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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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tsurrie said:
Peppers seem happier with some cooler weather you're getting. :P
Looking good. I'm rooting for them. And you.
 
And yeah... nice looking puree!
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 Thanks!
 
I'm sure to get some pods this fall after the spring debacle...lol
 
stickman said:
Those Hugel beds are sure a lot of work... I hope they do well for ya Scott! Did you see the stuff Gary (Windchicken) posted about RCW on his glog? I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I wonder if it's something similar. Nice that you have blossoms on your Bonnets... think you'd like a jar or two of my Bonnet puree to tide you over until yours come in?
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Yeah they are, I need to do that kind of work in the winter from now on ;)  I have 3 short rows of the RCW I started either last fall or this spring. I would have to go back and read. I'll give then a whirl this spring with cool weather crops.
I would love a jar if you can spare one Rick. Just make sure you have enough for yourself first. Hopefully I can reciprocate late on in the year. ;)
 
OCD Chilehead said:
Purée looks good. Give it some time for the flavors to mingle. Hope it turns out good.

The garden looks great. First roots, then shoots. Hope the MOAs grow true. All the ones I grew last year, not one was true. They did keep the great MOA flavor though.
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 Thanks Chuck!
 
I have about 8 MoA's out there, seeds will be on the way once I get some pods. I will even try my first time to isolate the pods ;)
 
FreeportBum said:
Plants are looking really nice, keep up the good work. Do you find any one or two particular varieties do better in the heat down there then others? 
 
Cheers
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Thanks,
 
Well they all do good if you do it correctly. This year I failed miserably during the germ period, my head wasn't really into it until they didn't pop. Then I got frantic, and it was too late.
 
Here's pics from 2014, I use 30% sun shade to help.
 
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August 8th 2014. They had the size and strength to handle the heat. The boxed in area was the area I planted in mid February in a tunnel. I should have used some IRT mulch, they never did anything.
 
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A week or so later still in August  2014. I was, back then pulling hauls like this 3 times a week. I was giving away basketball plus sized bags of pods. I think I lit up the whole town that year..LOL
So here, it's all about timing, get them in early and have them 18"s or better come March 15th to April1st, or you get what I got this season. My bad :confused:
 
The cool thing is I have the later season, and it will produce nicely. But I don't like to grow that late as it's more work and the garden doesn't get the rest. For years I've wanted to split the 3,200 square feet into a cool and warm crop scenario and flip the next year. Maybe next year. We always plant to much :rolleyes:
 
Devv said:
I would love a jar if you can spare one Rick. Just make sure you have enough for yourself first. Hopefully I can reciprocate late on in the year. ;)
 
 
 
The cool thing is I have the later season, and it will produce nicely. But I don't like to grow that late as it's more work and the garden doesn't get the rest. For years I've wanted to split the 3,200 square feet into a cool and warm crop scenario and flip the next year. Maybe next year. We always plant to much :rolleyes:
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Jars are packed up Scott, I'll get them in the mail this morning.
 
I'll certainly be interested in seeing how a 2-tiered grow works out for you in Tejas. Sounds like a reasonable premise. Cheers!
 
stickman said:
 
Jars are packed up Scott, I'll get them in the mail this morning.
 
I'll certainly be interested in seeing how a 2-tiered grow works out for you in Tejas. Sounds like a reasonable premise. Cheers!
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 Thanks Rick!
 
I'm thinking I'll be OK with the late planting. The farmers here plant Cucumbers August 25th and always score. One of the coolest predator bird sites I've ever seen was during a fall Cucumber harvest. They were out there with the big tractors. The 500HP ones. Making a ton of noise harvesting the cukes, and without exaggeration, several hundred birds of prey were just circling and striking. It was simply an amazing site.
stickman said:
Hey Scott... your mailbox is full... please make room so I can send you a pm. :)
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I did some house keeping ;)
 
Devv said:
 Thanks Rick!
 
I'm thinking I'll be OK with the late planting. The farmers here plant Cucumbers August 25th and always score. One of the coolest predator bird sites I've ever seen was during a fall Cucumber harvest. They were out there with the big tractors. The 500HP ones. Making a ton of noise harvesting the cukes, and without exaggeration, several hundred birds of prey were just circling and striking. It was simply an amazing site.
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Very cool! Were they hitting on Mice and Voles or small birds do you think? If they get a cucumber harvest in fall I guess you're assured of at least an Annuum harvest. I'll be interested to see how the Chinense varieties do. Think you'd be able to OW Pubiscens varieties in the ground where you are?
 
stickman said:
 
Very cool! Were they hitting on Mice and Voles or small birds do you think? If they get a cucumber harvest in fall I guess you're assured of at least an Annuum harvest. I'll be interested to see how the Chinense varieties do. Think you'd be able to OW Pubiscens varieties in the ground where you are?
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I'm just assuming here, but for sure mice and field rats, not sure about voles as I'm not educated on them.
 
You know the Pubes might do really well here in the dirt during the winter. I know the one in the large grow bag (20 gal) did really well all winter until the pack rats ate it down to a stub.
 
stickman said:
 
I didn't know Rodents would chew on the Pubes during the winter... Go Raptors!
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The large amount of rain and a warm winter contributed to the rats doing so well
 
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This is an old google pic from 2014 of our place, just hundreds of acres all around us with just a few homes. So wildlife can get crazy around here. First time in almost 28 years we've had rat issues, I leave the feral cats, and non poisonous snakes be ;)
 
 
randyp said:
Scott your box leaves this coming Monday.I wanted a mixed bag and not all S-Hots for yours.Rick you get the next Monday box.
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 Thanks Randy!
 
I really appreciate it!
 
 
stickman said:
 
Cheers brother!
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 Gotta love the pepper love here!
 
I see that structure over the patch. And from space. Pretty cool. Do you still have the pool? I thought you said awhile back it was coming down.
 
OCD Chilehead said:
I see that structure over the patch. And from space. Pretty cool. Do you still have the pool? I thought you said awhile back it was coming down.
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Yes, the pool, it's a love hate thang. Nice to have, but a real pain in the tail to keep looking good. My goal was to take it down this fall. But my Dad was on the way in late July and the pump crapped a week before he arrived, sooo I bought another one so he could spend some time with his great grandkids in the pool. So I guess it lives another year as long as it doesn't go poof. That's my worry, it's 16th year is next spring, for an above ground pool, that's overtime. However, I will start dismantling the deck this fall. I have uses in mind for the lumber ;)
 
 
Trident chilli said:
Sorry to hear about the rats .... let's hope they don't do too much damage
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 Thanks!
 
And they did, 40 or so plants eaten to ground level. But OK, We knocked them back and the fall garden will pull us through. I will be on "rata" patrol all winter and next spring. Bait and destroy :shh:
 
Pulpiteer said:
It looks like you're on pace for a good late summer/early fall with your pepper plants.

Things are looking good for you! That heat you deal with though... wow.
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Hi Andy,
 
Yeah the heat, just part of the program..LOL I just try to work around it. This weekend is a good time to plant cukes and squash for a nice fall harvest. In a few weeks the garlic goes in, and I start the Onion seed. Not forgetting the Broccoli, lettuce, radishes, and all the other cool weather crops. It's all good ;)
 
In the last 7 days 5 of them have been rainy, so far around 5"s! And more slated for tonight. Around here we always take the rain, with no complaints, no matter how much, as it's always needed. About now the cows are a smilin'. The grass has grown like 8 to 10"s this week, especially after the rains we got around 10 days ago (3-4"s). I sure sure hope the winter grass ranchers got their fields fluffed up before the rains started. Oat and rye for winter graze is a serious money thang here for them.
 
Got some pepper love in the mail this morning:
 
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Rick (Stickman) sent me the beautiful pods, powder, AND the Scotch bonnet puree and Peach Habanero jam!
 
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And Frank (Moruga Welder) sent these most excellent pods!
 
It certainly was Christmas in Devine this morning. Just can't beat the pepper love here.
 
Many thanks to both of you!
 
So last night around 2:30 AM I heard some rumbling, and around 3:30 some pouring rain, got up at 6, and when it got light out checked the rain gauge. We got 5"s! on top of the 4.5"s earlier this week. I sloshed out into the garden and of course it was wet, wet, wet. I got taller as I walked...lol. I see some new pods setting, and will get some pics as soon as I can get out there without it raining. Gonna be "skeeterville" here soon.
 
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