First Time Gardener, Mishaps & Exploits

First time gardener here, 9b in Southern California, have around 550-600 square feet of space to use.  Starting a garden this year, because its the first time I've had room for more than one or two plants in the last 6 years and I have hated vegetables outside of a small range since I was a kid.  I'm hoping I can help kick my issue with vegetables this year by growing them.  This all started with a drunken night celebrating and ordering some mystery "Super hot, Pepper Seed mix" off of Ebay.  No clue if the seeds will actually be true to their labels, Reaper, Red and Peach Ghost, Trinidad Scorpion and Orange Habanero.  Since I made this mistake, and didn't realize it until the item had shipped, I figured I would give it a go anyways.  My girlfriend was down (not for the peppers) to grow other assorted veggies and has since become annoyed with all of my pepper stuff that is growing.  I ordered a few types of seeds from White Hot Peppers, Bahamian Beast Peach F3, Sugar Rush Red, Purple UFO, Swamp Thing, Fatalii Chocolate, Bahamian Goat, Satan's Kiss and Aji Pineapple.  I will probably have to ninja those seeds straight into potting mix outside in my garden, because I might be murdered if my girlfriend sees me setting up a mini-greenhouse inside our house again.  I also picked up a few peppers at Cal Poly Pomona's Pepperzania about a month ago, a Carolina Reaper, Chocolate 7-pot, Himo Togarashi and one I am drawing a complete blank on.  Garden also includes your typical garden veggies, tomatoes (few different types), cucumbers, sweet corn, squash (no clue what type), carrots, beets or radishes (drawing a blank) and I am pretty sure I am forgetting something.
 
Most plants are in cloth planter bags (is that what they're called?) and all the seeds will be ninja'ed into 2 gallon cloth bags and put out of direct line of sight from my overseer.  I will take some pictures and post them up when I have time, currently at work and had a few extra minutes to type this up.  I will be enlisting help via pictures of issues I know I will have, currently fighting off a bug infestation of earwigs, neem oil should be at my place tomorrow (diatomaceous earth hasn't helped much).
 
Pepper List:
 
Cal Poly Pomona Plants:
Reaper
Chocolate 7-Pot
Himo Togarashi
One I am going blank on
 
Mystery Seeds:
Reaper
Red and Peach Ghost
Trinidad Scorpion
Orange Habanero
 
Actual Seeds from White Hot Pepper:
Bahamian Beast Peach F3 
Sugar Rush Red 
Purple UFO 
Swamp Thing
Fatalii Chocolate 
Bahamian Goat 
Satan's Kiss 
Aji Pineapple

 

[simp3204]

All 4 traps are confirmed earwig killers, the rain the first night must have been the reason only 2/4 got kills that night. A few dozen dead earwigs are in each trap so far and I’m happy about that.

My seeds that are under my little/mini greenhouse are starting to sprout that I purchased from White Hot Peppers:

Ghostly Jalapeño

Sugar Rush Red

Satan’s Kiss

Mystery eBay seeds that are supposed to be assorted super hots that I drunkenly bought are doing good. I started them in rock wool and decided to try planting a few of them in pots:

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[MakeIt20]

Looking good from the Midwest, still seeing the crap weather you sent us though!

 

[simp3204]

Looking good from the Midwest, still seeing the crap weather you sent us though!

My friends in Colorado have been complaining for a while now about their weather, I hope it gets better for everyone in the Midwest.


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[podz]

Yeah, those look like chinenses (superhots) to me.

 

[simp3204]

Yeah, those look like chinenses (superhots) to me.

Maybe my drunken buy will turn out ok then! I’ll keep everyone updated on their progress.


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[simp3204]

Got all of my baby plants officially moved outside for good. I only have 3 1 quart mason jar Kratky plants inside. 1 lettuce, that is growing really well, but is super floppity. One of my baby plants is growing super compact and short, color seems normal. I will have to take a couple pictures tomorrow of the shorty. Will most likely be moving the two below into 5 gallon bucket Kratky setups outside once they get larger.

Ghost pepper plant, forgot to mark if it is a peach or a red:

Reaper plant:

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[simp3204]

Here is the little dude that is different than all the other plants:

All the others with little dude in the lower right corner:

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[simp3204]

Had to move one of my 20 gallon planters to give the tomatoes next to it more room to grow. Found this little garden protector under the planter.

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[simp3204]

Had a water heater meltdown last night, getting a new one installed as I type this; so, I will have to get some pictures tomorrow night (I get home too late tonight, it will be super dark) of the seedlings and the plants I planted out last week.

Both the seedlings and the baby plants seem to be doing great in the mini greenhouse, I hit the containers with some diluted 5-1-1 Alaskan fish fertilizer a few days ago and they all seemed to enjoy it. I’m not entirely sure, but, 2 of the seedlings have died, both from the same type of seed. It could have been the fertilizer, but I didn’t actually notice if they had already died before applying it.

Outside of the peppers, my tomatoes are going crazy and my sweet corn is getting tall!


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[PaulG]

Looks like you are getting it done, my friend!
 
Plants and seedlings all look great.
Kudos on the Mystery buy and the WHP hooks!

 

[Devv]

Good luck this first season!

 

[simp3204]

Looks like you are getting it done, my friend!
 
Plants and seedlings all look great.
Kudos on the Mystery buy and the WHP hooks!

Thanks PaulG!


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[simp3204]

Good luck this first season!

Thanks Devv!


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[simp3204]

Got some pics from the garden, everything is looking pretty good! I have a Kratky squash or watermelon growing and it is getting crazy big. Completely forgot to get a few pics of the baby plants. The hooks are growing, no true leaves yet. The other plants I transplanted from inside my house are growing good, looks like only 1 or 2 are having any issues.

Carolina Reaper update, it has grown a lot this week! It’s getting super bushy:

7-Pot Chocolate is just a little behind it:

Serrano is starting to flower and bud up!

Insane Kratky squash or watermelon!

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[dragon49]

Had to move one of my 20 gallon planters to give the tomatoes next to it more room to grow. Found this little garden protector under the planter.

IMG_6222.jpg

IMG_6225.jpg


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What is that?
 
I thought it was a worm at first, but then I saw the eyes.

 

[simp3204]

What is that?
 
I thought it was a worm at first, but then I saw the eyes.

It’s a salamander, but I’m not sure what species. I’ve found a handful around my yard this year.

Edit: it might be a California slender salamander


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[PaulG]

Always good to have a few bug-catchers around!

 

[simp3204]

Always good to have a few bug-catchers around!

I need as many as I can get with my slight earwig infestation.

The weather is finally turning to summer and my plants seemed to enjoy the 96 degree temp today, I’m hoping they won’t mind the next couple days.

Bought these two for taste testing for future sauce making once peppers are ready to harvest:

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[PaulG]

Interesting looking sauces!

Good luck managing the 100+ temperatures.

 

[simp3204]

Garden and especially the peppers seemed to enjoy the 101 temps yesterday, today is going to be a little warmer. Looks like the plants got some growth in with the heat, I’m hoping that will continue with the temps dipping back down into the 80’s.

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