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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!
 
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Hope everyone has had a decent winter so far and here's to happy germination!
 
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EDIT UPDATE: This glog has turned into an ongoing overwintering, greenhouse and soil building how-to!
 
Click to expand...
Well, I have just gotten through all of your grow logs this week at work. As many other people have said on here 1- your message box is full. :) 2- you are a GREAT documentarian and an outstanding gardener, truly impressive yields! and 3- thank you very much for dedicating the time that it takes to respond to everyone, keep the pepper/organics/soil conversation going.
 
I am very into organics and soil and I've been building my garden soil for the past 4 years... but my plants are only about half the size of yours and thus produce only about half as many peppers. I'm definitely going to start a hydrolysate next season!
 
I have a couple questions. What are your thoughts at this point concerning the growbags vs in-ground planting? The patio plants seem to be so ridiculously huge and impressive. Do you think that is because the roots are being air-pruned and can move through the soil so easily?    Also, will you please describe your mason jar pod-saving methods. You say you do it cold-no salt- mash style. Does that mean you blend the peppers with vinegar and "can" them in a water bath? That super red hot sauce from a couple years ago looked AMAZING. This is the first year that I am preserving peppers in any way other than freezing or drying/grinding into powder, so any info about how you save your pods would be very helpful.
 
I'm new to The Hot Pepper and will be posting a grow log next season... and hope you will continue as well. :) Having read all of yours now, it's like binge watching a good tv show and then one day having nothing left to watch. Haha.
 
-Kalie
 
kaliekerouac said:
Well, I have just gotten through all of your grow logs this week at work. As many other people have said on here 1- your message box is full. :) 2- you are a GREAT documentarian and an outstanding gardener, truly impressive yields! and 3- thank you very much for dedicating the time that it takes to respond to everyone, keep the pepper/organics/soil conversation going.
 
I am very into organics and soil and I've been building my garden soil for the past 4 years... but my plants are only about half the size of yours and thus produce only about half as many peppers. I'm definitely going to start a hydrolysate next season!
 
I have a couple questions. What are your thoughts at this point concerning the growbags vs in-ground planting? The patio plants seem to be so ridiculously huge and impressive. Do you think that is because the roots are being air-pruned and can move through the soil so easily?    Also, will you please describe your mason jar pod-saving methods. You say you do it cold-no salt- mash style. Does that mean you blend the peppers with vinegar and "can" them in a water bath? That super red hot sauce from a couple years ago looked AMAZING. This is the first year that I am preserving peppers in any way other than freezing or drying/grinding into powder, so any info about how you save your pods would be very helpful.
 
I'm new to The Hot Pepper and will be posting a grow log next season... and hope you will continue as well. :) Having read all of yours now, it's like binge watching a good tv show and then one day having nothing left to watch. Haha.
 
-Kalie
Click to expand...
 
 
Kalie...I will give you my 2 cents.
 
I had 60 plants in-ground and about 45 in root pouches this past year.  I do grow organically and have been trying to build my soil over the last few years.  What I have noticed is the pods are slightly larger for my in-ground plants and the size of the root pouches make a difference.  I used 10, 15 and one 25 gallon root pouch.  The 25 gallon root pouch produced a very large plant.  So in my opinion bigger is definitely better.  I look forward to Guru's answer as I have picked up many tips from reading his glog and many of the other glogs here. 
 
Good luck.
 
kaliekerouac said:
Well, I have just gotten through all of your grow logs this week at work. As many other people have said on here 1- your message box is full. :) 2- you are a GREAT documentarian and an outstanding gardener, truly impressive yields! and 3- thank you very much for dedicating the time that it takes to respond to everyone, keep the pepper/organics/soil conversation going.
 
I am very into organics and soil and I've been building my garden soil for the past 4 years... but my plants are only about half the size of yours and thus produce only about half as many peppers. I'm definitely going to start a hydrolysate next season!
 
I have a couple questions. What are your thoughts at this point concerning the growbags vs in-ground planting? The patio plants seem to be so ridiculously huge and impressive. Do you think that is because the roots are being air-pruned and can move through the soil so easily?    Also, will you please describe your mason jar pod-saving methods. You say you do it cold-no salt- mash style. Does that mean you blend the peppers with vinegar and "can" them in a water bath? That super red hot sauce from a couple years ago looked AMAZING. This is the first year that I am preserving peppers in any way other than freezing or drying/grinding into powder, so any info about how you save your pods would be very helpful.
 
I'm new to The Hot Pepper and will be posting a grow log next season... and hope you will continue as well. :) Having read all of yours now, it's like binge watching a good tv show and then one day having nothing left to watch. Haha.
 
-Kalie
Click to expand...
 
That's very kind of you to say and notice. I'm glad someone out there is enjoying my ramblings. Throughout my time gardening, I've noticed for the most part, sometime along the way, organics became a bigger part of growers vocabulary and less of a fringe type thing to "try". The science is good in that it helped more people catch on faster and now instead of "trying," people can just "do" it. Everytime, all the time.
 
Ah, the growbags vs in ground issue....
 
Well, the real answer is: It Depends...
 
More times than not growing in extrememly large grow bags will allow you to see much more yields than in ground, simply yes, because the roots can SHOOT through all that fluffy container mix a lot quicker than trying to push through the average, compacted, nutrient deprived, garden soil. You can literally BUILD your own soil and have complete control over container plant root zones, which is hard to do for a large garden. Consider that with the added benefit of the root tips being air pruned and you can see where this is going.
 
However, if you were find a perfectly huge, raised bed on some gardeners' properties, with the most airy, nutrient rich soil hummus nature can create, well then its only a matter of time before that patricular "in ground" plant can easily out produce an anverage container plant. 
 
 
As for the cold, no salt mash. It's easy. Harvest straight from plant into mason jars. lightly place lid on for co2 to escape, but there to prevent any other bacteria, yeasts or spores from getting in. Then set in a cold dark place for a few months. In the end I just boil my vinegar, top off the jar and add a pinch of salt. Then you put the lids on, and they can themselves. :) You can eat straight away or allow to age for ... ever.... mmmmmm
 
 
 
tctenten said:
 
 
Kalie...I will give you my 2 cents.
 
I had 60 plants in-ground and about 45 in root pouches this past year.  I do grow organically and have been trying to build my soil over the last few years.  What I have noticed is the pods are slightly larger for my in-ground plants and the size of the root pouches make a difference.  I used 10, 15 and one 25 gallon root pouch.  The 25 gallon root pouch produced a very large plant.  So in my opinion bigger is definitely better.  I look forward to Guru's answer as I have picked up many tips from reading his glog and many of the other glogs here. 
 
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Bigger roots, bigger shoots, bigger harvests :) 
 
 
 
 
 
Spice, here comes 3 lbs of tastey :) 
 
22411615345_1f81fabc18_b.jpg
 
Pepper-Guru said:
 
That's very kind of you to say and notice. I'm glad someone out there is enjoying my ramblings. Throughout my time gardening, I've noticed for the most part, sometime along the way, organics became a bigger part of growers vocabulary and less of a fringe type thing to "try". The science is good in that it helped more people catch on faster and now instead of "trying," people can just "do" it. Everytime, all the time.
 
Ah, the growbags vs in ground issue....
 
Well, the real answer is: It Depends...
 
More times than not growing in extrememly large grow bags will allow you to see much more yields than in ground, simply yes, because the roots can SHOOT through all that fluffy container mix a lot quicker than trying to push through the average, compacted, nutrient deprived, garden soil. You can literally BUILD your own soil and have complete control over container plant root zones, which is hard to do for a large garden. Consider that with the added benefit of the root tips being air pruned and you can see where this is going.
 
However, if you were find a perfectly huge, raised bed on some gardeners' properties, with the most airy, nutrient rich soil hummus nature can create, well then its only a matter of time before that patricular "in ground" plant can easily out produce an anverage container plant. 
 
 
As for the cold, no salt mash. It's easy. Harvest straight from plant into mason jars. lightly place lid on for co2 to escape, but there to prevent any other bacteria, yeasts or spores from getting in. Then set in a cold dark place for a few months. In the end I just boil my vinegar, top off the jar and add a pinch of salt. Then you put the lids on, and they can themselves. :) You can eat straight away or allow to age for ... ever.... mmmmmm
 
 
  Bigger roots, bigger shoots, bigger harvests :) 
 
 
 
 
 
Spice, here comes 3 lbs of tastey :) 
 
22411615345_1f81fabc18_b.jpg
Click to expand...
 
 
This was waiting for me when I came home today:

 
Thank you very much!
 
Awesome mash you got going on there...


Speaking of ...

Rich - saw some traces of your homebrewing buried in the older threads in the brewing subforum recently. We've got a somewhat East Coast-centric bunch that's becoming pretty active at this point, and could use some West Coast representation if you feel like coming out to play ;) ...
 
grantmichaels said:
Speaking of ...

Rich - saw some traces of your homebrewing buried in the older threads in the brewing subforum recently. We've got a somewhat East Coast-centric bunch that's becoming pretty active at this point, and could use some West Coast representation if you feel like coming out to play ;) ...
Click to expand...
Sure thing! Actually just got done brewing our "Onye Sta" - an all chestnut grain bill, with native american bittering herbs in place of hops as well. 
 
 
Thought I'd share the guitar build I just completed. Baritone Strat build. 
 
Black Korina body
quartersawn Wenge neck with ebony fretboard. 
 
Im super stoked about it. 
 
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more pics of build here: www.flickr.com/the-guru
 
Bout that time to start thinking about 2016 peppers. I owe it to my garden to be more present this year! I should have my butt kicked for the amount of neglect I showed my plants in picking them this year, but they lacked nothing in the soil department and dropped tons of fruit into the garden so I think we got the compost part covered, LOL
Anyway, here's to a Merry Christmas and happy new Year! See you guys soon for 2016 plans.
 
Pepper-Guru said:
Sure thing! Actually just got done brewing our "Onye Sta" - an all chestnut grain bill, with native american bittering herbs in place of hops as well. 
 
 
Thought I'd share the guitar build I just completed. Baritone Strat build. 
 
Black Korina body
quartersawn Wenge neck with ebony fretboard. 
 
Im super stoked about it. 
 
23544069812_2614316724_b.jpg

 
 
23025552753_dc6108e686_b.jpg

 
 
more pics of build here: www.flickr.com/the-guru
Click to expand...
 
 
Gorgeous Rich. What is the scale length? What are you tuning it to?
 
Pepper Guru,
 
Just curious, what kind of plant spacing do you use for your pepper plants in ground:
 
-Spacing between plants within a row?  
-Spacing between rows where you don't plan to be walking?
-Spacing between rows where you need a walking path?
 
I was thinking of spacing plants within a row 24", with 24" between each row that I don't need to walk down, and 36" between each row that I do plan to use as a walkway.  Any thoughts on this plan based on your experience?
 
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