhouse for that, but it will keep them healthy when you're walking the edge as things begin to warm up in early spring.
   The fine points are that you need to: (a) closely monitor the high and low temps inside daily. I use a cheap and effective min./max. thermometer . To avoid cooking the plants inside I open up the ends of the row cover on warm days to vent excess heat. On a  sunny day in mid-april with outside temperatures around 60 degrees and the ends of the row cover open,  I measured a temp. of 98 degrees inside it. If I hadn't unbuttoned it, it could have easily gotten to over 110 degrees!... And (b) Since it's warmer than normal inside the row cover, it can dry out very quickly, and the seedlings are still at a vulnerable stage. Pay attention to the moisture in the soil inside and make sure they have enough to carry them through the warmest part of the day. Until the day when we have a water line I can hook a hose timer and soaker hose to, I hand water, and modify half liter water bottles into funnels and set them into the ground between the plants. I fill the water bottles, and the water slowly seeps into the soil at root level.
 
Pudding reminds me of the dog in Farley Mowat's book "The Dog That Wouldn't Be". He was also a champion climber of trees and ladders, and a great hunting dog besides. If you love dogs and natural history, you'd really enjoy it.

Rick,
 
Thanks for the explanation, 6 weeks from now I'll give it a whirl.
 
Enjoy the holidays! Ans the family time!
 

Simply awesome \o/ ... I think you'll enjoy the sauces, I know I have been

Ramon,
 
Have a nice time and enjoy the holidays!

 

[Jeff H]

Nice update Scott, and wow, the pepper love is great this time of year. 
 
Happy Holidays to you and yours. 

 

[Devv]

Thanks Jeff!
 
Stay warm!

 

[Spicegeist]

  your plants are looking great.  what an early start, you're going to be swimming in peppers this year.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Merry Christmas man!! Your plans look great.