DocNrock's 2013 Glog - 7/11/13

My 2013 grow officially began 10/14/2012, when seeds hit soil. After seeing Fernando (SocalChilehead) growing in his greenhouse "sanctuary" and KiNGDeNNiZ continuing to start new growth in his AeroGarden, as well as the community HP22B grow thread already being 8 pages, I broke down and started my 2013 grow. I was going to limit it to 50 varieties, but that ended up being 64, 77 including the plants I want to save from 2012. If some varieties don't pop or I end up losing some along the way, I might still be down to 50 (or less!) in no time. The grow list with pop dates is at the bottom of this post.

Since I had plenty of seeds I wanted to try an experiment. Which is better for germination, soil or Rapid Rooters? I have two mini-greenhouses with 36 soil cups each, and one mini-greenhouse with a 72 cell insert loaded with Rapid Rooters. All seeds were soaked overnight in water that had been boiled and cooled and contained a dilution of brewed chamomile tea and H2O2. The Rapid Rooters and soil were both moistened with the same mix. The soil is Sungro Sunshine mix #1 amended lightly with Ancient Forest and worm castings. Wondering if the organisms in the amendments might help break down the seed coat. Each cell contains about five seeds. This will force me to cull the weaklings, as opposed to trying to save them, hahaha! At most I will end up with two seedlings for each variety. If both survive, I can try to gift one of the two. I am thinking that some varieties may germinate better in soil, some better in the Rapid Rooters, and for some it may not make a difference. I read somewhere that kelp solutions are rich in growth hormones. Has anyone added a light kelp solution dilution to their germination setup? I was thinking of adding a couple of drops to each Rapid Rooter cell. Fert-wise, the kelp solutions are very, very weak. I doubt it would do any harm. Has anyone ever tried the kelp? I have not, but might try it later on anything that seems stubborn to sprout.

I am hoping these guys are all budded up come springtime, and ready for an early harvest. Since my indoor space is limited, I am giving serious consideration to building a small greenhouse in the backyard and putting in a couple of space heaters for the night time. I decided against a raised bed, and will probably go with 5 gallon Root Pouches for the larger plants. Some of the annuums and plants I'm as yet unsure of I will grow in 2 gallon pots. If I end up liking them, I can always up-pot them.

Getting organized:

Man, I hope I didn't mix any of these up! 64 cups to keep straight is a far cry from 3. It will be 6 months until I know for sure!:

Rapid Rooters:

Soil:

Let the waiting game begin!:

Also, in case anyone is interested, the white plastic labelling tags are available at Discount Hydroponics, $2.95/100! Cheaper than popsickle sticks!

Regarding the plants I already have, I am going to try to start cuttings off most of them in the event the plants don't make it over the winter. I won't need to start those from seed, although there are four varieties (Douglah, Fatalii, Barrackpore and Yellow Bhut) I am starting from seed, as well.

Question: When we start a new grow season, is it typical to just add to one's glog thread, or is it appropriate to start a new thread for the new grow year?

Anyway, happy growing to you all and thanks for looking. I'm hoping all the lessons I learned this year will help me to make this grow much more successful!

GROW LIST: I will try to edit in pop dates for both soil and Rapid Rooters. The Rapid Rooters might get earlier pop dates since I can see the rootlets before hooks form.

Sown seeds (65):

Trinidad Scorpion (AJIJOE) 10/20/12 (RR)
HP22B (Pepper Joe) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/27/12 (soil)
Primo (Primo) 10/22/12 (RR), 10/26/12 (soil)
Billy Boy Jonah (Silver_Surfer via Coheed) 10/22/12 (RR)
7 Pot Congo Gigantic (Pepperlover) 10/23/12 (RR), 10/26/12 (soil)
7 Pot Barrackpore (Biscgolf) 10/27/12 (RR)
Dorset Naga (Pepperlover - pods) 10/24/12 (RR), 10/26/12 (soil)
Naga Morich (Biscgolf - pods) 10/22/12 (RR), 10/24/12 (soil)
Bhut Jolokia (JoynersHotPeppers)
Red Rocoto (SocalChilihead) 10/22/12 (RR)
Malawi Peppadew (Refiningfirechiles) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/24/12 (soil)
Trinidad PI281317 (Pepperlover) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/24/12 (soil)
Anaheim (Pepperlover - gift)
7 Pot Chiguanas (Silver Surfer via Coheed) 10/23/12 (RR)
Red Devil's Tongue (Pepperlover - gift) 10/28/12 (RR)
Butch T (Pepperlover - pods) 10/24/12 (RR)
7 Pot Jonah (Pepperlover - pods) 10/27/12 (RR)
7 Pot Burgundy (Silver_Surfer via Coheed) 10/23/12 (RR), 10/26/12 (soil)
Infinity 10/20/12 (soil), 10/22/12 (RR)
Yellow Moruga (Pepperlover) 10/23/12 (soil), 10/23/12 (RR)
Yellow Brain (Biscgolf) 10/24/12 (RR)
Yellow Bhut Jolokia (Biscgolf) 10/26/12 (soil)
Fatalii (AJIJOE) 10/22/12 (RR),10/28/12 (soil)
7 Pot Yellow (Biscgolf) 10/24/12 (RR)
Peach Bhut (AJIJOE) 10/28/12 (RR)
Beni Highland (AJIJOE) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/22/12 (soil)
Trinidad Morova (Pepperlover) 10/23/12 (soil), 10/28/12 (RR)
7 Pot Orange (Silver_Surfer via Coheed) 10/23/12 (soil), 10/28/12 (RR)
Golden Cayenne (SocalChilehead) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/20/12 (soil)
Yellow Scotch Bonnet (AJIJOE) 10/22/12 (soil), 10/22/12 (RR)
7 Pot Brown (Biscgolf) 10/24/12 (soil)
Douglah (Biscgolf) 10/27/12 (soil)
Black Habanero (Refiningfirechiles) 10/20/12 (RR), 10/26/12 (soil)
Chocolate Scorpion (KiNGDeNNiZ) 10/22/12 (RR), 10/23/12 (soil)
Douglah x Chocolate Scorpion F4 (Silver_Surfer via Coheed) 10/23/12 (RR), 10/24/12 (soil)
Black Naga (Refiningfirechiles) 10/20/12 (soil)
Pasilla Bajio (Refiningfirechiles) 10/22/12 (soil), 10/27/12 (RR)
Long Chocolate Habanero (AJIJOE) 10/24/12 (RR), 10/24/12 (soil)
Chocolate Habanero (AJIJOE) 10/23/12 (soil), 10/24/12 (RR)
Black Stinger (Refiningfirechiles) 10/22/12 (RR), 10/23/12 (soil)
7 Pot White (Pepperlover) 10/24/12 (RR), 10/27/12 (soil)
Giant White Habanero (AJIJOE) 10/22/12 (RR), 10/23/12 (soil)
White Bullet Habanero (AJIJOE) 10/22/12 (RR), 10/26/12 (soil)
White Devil's Tongue (Silver_Surfer via Coheed) 10/28/12 (RR)
Serrano (Pepper Joe - free) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/19/12 (soil) ***FIRST SOIL***
Jalapeno (Pepper Joe - free) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/20/12 (soil)
Red Bell (store bought pepper) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/26/12 (soil)
Andy F1 Gochu (Stickman via SocalChilehead) 10/17/12 (RR) ***TIED, FIRST OVERALL*** 10/23/12 (soil)
Korean Winner Hybrid (Stickman via SocalChilehead) 10/17/12 (RR) ***TIED, FIRST OVERALL***
Pimenta de Neyde (SocalChilehead) 10/28/12 (RR)
Trinidad Scorpion Green (SocalChilehead) 10/19/12 (RR)
Most Prolific C.chacoense (Pepperlover - gift) 10/23/12 (RR)
Royal Black (AJIJOE) 10/22/12 (RR), 10/26/12 (soil)
Assam (SocalChilehead) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/22/12 (soil)
Trinidad Scorpion "FG" (AJIJOE) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/24/12 (soil)
Australian Lantern Habanero (AJIJOE) 10/26/12 (RR), 10/26/12 (soil)
Aji Yellow (AJIJOE) 10/23/12 (RR)
Jamaican Hot Chocolate (KiNGDeNNiZ) 10/22/12 (RR)
Aji Omnicolor (OROZCONLECHE) 10/19/12 (RR)
Not-Trinidad Scorpion (long yellow pod from Arboretum, KiNGDeNNiZ) 10/22/12 (RR)
Mystery Chocolate Mix (Silver_Surfer) 10/23/12 (RR)
Red Congo (AJIJOE) 10/23/12 (RR)
Peach Habanero (AJIJOE) 10/19/12 (RR), 10/22/12 (soil)
Yellow Hablokia (AJIJOE) 10/20/12 (RR), 10/22/12 (soil)
Sown 10/20/12
Yellow Bell (store-bought pepper) 10/23/12 (RR)
Sown 10/28/12
Chocolate Bell (Refiningfirechiles)
Jay's Peach Ghost Scorpion (Refiningfirechiles)
Malaysian Goronong (Refiningfirechiles)
Douglah (Refiningfirechiles)
Peter (Refiningfirechiles)
Yellow Bhut (Refiningfirechiles)
Chocolate Bhut (Refiningfirechiles)
Aji Pineapple (Refiningfirechiles)
Aji Dulce 1 (Tradewinds)
Datil (Tradewinds)
Goat's Horn (Tradewinds)
NuMex Big Jim (Tradewinds)
Paprika (Tradewinds)
Brain Strain 7 (PepperRidge)


What I hope to save from my current grow, either whole plants or clones (13):

Carribean Red (local nursery)
Aji Panca (Refiningfirechiles)
Peter Pepper (Refiningfirechiles)
Jamaican Yellow Mushroom (Refiningfirechiles)
Moruga (Refiningfirechiles)
Malaysian Goronong (Refiningfirechiles)
Thai Dragon (North Park Produce)
Chenzo (North Park Produce)
Red Brain Strain (Baker's Peppers - pods)
Chinese 5-color (Orozconleche)
Aji Dulce (Orozconleche)
Datil (Orozconleche)
Bonnie "World's Hottest Hab" (Fatalii?) (Home Depot)

I'm going to do my best to keep one of each alive, but with 77 total, I might be lucky if a few croak!

 

[DocNrock]

Need to do some up-potting today. Out of soil and amendments. Off to Discount Hydro!

 

[Stefan_W]

....and off to take some pics, of course?

 

[DocNrock]

....and off to take some pics, of course?

Of course, Stefan!

I was on-call last weekend so no pepper love. Made a run to Discount Hydro for more potting soil and amendments. The 5-gallon grow bags are what I think I am going with this year. $3.79/10! Can't beat the price, and they seem durable enough for a season.

Anyway, time for pictures.

I've been using SunGro #1 and #4 mixed for the smaller plants, but with the hotter weather on the way, I'm going for #1 alone. But mixed into a bale of #1 goes a bag of Ancient Forest, a 20 lb. bag of worm castings, 8 scoops each of Indonesian and Mexican Bat Guano, and half a box of kelp meal. There is a liquid mix that I add to each plant, as well: Molasses (for K), CalMag, Potassium Silicate, GO Bioweed, and SuperThrive.

First to mix up the soil. A 3.8 cf bale of #1 becomes about 7 cf when broken up...too much for my wheelbarrow. So I laid out some plastic sheeting. It was a bit windy. Some of my little plants saw me struggling with this, so they offered to help.

All mixed up. This took about an hour to break up the bale and thoroughly mix in the amendments.

The annuums/frutesencs/baccatums are the largest plants, so I chose from those to initially up-pot to 5-gallon grow bags. A few handfuls of soil in the bottom, trim the lower leaves so as not to be buried, cut away the smaller bag, and put the rootball in the larger bag. Once I filled in around the rootball, they got 500 ml of the liquid supplement, then filled to the top with soil and watered.

I was really surprised at how few 5-gallon bags got filled.

I had 42 that I wanted to up-pot yesterday...HA! So far 11 done. I had enough soil for a couple more. So I put the rest of this side back, careful to rearrange by height so everyone would get sun.

Now I had my chineses to think about.

With only enough soil for a couple more, I opted for the two that are starting to make small pods: Black Habanero (RFC) and Dorset Naga (Biscgolf).

Dorset Naga pod forming:

Black Hab pods:

I have a few more if someone wants to gimme a bump.

 

[FireEater101]

Hi Doc! Here is a bump! Nice setup you got in your backyard. I hope the potting up goes well for you. The grow bag idea is a nice container and good cost saver too.
Mike

 

[DocNrock]

Hi Doc! Here is a bump! Nice setup you got in your backyard. I hope the potting up goes well for you. The grow bag idea is a nice container and good cost saver too.
Mike

Hey FireEater! Thanks for the bump and for stopping in! Plans for today, so more up-potting next weekend.

Here are a few more pics:

Dorset Naga before up-potting:

Not-Yellow Scotch Bonnet:

Not-Australian Lantern Hab:

Not-PI281317:

Andy F1 Gochu (Stickman):

I also cleared out my indoor grow area, which was mostly nons. Seeds for all the nons were a very generous gift from SocalChilehead. These got put in small planters and went into the greenhouse. Thai Sweet Basil, Lemon Basil, Red Romain, Baby Pak Choy, Yellow Strawberries, and a White Devil's Tongue (Shane).

Lemon Basil with roots-a-ready:

That's it for now. I'll see if I have time to snap a few more later today. Thanks for looking!

 

[stickman]

Lookin' good Doc, pods particularly!

 

[stc3248]

Thanks for the update Doc!!! Everything's looking awesome as expected brother. I have been doing much of the same...the grow room was fun, but I am ready to move outside! I found the first of the aphids on my outdoor plants this morning...how are you doing with pests?

 

[DocNrock]

Lookin' good Doc, pods particularly!

Thanks Rick. The Andy F1 looks like it will be quite prolific. There are over 10 pods on that plant! The Korean Winner got a bit sickly, but it is coming back. It had one pod that I sacrificed so it could concentrate on wellness and growth.

Thanks for the update Doc!!! Everything's looking awesome as expected brother. I have been doing much of the same...the grow room was fun, but I am ready to move outside! I found the first of the aphids on my outdoor plants this morning...how are you doing with pests?

Thank you, sir. Outdoors is where it's at...you know it! The pests haven't been awful. I had a few aphid outbreaks in the g-house that I squelched with squishing and restrained use of acetamiprid. Now that they are outdoors, I look daily and squish one or two a day. I'm waiting for my praying mantis egg cases to hatch. I picked up some ladybugs yesterday, as well. I will probably let them out in the backyard later today. A couple of my "OWs" have developed black spots. I sprayed them with Safer fungicide last night, so we will see, as this product claims to take care of that.

EDIT:

It's cool and overcast here this morning, so I just let the ladybugs out. They're exploring everything.

...even each other:

I'm guessing the tub they came in wasn't very romantic. Nothing like a leaf three feet off the ground.

 

[stc3248]

Think I will wait another week or two before setting any ladybugs free...Last year they would stick around a few days and then move on. I released them in waves though and a few eventually took up residence and from that point on the aphids were scarce. Looks like spring has sprung brother!!!

 

[Stefan_W]

Great looking setup you got there! I love the shot of the amorous ladybugs. I have a few shots like that from last year of evil bugs getting it on, and it pleases me to see that good bugs get nasty too. Did you plus in some Lionel Ritchie music to set the mood?

 

[DocNrock]

Think I will wait another week or two before setting any ladybugs free...Last year they would stick around a few days and then move on. I released them in waves though and a few eventually took up residence and from that point on the aphids were scarce. Looks like spring has sprung brother!!!

Let's hope they stick around for a while, anyway. Lovin' the spring weather. Supposed to be in the low 80's all next weekend!

Great looking setup you got there! I love the shot of the amorous ladybugs. I have a few shots like that from last year of evil bugs getting it on, and it pleases me to see that good bugs get nasty too. Did you plus in some Lionel Ritchie music to set the mood?

Thanks, Stefan! I just walked out there and just about every other ladybug sighting is a "couple." LOL on the Lionel comment! I was thinking more like GnR...Welcome to the Jungle!

 

[WalkGood]

Great update Doc, can’t wait to see dem pods mature! Hope the lady bugs stay around, mine come and go but haven’t seen that many on a plant since a release. Great pics, especially that XXX rated one, surprised you don’t have a video with some background music … Bob Marley "don’t rock my boat leaf baby," hehe ♪ ♫ ♪ Keep a close eye on the Mantis eggs, would be nice to have some cool pics of dem too

 

[DesertChris]

I love releasing ladybugs!

Last year I let the neighbor kids do it.....they had a great time and there were ladybugs everywhere...lol
I should do the Mantis also, I love those too

 

[DocNrock]

Great update Doc, can’t wait to see dem pods mature! Hope the lady bugs stay around, mine come and go but haven’t seen that many on a plant since a release. Great pics, especially that XXX rated one, surprised you don’t have a video with some background music … Bob Marley "don’t rock my boat leaf baby," hehe ♪ ♫ ♪ Keep a close eye on the Mantis eggs, would be nice to have some cool pics of dem too

You and me both, my friend! Hopefully some stay around, or at least lay some eggs. Video...too funny! Once the mantids hatch I'll see if any are photogenic. Thanks for stopping in!

I love releasing ladybugs!

Last year I let the neighbor kids do it.....they had a great time and there were ladybugs everywhere...lol
I should do the Mantis also, I love those too

They were cool. I bet the kids really loved it!

 

[sicman]

everything looks great!
im also ordering lady bugs,going to go over board with them. going to release them in my green house,shade house,and in the woods. where did you order from?

 

[PIC 1]

Great update, I like the cool photo of the roaming "Red Voltswagon's" roaming the plants.
Your plants are getting huge. The production should be heavy...

 

[DocNrock]

everything looks great!
im also ordering lady bugs,going to go over board with them. going to release them in my green house,shade house,and in the woods. where did you order from?

Thanks, Sic! Hopefully yours stick around and establish residence. I got mine from Discount Hydroponics. They have an online store, but are local to me. http://www.discount-hydro.com/

Great update, I like the cool photo of the roaming "Red Voltswagon's" roaming the plants.
Your plants are getting huge. The production should be heavy...

Thanks Greg! They are getting there, one day at a time.

 

[megamoo]

Love the bug on bug action Plants are looking good too

 

[RocketMan]

Nice Doc, those plants are looking really happy in their new homes and what better placd for a little ladybug love, cue romatic music

 

[PeriPeri]

Awesome Doc! Love the pod and bug porn combo... nice touch!