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]

Cool strategy on the one two punch Scott!  Hope it works well for ya!  I think I'm going to cull some of my less favored (unhealthy) plants and refocus some efforts on some yet to fruit, or wanting more fruit from, (light trimming) and temp shade until September.

 

[Devv]

Reaping what you sowed. . Hard work does pay off. You my friend have 10 green thumbs. Please if you can spare a thumb or two for myself
Do i can grow better
Do i can grow better

 
Thanks Denniz!
 
I really just let them grow and feed them every now and again, LB helps with the weeding. Um, she does it all

Cool strategy on the one two punch Scott!  Hope it works well for ya!  I think I'm going to cull some of my less favored (unhealthy) plants and refocus some efforts on some yet to fruit, or wanting more fruit from, (light trimming) and temp shade until September.

 
It should, I'm thinking about using containers for the fall crop until this time of year, and then moving them to the dirt. I have plenty of time to sort that out. I keep telling myself I'll just plant half the garden every year so the other side can rest, but that never happens

 

[cone9]

Resting the soil here is no challenge.  Our dirt gets lots of time to think about how damn cold it is and wonder if spring will ever arrive!

 

[TrentL]

Resting the soil here is no challenge.  Our dirt gets lots of time to think about how damn cold it is and wonder if spring will ever arrive!

 
Same here in Central IL. 
 
Scott been a great season of watching your grow unfold. I'm with the poster above who said "post pictures of your compost pile" lol. Not going to be the same once you pull the plug.
 
Hell, my grow is JUST starting to produce and September is the "wonder month" .. September 16th and 30th were both major haul dates for me last year.
 
October 9th I got the first "soft frost", and made the final pull. October 25th was do-or-die for overwinters to come in. That night we got the "death frost" that took out the garden.
 
(I waited until the last possible moment to bring in the plants, due to whitefly infestation)
 
On the overwinters; with your growing conditions shouldn't you be able to keep some plants happy year round in pots ?? Or do you actually get a killing frost at some point?

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Looks like things are winding down a bit, though I bet you could get another pulse or two if you wanted. The tobago treasure is a nice, meaty pod. Tons of chinese flavor and good texture, so I pickeld a bunch with some allspice and bahamian goats (also a good texture pod, down here anyway). I bet they'll be might tasty.
 
From your grow I've definitely learned alot, and hope you keep teaching over the "off-season." I can't wait to see what your 2015 list looks like... I am starting to think about my plans for that as well. May do a couple of mass produced rows for the farm next door, assuming they can decide what they want. Would give the space for some nice breeding projects too.
 
Keep on growin' bud!

 

[Roguejim]

Scott, I think you're the only grower here planting cover crops.  I guess you won't be doing that on the RCW plot, right? 
 
How many months do you think is optimum for soil recovery?  I need to look into this cover crop business.  In a nutshell, how does it benefit the soil?  I'm happy you'll be getting a break. 

 

[Bigwelshprop]

Resting the soil here is no challenge.  Our dirt gets lots of time to think about how damn cold it is and wonder if spring will ever arrive!

Yep. Wales is the same. Earliest time we could realistically plant out is Easter. May Day Bank Holiday is better. We don't then get first frosts until mid November, so I am hoping the greenhouse I am building will allow me to keep them out until end October.

Then, I get to try out OW for the first time!

 

[JJJessee]

Congrats on another bodacious pepper year! Enjoy the break you'll get. I'd heard that OWs usually didn't match the output of a new plant. I'm still thinking I may OW a manzano or two though and maybe bonchi an Inca Red drop and not Bolivian Rainbow. But, by the time Oct rolls around here, I'm so done with the garden, who knows. If you're doing a winter legume, don't forget the innoculate. I always do .  I too am ready for a cut back in super growing variety-wise at least, Don't know who will make the cut other than Fatalli. Sweets will still be Jnards for sure.

 

[stickman]

 I'd heard that OWs usually didn't match the output of a new plant. I'm still thinking I may OW a manzano or two though and maybe bonchi an Inca Red drop and not Bolivian Rainbow. But, by the time Oct rolls around here, I'm so done with the garden, who knows.

 
Don't give up on OW plants that easy TJ... granted, it's a bit of work, but in my (first) experience it's so worth it! I got 2x the foliage and pod production from my OW plants as compared to plants from seed I started this past winter. First and second year plants were set out side-by-side in the same raised bed, with identical growing conditions, so I'm sure this is hard evidence though once isn't statistical I suppose.

 

[PIC 1]

Wow, that's some tall White Bootie ..Bhut......and wide on top of it !
Very colorful spider.........Ha, I'm not too keen about walking into a web first thing in the morning. Pretty soon we'll have webs stringing down from the trees and utility lines....I'm always wearing my cheater reading glasses when walking through the garden early morning.......
I like that harvest photo, nice varieties.....and cool shot of the pups !
Have a great week !....stay cool

 

[JJJessee]

 
Don't give up on OW plants that easy TJ... granted, it's a bit of work, but in my (first) experience it's so worth it! I got 2x the foliage and pod production from my OW plants as compared to plants from seed I started this past winter. First and second year plants were set out side-by-side in the same raised bed, with identical growing conditions, so I'm sure this is hard evidence though once isn't statistical I suppose.

Well, maybe I'll start a survey thread to let the commune voice their  experience with indidivual varieties to see if there is a pattern to the who, why, where and what works. Maybe even do a summary if a significant amount of data is collected.

 

[Devv]

Resting the soil here is no challenge.  Our dirt gets lots of time to think about how damn cold it is and wonder if spring will ever arrive!

 
Sometimes it makes me want to have four seasons, but not so much as I'll ever leave this place. Too much of "me" invested here already!
 

 
Same here in Central IL. 
 
Scott been a great season of watching your grow unfold. I'm with the poster above who said "post pictures of your compost pile" lol. Not going to be the same once you pull the plug.
 
Thanks Trent
 
It's been a good year for sure! I have a new toy on the way to help things out, I ordered a chipper/shredder. It's due here Friday. One thing I love is tools and equipment, I have lots to grind up and put in the garden.
 
Hell, my grow is JUST starting to produce and September is the "wonder month" .. September 16th and 30th were both major haul dates for me last year.
 
October 9th I got the first "soft frost", and made the final pull. October 25th was do-or-die for overwinters to come in. That night we got the "death frost" that took out the garden.
 
As I said earlier this season, we are certainly on different schedules   Good luck running the garden for the rest of the season!
 
(I waited until the last possible moment to bring in the plants, due to whitefly infestation)
 
On the overwinters; with your growing conditions shouldn't you be able to keep some plants happy year round in pots ?? Or do you actually get a killing frost at some point?
 
I kept 10 plants out on the driveway last winter and moved them into the shop when it got cold.

 
 

Looks like things are winding down a bit, though I bet you could get another pulse or two if you wanted. The tobago treasure is a nice, meaty pod. Tons of chinese flavor and good texture, so I pickeld a bunch with some allspice and bahamian goats (also a good texture pod, down here anyway). I bet they'll be might tasty.
 
If I was so inclined I could have just kept watering and ran them to December, but then I wouldn't get the chance to rehab the soil.
 
From your grow I've definitely learned alot, and hope you keep teaching over the "off-season." I can't wait to see what your 2015 list looks like... I am starting to think about my plans for that as well. May do a couple of mass produced rows for the farm next door, assuming they can decide what they want. Would give the space for some nice breeding projects too.
 
Thanks Adam,
 
I had hoped something I've typed here this year would help someone  
 
Keep on growin' bud!
 
You can bet on that!

 
 

Scott, I think you're the only grower here planting cover crops.  I guess you won't be doing that on the RCW plot, right? 
 
I know JJJ, and Sawyer plant cover crops. The RCW experiment will be started after I kill the cover crops. The area I plan on using has 1.5"s tilled in last fall and an inch on top. I'll just seed it and once tilled add more RCW.
 
How many months do you think is optimum for soil recovery?  I need to look into this cover crop business.  In a nutshell, how does it benefit the soil?  I'm happy you'll be getting a break. 
 
I usually start September 15th, and till it the 1st of February. It benefits in a few ways, it helps with the nutes leaching deeper. The cover crop uses them and they are made available shortly after once turned in. It helps with erosion, here it's wind more than rain. Also planting a nitrogen fixing cover crop helps add nutes. And then there's the plant matter that helps feed and build the soil.
 
Yes the break is needed

 
 

Yep. Wales is the same. Earliest time we could realistically plant out is Easter. May Day Bank Holiday is better. We don't then get first frosts until mid November, so I am hoping the greenhouse I am building will allow me to keep them out until end October.

Then, I get to try out OW for the first time!

 
Good luck on the greenhouse!
 

Congrats on another bodacious pepper year!  Thanks JJJ! Enjoy the break you'll get. I'd heard that OWs usually didn't match the output of a new plant. They didn't for me, not the ones I cut back and trimmed the roots on. The one JA Hab that just kept growing did really well. I'm still thinking I may OW a manzano or two though and maybe bonchi an Inca Red drop and not Bolivian Rainbow. I'm going to OW a few, but not 10 like last year, this time the roots will be left larger than the top, I feel the equal proportions may have been the issue. But, by the time Oct rolls around here, I'm so done with the garden, who knows. Exactly, large gardens are a ton of work for sure! If you're doing a winter legume, don't forget the innoculate. The seed I bought has been inoculated, so I should be OK. I always do .  I too am ready for a cut back in super growing variety-wise at least, Don't know who will make the cut other than Fatalli. Sweets will still be Jnards for sure. Same here, I just love the sweets and the up to Hab type heat peppers that can be used in everyday cooking. I'm so loaded down with sauces, powders and such that I could take super off the list entirely, but I won't. A few will be grown though
 
I am looking for an easier season next year

 
 

 
Don't give up on OW plants that easy TJ... granted, it's a bit of work, but in my (first) experience it's so worth it! I got 2x the foliage and pod production from my OW plants as compared to plants from seed I started this past winter. First and second year plants were set out side-by-side in the same raised bed, with identical growing conditions, so I'm sure this is hard evidence though once isn't statistical I suppose.

 
Yours did do really well Rick. It's certainly worth a second whirl. I pulled a few up last weekend and the size of the roots surprised me, a lot smaller than I thought they would be, which I'm sure was the issue.
 

Wow, that's some tall White Bootie ..Bhut......and wide on top of it !
 
That plants is going into a 20gal bag really soon! I have 2 of the and the other is half the size.
 
Very colorful spider.........Ha, I'm not too keen about walking into a web first thing in the morning. Pretty soon we'll have webs stringing down from the trees and utility lines....I'm always wearing my cheater reading glasses when walking through the garden early morning.......
I like that harvest photo, nice varieties.....and cool shot of the pups !
Have a great week !....stay cool
 
Thanks Greg.

 
 

Well, maybe I'll start a survey thread to let the commune voice their  experience with indidivual varieties to see if there is a pattern to the who, why, where and what works. Maybe even do a summary if a significant amount of data is collected.

 
I think that's a good idea, it never hurts to learn!

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

That's about what my schedule looks like too Trent.  Mid to late October on the final hard frost.  Thinking the row covers might give me another week???  Not sure.  
 
How much time do the covers afford you Scott?
 
Do you have the option of letting the bulk of your pods ripen on the plant before you yank it, or do you have to yank them like you would with a frost and ripen inside?

 

[TrentL]

That's about what my schedule looks like too Trent.  Mid to late October on the final hard frost.  Thinking the row covers might give me another week???  Not sure.  
 

 
I haven't used them, so I don't know. But I can't see how they'd hurt.

 

[Devv]

That's about what my schedule looks like too Trent.  Mid to late October on the final hard frost.  Thinking the row covers might give me another week???  Not sure.  
 
How much time do the covers afford you Scott?
 
Do you have the option of letting the bulk of your pods ripen on the plant before you yank it, or do you have to yank them like you would with a frost and ripen inside?

 
Here's the temps I recorded in the spring using the hoop house:
 
45 was 56 cloudy
46 was 70 sun out for just a bit 2-3
45 was 60 clouded up 2-3
64 and 70 at 4:30 sunny 2-4
47 and 80 at 3:30 sunny 2-5
31 and 52 at 1:00  cloudy 2-6
30 and 50 at 2PM  cloudy 2-7
37 and 41 at 8AM cloudy 2-8
cold as hell 2-9 to 2-13
68 and 93 3:30PM Sunny, all day 2-14
68 and 94 12 noon Sunny all day 2-15
77 and 80 3PM both ends opened up, thermometer shaded by a piece of cardboard 2-15
 
So I feel they will really help!
 
I'm down to just a few pods here and there on the plants, so as I pull them very few will not be ripe. If I kept them going I would have the fall burst. But the soil rehab is more important to me, pods I have!
 
 

 
I haven't used them, so I don't know. But I can't see how they'd hurt.

 
They will most definitely help if you deploy them, just have a look at Rick's (Stickman) grow. He's got them down to a science.
 
Well all the way home from work it poured, and I mean really hard. But all we got was enough to make the ground wet enough to track up the house. Lightning was brutal and must have hit the wireless tower we connect to. We lost Internet for over 2 hours. So it was a boring time, too much booming to go outside, and no toys..LOL

 

[Jeff H]

I see it is just another typical day in Devv's Glog. Miss a couple days, and have a couple of pages to catch up on.
 
 

 
. I'm also going to change gears some and grow more "eatable" peppers and less crazy hot ones. We just can't use them all.
 

 
Yep, I hear you. I only have a decent handful of super varieties this year and there will be less next year. No matter how many Numex, poblano, jalapeno type plants I have growing, I never have enough for the family, and I have way way too many bhut, Jigsaw, <insert random superhot>, etc.
 

 
Don't give up on OW plants that easy TJ... granted, it's a bit of work, but in my (first) experience it's so worth it! I got 2x the foliage and pod production from my OW plants as compared to plants from seed I started this past winter. First and second year plants were set out side-by-side in the same raised bed, with identical growing conditions, so I'm sure this is hard evidence though once isn't statistical I suppose.

 
Chinense and pubes seem to o/w well. Mine are doing nicely this year although they don't seem to be doing markedly better than the round 1 plants started in Jan, at least I could guarantee that the o/w would produce what I thought they would. Annums though.......Every single annuum I o/w sucks this year. A few peppers, a few leaves and barely hanging on. I'll never o/w an annuum again.

 

[Devv]

I see it is just another typical day in Devv's Glog. Miss a couple days, and have a couple of pages to catch up on.
 
Hah! Things are either moving or not
 
Yep, I hear you. I only have a decent handful of super varieties this year and there will be less next year. No matter how many Numex, poblano, jalapeno type plants I have growing, I never have enough for the family, and I have way way too many bhut, Jigsaw, <insert random superhot>, etc.
 
Exactly! And the wife fell in love with some of the sweets and helped me make the decision. After all, it's all about eating...
 
Chinense and pubes seem to o/w well. Mine are doing nicely this year although they don't seem to be doing markedly better than the round 1 plants started in Jan, at least I could guarantee that the o/w would produce what I thought they would. Annums though.......Every single annuum I o/w sucks this year. A few peppers, a few leaves and barely hanging on. I'll never o/w an annuum again.
 
I only OW'ed one Annuum, it did absolutely nothing. It podded, but wasn't worth the space it took up. I'm wondering if the reason my OW's did poorly was that I potted them in Dec, and cut them way back. And March comes, and they're back in the dirt. I can see how they can perform better in the Northern climes..

 
First pull worth posting from the raised beds.
 

 
LB commented to me a while back, "you ignore the raised beds". She's correct, just too much to get right when so many plants are in the ground. But we did get some pods anyway

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Nice pull. What's the Peach colored pods? Wish I could grow huge plants like that White. Maybe next years my in the ground plants will get some height.

Thanks for sharing Scott.

When does the chipper arrive?

 

[PaulG]

Are the peach pods  Bahamian Goats?

 

[randyp]

          Scott if you ever want to experiment with that four season thingy.You let me know,we can swap places between November and March.Bring a shovel.