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Guru's Glog 2012

Is it that time again already? Feels like yesterday I was picking final harvests, disonnecting drip lines out in the garden and digging up pepper plants for the winter. Where does the time go?

Anyhow, I see people are already in full swing here on THP. What a lovely site. I'll be the first to admit, I'm running a little late this year, but I have an excuse I'm prepared to live with....

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:P I needed a vacation! Well that, and a good friend of mine asked if I wanted to open up a restaurant in Thailand. Who says no to that? Not I.

We had a great time. Its paradise, and very cheap. Above all, as a chili head, Thai food is a gift from God himself. I ate better and fresher food than you could ever get in the US, for pennies a meal. The trip was awesome. I think Im even suffering from seperation anxiety...lol I couldn't even begin to go into all the things that happened on this trip, without this starting to sound like more of a blog than a GLOG, so I'll spare you guys for now.

Anyway, down to business. Before I left, I started a 72 cell super hot tray and pulled the mothers from last year outside.

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The lady bugs went to work on the mothers, and I felt confident that Mrs. Guru could take care of the germination while I was away.

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Now, I'd be lying if I said I never worried for a second while I was away. I had already started my seeds a week or two later than usual and now I was going to be gone while they were supposed to be "born"....lol but I knew the better option for my sanity was to let go, remember I was on vacation and not think about the seeds. Im glad I did, because the ole lady did ok! :P

I got back, germ rates were near 100% and it was on to potting up!

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Quick make shift shade house for the tender seedlings after a transplant and a break in the clouds.

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Looking great Rich! I just got home over the weekend from 3 weeks of playing adult and my plants are doing great. I gotta give you a ton of kudos for the organic revolution. I am convinced that if I was feeding them synthetics, they would be much worse off.

Your Brains are looking gnarly, and those fatallis are top notch!

Keep driving the Organic bus!
 
Cayennemist said:
Uht Ohh!?!?!
:onfire: Those BS are going to kick your ass! :onfire:
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I hope so!...gonna need to be quite the pepper to do that! Im up for the challenge. So far the Trin Scorp and my Fatalii are the hottest I've had. Bhuts, 7 Pods, etc are really hot, just not more so than Scorps and Fatalii (at least to my taste buds)
MGOLD86 said:
Looking great Rich! I just got home over the weekend from 3 weeks of playing adult and my plants are doing great. I gotta give you a ton of kudos for the organic revolution. I am convinced that if I was feeding them synthetics, they would be much worse off.

Your Brains are looking gnarly, and those fatallis are top notch!

Keep driving the Organic bus!
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Glad to hear things are looking good on your arrival! Seems the Mrs took good care of things?
indoChilli said:
Wow, those fatalli sure do enjoy the tea you giving them, it thriving like crazy. also nice to read your glog, it's somewhat inspirational.
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Thanks indo! Glad my glog could be of some use to you! Stick around :)


Ok so as for the "grow gods being mad at me" comment. I think I have stumbled upon a revelation...this woven landscape fabric (silt fence type you see in nurseries) is very good at harboring disease spores and isn't that great of a mulch. Yes it is great at stopping weeds, but when compared to hardwood mulch or pine straw, it doesn't hold a candle in terms of maintaining a healthy soil food web or replenishing nutrients. Nor does it compare in terms of moisture retention. Honestly, I went with the fabric in a quick pinch decision a couple years ago and have hated it ever since. You see my garden plot has never been this big before and I always used to grow in hardwood mulch or pinestraw. With a garden this large, I had no source for that amount of mulch so I made the (in hindsight) poor choice of fabric. Never again. Next year, its back to good ole hardwood mulch and huge inground plants. The soil food web just does much much better with mulch and diseases are hard pressed to even try and show themselves. So...learn from me...never betray the mulch. Love it, listen to it, grow in it, feed the soil :P
 
I feel like my beds are better without it (fabric). The plants are growing well. I still need to get the pine straw and mulch. Damn it. Hey, go check out 3/5 Kings glog if you get a chance. There is a leaf issue that I have seen popping up around the glogoshpere in a few gardens in different parts of the country (one of which is mine).

Page 12 post #225 has photos.

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/28097-never-give-up-the-good-fight35kings-2012/page__st__220#entry647601
 
Pepper-Guru said:
Ok so as for the "grow gods being mad at me" comment. I think I have stumbled upon a revelation...this woven landscape fabric (silt fence type you see in nurseries) is very good at harboring disease spores and isn't that great of a mulch. Yes it is great at stopping weeds, but when compared to hardwood mulch or pine straw, it doesn't hold a candle in terms of maintaining a healthy soil food web or replenishing nutrients. Nor does it compare in terms of moisture retention. Honestly, I went with the fabric in a quick pinch decision a couple years ago and have hated it ever since. You see my garden plot has never been this big before and I always used to grow in hardwood mulch or pinestraw. With a garden this large, I had no source for that amount of mulch so I made the (in hindsight) poor choice of fabric. Never again. Next year, its back to good ole hardwood mulch and huge inground plants. The soil food web just does much much better with mulch and diseases are hard pressed to even try and show themselves. So...learn from me...never betray the mulch. Love it, listen to it, grow in it, feed the soil :P
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Glad to see you say this. I just started learning a little bit about the benefits of mulch from "Gaia's Garden" and was lucky enough to get a ton of free mulch from a friend that works for the city. I hadn't ever thought about what was going on in the soil level with the mulch. The plants have done well so far. My tomatoes have formed a jungle, the plants are taller than my children now. I want to use more compost tea and fish emulsion - and even making my own as you've described in different spots, but something has dug in my mulch - I think one of the neighbor's dogs. Does the fish stuff drawn in the animals for you? Raccoon and what not? How do you keep them at bay? And do you think a foliar feed would be easier in that situation, so they aren't digging into my mulch (like if I did a root drench)?

Also - those fatalii's look amazing. Beautiful pods! It's always fun and informative to check out your glog - thanks!
 
Pulpiteer said:
Glad to see you say this. I just started learning a little bit about the benefits of mulch from "Gaia's Garden" and was lucky enough to get a ton of free mulch from a friend that works for the city. I hadn't ever thought about what was going on in the soil level with the mulch. The plants have done well so far. My tomatoes have formed a jungle, the plants are taller than my children now. I want to use more compost tea and fish emulsion - and even making my own as you've described in different spots, but something has dug in my mulch - I think one of the neighbor's dogs. Does the fish stuff drawn in the animals for you? Raccoon and what not? How do you keep them at bay? And do you think a foliar feed would be easier in that situation, so they aren't digging into my mulch (like if I did a root drench)?

Also - those fatalii's look amazing. Beautiful pods! It's always fun and informative to check out your glog - thanks!
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Animals aren't a problem for me. I do have a dog and a cat that are outside at night, there is a chance they do some good, but I haven't had any issues. I figure if my dog or cat isn't rooting around in it, then other critters may not. Having said that, I do know first hand that if you're growing in a private spot, with no traffic in the woods, that some planting holes will be dug up even with the least offensive bottled products that are on the market. So, I would assume it all depends on circumstance. Im always outside, in the garden or taking care of to do lists in the cool of the night, so my constant presense is probably a factor too for curious animals. Nutrient rich Teas are great for foliar feeding after dilution as well as AACT. But Both are VERY important as soil drench to condition and build your soil. Have fun with your mulch! Im on a mission to get some now :)
 
I've been re-addicted to pierogies since visiting your house. And dumplings. That egg situation looks delicious. Happy 4th brother! Still have some fighting to do for our independence but we're getting there.
 
Well, I made some of the best hot sauce, Ive ever made last night. The final harvest last year went into sterile mason jars for a long, cool, no salt mash. Its been about a year now , so I decided to test one out. I picked the best looking jar of Bhut, deepest red you can imagine, and threw it into some boiling rice vinegar, lil salt, and a small pinch of indian love. This stuff is not only some of the sweetest, tastiest sauce ive done...but its a beauty to look at too! It literally looks like blood. Ill post a pic in a few.....

Heres a shot going into the rice vinegar...ill post a final product pic when i get my phone on.
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I've never tried to make hot sauce before, so I'm curious, after that length of time does the heat dissipate at all?

I'd really like to try and make some this year, but I'm not a fan of vinegar, so I'm looking for a recipe that doesn't call for much or any.
 
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