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!
 

 

[stickman]

This past summer I made tamales with squash blossoms, and really enjoyed them. You only use the male blossoms since they don't produce fruit, and there are always 8-10 male blossoms to every female on most squash and pumpkin vines, so you don't get any fewer fruits and you get something where you had nothing before. The color and flavor even reminded me a little of saffron.
 
I thought you might like the heat mat for starting seeds if you tried it. Peppers definitely don't like cold feet...

 

[jedisushi06]

i use local hot fat and render it myself. For red chile sauce i use red new mexico chiles which are red green chiles, and for green i use hatch or new mexico.  Since i live in the four corners area both are easy to come by.  Try making pork carne adovado next time till fill your tamales.  My favorite.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/CarneAdovada.htm

 

[Hybrid Mode 01]

     +1 on carne adovada. Every chilehead should try that dish! I have always used the recipe in the Best of New Mexico Kitchens Magazine cookbook. 

 

[Devv]

This past summer I made tamales with squash blossoms, and really enjoyed them. You only use the male blossoms since they don't produce fruit, and there are always 8-10 male blossoms to every female on most squash and pumpkin vines, so you don't get any fewer fruits and you get something where you had nothing before. The color and flavor even reminded me a little of saffron.
 
I thought you might like the heat mat for starting seeds if you tried it. Peppers definitely don't like cold feet...

 
Hi Rick!
 
That's interesting, I didn't know you could eat the flowers.
 
I had 50 out of 70 seeds germ the first 2 weeks. Today makes 3 weeks, so yesterday I replanted the ones that haven't come up yet.
 
I can't wait until they're ready for pics, most are working on the first set of true leaves...
 

i use local hot fat and render it myself. For red chile sauce i use red new mexico chiles which are red green chiles, and for green i use hatch or new mexico.  Since i live in the four corners area both are easy to come by.  Try making pork carne adovado next time till fill your tamales.  My favorite.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/CarneAdovada.htm

 
Read up on the rendering, we're going to try that the next round.
 
The Adovada sounds great, I'm reasonably sure it's what I get when I order pork stew at the Mexican restaurant we go to in San Antonio. They have the best Margaritas I've ever tasted. They have won the Margarita contest may times. I do know they add brown sugar and use old time lemonade mix. Two large Margaritas with a shot on the side and I'm ready to roll!
 
Thanks for sharing the link, bookmarked it and it's on my list!
 

     +1 on carne adovada. Every chilehead should try that dish! I have always used the recipe in the Best of New Mexico Kitchens Magazine cookbook. 

 
Sounds good HM01, I'll search for it

 

[jedisushi06]

sounds good scott, sounds like a rocking margarita.

 

[bpwilly]

Everything goes good with "Ta-kill-ya"

 

[PaulG]

+1 Mikey

 

[stickman]

Yup... thought you might enjoy making these when the season rolls around for it...   http://masaandmore.blogspot.com/2010/04/amazing-tamales-from-mountains-of.html
 
Cheers!

 

[PaulS]

Well it's blowing like crazy and a hard freeze slated for the morning, the citrus trees are wrapped in sheets and all the warm weather pots have been brought inside. So far a very cool or cold Tejas winter.
 
Just to prove I'm in the game:

 
It's gloomy skies here for sure! OK, 48 out of 70 hooked and sprouted, one lost to helmet head (surgery failed), one just keeled over after 24 hours. Seeds started 12-21. I'm starting to see some growth finally as most are starting to put on the true leaves. Before I used a heat mat germ times were 3 weeks average.
 
5 or 6 tomato seeds have popped, they were started 12-29.
 
Thanks for reading!

 
Looks like you're off to a good start

 

[gnslngr]

."....Soil preparation is the key..." .......bigtime. I love the arbor netting......my plot get the death rays from 1030 till 1600, I may try that this year. Of course , not dropping your 12" plants into mid June sun/monsoons would probably help just as much, LOL.
 
I have to do full remediation to the soil this year, out with the old , and in with the new. 
 
"http://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/CarneAdovada.htm"hmmmmmmmm?!!!!!

."....Soil preparation is the key..." .......bigtime. I love the arbor netting......my plot get the death rays from 1030 till 1600, I may try that this year. Of course , not dropping your 12" plants into mid June sun/monsoons would probably help just as much, LOL.
 
I have to do full remediation to the soil this year, out with the old , and in with the new. 
 
"http://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/CarneAdovada.htm"hmmmmmmmm?!!!!!

 

[Devv]

sounds good scott, sounds like a rocking margarita.

 
It is and we need to go there soon
 
 

Everything goes good with "Ta-kill-ya"

 
Oh I could tell stories about "Ta-kill-ya" from my youth...LOL
 

+1 Mikey

 

 

Yup... thought you might enjoy making these when the season rolls around for it...   http://masaandmore.blogspot.com/2010/04/amazing-tamales-from-mountains-of.html
 
Cheers!

 
Sounds good Rick!
 
The Masa we can get down here is mixed with the lard already, they make it while we wait. We have to add more lard to get it to spread though. We have a Kitchen Aid mixer, and I'm sure it would save some $$$$
 
 

 
Looks like you're off to a good start

 
Thanks Paul!
 
I'm working on it!
 
 

."....Soil preparation is the key..." .......bigtime. I love the arbor netting......my plot get the death rays from 1030 till 1600, I may try that this year. Of course , not dropping your 12" plants into mid June sun/monsoons would probably help just as much, LOL.
 
I have to do full remediation to the soil this year, out with the old , and in with the new. 
 
"http://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/CarneAdovada.htm"hmmmmmmmm?!!!!!

 

 
Hi Dave!
 
Oh yeah, I've already started collecting for the fall till. I may apply as a mulch this spring. So far I have 7 pickup loads of bagged leaves, 3 loads already ground up with the chipper-shredder. I'll get 4 loads (24yds) of RCW as soon as the weather breaks, as it's been nasty for us here...

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

Nice to see you got peppers up.  Still haven't planted a thing on my end.  Latest start I have ever had...on purpose.
 
Hope you're done with the cold temps there.  Good luck.

 

[East Texas Heat]

Been cold and rainy here for the better part of the last several weeks. We're supposed to get a break this weekend. Sunny and high of mid sixties. Every season just seems to get a little weirder around here lol.

 

[Devv]

Nice to see you got peppers up.  Still haven't planted a thing on my end.  Latest start I have ever had...on purpose.
 
Hope you're done with the cold temps there.  Good luck.

 
Thanks Jeff!
 
Today is "supposed" to be the last crappy day for a week or so. 40° and misting is nasty for us thin skinned Texan's
 
 

Been cold and rainy here for the better part of the last several weeks. We're supposed to get a break this weekend. Sunny and high of mid sixties. Every season just seems to get a little weirder around here lol.

 
I'll second that, tomorrow the trend starts to head towards normal, if there is such a thing anymore...
 
OK, minor update time:
 

 
A few brown red bhut's and Jimmy Nardello's. The plants have been in the house too long already and are dropping leaves
 

 
Black Thai, seeds from Mikey. Two phenos going on there...
 

 
A little better shot of the purple gal...
 

 
A couple of Urfa Bibers.
 

 

Brazilian Starfish

 

 
Isabell Island Hab
 

 
MoA
 

 
Orange Primo from Mikey.
 
Got more but didn't want to flood with juvenile pics

 

[jedisushi06]

You def want the purple leaf pheno of the black thai. The stem of the plant should turn purple

 

[PaulG]

Great looking starts, Scott.  
The Black Thai seedlings should be fun to compare throughout the season!

 

[jedisushi06]

Both produce similar pods Scott but the purple leaf plants put on darker pods

 

[windchicken]

Wow, you're going strong already, Scott! Nice! 
 
What do you do with that ground cover vegetation when it's time to plant out?

 

[Jeff H]

Nice looking plants Scott.

 

[Pulpiteer]

 

 
Orange Primo from Mikey.
 
Got more but didn't want to flood with juvenile pics

 
Nice! Getting some good looking true leaves.  I like this pic!