[SIZE=10.5pt]Idea of a grow log is great, never really thought of really logging it all but have taken a bunch of photos along the way so it should be easy to pull this all together.[/SIZE]
I started a bit late this year but that was mostly due to a fairly epic trip to New York for a friend’s wedding, but as soon as I got back home it was time to get everything going.
Having had mixed results trying to germinate last season I did plenty of reading, and then more reading and finally just a tad more reading before I decided on my plan of attack.
I had a screw case/box that was mostly empty so I used it along with some cotton balls to create a nice little seed incubator. Left over from my over wintering gear was a heat mat so I rigged it up to a thermostat and after a bit of testing I could get it to be a constant 30c in each of the little sections.
[SIZE=11pt]29th September 2013[/SIZE]
Most of the general bunch (non superhots) were fine and germinated easy, but before the others had a chance a lot went black and mouldy. A bit more reading suggested to wash all seeds an Antibacterial solution to sterilise the seed surface and break down the hydrophobic outer layer. So I did this and tried again.
[SIZE=11pt]29th October 2012[/SIZE]
After the sterilisation and taking it a bit more seriously things just went crazy, every seed was germinating, each day I would come home from work another few had kicked on. Only the Spanish Naga & Infinity were being stubborn. My own seeds from last season I had 100% success with the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion which really surprised me.
[SIZE=11pt]12th November 2012[/SIZE]
The Long chillies & Thai chillies were the first to germinate so they were the first to be transplanted into the pods. Initially I only had a single set that was from last year and quite battered but I wasn’t expecting the success so I didn’t plan too far ahead. Again these were all on a larger heat mat as the weather was still a little cool at night on the tiled floor.
The seed raising mix was a bit of a mash up of what I had lying around. The base was a premade seed raising mix but I mixed in some vermiculite and as well as some extra coir for good measure. I found it held moisture well and I was able to just add a 100ml of water to the bottom of the tray and it would soak it all up without worry.
As they all progressed it was time to work out what to do next. I had been moving the plants in and out of the sun each morning but that was easy when they were just seedlings but now it was time to transplant I needed a new idea.
After walking around the local hardware store for quite some time I thought that the storage tubs you slid under your bed would be perfect, as they are not too high and have little (crappy) wheels to help you move them around. I found what I was after and then began to work out what sized pots would work. I ended up with 140mm pots as I could fit 15 per tub and they would be large enough for the next few months.
Transplanting was an easy but time consuming task. I went for a premade potting mix, this time one made for tomatoes and herbs as it appeared to be the best I could find in terms of drainage. I added more coir to this as well as it’s awesome.
[SIZE=11pt]11th December 2013[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]15th December 2012[/SIZE]
As it currently stands I am pretty happy with how it has all gone so far. I had a really good success rate with my seeds and all the plants are looking super healthy and bug free. Not sure what I will do with the 70 plants I have now as I never expected to have such a good run.
[SIZE=11pt]4th January 2014[/SIZE]
I started a bit late this year but that was mostly due to a fairly epic trip to New York for a friend’s wedding, but as soon as I got back home it was time to get everything going.
Having had mixed results trying to germinate last season I did plenty of reading, and then more reading and finally just a tad more reading before I decided on my plan of attack.
I had a screw case/box that was mostly empty so I used it along with some cotton balls to create a nice little seed incubator. Left over from my over wintering gear was a heat mat so I rigged it up to a thermostat and after a bit of testing I could get it to be a constant 30c in each of the little sections.
[SIZE=11pt]29th September 2013[/SIZE]
Most of the general bunch (non superhots) were fine and germinated easy, but before the others had a chance a lot went black and mouldy. A bit more reading suggested to wash all seeds an Antibacterial solution to sterilise the seed surface and break down the hydrophobic outer layer. So I did this and tried again.
[SIZE=11pt]29th October 2012[/SIZE]
After the sterilisation and taking it a bit more seriously things just went crazy, every seed was germinating, each day I would come home from work another few had kicked on. Only the Spanish Naga & Infinity were being stubborn. My own seeds from last season I had 100% success with the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion which really surprised me.
[SIZE=11pt]12th November 2012[/SIZE]
The Long chillies & Thai chillies were the first to germinate so they were the first to be transplanted into the pods. Initially I only had a single set that was from last year and quite battered but I wasn’t expecting the success so I didn’t plan too far ahead. Again these were all on a larger heat mat as the weather was still a little cool at night on the tiled floor.
The seed raising mix was a bit of a mash up of what I had lying around. The base was a premade seed raising mix but I mixed in some vermiculite and as well as some extra coir for good measure. I found it held moisture well and I was able to just add a 100ml of water to the bottom of the tray and it would soak it all up without worry.
As they all progressed it was time to work out what to do next. I had been moving the plants in and out of the sun each morning but that was easy when they were just seedlings but now it was time to transplant I needed a new idea.
After walking around the local hardware store for quite some time I thought that the storage tubs you slid under your bed would be perfect, as they are not too high and have little (crappy) wheels to help you move them around. I found what I was after and then began to work out what sized pots would work. I ended up with 140mm pots as I could fit 15 per tub and they would be large enough for the next few months.
Transplanting was an easy but time consuming task. I went for a premade potting mix, this time one made for tomatoes and herbs as it appeared to be the best I could find in terms of drainage. I added more coir to this as well as it’s awesome.
[SIZE=11pt]11th December 2013[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]15th December 2012[/SIZE]
As it currently stands I am pretty happy with how it has all gone so far. I had a really good success rate with my seeds and all the plants are looking super healthy and bug free. Not sure what I will do with the 70 plants I have now as I never expected to have such a good run.
[SIZE=11pt]4th January 2014[/SIZE]
