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:
 

 
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:
 

 

 
I tilled in over 24 yards of RCW and 10 yards of shredded leaves after pulling the plants in the fall.
 

 
I then planted Crimson Clover and Rye as a cover crop, this pic is from 2 weeks ago..
 

 
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
 

 

 
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.
 

 
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.
 

 
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!
 

 

[tctenten]

Nice haul. The Orange Thai look great.

 

[randyp]

Box  of Yellow heading your way Scott.

 

[Trident chilli]

Great to see all those pods Scott .... MoA or not

 

[PaulG]

Looks like some nice JA Red Habaneros in your future, Scott!
I love the big, boxy pods that strain is putting out.  
 
Looks like you have some decent grow season left, buddy.
I suppose the turn from hot to cold happens fast there?
 
Get out there and enjoy that sun, brother!

 

[Devv]

Nice late-season haul Scott! Love them poppers! Looks like you're getting (or will soon get) JA Habs... they're a tasty Chinense variety for sure. We're pullin' for ya to get a big late-season harvest! What are your overnight low temperatures like?

 
Thanks Rick!
 
It's still hot here, 93° which is really hot for this time of year the last few days. Morning temps are around 70°. We should be 5-9° cooler. But this may mean everything will come together. Lots of flowers trying to bloom.

 

[Devv]

Nice haul. The Orange Thai look great.

 Thanks Terry!
 
I'm hoping the rest do their work and produce
 

Box  of Yellow heading your way Scott.

 
Thanks Randy!
 
I see some fantastic sauce for wings and ribs coming on soon!
 

Great to see all those pods Scott .... MoA or not

 
Thanks!
 
Glad to finally see some productivity from the pepper garden. When I went out to take pics a Rabbit was in there, again. Never mind the Rabbit fence I put up a few years ago. I'm working on making a fence from material from the old pool deck. 6' high on the North side, and both the East and West corners ramping down in height as the materials get shorter. This should help with the crazy winds we get this time of year, at least I hope
 

Looks like some nice JA Red Habaneros in your future, Scott!
I love the big, boxy pods that strain is putting out.  
 
Looks like you have some decent grow season left, buddy.
I suppose the turn from hot to cold happens fast there?
 
Get out there and enjoy that sun, brother!

 They should do well! And it's about time!
 
The fence I'm building and the removal of any place for the field rats to make a home close to the house will surely help in the spring. The last 2 wet years have caused an upswing in the critters, and they just love young pepper plants for some reason. I read they love to make a home in Pear Cactus, that's all going too.
 
As for the weather, most years Christmas is the cut off. I hope they make it!

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Looking good Scott. My supers are finally flowering. Not gonna happen. Next year will be better for me with the hoop house. Your MOA's look just like the ones I grew last year. They tasted good, but didn't get any of the traditional MOA shape.

 

[Devv]

Looking good Scott. My supers are finally flowering. Not gonna happen. Next year will be better for me with the hoop house. Your MOA's look just like the ones I grew last year. They tasted good, but didn't get any of the traditional MOA shape.

 The shape is a plus, just for our head   The taste is what counts, and they are simply great peppers!
 
So here's a double post (spank me):
 

 
Randy a huge load of pods! Thanks Buddy!
 
These are great tasting pods, and will be sown for next year. Sauces and powder in the near future!
 
Been really busy the last week building a fence for the garden. For several years I've wanted one to block the fall/winter winds that blow the plants over when a front comes in. We're situated on the North side of a ridge; and with all the open land downhill of us it gets crazy here. Like it will rip a screen door off it's hinges type winds. Yes it has happened.
 
So now I have a 6' fence on the North side of the garden, well part of it, I scaled the garden size back some (so I don't kill myself). And am working on the East side. Winter winds come from the North-East. Today we're having 22-23 mph steady winds, and my plants are loaded with flowers. Nice to see they're happy and just catching a light breeze. The fun part of this is where I planted the Garlic, with the new fence, means no sun for you. Yeah, I planned ahead alright. This weekend I move the starts that have popped into full sun. It's always something, just ask Roseanne Roseannadanna

 

[OCD Chilehead]

He has some great looking pods. I just processed some of those pods. Froze them for a future sauce coming up.

Glad you got the fence up. Your plants are thanking you. I've been taking advantage of the favorable weather here. My back hurts. LOL

Take care buddy.

Have a great up and coming weekend.

 

[Devv]

He has some great looking pods. I just processed some of those pods. Froze them for a future sauce coming up.

Glad you got the fence up. Your plants are thanking you. I've been taking advantage of the favorable weather here. My back hurts. LOL

Take care buddy.

Have a great up and coming weekend.

Yes he does!
 
Got some more fence work done this morning and moved the young Garlic to full sun. Enjoying a cooler day today, High of less than 80°, and it was 52° this morning!
 
Go easy on that back old man   I should be talking..
 

 
Today's pull, mostly Annum's.
 

 
mostly de-seeded and into the pot with some white vinegar, added a few suppers to warm things up. Puree in the making.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Oh man, my back is still hurtin. I can't sit in one spot to long. Labeling seeds didn't help. Every morning I start all over with the stretching.

That looks like a really good combination of pods. Let us know how it turns out. I'm going to make a batch next week.

 

[stickman]

 
Thanks Rick!
 
It's still hot here, 93° which is really hot for this time of year the last few days. Morning temps are around 70°. We should be 5-9° cooler. But this may mean everything will come together. Lots of flowers trying to bloom.

 
Here's hoping your season runs long enough for you to get some more good harvests. We're totally done here... there was wet snow yesterday during the drive home from my Mom's place in the Berkshires. Think you might make some Moritas with your red-ripe Jalapenos? That could be the precursor to canning up some Chipotles en Adobo...
 
The winds you describe are just crazy! Sounds like a windbreak fence is a really good idea... maybe it'll help keep the plants from drying out so much during the summer too. Cheers!

 

[Devv]

Oh man, my back is still hurtin. I can't sit in one spot to long. Labeling seeds didn't help. Every morning I start all over with the stretching.

That looks like a really good combination of pods. Let us know how it turns out. I'm going to make a batch next week.

I've made a few similar batches before, using  sweets and mid to hot peppers in a puree. Cooking them in just enough white vinegar to soften, blending and then adding Agave Nector, salt (to taste) and Pineapple juice to thin it out. I use the Pineapple juice versus the vinegar to keep the ph correct and not let the vinegar overpower. It's a 3 day process, bottling on day 3, to make sure the flavors are correct. Cook, tweak, store overnight, taste cook tweak..you get the process
 
So far it's been a winner!
 
Sorry about the back. I've gotten to know mine over the years (cuz I'm old?), 2 major injuries back in the 80's has kept me on an exercise program that works for me. Warm up, and first twinge, and it's sloooowww down. I try to limit digging/shoveling to less than 3 hours a day
 
 

 
Here's hoping your season runs long enough for you to get some more good harvests. We're totally done here... there was wet snow yesterday during the drive home from my Mom's place in the Berkshires. Think you might make some Moritas with your red-ripe Jalapenos? That could be the precursor to canning up some Chipotles en Adobo...
 
The winds you describe are just crazy! Sounds like a windbreak fence is a really good idea... maybe it'll help keep the plants from drying out so much during the summer too. Cheers!

 
Dang snow already!
 
Here's the weeks forecast:

 
Lots of flowers on the plants, and they should set.Will I have the time? It's kinda like spring in reverse. Spring gets hot too fast, fall, may do well or not. My bet is pods!
 
I had to read on Moritas, it's next on the list! I've had it before, not knowing how they made it. Thanks!
 
Yeah, the winds here get crazy. The little front we had the other day was nothing. It dropped the temps 10-15° that day. We often get fronts that drop the temps 40° in a few hours with absolutely brutal winds. So it can be 85° and then 45° in 2-3 hours. It's because we're 200' (above D-town) up on a ridge and the winds come off an another ridge a couple of miles North of us. So they really crank up!

 

[OCD Chilehead]

I like your cooking process. I may use your technique the next time I cook. Pineapple juice. Good idea. Thanks Scott.

 

[Devv]

It works for me. I like the multi day process for sorting things out. The ph on the puree was 3.72, so the Pineapple juice does have the low ph, without the vinegar bitterness.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

That's good to know.


On another note. I'm late getting my garlic in the ground. So I took extreme measures. LOL

Not really but, I though I would share this. I had some extra ice trays, I put a little water in each of he spaces and added the garlic. Bottoms down. 3 days in the window sill and we have roots.

 

[PaulG]

Your puree looks great.  When you say store overnight, what do you mean?

 

[randyp]

Looks good Scott.I like the sauce making,Simple is almost always better.

 

[Devv]

That's good to know.


On another note. I'm late getting my garlic in the ground. So I took extreme measures. LOL

Not really but, I though I would share this. I had some extra ice trays, I put a little water in each of he spaces and added the garlic. Bottoms down. 3 days in the window sill and we have roots.

IMG_0125.JPG

 

Now that's using your head! I don't know if you've grown Garlic before, but I like to plant them where the top is about 1/2" below soil level. I think I mentioned I'm moving mine as they come up, because where I planted them leaves them in the shade as the fence goes up. 2 out 30 or so have shown shock. 6 more came up and get moved in the morning

Your puree looks great.  When you say store overnight, what do you mean?

 

I just let it cool and put it in the fridge overnight. The PH is correct and the next day I taste and adjust. You know how things taste different after setting in the fridge..

Looks good Scott.I like the sauce making,Simple is almost always better.

 

Thanks Randy
 
Simple is good!
 
This week has been a crazy one for sure. It's been a little cooler and I've been working outside after work for a change, and loving it. I need to take some pics of the plants, they're looking good! Flowers and pods are setting too   So it seems it's Tomato horn worm season here, so far I've stomped 7 or 8. They can do so much damage overnight. They seem to just appear.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

I've never grown garlic before. I wanted to ever since you shared your harvest this last Summer. I'll try a 1/2" under the soil in full sun. I the garlic back in August from a old farmer. I think they were called New York White. It tastes good. I eat garlic raw. Yeah, I know it's disgusting.

I could probably grow scapes in the window sill all year long. Or is that hardneck only? I think this is a soft neck. I'll have to go back and get a refresher in garlic 101.

I can't believe how fast these things grow. Day 5 in water.