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Devv's 2015 - 16, Life is good!

Well here we go again!
 
I just got finished planting seeds for 70 plants. Scaling back a bit this year; last year was a lot of work! That and I have to do more than garden this season ;)
 
My apologies as I can't remember shit where I got all the seeds from. Some were harvested from pods some I saved, and some were sent to me. I can say this 99% originated from the most generous THP members!
 
Without further ado, here's the 2015 list:
 
Red 7 Pot Lava: Mikey
Black Thai        : Mikey
Yellow Jonah  : Mikey
Jack’s Choc Superhot: Mikey
Red Bhutlah   : Mikey
Tepin x Lemmon drop
Pimenta Lisa : Stefan
Brazilian Starfish
Bell
Poblano
Billy Biker
Jalapeno
Jimmy Nardello
Bishops Crown
Sweet Hungarian Paprika
Bahamian Goat
Urfa Biber
Jelly Bean White Hab
Jigsaw
Nagabrain F4
Numex Jalamundo
Cream Fatalii
Isabella Island Hab: Jim
Cherry Bomb: Jim
Moa
Kurt’s
JA Habs
White Bhut
Anaheim
Jigsaw
Burgundy
Ma Wiri wiri: Jim
Pepperdew: Jim
Pimenta De Padron: Jim
Wild tepin: Jim
Jigsaw
Six secrets from Stefan
Orange Primo: Mikey
Choc Bhutlah
Scotch Bonnet x Indian Red
Red Lava: Mikey
White Hab
Naga King: Rick
BOC: Rick
 
I leaned more towards peppers my wife can eat. After all she helped me quite a bit, I might as well grow some for her ;)
 
Last season was a challenge regarding what was what. I eventually figured them out, but was not happy with the confusion. And yeah, I'm easily confused.
 
Here's a pic of the 70 starters:
 
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Trying something different, the Jiffy's are numbered and will be entered into a spreadsheet. As they pop, they will go into the solo cups with permanent marker to label them.
 
This year I'm starting things in the converted hunting room (man cave?). LB wanted the extra bedroom back ;)  The room is part of the shop; 24x8 and insulated. It's been rather nasty for the last 4 or 5 days, damp and temps below 52°, but it was 68° in there a few minutes ago. Also I'm trying a heating mat to help with germination, which was abysmal IMHO last year.
 
Anyone who knows how I fly, knows I like to grow in the dirt. I have a few in containers from last season, but they just don't do as well.
 
I put a ton (literally) of work into the soil since the start of last season.
 
I feel soil preparation is the key to success:
 
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I tilled in over 24 yards of RCW and 10 yards of shredded leaves after pulling the plants in the fall.
 
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I then planted Crimson Clover and Rye as a cover crop, this pic is from 2 weeks ago..
 
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The area I planted the cover crop in is 2,300 to 2,500 square feet. Half is framed for sunshade. A must in the 100% summer sun the garden gets. There's some Comfrey of the left ;)
 
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Dec. 6th I tilled in the whole shootin' match. I waited too long. But I do like it when it darkens up. This is what it looks like after 2 2" deep passes. If you wait too long the roots form a sod, this makes for a bad day of tilling. I got this far and decided to call it. Shiner time!

Once I'm sure most is dead and wont come back when I water crop 2 goes in.
 
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On 12-10

The grass on top has dried, and rain is forecast through Sunday (yeah right), so I tilled again. It brought up the grass from below and now the garden looks like last Sunday. I went a couple of notches deeper this time to break up more of the roots. I spread rye seed and watered for 45 minutes. It should come up quickly as the weather is warm for a week or more. 50's-70's.
 
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This is the garden today, the second cover crop is just coming up. And I have to prep an area for onions, which hit the dirt January 15th. The rest gets tilled in at the end of the month.
 
I fly out of here tomorrow afternoon, and won't be back until a week from now. So I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!
 
 
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Devv said:
Hi All,
 
I really appreciate the get well wishes!
 
Yeah, been really ill, especially the last 3.5 weeks. Been in the hospital 3 times, twice in the last two weeks. I've been diagnosed with bronchiectasis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. All are doable, and I still intend to be around kicking ass for quite some time. This last stay they slammed me with IV chems for 4 days. A round robin approach, and pretty much 24x7. I still have the shakes and my mouth and lips are burned. Hah! My blood sample went to the Center of Infectious Disease, or whatever they call it...
 
Enough of that....
 
It's been raining here, this is how it was when we moved here in '78, up until the early 90's. I've watered 3 times; the day I planted and twice since. The peppers and mater production have been hampered by the hail, it hit when they were setting fruit. I haven't been in the garden more than an hour since mid April, and LB has been shuttling me to the doctors and making visits, so the garden looks like hell. Pics as soon as it's presentable ;)
 
So for now I won't be on much as I convalesce.
 
Scott
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Hi Scott sorry to hear about lupus & your other health problems don't worry too much about the garden if you can I know how that is.
The main thing is to get your health in order first you are in my prayers brother.
Hear is a little story once when I was a kid & grandpa still had cows I was in the field & came upon all kinds of pumpkins/squash growing together doing real well made a pumpkin pie out of one.
It was the best pumpkin pie I ever had.
So even though you have not been able to get to the garden all is not lost take care Scott
 
Man that's no good to have laid on ya, good to hear that they caught it and are able to treat. Hope everything is going well otherwise, a lot of folks around here are pulling for y'all! If you've had near as much rain as we have further north I bet your jungle has blown up. But there will be plenty of time to tend to it once you get back on the road to recovery. Take care of yourself bud, we're all pulling for LB and you. Get better!
 
Scott,  sorry to see you were down again.
 
Bounce back quickly - LB needs help with her garden.
 
Damn Scott! I came over here to see your BA garden kicking A...so sad to hear about all the troubles. Fingers crossed the worst is behind you! 
 
Well I really appreciate the good vibes!
 
Today is day 10 back home, and boy that feels good. It took me about 7 days to start to feel normal again, stamina is getting better too. I'm doing more and more, but taking it slow.
 
This has been a crazy year weather wise. Texas made the news with it's floods and storms. Saturday we got 4"s and areas around us got as much as 12"s. Sad to say one of our High School Seniors died while crossing a flooded creek in her car. It was 3AM (prom night) and she was trying to get home. I know her father, and she called him as the vehicle was swept down stream. Not the phone call anyone wants!
 
LB has been doing her weeding the last two days, but the garden is not what it normally is. With her taking me to the docs 4 times in one week and the last 2 hospital stays and visits things slid some.
 
I don't have very many pepper pics, mainly because the hail knocked all the flowers off, Tomatoes are the same way :tear:
 
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Annums and milds are looking good despite all the rain. Very few pods at this time.
 
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The Hab class and supers are finally kicking in...
 
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This is a store bought plant, It's 'sposed to be a Poblano. Damn, I can create mysteries all by my self without help form the store ;)
 
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This OW White Bhut is rather rough looking. It hasn't had any TLC for 2 months, well nothing has....
 
Gonna try and see what she does now.
 
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Lot's of flowers on the OW Manzano, but none have set yet.
 
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My Growdown, which should be twice as tall!
 
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Tepin x lemon has pods ;)
 
Some nons...
 
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Yes, we've had some winds...
 
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So I suspected Coons doing this damage. It was Squirrels. We have a ton around here, less the 2 that were in the garden.
 
We're down to one dog, and feeding her inside because a stray (Pittbull) digs under the fence and eats her food. I must be getting soft, I would have shot the stray in years past...Well the Squirrels can't raid the dog bowl now, and I noticed today they're not around,,,,except in the garden. Well the food bowl is outside again and the 22 is loaded :D
 
Once again I really appreciate the good vibes from everyone!
 
Man, that's a terribly sad story about the high-schooler.  But it's good to hear you're on the mend, Scott.  Even with neglect, your garden looks better than mine.
 
Alrighty then. Am I the only one who doesn't think your garden looks all that bad? Won't it be funny if you have a bumper crop, now? Could happen. Glad you're perking up.
 
Looks like the garden is still going to be an award winner. Stay on the mend Scott.

Interesting genetics going on in that poblano. Looks like its going to chocolate up quite a bit. Bet it'll make some nice powders.

The Manzano looks great as well. Hopefully the fruits start setting for you. I got a rocoto that's 4' tall now and set only a single fruit. Maybe the partial light is too partial. Hard to say.
 
Wow Scott! It's so glad to hear your on the rebound. The garden look good in my opinion. It will get better. If it doesn't I know the rest of us will bombard you with pods until you move, or put a change of address form in. LOL. If you need anything just ask. We're supporting you the whole way.
 
Scott
Super glad to hear your on the mend and doing better.  You garden may look rough to you, but it is still a long ways ahead of mine up here by Seattle.  I always look at critter problems as a good excuse for me to get a gun out, city limits or not!
 
Good luck and keep getting better!
Bill
 
.  Breaks my heart for the family of the girl Scott.I could not imagine the pain they are  going thru.Pics from the garden actually don't look bad.Keep on the mend buddy. ;)
 
What a terrible tragedy with the prom queen and getting caught up in that water, she called 911 and her Dad before getting swept away.  I can not even imaging what that family is going thru right now my heart is broken for them.  I bet your plants will get through this time just fine sound like there was no need to water and you prepped the soil to support the plants. I bet you will be surprised come harvest time like other have said.  Get well soon Scott.
 
Between LB and all the work you've put into that soil, things really look good - as everyone else has said.
 
And yeah, that story about the high schooler... ugh, so sad to hear it. Just terrible.
 
Keep getting better. I think you'll need to be in good form to harvest all you'll get.
 
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