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El Jardinero 2012 Grow Log

My first ever grow log. Not new to growing .. just new to growing super hots ... and my mouth gets watery!

Want to start early and get good sized plants ready for spring. If they are a good size, I'll probably sell the extra plants at local farmers market.
Will start indoors in grow tents with 600 watt lights. Roughly 170 peppers to start. Might germinate another 100 at the beginning of the year.
Any input or feedback will and is greatly appreciated.








A big thank you to capsidadburn, Hendrix1326 and chad s for their generosity!
 
Click to expand...
Nice variety! Lookin forward to seeing your success, it will be my first year doing about the same amount of plants as you, gettin started next week, for an early start as well :D good luck to ya, I'll be keeping watch and try to throw any advice your way if ya need it.

Brandon
 
Good luck with your plants, it's a fun and rewarding venture. Looks like your off to a good start. Try to keep your soil moist, at least in the early stages.
If your selling at the "markets" grow what people will buy. Put out a good variety. Some people actually prefer the medium hots for cooking and eating raw. I sold many more of the Anaheims, Banana's, Marconi style peppers over the outrageous super hots. Although what I sold is probably more ready available in the markets where you live.
Keep those pictures rolling, its nice to see other peoples set-ups and plants this time of year!

Greg
 
Day 7-8

Most of the peppers are germinating well. :halo:
My Bishops Crowns and Fatallis are taking a while. Does anybody know if these peppers take a while?

Due to some budget cuts, (the wife) I wasn't able to purchase the 600 watt light I wanted.
The MacGyver in me found an affordable solution. Bought three 6 bulb vanity fixtures at $4 a piece at the local Habitat for Humanity store. 12 - 23watt (100 equivalent) CFLs $34 at a local supermarket

Two of these DIY fixtures put out 19,200 lumens. 276 Watts
A four bulb T5 puts out 20,000 lumens. 216 Watts

Not as efficient, but darn cheap!


 
looks like the lights needs to be lots closer
maybe 6" to start would be a whole lots betterer

nice deep green color
and the fataliis seemed to me to take a long time to sprout
and the related baccatums i tried took long time too

edited for bishop 'family'
 
El Jardinero, Good luck with your season!

I don't remember what all seeds I sent you but I hope they have germinated for you. Your lights do look far away but your seedlings look nice and stout. I keep some T8's very close until I transplant after second set of leaves or 1 inch to 1.5 inch tall. I do use a lot of CFL's too. 16 total, some 150(42) watt some 100(27) watt trying to cover the red and blue spectrum.

Thanks for keeping a grow log so we can watch too.

Mike
 
Thanks for the input. I went ahead and raised the height adjustable table to move the seedlings closer to the light. I also forgot to mention that Brain Strains have not germinated along with the Fatallis and Bishops Crown. Praying they germinate eventually. :pray: I'd really like to try one of each.

Have to mount the fixtures together and add a chain to adjust them. I'm also thinking of adding another set of DIY lights underneath the table to have 2 levels of growing area.

Pete (El Jardinero)
 
Day 20-21

Most of my peppers are germinated and going into their new home.
Going to use these Jiffy Pots ... got them at walmart clearance... $0.25 per 14 ... got last 19 packs.
They were clearing out everything right before Christmas. Score!







 
Been a while since I've updated .....
80 percent of all seeds planted are doing well.
All of them were in a state of shock due to potting up too early. Their growth was stunted.
Learned my lesson!

Also, is there such a thing as too much light for a seedling? I have 3 cfl light strips each with 6-100w lights. 2 on the top and 1 on the bottom. The plants on the plants on the bottom are in way better shape and don't have leaf up-curl. Could it be that those have steady moisture and don't dry up as fast as the top plants? Or is it less, feathered light?

Don't think I'll be using peat pots anymore. Yes they promote root growth and air pruning, but they dry out too fast and don't maintain steady balanced moisture. I think it's too much up-keep, well, for me at least. Oh, and the slightest wrong touch or movement rips the pot.

All in all, I have around 100 plants for this season.

Butch T
Trinidad Chocolate Scorpion
Limon
Congo Brown
Tabasco
7 Pot Jonah
7 Pot Douglah
Hot Firecracker
Bhut Jolokia
Bhut Jolokia Chocolate
Bih Jolokia
Giant Jalapeno


Starting a bit late ....
Bishops crown
Fatalli
7 Pot Yellow
7 Pot Red



 
Your plants look fine!,
There can never be too much light for a seedling. Although a seedling thats too close to a bulb that puts out plenty of heat is not a good thing. Leaf curl can be caused by over fertilizing especially during the beginning of the light cycle. That can put the plant into shock.
If the soil is completely dry then I will use straight water to hydrate the plants, then use a diluted fertilizer once the plants recoup the moisture needed.
The lower leaves are probably looking better since they're being shaded by the upper parts of the plants. Are you using a fan, lightweight medium?

Greg
 
Time to start hardening off and pot up my plants. They have outgrown their pots and tents.
It is also true that pepper plants will flower using only a blue spectrum. The description on the Hot Firecracker seeds said "prolific." They weren't kidding. They are flowering like crazy! Gonna pull most of them off to veg the plants some more.

 
Took my weakest Butch T plant and dropped it into a DWC setup.
Put it on a strict regimen of hydro nutrients. This baby's gonna be a monster!

Rain water
CalMag
ChemGro Pepper formula
SuperThrive

 
wow! it's been a while ...

I can proudly say that my peppers are booming and flowering like crazy!
All grown in the ground with a home mixed organic fertilizer.
This next coming week they get their worm tea bath.
I'm guessing that Trinidad peppers come from a tropical atmosphere?
None of my peppers like the Texas straight sun. My best 40 plants are growing along the fence and get partial sun protection.
I also have some bih jolokia, yellow 7 pot, butch t and jonahs in pots ... they get full bright light but no direct sun ... they're flowering like crazy as well.

Yellow 7 Pot - Huge in a 3 gallon pot but will be potted up to 7 gallons



My first yellow 7 sauce ... goes great on everything.



Trinidad Scorpion Butch T



My wall of fire



Security




Bhut Jolokia Chocolate



Bhut Jolokia Chocolate 1 of 5




Trinidad 7 Pot Douglah 1 of 5




Trinidad 7 Pot Jonah 1 of 5
 
I like leaving town and coming back to lots of ripe peppers.
Think I might auction most of my peppers this year. Too many to use.

Bhut Jolokia Chocolate
7443283092_ceac62fb4e.jpg
 
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