• Blog your pepper progress. The first image in your first post will be used to represent your Glog.

Fizz's First Grow Log - 2012

Thanks to all the good information on this site, my plan is below:
  • Hot Peppers started three weeks ago (03Mar2012) in 72 cell domed tray: Standard Orange Habanero, Bishop's Cap, Chocolate Habanero (gift from my daughter, it is all her fault that I am having all this fun), Bhut Jolokia, Hot Cherry, Big Sun Habanero.
  • Planter's Pride seed starter mix.
  • Heating mat with temp controller. Set to 85F with probe inserted into the soil of a middle cell. Basement is 65F.
  • Styrofoam Insulation covered with mylar (emergency blanket).
  • Lights = 6500 32W T8 (now four bulbs total). I was about 2" above the seedlings. Now it looks closer to 4-5" depending on seedling height. Lights are on a timer 18hr on/ 6hr off.
  • Bottom watering with distilled water. I started using 1/2 strength of Miracle Grow Quick Start.
  • Fan on low setting just wiggles the plants a little bit. I started using it 3x per day for 1/2hr at a time.
  • Pro-Mix Ultimate Organic Mix for repotting into 3.5" square containers Red Solo Cups. I plant to repot when second set of full leaves are out (soon for standard orange habanero).
  • The plan is to plant after Memorial day in my dad's garden and I will take over one or more of my wife's flower gardens (with her permission of course).

Hot Pepper Grow Setup1 by bigfan1403, on Flickr

 
Click to expand...
Amazing how people get the plants so big in a beer cup. When mines get a bit big they seem to stop growth and only continue when I pot them up. Maybe lack of nutrients because plants uptake it fast when so little soil.

Glad to see your Chocolate Habanero's are doing so well. Mine didn't stand a chance this year, 0 germination out of 30 seeds.
 
One week after transplant and another lesson learned - cage or stake your plants when planting.

I planted last weekend and all seemed good after one day, then we had a big storm roll through with very high winds. I luckily did not lose any plants, but some the habaneros and ghost peppers with their large leaves in a compact plant acted like small umbrellas and were almost pulled from the ground. Part of the root ball were exposed after tipping over. I ran to the store and got some wire cages. Whew!

Hot Cherry Plants with small peppers:

Hot Cherry Pepper by bigfan1403, on Flickr


Hot Cherry Pepper by bigfan1403, on Flickr

Chocolate Habanero:

Chocolate Habanero by bigfan1403, on Flickr

Ghost Pepper:

Ghost Pepper by bigfan1403, on Flickr

Big Sun Habanero:

BIg Sun Habanero by bigfan1403, on Flickr

Bishop's Cap:

Bishop's Cap by bigfan1403, on Flickr
 
Recent rains have really perked up the plants after a long hot dry spell here in Michigan. There are many pods and some are ripening. I will make some hot pepper jam this weekend with the jalapeno and hot cherry peppers. I am drying the chocolate habs. Unfortunately the one ghost pepper was moldy inside.


2012-08-11_10-05-41_537 by bigfan1403, on Flickr

The peppers on the left are from my garden, on the right were from my dad's garden:

2012-08-11_10-08-08_84 by bigfan1403, on Flickr
 
Harvest is in full swing. I am noticing that about 10-20% of my Chocolate Habs and Ghost Peppers look good from the outside, but when I slice them open they have a black fungus or mold inside. I am beginning to wonder if the plants are too close together and not getting adequate airflow?

We have been making Cherry Bomb Hot Pepper Jam:

Cherry Bomb Jam by bigfan1403, on Flickr


Peppers for Jam by bigfan1403, on Flickr

Also have been drying the Habaneros and Ghost Peppers for future uses:


Chocolate Habs by bigfan1403, on Flickr


Drying Peppers by bigfan1403, on Flickr
 
Man great grow Fizz. It amazes me how some of you first time growers don't look so first timer.

Keep the updates coming. :fireball:
 
Wow haven't been by in a while...your corner pepper patch is looking great! Nice pulls to my brother! You got the jams and the powders working too...great stuff Fizz!
 
End of my first growing season is here. Noticed heavy white frost on the roofs of houses last week. Right away my ghost pepper plants started losing leaves. The other plants look ok, but the remaining peppers don't seem to be getting ripe.


Ghost Peppers losing leaves after 1st Frost by bigfan1403, on Flickr


End of 2012 Growing Season by bigfan1403, on Flickr


Big Sun Habs at end of 2012 Growing Season by bigfan1403, on Flickr


Finished drying peppers and attempted making powder by following the ideas posted by others. Mason jar mounted to the blender. It worked great. Ended up with three small jars of powder. Two Chocolate Hab and one Big Sun Hab/Ghost Mix (two for me and one for my daughter in Australia).


Dried Peppers Before Grinding by bigfan1403, on Flickr


Peppers After Grinding by bigfan1403, on Flickr


Two Chocolate Habanero and One Big Sun Habanero/Ghost Pepper by bigfan1403, on Flickr


The mystery peppers that were mistakenly packaged by Burpee as Habanero turned out to be "hot daddy". Pickled the last of them this weekend. This concludes my first year pepper growing adventure.


Mystery Peppers = Hot Banana by bigfan1403, on Flickr


Last of 2012 Growing Season Peppers by bigfan1403, on Flickr


Pickled Peppers by bigfan1403, on Flickr

Thank you for visiting and for the comments.
 
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