Guru's 2013

It begins with a tray...

 

[Spicegeist]

Cool pods... Aji Chuncho seems like a fun little pepper.  Are you growing Donne Sali this year too?

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Yeah. good sandwich pepper but will def dry them out for powder and prob do some pepper vinegar with them (Chuncho) never heard of that one spice. Gonna look it up

 

[PIC 1]

Rich,
I dig your drying table ,got me thinking,  my wheels are turning with and idea, I just need to take my foot off the brake and get cracking with it
Have you had any pods mold up ?

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Rich,
I dig your drying table ,got me thinking,  my wheels are turning with and idea, I just need to take my foot off the brake and get cracking with it
Have you had any pods mold up ?

If you have a fan on full blast with a lot of air moving all the time they won't mold up. Without the fan, you'll get mold for sure. (edit: Variety and skin thickness dependent, of course) Some peppers don't even need to be sliced open. The rooster spurs will sun dry perfectly right on the plant or just picked and put into the fruit bowl on the dining room table.
 
 
 
Found the Ameraucanas taking up residence today in the containers...lol
 
 

 
 
I think they are eating all my worms... lol Guess we will see just how strong chicken shit is...

 

[Devv]

They take and give....

 

[ronniedeb]

Nice Chickens!

 

[Portuge]

Chickens will keep on giving till you decide that their for dinner... Easy picking on the chicky poo for the garden...

 

[Yumyumyellow]

I do the big cages you're talking about... you'll have to gently weave them back inside. It works really well but after a while it blots out the sun for the inner leaves so they gotta get snipped or they just drain energy from the plant. They'll reach the top of the cage and form a mushroom like shape; it's kind of interesting. I've gotten several pounds off each of each plant so far.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

The plan is to not weave them back in. I want the branches to grow through the cage so they can lay down on each square. This way the pressure won't be so stressfull on inner branch forks. My birgit loco to did the mushroom thing you're talking about but I weave her branches back in to go straight up. Once she reached the top of the cage she kept going and eventually laid down like that.

 

[Yumyumyellow]

gotcha! i'm really interested to see how that works for you

 

[chsy83]

What has been happening?

 

[Pepper-Guru]

What has been happening?

Just trying to keep up with all the pods! The mere act of picking got all sorts of hairy a couple months ago! LOL I actually lay down on a skate board and pick facing up. Its pretty cool. Oh, and did you know humming birds also try and get their beaks into pepper flowers!? I didn't but I do now and its pretty awesome. There isn't any nectar of course, but the experience of humming birds battling over pepper plants while harvesting is really peaceful and entertaining.
 
I'm in the process of tagging isolated pods and flowers for seed stock.
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
Oh! Look at the pods on this Aji Chuncho! Holy crap. This plant is 7 ft+
 

 
 
 
Filling up the boxes. The baggies are seed keepers from the garden plot.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
The patio plants in the smaller containers are finally starting to show the need for some soil nutrition. Yellowing just a bit. It is getting later in the season but I can tell the soil is just about spent. It was a good run though! Going to feed the soil for the second time the entire season Things are all good. Weather is cooling down, fall is here.

 

[GnomeGrown]

did you know humming birds also try and get their beaks into pepper flowers!? I didn't but I do now and its pretty awesome. There isn't any nectar of course, but the experience of humming birds battling over pepper plants while harvesting is really peaceful and entertaining.
 

 
Indeed it is, Guru.

 

[Portuge]

What an experience that would be to see that... Hummingbird battles over pepper flower round 1... Awesome harvest Guru

 

[ronniedeb]

Nice update Guru. The Aji Chuncho looks great. 

 

[chsy83]

Nice update.  I like the straws to mark isolated pods!

 

[Pepper-Guru]

I know I've been a bit mia since late summer but I've been very busy. Between harvesting, becoming a chicken master, tracking the record, gigging around town, camping, hiking, fishing, roasting hogs, making wine and playing Daddy/Husband of life... Its been one great fall!
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Some late season Yellow 7's getting their scorpion on.

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
Winter is fast upon us now as fall has taken over. The bittersweet feeling returns once again. We look back at another great year with our hands in the dirt and heat on our plates.

I'll be bringing a select few plants in to overwinter and composting the rest. The cycle continues. Have a great fall THP

 

[Portuge]

Good ol camping pics, love em Rich... Can't forget about the piggy in the fire pit... Tasty right there..

 

[Devv]

 
Winter is fast upon us now as fall has taken over. The bittersweet feeling returns once again. We look back at another great year with our hands in the dirt and heat on our plates.

The cool thing is we get to do it again next year

 

[Pepper-Guru]

One thing is for sure; the chickens had a GREAT time this season. Whether it was taking refuge from the hawks, drinking my rain water, eating all my rolly pollies, or taking dirt baths...they enjoyed the patio!