Devv's Dirt Grow-Almost done..

Weekend March 2-3:
I’ve been working on the garden for years; it was dormant for a few years (like 10) while I changed careers. The base soil if you want to call it that is sand. I added heavy black dirt to the upper 2/3 years ago; I’ve since added heavy red dirt (clay ) to half of the lower 1/3. For two years straight I’ve added 4”s of compost to the upper 2/3 and this year 4”s to the bottom 1/3. I clean horse pens for the free manure; kitchen waste is added to the compost. Our property is on a slope and heavy rains cause erosion problems. Above the garden the land is heavily terraced to divert water runoff.
Finished concreting the base of the fence, used 22 80lb bags, the Waskily Wabbits should be done, until they find another way in. They have been a real menace! I tried a hot wire system, it was not too effective and killed birds and squirrels; I didn’t like that.

Planted the Onions January 15th, Garlic was planted September 15th. They took a beating with the 30mph winds, 55 mph gusts last Monday.

Tilled and my wife planted corn, cukes, watermelons, bush beans and cantelope.

Bush Beans above

Cukes, and Melons behind the Rosemary above.

Corn below.

I started these the first week of January; I think I got carried away.

The Potatoes, planted February 15th are coming up. I planted then 8”s deep and I keep covering them up, and will do so until the ground is level where planted.

Never ending mulch pile.

Hmmm.. too many images...

 

[Stefan_W]

Bumpity bump! 
 
Great looking haul today

 

[wildseed57]

I like Drip hoses when you have lots of pots or even out in the garden especially if your soil is real sandy.
Those Reaper looks like they could escort you to hell and back, 
I wanted to grow some Reaper's and some others this season, but the colon cancer and all the trips to the doctor and then the chemo ate a really big hole in my pocket, so I will try again this fall so I can start mine in the last part of January. With all those pods you should do a whole hog roast,  there ought to be some wild hogs running around or at least near wild,Pop the Hog, scald scrape the hair off and wash it down then slap that puppy on a table stuff it with apples whole lemons and limes, onions sweet potato's winter squash, roasted garlic, carrots, celery handful of Bay leaves couple handfuls of rock salt, Black pepper some can pineapple slices- 8 cans and 1 cup Molasses spread the pineapple through out the Hog pore the molasses inside the hog and stick the rest of the pineapple on the out side of the hog and smear the outside of the hog with another cup of molasses salt and pepper the whole thing inside and out and add as much hot peppers cut in half as most people can take,  to many hot peppers and you'll end up with lots pork left over,  not enough peppers and the hog will get eaten very quickly. . once its Rapped in clean wet burlap and tin foil ..  carefully move the hog to the fire pit and set it down and cover with hot coals for the amounted time needed for the hog.
after that set back with a few beers and tell war stories or hunting stories for the next 10 to 15 or more hours.. if you can't go that big, get a month old piglet, kill, dress and clean soak in some good red wine Salt and pepper stuff with hot peppers,pineapples,chopped mango's and mushrooms tie it closed put in covered Pan and slowly roast till done.

 

[Devv]

Bump incoming... You've got a much bigger pull than the last one, eh? Beautiful!

 
Thanks Rick!
 
They have been keeping us real busy this week! I've been saving all the Reaper seeds, and we've been drying them for powder. We're low on food tomorrow I'm having a Red Caribbean Omelet!
 
These are all "Funky Reaper" seeds, anyone who's a reg here PM me if you'd like some.

 

[GnomeGrown]

Nice harvest, Scott.
 
Generous offer with the seeds too.
 

 

[Devv]

Bumpity bump! 
 
Great looking haul today

 Hi Stefan! Thanks, they're really ripening up here the last week or so. I think new production is at a standstill until it gets cooler.
 
 

I like Drip hoses when you have lots of pots or even out in the garden especially if your soil is real sandy.
Those Reaper looks like they could escort you to hell and back, 
I wanted to grow some Reaper's and some others this season, but the colon cancer and all the trips to the doctor and then the chemo ate a really big hole in my pocket, so I will try again this fall so I can start mine in the last part of January. With all those pods you should do a whole hog roast,  there ought to be some wild hogs running around or at least near wild,Pop the Hog, scald scrape the hair off and wash it down then slap that puppy on a table stuff it with apples whole lemons and limes, onions sweet potato's winter squash, roasted garlic, carrots, celery handful of Bay leaves couple handfuls of rock salt, Black pepper some can pineapple slices- 8 cans and 1 cup Molasses spread the pineapple through out the Hog pore the molasses inside the hog and stick the rest of the pineapple on the out side of the hog and smear the outside of the hog with another cup of molasses salt and pepper the whole thing inside and out and add as much hot peppers cut in half as most people can take,  to many hot peppers and you'll end up with lots pork left over,  not enough peppers and the hog will get eaten very quickly. . once its Rapped in clean wet burlap and tin foil ..  carefully move the hog to the fire pit and set it down and cover with hot coals for the amounted time needed for the hog.
after that set back with a few beers and tell war stories or hunting stories for the next 10 to 15 or more hours.. if you can't go that big, get a month old piglet, kill, dress and clean soak in some good red wine Salt and pepper stuff with hot peppers,pineapples,chopped mango's and mushrooms tie it closed put in covered Pan and slowly roast till done.

 
I have ditches in the garden with bubblers on a timer for when we travel, otherwise I manually run the irrigation. The timers worked great while we were away.
 
That hog recipe sounds great!
 
Hogs are around here but few are seen, one of the reasons I fenced the yard was because they roto-tilled it every so often.....at like 2AM!
 
A few more pics from yesterday...
 
Poblano's are doing real well this year despite the heat...growing tall and sturdy, loaded with pods, but smaller than when it was cooler..
 

 
Hard to get a pic of an individual plant in the garden, next year I space at 5'

 
Some pods:

 
Primo looks true

 
Seeing way too much of this, I feel it's grasshoppers...they seem to like the "true" Reapers, damaging 50%!

 
Gnarly:

 
That's all I have...Thanks for stopping by!

 

[PIC 1]

Colorful peppers all over, The shaded plants look extremely happy. The leaves appear to be reaching up, striving for more light, Nice harvest of all sorts of peppers. I like the shot of the red habs.
Very, very generous offer with the Reaper seeds.......other folks are still asking big bucks for them........crazy world of gardening, isn't it ?

 

[Devv]

Colorful peppers all over, The shaded plants look extremely happy. The leaves appear to be reaching up, striving for more light, Nice harvest of all sorts of peppers. I like the shot of the red habs.
Very, very generous offer with the Reaper seeds.......other folks are still asking big bucks for them........crazy world of gardening, isn't it ?

Thanks Greg!
 
With the kindness I've been shown here, peep's sending me seeds, pods, and sauces I can't help but offer. Those above are the Funky Reapers that look like Bhuts (I guess). They have a fruity taste and aroma and are super hot! I haven't tasted a "true" Reaper yet...maybe today, they do have an identical aroma though. I'm also saving the true to form Reaper seeds, but only have around 50 now with more ripening. Those will be offered as well.

 

[annie57]

Nice of you to offer Reaper seeds, Scott! Might just trade ya some for some sauce. Just sent a member here a care package of sauces. You're so right! People on THP are very generous. I have a special sauce in mind for another member based on seed he sent (now podding) and some ideas for it from his food porn.
 
Also, I really wanted to commend you for knowing your growing area and how you're doing the entire grow: tomatoes, annuums etc. first. As we know, they get ripe, usually (unless they're building their own ark ), long before anything else. As does corn, beans, etc. Here, we have to plant it all at once and freaking pray we have Indian Summer for the peppers, which usually do. I just wanted to tell you that because I noticed in Austin, dang you have to have a mater plant in ground in Feb. since they can take a little cold. Like love how you staggered it.
 
Love, love the JA Habs, Carib Reds, Red Bhuts and with Poblanos, Jals, Cayenne or De Arbol looking, ya got mole-makings or ya got some serious ancho powder, or chipotle jals--man--sky's limit!! I really like that SW flavor on a lot of stuff. Just gorgeous, Scott . Looking forward to your Reaper review!!

 

[GnomeGrown]

Great photos, Scott.

 

[RocketMan]

Man Scott, great harvest there.
 
Now isn't it funny that they're going after the true Reapers but holy cow, 50% damage! Dang, might be time to get nuclear on them 
 
have a great weekend Bro.

 

[stc3248]

Dang it...for some reason I can't see your pics??? I tried both Chrome and IE...Dang, Dang...DANG!

 

[Sawyer]

Yeah, I don't see the pictures either, using Firefox.  If I select "view image", it says, "The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading."  Maybe it's a temporary problem with the devtex.net server.

 

[HabaneroHead]

Beautiful pictures, Scott! You have a real pepper heaven  there, despite the harsh weather conditions! 

 

[Devv]

Nice of you to offer Reaper seeds, Scott! Might just trade ya some for some sauce. Just sent a member here a care package of sauces. You're so right! People on THP are very generous. I have a special sauce in mind for another member based on seed he sent (now podding) and some ideas for it from his food porn.
 
Also, I really wanted to commend you for knowing your growing area and how you're doing the entire grow: tomatoes, annuums etc. first. As we know, they get ripe, usually (unless they're building their own ark ), long before anything else. As does corn, beans, etc. Here, we have to plant it all at once and freaking pray we have Indian Summer for the peppers, which usually do. I just wanted to tell you that because I noticed in Austin, dang you have to have a mater plant in ground in Feb. since they can take a little cold. Like love how you staggered it.
 
Love, love the JA Habs, Carib Reds, Red Bhuts and with Poblanos, Jals, Cayenne or De Arbol looking, ya got mole-makings or ya got some serious ancho powder, or chipotle jals--man--sky's limit!! I really like that SW flavor on a lot of stuff. Just gorgeous, Scott . Looking forward to your Reaper review!!

 Thanks Annie!
 
The growing season here is way long with that 60 day period of real hot weather, actually if I was so inclined I would have corn and maters planted again. But storage is full and I need a break..LOL
So I have all these Poblano's, recommendations on preserving these? LB says freezing doesn't cut it...and we're full up on the stuffed peppers.
 
 

Great photos, Scott.

 Thanks Gnome!
 
Stilling learning how to get the best shots with the new camera, and learned my lesson on spacing the Chinense!
 
 

Man Scott, great harvest there.
 
Now isn't it funny that they're going after the true Reapers but holy cow, 50% damage! Dang, might be time to get nuclear on them 
 
have a great weekend Bro.

 
Thanks Bill!
 
I just don't know how to go nuclear on them, I've read up on how to control them but don't want to use poisons. I guess next year I'll mow the field around the garden down real low so they can more easily be picked off by the birds as they try to move in. What I read about them is they like tall grass. Any ideas on this would be greatly appreciated!
 
 

Dang it...for some reason I can't see your pics??? I tried both Chrome and IE...Dang, Dang...DANG!

 

Yeah, I don't see the pictures either, using Firefox.  If I select "view image", it says, "The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading."  Maybe it's a temporary problem with the devtex.net server.

 
 I guess it was a maintenance period, although I'm usually notified. It's a Network Solutions account...
 
 

Beautiful pictures, Scott! You have a real pepper heaven  there, despite the harsh weather conditions! 

 
Thanks!
 
The sunscreen makes all the difference in the world from mid June to early Sept.
Some of the plants seem to be just a bit "leggy", or perhaps it's their nature. But without the screen they would fry every day and look horrible, as they have in the past.
 
Thanks for stopping in!

 

[Stefan_W]

Great pod shots! Wow your plants are tall, and you definitely need the bump to 5' spacing.
 
I think you are right about grasshoppers taking bites out of your pods. I had almost exactly the same type of damage on my bhuts last year, and I came to the conclusion that it had to be grasshoppers. 

 

[stc3248]

Ahhh...there they are! Haha! Great pics! Your pod shots are getting much awesome...er! I had a feeling if things went well you'd be putting yourself in a jungle with your spacing, but you've passed that! Just think...a few short months ago you were searching out how to grow peppers in your heat and now your showing folks how its done!!! Great grow in a harsh environment my friend!

 

[Sawyer]

Great Scott!  Photos!

 

[stickman]

Hey Scott... why not go with tradition... let the Poblanos get red-ripe to the Ancho stage and dry 'em in the sun? It's what folks in your region been doing for centuries...  As hot as it is for you right now they should dry in the sun in no time.

 

[Devv]

Hey Scott... why not go with tradition... let the Poblanos get red-ripe to the Ancho stage and dry 'em in the sun? It's what folks in your region been doing for centuries...  As hot as it is for you right now they should dry in the sun in no time.

 
So just leave them on the plants? Some are in the brown stage already, they should be great for tamales then!
 

Great pod shots! Wow your plants are tall, and you definitely need the bump to 5' spacing.
 
I think you are right about grasshoppers taking bites out of your pods. I had almost exactly the same type of damage on my bhuts last year, and I came to the conclusion that it had to be grasshoppers. 

Thanks Stefan!
 
Yes 5' spacing next year! Really hard to get in there and pick without doing plant damage.
The grasshoppers are really ticking me off!
 

Ahhh...there they are! Haha! Great pics! Your pod shots are getting much awesome...er! I had a feeling if things went well you'd be putting yourself in a jungle with your spacing, but you've passed that! Just think...a few short months ago you were searching out how to grow peppers in your heat and now your showing folks how its done!!! Great grow in a harsh environment my friend!

 
Thanks Shane,
 
I'll call this year beginners luck! I did apply techniques from growing tomatoes, and the sunshade, did you see the difference in the full sun plants? They're really struggling.This just means more sunshade to buy, and build a larger frame..
 

Great Scott!  Photos!

 
Thanks John!
 
Quite a long road starting in Jan. and Feb.!
 
Well I have more picking and watering to do...dang it's hot out!

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

Peppers are looking good!!!