Guru's Garden - Traveling the World in Search of Peppers

Just starting this glog now so it's one less thing to do in a few months when I'm knee deep in compost and getting things in the ground.
 
Not much to report at the moment. Strains yet to be determined, but I'll probably end up growing too many like always...lol
 
 
Only thing that's going on right now is a clean back patio and the chickens doing their part turning over my compost pile on the daily. Intersted in seeing how the soil microbes appreciate the added chicken poop!
 

 

 
Hope everyone has had a decent winter so far and here's to happy germination!
 

 
 
 
EDIT UPDATE: This glog has turned into an ongoing overwintering, greenhouse and soil building how-to!

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Nice! Can't wait to see your grow this year.

Not expecting anything short from amazing.

Learned a lot about soil from your past grows.

Enjoy today.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Well, the first sprout of the grow down goes to me I guess...hahah
 
Peruvian Serlano
 

 
 
Means nothing though! Those boys and girls in the grow down thread sure know how to grow em! I've got my work cut out for me! 

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

Nice!

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Saw this go box while at the hydro store, had to try it out for the seedlings. Sure is one stanky danky box of goodies

Not that I usually buy "fertilizers" anymore these days, but couldn't beat the price, so went for it on these early stage seedlings. May even incorporate some of it in a bit of a comparison log. Maybe the nutes in a bottle vs home made fish hydrolysate. Same container, same soil, same variety (same pheno if at all possible, maybe take cuttings from a mother and do it that way). Who knows depends on what I got going on. I do plan to start save my mothers again, so this will be as good an excuse as any to start.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Getting some things done around the property today. This was long over due; word of advice, don't use any plastic not rated for UV protection on your green houses. This is what happens after a season:

I've done it before in a pinch and this stuff was cheap but it went quickly this time around. Next step is cleaning up all this crap and ordering some good stuff.

Also, the wife and I are doing a drunken compost pile today. Essentially layers of green and browns with beer sprayed in between layers to kick start the microbes. Go from leaf and grass to soil in under 14 days. Will post back with step by step in a bit.

 

[dragonsfire]

lol, the UV is some powerful stuff and getting stronger.

 

[Trident chilli]

Looking forward to the drunken compost pile ... do you recommend a beer ... organic - real ale - or your bog standard can of bitter

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Looking forward to the drunken compost pile ... do you recommend a beer ... organic - real ale - or your bog standard can of bitter

 
Honestly, any carbohydrate will do. I used some ipa, urine, and brown rice syrup for this one  

 

[Chilima]

Getting some things done around the property today. This was long over due; word of advice, don't use any plastic not rated for UV protection on your green houses. This is what happens after a season:

I've done it before in a pinch and this stuff was cheap but it went quickly this time around. Next step is cleaning up all this crap and ordering some good stuff.

Also, the wife and I are doing a drunken compost pile today. Essentially layers of green and browns with beer sprayed in between layers to kick start the microbes. Go from leaf and grass to soil in under 14 days. Will post back with step by step in a bit.
 

 
You mean like this?

 

[Pepper-Guru]

You mean like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDPAbkUUT-o
 

Something like that! Home brew beer/wort, brown rice syrup, and my own urine for mine, but yes! Also my pile is a bit larger. I'll post a few pics tomorrow!

Basically what's happening here, is you're throwing N via the ammonia source, a beneficial organism feeding via carbohydrate source. Molasses, brown rice syrup, etc (beer has the added benefit of yeasts and other bacteria). All this just to supercharge the pile and reduce the amount of time it takes for the material to be converted to soil. Feed the soil...

Could it be done without the added goodies? Yes. But not as fast.

Besides it's even faster when you physically shred the contents down into smaller pieces. That's the real time saver. More so than the spraying of some soil food. The food is already in the materials you are throwing in to begin with. The "greens" (N source) and the "browns"(carbon source). Natures been doing this a long time.

We will see how it goes, but the pile was already heating up after building it today.
Some people cover their piles, some don't. I do a hybrid thing. Lay the tarp over the pile to trap some heat, but leave the sides open for air exchange. Air is very important for fast composting.

I'll monitor it daily with a thermometer just to make sure I got my ratios right and things are cooking. 7 days I'll chop it all up, turn, refeed with some really stanky anaerobic leachate, cover and in 7 more days, it should be done. We hope, right? I'm taking some video thoughout so, I'll post something.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

FYI I plan on using the soil that comes out of this pile as the bulk of my medium for the grow down plant. Peruvian Serlano. The Serlano will be going in an 85 gallon air pruning container on the back patio. If it gets big enough I'll tie it up to the gutter downspout on the corner of the house and train it up along side it. That's the plan anyway.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Looks like you got the composting down. I bought a cast iron, gas powered, compost shredder. It's from the early seventies I think. It's like a wood chipper but has a screen that attaches to the hopper. Nothing escapes until it's chopped to that size. I have a one inch screen and a half inch screen. I'll try your method as soon as I get it up and going.

 

[az1000]

OK boys and girls, here goes 2016! 
 
Keeping it down to one tray, 16 varieties. May the strongest seedling prevail. 
 

 
 

 
 
The list:
 
Bad Datil
Bhut Assam Raja
Black Naga
Cardi Yellow Scorpion
Vietato
Virgil T Ainsworth Rooster Sour
Orange Thai
Coyote Zan White
Florida Wild
Yellow 7 Pod
Growdown 2016 ( Peruvian Serlano)
Peruvian Smuggle ("Pene de Mono" long white)
Peruvian Smuggle (Red Roccoto GIANT)
Peruvian Smuggle (Aji Limon long yellow)
Peruvian Smuggle (Aji Charapita red)
Peruvian Smuggle (Aji Charapita yellow)
 
Here is a visual reminder of the peruvian varieties I brought back.
 

 
 
The small round red and yellow ones are Charapita. They are served with nearly every meal in every cafe, restaurant, street joint etc, as a garnish along side lime wedges. The long white ones reminded me of the caterpillars I grew many years ago, so I made sure to get some of those. One local in the Belen market told me they were called "Pene de Mono", so I'll just let you figure that one out. The Roccoto peppers there were mutant sized everywhere. The Aji Limon were in every grocery store and everyone's gardens. Should be fun times trying to grow them
 
I'll update when we get hooks! 

Amazing Rocoto!
Do you have seedlings from him ?

 

[Devv]

Something like that! Home brew beer/wort, brown rice syrup, and my own urine for mine, but yes! Also my pile is a bit larger. I'll post a few pics tomorrow!

Basically what's happening here, is you're throwing N via the ammonia source, a beneficial organism feeding via carbohydrate source. Molasses, brown rice syrup, etc (beer has the added benefit of yeasts and other bacteria). All this just to supercharge the pile and reduce the amount of time it takes for the material to be converted to soil. Feed the soil...

Could it be done without the added goodies? Yes. But not as fast.

Besides it's even faster when you physically shred the contents down into smaller pieces. That's the real time saver. More so than the spraying of some soil food. The food is already in the materials you are throwing in to begin with. The "greens" (N source) and the "browns"(carbon source). Natures been doing this a long time.

We will see how it goes, but the pile was already heating up after building it today.
Some people cover their piles, some don't. I do a hybrid thing. Lay the tarp over the pile to trap some heat, but leave the sides open for air exchange. Air is very important for fast composting.

I'll monitor it daily with a thermometer just to make sure I got my ratios right and things are cooking. 7 days I'll chop it all up, turn, refeed with some really stanky anaerobic leachate, cover and in 7 more days, it should be done. We hope, right? I'm taking some video thoughout so, I'll post something.

 We add close to 8 gallons of kitchen waste a week, yeah the wifey cooks , mix this with shredded green cow manure that I collect here on the ranch. I add leaves as well. At the end of last year I have over a yard after running it through the chipper shredder. I mix this with mature finely shredded mulch I get free from the county. Scored 48yds this winter. So yeah, I follow your feed the soil program, since 1982. It sure works!
 
Keep spreading the knowledge, it's almost a forgotten art.

 

[TXCG]

Somehow I missed your GLOG this year since it got rolled into your ongoing one from last year. Looking forward to seeing your ridiculously large plants later this season. From the grow list it looks like you got tired of growing obscenely oversized fataliis 
 
Also what is that "Bad Datil" you're growing?

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Now, things are getting interesting. 
 

Looks like you got the composting down. I bought a cast iron, gas powered, compost shredder. It's from the early seventies I think. It's like a wood chipper but has a screen that attaches to the hopper. Nothing escapes until it's chopped to that size. I have a one inch screen and a half inch screen. I'll try your method as soon as I get it up and going.

I had a revelation! I bought a big ass bagger for my mower! Now I just mow the grass, and leaves...hahahahah perfect blend. My pile is now a 5 foot cone of 140F steaming goodness. 
 

Amazing Rocoto!
Do you have seedlings from him ?

Sure do! See the picture I just posted, they are up front! 
 

 We add close to 8 gallons of kitchen waste a week, yeah the wifey cooks , mix this with shredded green cow manure that I collect here on the ranch. I add leaves as well. At the end of last year I have over a yard after running it through the chipper shredder. I mix this with mature finely shredded mulch I get free from the county. Scored 48yds this winter. So yeah, I follow your feed the soil program, since 1982. It sure works!
 
Keep spreading the knowledge, it's almost a forgotten art.

With the exception of some really awesome, tried and tested, indoor organic ferts every now and then, I can never go back to NOT HAVING ACTUAL SOIL. Feed the soil = create soil. 
 

Somehow I missed your GLOG this year since it got rolled into your ongoing one from last year. Looking forward to seeing your ridiculously large plants later this season. From the grow list it looks like you got tired of growing obscenely oversized fataliis 
 
Also what is that "Bad Datil" you're growing?

I'm not sure Bad Datil even germinated. I'll have to go down stairs and check. Those were gifts from a member on here. I think I sent them some Fatalii  

 

[Devv]

Looking good Rich!

 

[Chilima]

What happend to the drunken compost ?

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Heck yeah. That's my plan this Fall. There is a bunch of outfits that come around and vacuum up all the leaves. Week after week. They take it to the dump. My plan is to have them dump it in the drive. I'll break that damn clay, sooner or later.

Plants are looking good.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Looking good Rich!

 Thanks! Better late than never!  

What happend to the drunken compost ?

 Going very well! Scary well. I made the pile 2x as big and added much more green. Hitting 140F. Will turn and feed again soon. Filming it all.  

Heck yeah. That's my plan this Fall. There is a bunch of outfits that come around and vacuum up all the leaves. Week after week. They take it to the dump. My plan is to have them dump it in the drive. I'll break that damn clay, sooner or later.
Plants are looking good.

Call the county, tree service people, any one you see chipping. I do. Anytime I see a pile I grab it. Got two nice piles to shovel into the trailer tomorrow!
For leaves, you want at least 2x the amount of fresh "greens" to get things cooking. If you want it fast (highly bacterial). Slow and cold compost is usually fungal dominated.