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Growing Chiles in HEL - 2020

So this is it folks, I've recovered my password and bought 10 seedlings today from Jukka "Fatalii" Kilpinen. Didn't start any of my own seeds due to laziness, though I still might start some to sell.


Pubescens
--------------
3 x Rocoto Marlene
2 x Big Brown
1 x Mini Rocoto
1 x Costa Rica

Annuum
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1 x Jalapeno Early

Baccatum
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1 x Lemon Drop

Chinense
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1 x Fatalii


Photos coming tomorrow when I clean the junk out of my sauna and establish the grow room again.
 
Click to expand...
OK, did some more work on the grow room (sauna) yesterday. Used a 2 liter per hour dripper in each pot but I'm thinking I might need to change them and go with the 4's. Still need to get a timer for the lights, currently I just unplug the feeder extension cord at night and plug it in again in the morning. Been running clear water for some hours now doing a test of the recirculation system.
 
On the top shelf, we mounted 2 of the 6500k LED lamps for starting seeds, also put mat heaters under the trays.
 
Moved the Danish Tray down to the bottom shelf so the powerful LED lamp can be kept at a proper distance and not fry the leaves. Also mounted the other two 6500k LED lamps on the back wall as supplemental lighting for the bottom shelf.
 
A 30 litre bucket as the nutrient reservoir, submersible pump inside. The Danish Tray drain is the yellow hose. The black hose feeds the drippers. The blue and white thing is my Bluelab EC truncheon. There is also an air pump blowing to a "stone" thingy in order to prevent mosquitoes from moving in.
 
Hope to be washing the rootballs today and plunging the babies into the clay pebbles.
 
This system is called Twisted Sister! What do you wanna do with your life? I WANNA ROCK!
 
 
IMG_2293.jpeg
 
CaneDog said:
Your system's looking great!  Twisted Sister, huh?    :metal:  
 
What are you starting in the seed tray?  Anything special that you're planning to grow out versus selling off?
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Thanks CD :-) I was 18 years old when that song was released and the whole world was my oyster! Music still hasn't gotten much better IMO.
 
Probably I will start a boatload of annuums for selling - I have been able to subsidise quite a bit of the cost of my system by doing that. If you nute them enough, they get yuuuge in 3 weeks or so.
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRwrg0db_zY
 
PaulG said:
First class set-up, Mika.
 
Very professional all around!
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, Paul. Not too pro when I don't even have the lights on a timer ;-) But I'm trying bit by bit. I hope these angry, burnt plants recover in a few days.
 
The drip lines are just not putting out enough for plants growing in hydroton. Spent the better half of today building the new and improved version.
 
Each pot gets a dedicated shut-off valve, also 2 x 2 liter per hour inline drippers and 2 x 4 liter per hour end-drippers. That should work quite a bit better.
 
Need to redo the main trunk lines now and then start connecting and testing and adjusting each pot one by one.
 
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Wow, spent the entire day working on the drip system. Working a lot better now. I am very happy with the result although it took a whole lot of time and effort and several redos.
 
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Spent some quality time with a pair of scissors.
 
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Trimmed the fatalii up real nice.
 
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Good work on the drip system.
Nice and tidy. Looks like a pro installation.
 
Good to have individual shutoff valves
on each line. I did the same thing the
second season I had my system in. Live
and learn.  Sometimes.
 
PaulG said:
Good work on the drip system.
Nice and tidy. Looks like a pro installation.
 
Good to have individual shutoff valves
on each line. I did the same thing the
second season I had my system in. Live
and learn.  Sometimes.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, Paul.
 
I'm so slow when it comes to trying to do things "right". What should probably take an hour or two takes me ten. Trimming 2mm at a time off the ends of the hoses to make them fit just right :-)
 
First time growing in hydroton, so not too sure about anything. I guess one reason for individual valves is if a plant starts to show signs of overwatering but it might not be possible to water too much with hydroton. My initial plan is to leave the drippers on 24/7. The other reason for individual valves is obviously (or maybe not) maintenance. Whole lot easier to do work on the system (cleaning or replacing drippers) if you can shut off the flow. But, damn, it adds a lot of cost to the system.
 
Did you ever have problems with salt buildup in the drippers?
 
podz said:
Did you ever have problems with salt buildup in the drippers?
Click to expand...
My drip system just runs tap water, so
no fertilizer salts to build up. It's strictly
an outdoor setup for summer. I don't
fertilize much in the summer, anyway. I
have switched to organic meals as an
amendment when plant-out time comes.
 
I hear you about the micro fine-tuning,
though I don't have to be quite as anal
as you in the indoor sauna set-up  :lol:
 
PaulG said:
My drip system just runs tap water, so
no fertilizer salts to build up. It's strictly
an outdoor setup for summer. I don't
fertilize much in the summer, anyway. I
have switched to organic meals as an
amendment when plant-out time comes.
 
I hear you about the micro fine-tuning,
though I don't have to be quite as anal
as you in the indoor sauna set-up  :lol:
Click to expand...
 
I am contemplating switching from salt-based nutes to organic but they are more expensive and harder to find.
 
Also starting a batch of alfalfa seed sprouts now to make some tea FSST and will start pumping that through my driplines when it's ready :-)  Still 6 weeks til plant out so a lot of opportunity to grow the rocotos well.
 
podz said:
Also starting a batch of alfalfa seed sprouts now to make some tea FSST and will start pumping that through my driplines when it's ready :-)  Still 6 weeks til plant out so a lot of opportunity to grow the rocotos well.
Click to expand...
That is something I've been looking at,
as well.
Skullbiker sort of got me interested. Just
seems like another contraption to deal with
in limited space.
 
PaulG said:
That is something I've been looking at,
as well.
Skullbiker sort of got me interested. Just
seems like another contraption to deal with
in limited space.
Click to expand...
 
Same here. You can buy similar stuff already made but it is damned expensive: Canna Boost.
 
6 weeks until plant out is still quite a while.  Those rocotos should be big by then.  What sort of minimum temps do you want for plant out?
 
I tried FSST based on The Skullbiker's posts.  I used malted barley from the homebrew shop most recently.  Good reminder I have some tucked away in the cupboard I could break out now that things are starting to go outside.
 
Glad to see your system all up and running!
 
CaneDog said:
6 weeks until plant out is still quite a while.  Those rocotos should be big by then.  What sort of minimum temps do you want for plant out?
Click to expand...
 
Ideally 10 celcius / 50 fahrenheit nighttime temps so they don't slow down but they might go out a bit sooner. I don't have unlimited space, so I will need to exercise my scissors now and then :-)
 
Nice work on the drip system ;) And the plants look great!
 
Nothing wrong with exercising the scissors. I was in the garden doing the same for a while today. And lots of "a whiles" still await me :shh: Around here to trim the lower leaves on a tomato plant is a must do; kneeling down to pull weeds and seeing a Rattle Snake 18"s away is not something I want to experience ever again!
 
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