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]

cool,cool. cant wait to see the finished stocked green house. hurry,hurry!

Thanks for stopping in, Sicman. Greenhouse is finally done, hopefully will be stocked tomorrow.

Front:

Back:

Inside:

The shelves are from Greenhouse Megastore. The rear one is 24"x66", and the side ones are 16"x66". Hopefully tomorrow I can caulk the panel edges, run a power cord out to the greenhouse, hang a 4x48" T8 light, and make a small stand for the space heater I picked up. Then I can pot up my seedlings and introduce them to their new home. I think I decided against gravel for the inside, as there is no drainage.

Speaking of my seedlings, I had noticed some fungus gnats flying around them. So in addition to some yellow sticky sheets, which are catching the adults, I mixed up some B. thuringiensis to put in the soil / Rapid Rooters to address the larvae. For the ones that were in the Rooters, they were stunted relative to the ones in soil, and they were looking yellow. So I gave the ones in Rooters some half-strength 6-4-4. This really made a difference. They got the fert about a week ago and are already just as green as those in soil and have really started to grow now.

One thing I have not posted about in a while are the plants I have been growing all along, those I had bought and those I grew from seed. Well, now I'm finally getting some pods!

Anaheim (seeds from store-bought pod):

Chinese 5-Color (OROZCONLECHE):

Little ?Morugas (seeds from pods bought from Baker's Peppers):

I'm not sure if these are Morugas or not. If they're not Morugas, then they are Brains. Win/win to me!

I had also bought some plants from Refining Fire Chiles.

Jamaican Yellow Mushroom:

Funny, the first couple of pods off of this JYM plant were the "proper" shape. Now they're all odd-shaped. Oh well, I'll take it.

Malaysian Goronong:

If anyone remembers the threads on the Bonnie "World's Hottest Habanero" that grew Fataliis, I had picked up one of these, also. It's finally making pods. Will it be Fatalii, or Hab? Time will tell.

To make for ten pics, my Wife had picked up a Thai plant for me. Question for anyone here. This is labelled a Thai Dragon, but the Thai Dragons I have seen seem to be different. Is this a Thai Dragon, or another type of Thai plant? The pods ripen red, this I know. Anyway, it's loaded up:

That's it for now. I've got a few more pics if I get a bump!

Brent

 

[SocalChilehead]

Looks awesome great setup it going to look even better once everything is moved in. The thai dragon I grew was upright pods like your plant, but the flavor was not the best personally.
BUMP

 

[DocNrock]

Looks awesome great setup it going to look even better once everything is moved in. The thai dragon I grew was upright pods like your plant, but the flavor was not the best personally.
BUMP

Thanks, man! The few ripe pods I've gotten off of the Thai are OK. They were pretty good cooked in food. Good heat.

And thank you for the BUMP!

Not pods yet, but here is a Datil grown from seed (OROZCONLECHE):

Back to purchased plants, here is a Caribbean Red loading up for a second round of pods:

Chenzo:

And finally, Aji Panca:

The plant is over three feet tall and looks healthy to me, but what buds it has are very slow-growing. This plant has yet to make a single flower! Hopefully soon!

That's it for now. Have a great night!

 

[Stefan_W]

The plants are looking great! It looks like you'll be putting up picks of big harvests in no time (even though it may feel like an eternity to you).

 

[gasificada]

Looking good, Doc! And swish greenhouse my man!

Love the purple of the Chinense 5 Colour. And thems Chenzo a crazy plant, aren't they.

 

[DocNrock]

The plants are looking great! It looks like you'll be putting up picks of big harvests in no time (even though it may feel like an eternity to you).

Thanks, Stefan. Hoping for pods to form on my new guys come February. Maybe some of these will be ripe by then.

 

[GA Growhead]

Greenhouse looks sick!
Hope to see it full of new plants soon!

 

[DocNrock]

Looking good, Doc! And swish greenhouse my man!

Love the purple of the Chinense 5 Colour. And thems Chenzo a crazy plant, aren't they.

Thanks Gassy, and thanks for popping in. I'm thinking the greenhouse is just the right size for what I need. Love the Chi5 myself. Did you spot the yellow peppers on it in the middle of the pic/plant? Are you growing the Chenzo? Pretty cool plant in that it grows like this compact shrub and is incredibly prolific.

Greenhouse looks sick!
Hope to see it full of new plants soon!

Thanks, GA, and thanks for popping in, as well. A good number of my seedlings are beyond ready to up-pot. I have a long list of things to do tomorrow. Hope I get a chance to get them out there. If not, there is always Friday and the weekend!

 

[KiNGDeNNiZ]

Doc. Doc. Think Mcfly think!!!! Good work on the greenhouse. What's the damage?!? Maybe you can drop by and help me put it up if I buy one Pods look great,, Wish I could get mine to grow more. But damn virus made me chop all mine up. Keep us posted. And I'm sure plants will love their new home with this warm 80s we gonna have

 

[stickman]

Good looking pics Doc! You folks in SoCal and SoFlo make me jealous until I can get mine started. Good work!

 

[megamoo]

Thats a big grow list. Looks like you'll have a huge mass of plants. Hope they grow well for you.

 

[DocNrock]

Doc. Doc. Think Mcfly think!!!! Good work on the greenhouse. What's the damage?!? Maybe you can drop by and help me put it up if I buy one Pods look great,, Wish I could get mine to grow more. But damn virus made me chop all mine up. Keep us posted. And I'm sure plants will love their new home with this warm 80s we gonna have

Thanks for stopping in, Denniz. McFly? OK, LOL. http://www.harborfre...ouse-47712.html I think this particular greenhouse is a great bargain. They are sold by Harbor Freight and the cost was $239 after a 20% off coupon I found online. There are many other models out there with fewer features at far greater cost. The construction is pretty good for the price point. The assembly instructions are lacking in a few areas, but you can figure it out if you take your time. I don't know if you saw PaulG's review of this greenhouse model, but he has the same one and I believe he said it has lasted four years, so far. He built an incredible foundation for his, and I get the sense that the quality of the foundation will determine the longevity of the greenhouse. The foundation and shelving are obviously not included in the $239 price. Shelves: http://www.greenhous...nchmaster-shelf If you get one, hit me up. If I am free, I'd be happy to help. If not, I can certainly help decipher the instructions by phone or text. Between the viruses and grubs, you can't catch a break! Good luck this coming year. Maybe putting Milky Spore in the soil *before* the grubs hit will prevent them from establishing themselves? Just a thought. At least you have the AeroGarden to keep you busy. You are correct, great weather we have coming up today and through the weekend. I think these guys are gonna like the greenhouse once the cooler weather arrives.

Good looking pics Doc! You folks in SoCal and SoFlo make me jealous until I can get mine started. Good work!

Thanks, Rick. I learned a lot from my late season start this year. Now I have a fair idea of what it takes to go from seed to pods, and what sort of hazards to anticipate along the way. In retrospect, I should have had pods much earlier than this had I done some things differently. But now I have a fair idea of what not to do, so I hope my 2013 grow benefits from that knowledge substantially. If it wasn't for our climate, I would have never gotten these plants this far along. I grew up in So Cal, but went to med school and grad school in Cleveland (7 years total), so I can empathize about your winter weather. The two Gochu varieties I am growing are coming along nicely. Paprika seeds have finally germed (second round, first round was a loss to black mold). I'll put up some pics of these when I do my up-potting. Looking forward to following your grow once the timing is right in your zone!

Thats a big grow list. Looks like you'll have a huge mass of plants. Hope they grow well for you.

Thanks for stopping in and for the well-wishes, MM. I *almost* have as many plants as you! I've got some ideas from the board about varying pot sizes and some automation, which I hope will make care for them easier. I'm also resigned to the likelihood that not all of them will survive. If they do, great. If some don't survive, I will still have a pretty decent variety of pepper strains. May you have continued success with your grow. I've enjoyed following along.




I'll try to get up a few more pics today, or in a couple of days, as I noticed yesterday evening that my Moruga plant from Refining Fire Chiles just set a pod. Yellow Bhut and Douglah, both also from RFC, are flowering. So is a Barrackpore I grew from seed. Aji Dulce is budded up, flowers should follow soon!

 

[standbyandfire]

Man DockNrock, you been busy as hell lol. Pics, plants, greenhouse look great. Looks like you have a great set up. Started my 2013 season as well, got to start a grow log as well. Good luck on the rest of your season. Thanks for sharing the pics and grow info.

 

[DocNrock]

Man DockNrock, you been busy as hell lol. Pics, plants, greenhouse look great. Looks like you have a great set up. Started my 2013 season as well, got to start a grow log as well. Good luck on the rest of your season. Thanks for sharing the pics and grow info.

Thanks for stopping in, SBAF! Thanks for the well-wishes and I'll keep an eye out for your Glog!

 

[Portuge]

Man Doc, that green house looks sweet... Plants are looking great... keep the pics rolling bro...

 

[DocNrock]

Man Doc, that green house looks sweet... Plants are looking great... keep the pics rolling bro...

Thanks, Portuge, and thanks for stopping in. More pics to follow tomorrow and/or this weekend.

Had lots of things to do yesterday in prep for the Thanksgiving dinner we are hosting today, so the little guys are still under the light in the back bedroom closet. There is still Friday and the weekend, though. I did notice yesterday afternoon that my Moruga plant from RFC just set it's first pod. So did my Yellow Bhut from RFC.

I have two turkeys that have been soaking in my lime/cilantro marinade overnight. They will be going on the smoker around 7 am. They will cook for 8 hours at around 235F. Low and slow equals a beautiful smoked bird that is incredibly juicy, even the breast meat. Apple wood complements the lime/cilantro flavors perfectly. If there is anyone who has not tried a smoked turkey, they are truly missing out. I've heard the ravings about deep-fried turkey and admittedly, have yet to try it. But I've talked to some who have had both and unanimously smoked turkey wins out.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Brent

 

[SocalChilehead]

Plants look great looks like a tranplant is in order soon for them. That great news about your plants starting to pod now hopefully they continue through the season the greenhouse will help in case of sudden rain or cold.
Have a Great Thanksgiving as well

 

[stickman]

I hear ya on smoking your Tday bird... have a Brinkman charcoal smoker that's just about the right size for smoking a 16# Turkey... or kippering rather, because the heat source is directly underneath the bird and it cooks as it smokes. It takes 4 and a half hours to smoke a Turkey that size after brining it the night before. I use brown sugar, kosher salt and crumbled bay leaves in the brine. Cook halfway with the bird on its back, then flip over onto the breast to finish. The skin looks black when it's done, and too tough to chew, but the meat underneath is cooked to perfection and soooo tasty!

 

[DocNrock]

I hear ya on smoking your Tday bird... have a Brinkman charcoal smoker that's just about the right size for smoking a 16# Turkey... or kippering rather, because the heat source is directly underneath the bird and it cooks as it smokes. It takes 4 and a half hours to smoke a Turkey that size after brining it the night before. I use brown sugar, kosher salt and crumbled bay leaves in the brine. Cook halfway with the bird on its back, then flip over onto the breast to finish. The skin looks black when it's done, and too tough to chew, but the meat underneath is cooked to perfection and soooo tasty!

Happy Thanksgiving, my friend.

Nice to see another connoisseur of the smoked fowl. Nice! That's pretty quick cooking for a 16 lb. bird. Must be because the heat is directly underneath. I'm using a side pit and it's 30 to 40 min. per pound. So for two 12 lb turkeys it should be 6 to 8 hours.

And a Thanksgiving around our place would not be complete without my Cornbread dressing, made with celery, onion, sage sausage, cashews, and dried cranberries:

 

[DocNrock]

Dinner is getting close.