contest Growdown Throwdown 2016 !!!

randyp · Mar 30, 2016

I started 3 pots with a seed starter mix on 3-14.On 3-20 I started another batch in baggies.And last night in the "Last Call" mini run I put some in pucks and more baggies(coffee filter).I have a cutoff of 4-15 for my outdoor 50 plant reservation.By then any plants I move into Iowa dirt need to not only be started but also transplanted to a solo cup.I have a feeling that Mother Nature likes to remind us of who is truly in charge of the when and what for's as far as her growing schedule is concerned.Shall I not be able to join in the festivities,I assure you I will follow the grow down closely to make sure your plants dont have the look of plastic. :shh:

3-14-16 pic taken today

last call starts

chocolatescotchbonnet · Mar 30, 2016

randyp said:
I started 3 pots with a seed starter mix on 3-14.On 3-20 I started another batch in baggies.And last night in the "Last Call" mini run I put some in pucks and more baggies(coffee filter).I have a cutoff of 4-15 for my outdoor 50 plant reservation.By then any plants I move into Iowa dirt need to not only be started but also transplanted to a solo cup.I have a feeling that Mother Nature likes to remind us of who is truly in charge of the when and what for's as far as her growing schedule is concerned.Shall I not be able to join in the festivities,I assure you I will follow the grow down closely to make sure your plants dont have the look of plastic.
3-14-16 pic taken today

DSCF9499.jpg
last call starts

DSCF9498.jpg

I sure hope you get them to sprout, cause you had some monsters last year!

Noah Yates · Mar 30, 2016

I guess maybe I should try to start another round of serlanos.

jimbo53 · Mar 30, 2016

Still nothing in either the Rock-wool or soil.

Scuba_Steve · Mar 30, 2016

Noah Yates said:
I guess maybe I should try to start another round of serlanos.

I am wishing I didn't use all the seeds already so I could do this as well! Im up to 5 black seeds as of this morning, and the inside of the cups smell musty. I think they are all goners...

Coup · Mar 30, 2016

Any reason why this pepper is so hard to germinate?

sirex · Mar 30, 2016

I'm about to give up on all of this. I've got all sorts of stuff that already sprouted but these damn grow down seeds are putting me in a bad ass mood

Noah Yates · Mar 30, 2016

For the future, I would like to respectfully suggest that we use a variety that is well known and widely marketed and people can purchase their own seeds. Examples might be: ferry-morse brand (widely distributed) poblano, serrano, orange habanero, early jalapeno, bell, passila bajio, or long slim red cayenne... etc

For that matter I think we could still have a growdown of that nature.... again... its just as much of a contest to grow the tallest plant in a shorter period of time.

Lovepeppers · Mar 30, 2016

Nothing on the first half of the seeds. I started all of the rest I have this morning.

Maybe I microwaved my seeds too long, lol.

On a positive note, here's a picture of my Aji Blanco.

Scuba_Steve · Mar 30, 2016

Nah, you probably didn't microwave them long enough... They should be glowing when you take them out!

Noah Yates · Mar 30, 2016

In fact... the rapid cell division phase of early growth could work to our advantage if we were to use a "late started" anuum. I have planted anuums in late April and watched them take off.

Scuba_Steve · Mar 30, 2016

A more open growdown would be interesting as well. Specify that your plant must be a habanero or bell. Let people choose their pony.

Coup · Mar 30, 2016

I think having one variety of seeds is a better idea, but it'd be nice if we had a variety that germinated fairly easily. These are just ridiculous.

Noah Yates · Mar 30, 2016

I like the idea of an open growdown type scenario too. I had a black habanero grow to 8 feet one time with no special attention.

BigB · Mar 30, 2016

i think the whole point is to see who has the best grow methods and not have genetics be the factor of size. Thus, everyone gets the same seed source. With that being said, were these seeds not OP and bred to be 100% serlano?

Pepper-Guru · Mar 30, 2016

Noah Yates said:
For the future, I would like to respectfully suggest that we use a variety that is well known and widely marketed and people can purchase their own seeds. Examples might be: ferry-morse brand (widely distributed) poblano, serrano, orange habanero, early jalapeno, bell, passila bajio, or long slim red cayenne... etc
For that matter I think we could still have a growdown of that nature.... again... its just as much of a contest to grow the tallest plant in a shorter period of time.

I think a better idea would be to change the end and start dates. Viable seeds are just a matter of good collection and storage practices.

Noah Yates · Mar 30, 2016

Ferry-morse presumably would be selling the same seeds to everyone.

These are the types of peppers you are going to find at every garden center and department store around the country... and they are sold online by multiple vendors. It is just a suggestion for a way to ensure everyone "invests in" the contest... as well as ensuring quality seed stock.

http://www.plantationproducts.com/catalog/cfCatalog.cfm?c=3042

Roguejim · Mar 30, 2016

Day #16...uh...WE HAVE HOOKAGE!! WE HAVE HOOKAGE!!! Never a doubt...Never a doubt. Germination rate of ~5%!!

Hybrid Mode 01 · Mar 30, 2016

At the risk of getting run out of here by an angry mob with pitchforks, I thought I'd share how my plants are doing.

Planting heavy pays off! I think I'm at about a 25% germ rate. I'm kind of amazed actually. My chinense grow is pretty much a dumpster fire of failure right now. I think I'm beginning to see light at the end of the sewer pipe, but my plants are about two months behind schedule.
Whatever though. I like to think the lessons I learned by almost killing every one of my plants a few months ago have helped me become the master ( :rofl:

) gardener you see before you today.

millworkman · Mar 30, 2016

Nothing here yet.