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Gassy's 2012/2013 Glog thingy

Well, Spring has arrived here in the Land of Oz and it's all starting to happen. I thought I would quit being a lazy bones and start a glog this season. Even though I'm so far behind where I had planned to be at this point, things are running along smoothly enough. I released some Neoseiulus californicus predator mites about a month ago to take care of my broad mite problem and so far, they are being amazing. A month later and I have yet to see any new signs of broad mite activity. It is still early days though and time will tell just how effective the little buggers are. And of course, I still have to get on top of the fruit fly problem (not looking forward to that one). With Spring here and new pods forming, the little bastages can't be too far around the corner. :(

A few piccies to get the show on the road. Not gonna backtrack or anything now... just some random shots of some of what's going on.

Rooster Spur - putting out first pods:

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Aji Amarillo x Yellow Trinidad Scorpion F2's:

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Naga Jolokia Purple x Hot Summer F1:

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Naga Jolokia Purple x Hot Summer F1:

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No chemicals in use here anymore - ladybug and lacewing eggs: :cool:

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Overwinters...

NOT Dorset Naga - coming into third year:

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Trinidad Scorpion ButchT - coming into third year:

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CGN 21500 - coming into second year:

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CGN 21566 - coming into second year:

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Pimenta da Neyde - coming into second year:

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Thanks for looking! :dance:
 
Bonda ma Jacques loaded. It's just a shame most of these will become fruit fly maggot food... :(



Spanish Naga really putting out some stonker pods now. Again, will lose a lot of these... :mad:



Aji Chuncho. These will hopefully be safe from fruit fly as they are so tiny.



Chaco. These were safe last season but some of the pods are a little bigger this season so we shall see....



Pasilla Bajio



Biker Billy



Thanks for looking! :dance:

Goats weed looks really nice, so furry!

How do you like the Spanish Naga Morich? Are they bumpy? Does it have a strong aroma compared to other bhut types?

Ummm... I still prefer Bhuts over the Spanish Naga. I find the taste milder than that of a Bhut and maybe not quite on par with heat either. As for aroma, it's got that strong super hot whaff to it but I wouldn't say it is any stronger than a Bhut or other Naga type. Great plant though! One heck of a producer and it really is putting out some big pods.

On the heat issue. As the Spanish Naga is in the ground and in a location that only gets morning sun, I'm wondering if lack of stress is playing a role. My Bhuts are in pots and I let them get hammered by full sun. Plants don't like it but damn they pump some heat! :hell:
 
Really nice looking Jalapeno and Pasillas Gassy... smoke the red-ripe jalapenos and you're halfway to a great chili powder. Throw in some dried Anchos and Anaheims, some garlic powder and ground toasted cumin seed and you're there!
 
Looking great gassy ... pity about those freaking fruit flies!! Ahh well chin up at least those broad mite issues are under control and you are getting plenty of pods and have healthy plants!!
 
Hey Gas small world I use a canon PowerShot A480 too. I agree it's a great quick point and shoot camera! Do you use the foliage mode to take your plant photos? I've switched around on it a lot but I'm yet to figure out exactly what works best. Do you have to put your hand in the shot so it doesn't focus behind pods as well?
 
Really nice looking Jalapeno and Pasillas Gassy... smoke the red-ripe jalapenos and you're halfway to a great chili powder. Throw in some dried Anchos and Anaheims, some garlic powder and ground toasted cumin seed and you're there!

Sounds like heaven! :drooling:

Looking great gassy ... pity about those freaking fruit flies!! Ahh well chin up at least those broad mite issues are under control and you are getting plenty of pods and have healthy plants!!

Thanks Trips! Speak of the devils (yeah, literally... I am convinced broad mite are devils--as are fruit fly), found a small population on one of my baby plants today. :mad: As the plant in question was just a seedling at the time of the last release of Californicus, I didn't release any on it. One thing I've noticed about Californicus is that they don't seem to disperse--they only seem to populate on the plant/s they are released on. Nonetheless though, they are doing a freakin' brilliant job.

Hey Gas small world I use a canon PowerShot A480 too. I agree it's a great quick point and shoot camera! Do you use the foliage mode to take your plant photos? I've switched around on it a lot but I'm yet to figure out exactly what works best. Do you have to put your hand in the shot so it doesn't focus behind pods as well?

I played around with the different modes at one stage some time ago but as far as I can tell, the only thing the foliage mode seems to do is filter the shot. Great that the shot looks a bit greener and all.... but not so great when you are trying to shoot ripe pods! I dunno, maybe it does more but I can't tell. Now that you mention the different modes though, I might just mess around with 'em some more and see what the other modes do.

I have been known to resort to the old hand/focus thing. ;) A lot of the time though if my hand is in the shot it's either there to hold back foliage or to roughly show the size of a pod. I really have to get myself a ruler......
 
'Bout bloody time the Choco Bhuts started ripenin'! :onfire: :D



Tovarii taking it's sweet ass time growing...



Tiny little Texas Chiltepin



Peach "Trinidad Scorpion"



(Joe, they're not looking much like Scorpions... :P Oh well, as long as they turn out peach, I don't care! ;))

Purple Flash



Really cool lookin' pods on one of the Yellow Wasp volunteers. I'm so gonna grow this phenotype on regardless of how they taste!



Cool lookin' ladybug I saw getting around the garden today. The number of different ladybugs around here is crazy!

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Waste of a nice big fat NOT Dorset

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Today's disposal of fruit fly affected pods. The amount is getting bigger on the daily now. :(

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Thanks for looking! :dance:
 
Yeah... I don't see why it wouldn't work, though the netting didn't look all that robust and how to fasten it without gaps would be the question. My first inclination would be to make a sort of tent that would pull over the outside of the greenhouse frame leaving a little extra at the bottom edges. Remove the panels, set the tent in place over the frame, roll up the bottom edges and stake them down so the wind can't lift them and let the little bastiges in. When making the tent you could cut the panels of netting a little oversize for each side of the frame, roll the edges a couple of times, wrap the cloth tape around the roll and sew the seam together.

If you're going to go to that much trouble though, something with velcro would probably be much easier to set in place.

In the end, I suspect the easiest and cheapest method is just what you're already doing, tying bags around the fruit on the plants...
 
Did you get my idea about the glass house on docnrocks glog??

Agree, major suckage when it comes to the fruit flies. If I get hit with whiteflies again this year, I'm going the californicus route, per your attestation.

I suppose you could use the greenhouse frame with mesh in place of the panels. I think it would do exacly what Trippa said. Only potential issue I see is limited space for the plants. Like Stickman said, velcro would probably be the way to go if you want to remove and replace. If not, then I have my shade cloth held on with duct tape. We just had three days of rain and wind. It's still there and did not raise on any of the corners!

Good luck, man. Must be disheartening seeing little holes in those nice pods. :(
 
Gee Gassy, it's too bad there's not an "unlike" button for the pic of those :censored: fruit fly infected pods... The choco-bhut pods look pretty darned good though!

I'm out there every day telling the fruit fly how much I dislike them. :lol:

Did you get my idea about the glass house on docnrocks glog??

Yeah... I don't see why it wouldn't work, though the netting didn't look all that robust and how to fasten it without gaps would be the question. My first inclination would be to make a sort of tent that would pull over the outside of the greenhouse frame leaving a little extra at the bottom edges. Remove the panels, set the tent in place over the frame, roll up the bottom edges and stake them down so the wind can't lift them and let the little bastiges in. When making the tent you could cut the panels of netting a little oversize for each side of the frame, roll the edges a couple of times, wrap the cloth tape around the roll and sew the seam together.

If you're going to go to that much trouble though, something with velcro would probably be much easier to set in place.

In the end, I suspect the easiest and cheapest method is just what you're already doing, tying bags around the fruit on the plants...

Deffo an idea, guys! But stickman hit the nail on the head... going for ease and cheap-assedness for now. That being said, I can really see an exclusion house being the easiest option in the long run... it's just getting it set up that's the problem. Yet another project for next season.

Hey Gas I'm moving to brissy next year. Is it true you can grow chillies all year there? Awesome pods btw

It certainly is. :D While you don't get a helluva lot of poddage over winter, you can definitely still grow. My glog and early harvests is a testament to that. ;) Truth is though, it's not all sunshine, rainbows and lollipops like it sounds. Once late spring/summer arrives, so do some of the worst of the worst pests. Winter growing is like a handicap or something. A chance to get your plants growing and get some early harvests before things take a turn for the worst. ;)

Just thought I had better warn you.... :P

Agree, major suckage when it comes to the fruit flies. If I get hit with whiteflies again this year, I'm going the californicus route, per your attestation.

I suppose you could use the greenhouse frame with mesh in place of the panels. I think it would do exacly what Trippa said. Only potential issue I see is limited space for the plants. Like Stickman said, velcro would probably be the way to go if you want to remove and replace. If not, then I have my shade cloth held on with duct tape. We just had three days of rain and wind. It's still there and did not raise on any of the corners!

Good luck, man. Must be disheartening seeing little holes in those nice pods. :(

Is it whitefly you are looking to control or have they been bringing in mites? Californicus only targets mites. If it is whitefly you are looking to try and control, something like Montdorensis would be a better bet as their preferred feast is thrip and whitefly larvae. And the other thing to consider is your climate. I don't know what your climate is like but you want something that will do well in your environment. I was actually going to go another predator mite at first but the company I was placing the order with suggested I contact this other mob about Californicus as they are more suited to my environment. I'm glad I did... Californicus are killing it! :D

I did release Monties as well as Californicus too, but even though I haven't been seeing whitefly around, I can't say just how effective the Monties are as the whitefly normally disappear around here at this time of the year.

If you do take the predator road, I hope it works out for you! My personal experience with predators has been a very positive one. Best move I ever made against broad mite.

Choco bhuts, yes! They look a little different from mine, do yours generally look like that?

Whatever that other thing is, looks really nice...

I obtained these ones from a different source than usual. Normally I get mine from THSC but as I had some from Pepperlover lying around, I decided I would give 'em a go and not let 'em go to waste. The two in that shot look a little funny but the rest are looking more like the usual ones I grow.

The real test will be the heat of these ones. I don't know if it's just because my usual ones are from Neil (I don't know what he does... everything I grow from his seed feels like the heat has been bumped up into overdrive!) but I swear Choc Bhuts are the hottest I've had so far. It will be interesting to see if I get the same heat from these ones (no, I have not tried one these ones yet... I've been crapping my pants! Will have to just bite the bullet--pun intended--and chomp one down tonight).

The second one is Ajijoe's Peach Trinidad Scorpion hybrid. Didn't end up looking like a Scorp but still looks cool!
 
Hey gassy, good to see you are getting ripe pods mate. The peach scorp I took my seeds from had the same phenotype as Grant's green scorpion,if you are familiar with that one? The heat and flavor was better though. I am not sure if ours are the same stock or not. How old is that tovarii from initial sowing. I need to get on the ball and get mine in some dirt. Good luck as always with your pests!
 
I think I've grown Neil's before too, I didn't keep track of which I grew in 2011, but I had some real nice ones I've isolated since then.


Did the crosses you attempted take? I'm especially curious about the chacoense cross... I have a few growing myself (C. chacoense x C. chinense)...
 
Today's disposal of fruit fly affected pods. The amount is getting bigger on the daily now. :(

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That really stinks losing that much. But it beats having bloody Possums.

I'm only growing small varieties tomatoes because fruit fly always seem to ruin bigger tomatoes. I'm sure I will end up with fruit fly problems but hopefully not to Febuary. I may have to bag my pods like you have.
 
“cool lookin' pods on one of the Yellow Wasp volunteers” I completely agree, the two look beautiful, let me know how they taste :) Sad to read about your fruit fly issues … hope to read you eradicate dem!
 
Morougie! :hell:



Naga x Tabasco





Bonda ma Jacques and Choco Bhut







Scored one of these bad boys the other day

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Vrrrrrrrr......

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It's a cheapie but is doing the job!

Thanks for looking! :dance:

Hey gassy, good to see you are getting ripe pods mate. The peach scorp I took my seeds from had the same phenotype as Grant's green scorpion,if you are familiar with that one? The heat and flavor was better though. I am not sure if ours are the same stock or not. How old is that tovarii from initial sowing. I need to get on the ball and get mine in some dirt. Good luck as always with your pests!

I think I've seen pics of it but don't remember now. Does it have a Scorpion shape? Can't remember when I sowed the Tovarii but it's been months now. I always mean to start keeping records on that sort of stuff but always forget. That time of the year already for you? Good luck and looking forward to seeing you have another fantastic season!

I think I've grown Neil's before too, I didn't keep track of which I grew in 2011, but I had some real nice ones I've isolated since then.


Did the crosses you attempted take? I'm especially curious about the chacoense cross... I have a few growing myself (C. chacoense x C. chinense)...

Not a lot has been taking lately thanks to the heatwave we had. All up I have about 30 different hybrids I've created this season--20 I've already harvested the parent pods and have seed for and about 10 still on the plants. Sadly most of the Chaco crosses keep failing.... but managed after three goes to get an annuum x chaco to set. I keep trying to cross chaco with baccatum but so far have been unsuccessful. The chaco pods start to form then drop off. Don't know if the heat has been causing it or whether it is some incompatability with the baccatum I have been using for pollen. One more try and I'll give up.

Speaking of hybrids, I have a Pasilla Bajio x Bhut Jolokia F1 setting it's first pod now. This one I am keen to see!

As itching as I am to get some of these other 20 odd hybrids started, I've decided I won't be starting anything else to at least after Christmas now..... I need a break! :lol: Between tending to my plants (watering every day with this heat, bagging pods, harvesting, potting up and all that) and seed saving, sorting, freezing, drying and eating pods or whatever, I have not had a spare moment to myself!

That really stinks losing that much. But it beats having bloody Possums.

I'm only growing small varieties tomatoes because fruit fly always seem to ruin bigger tomatoes. I'm sure I will end up with fruit fly problems but hopefully not to Febuary. I may have to bag my pods like you have.

Ah, yes, I've had the misfortune of dealing with bloody possums! Thankfully I don't have 'em here where I am now.

I tell ya, they're idiots too. They kept getting into my Fatalii last season and every single time I would find Fatalii upchuck around the plant. Either they became addicted to the heat or just plain never learned the lesson.......

Hey Gas buy one of these and rig it up so the fruit fly can't get in I've just bought some simular ones I'm going to be using when they arrive :D

http://www.ebay.com....=item337e1f45d2

That's an idea. Might be something else to look in to. Keep us updated on how you go with yours!

“cool lookin' pods on one of the Yellow Wasp volunteers” I completely agree, the two look beautiful, let me know how they taste :) Sad to read about your fruit fly issues … hope to read you eradicate dem!

I have another cool phenotype coming through too which I will have to post pics of later. The parent has a very nice taste, florally but pleasant. I actually hated the taste at first but it really grew on me. I've been giving them to a mate at work too who just loves 'em. Another next gen plant I grew last season/overwintered into this season kept the taste so I'm hoping these guys will too.

Here's the other next gen here:

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I can feel some poppers coming on....



Awesome size and great flavour on the Biker Billy's but I don't get it..... where's the heat??? I find them hot at best.

Bhuts. Yummy yummy!



Trinidad Scorps



Bhut x PDN



CAP 1035 Type I

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Another cool Yellow Wasp phenotype

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And one not as interesting phenotype

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Pumpkin of some kind. Can you believe the bloody fruit fly are attacking these also??

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Thanks for looking! :dance:
 
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