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....

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.

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.

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!

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

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

.......

 

[Jamison]

Just tried to PM ya but your inbox must be full. No biggie man. Aint no rush. Wont start them till January anyways.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Got it cleaned out now dude. Shoot it to me whenever

 

[Melissa77754]

Everything is looking amazing, and the wife did an excellent job raising the babies for you!

 

[Sethsquatch]

Hey Guru. Had a question for you on pruning pepper plants. Do you? Do you start from the bottom and go up a couple inches when they are little and newly grounded to keep the leaves off the soil (I have some that have leaves real close to the soil I'm concerned about with all the rain lately)? Just thinking about it and wanted to get your opinion on the matter.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Hey Guru. Had a question for you on pruning pepper plants. Do you? Do you start from the bottom and go up a couple inches when they are little and newly grounded to keep the leaves off the soil (I have some that have leaves real close to the soil I'm concerned about with all the rain lately)? Just thinking about it and wanted to get your opinion on the matter.

Sure do. If I pot up a bit deep, and the weather stays wet, keeping the leaves too close to the soil. I also prune off any leaves that get spot or aphid damage. Good question

Check out this sweet little care package from Xtreme Gardening. Came in today just in time for some transplanting.

My Deer Head Scare Crow

This is how you know you've got an active soil food web...shrooms

Fatalii

Funky Fatalii Pod

Broke a branch off the Fatalii when transplanting...stripped the bark, pruned the big leaves and VIOLA!

 

[MGOLD86]

Wow! I was scared off the page! I had to refresh to get back in the action !

What is the story on those xtreme gardening prods? What did you get and how will they be used?

(If this sounds like prying, good. After all you grow pepper plants the size of Oak trees, what did you expect?? )

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Wow! I was scared off the page! I had to refresh to get back in the action !

What is the story on those xtreme gardening prods? What did you get and how will they be used?

(If this sounds like prying, good. After all you grow pepper plants the size of Oak trees, what did you expect?? )

LOL!
Well, honestly Im not a "product buyer" or "gear head" by any strecth of the imagination. I usually try and obtain my own ingredients from local sources or make them, but any time I've ever used these guys' gear, I've been very impressed. With a promotion like they had on facebook, who could pass it up? Not I.

Anyhow, the mycos(wm is the water sol version) is just a mychorizae innoculant for introducing beneficial fungi near the root zone. Myco surrounds the roots and "feeds them more and faster". Its the stuff you see eating logs in the woods. The azos is a bacteria that can be used to fix N levels for promoting root hormones in early plant life. Can also be used as a paste for cutting clones. The once and done is just a little organic feeder pack.
The tea brew is just a tea bag of worm castings, kelp, humic acid, and rock dust. The CalCarb is CO2 boost made for spraying the underside of your leaves.

All in all, a nice little care package

 

[Jamison]

Looking good man!

 

[mikeinsc]

I like the garden and cant wait to see more.

 

[Pinoy83]

nice pepper field you got there....i miss our corn field back in the philippines i could have change those to pepper field

 

[millworkman]

Can't believe you are already getting full size Fataliis. Totally jealous. Everything is looking awesome Rich, keep it up and keep us updated.

 

[Melissa77754]

Everything looks amazing! I get shrooms like that in my soil, I wasn't sure if that was good or not?! I guess it is! That funky Fatalli is way cool! I think in a few years I will trade in the suburban life for a few acres on a farm, keep living the dream!

Melissa

 

[MGOLD86]

Guru, I was gonna send you a PM, but I feel the group could benefit from the q's. I started looking into the XG products after seeing your post and I am curious as to the benefits of the Mykos and "teas" in general.

After reading through the website and most of the reviews, it sound like it can be pretty helpful. I figured if you are planning to utilize it (free or otherwise) there must be some benefit. How are you planning on using it? Topdressing or transplant holes?

On the "teas", I know that they sent you some, but in general would you prefer to brew/make your own? How often do you use them and do you folliar feed or actually saturate the soil (i.e. water) with them?

Yet again I take on the nosey neighbor role.....

Oh, and what was the promo??

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Guru, I was gonna send you a PM, but I feel the group could benefit from the q's. I started looking into the XG products after seeing your post and I am curious as to the benefits of the Mykos and "teas" in general.

After reading through the website and most of the reviews, it sound like it can be pretty helpful. I figured if you are planning to utilize it (free or otherwise) there must be some benefit. How are you planning on using it? Topdressing or transplant holes?

On the "teas", I know that they sent you some, but in general would you prefer to brew/make your own? How often do you use them and do you folliar feed or actually saturate the soil (i.e. water) with them?

Yet again I take on the nosey neighbor role.....

Oh, and what was the promo??

Mycorrhizae is simply normal fungi that exists almost everywhere in undisturbed eco systems world wide. They are forever locked in sybiosis with plant roots underground and anywhere decomposed material occurs. Often times, they result in fruiting bodies of mushrooms, but not all colonies will fruit above ground and form mushrooms. As you know, fungi are important aspects of soil chemistry and the soil food web of life. In fact, most of the great forrests on earth wouldn't exist without it.

As for how it is to be applied, there are a few methods. Either applying a tbsp or two directly into the hole when transplanting, making sure to create direct contact with the roots - OR amending into soil/compost prior to planting. There is even a water soluble powder that can be used in hydro systems.

With pot ups and transplants, I just apply into the hole before laying the root mass in. The closer to the roots, the better. Top dressing would not be ideal, but better than not applying it at all.

The teas they sent are neat and hip, individual bags good enough for one decent sized plant. Much like my soil, I prefer to make my own. Now, the ingredients they used are essentially the same as what I would use, so the product is fine in its own right. I just like to feed a lot of plants and buying bulk ingredients to diy ALWAYS comes out cheaper.

Teas can serve as an organic growers SOLE source of sustained nutrients throughout the entire season. Aside from what is already IN a great soil mixed by the grower to begin with, teas are the way to go when needing to replenish a soil food web. You use them as a watering session. You use them as a foliar spray. Both are ways to "feed your plants". Do them at the same time! There's nothing in the world that compare to that all mighty Fatalii after a good tea saturation and foliar spray! Watching the branches and leaves literally rise up towards the sky and stay that way for some time, almost as if they are praising the universe. You can almost watch her do it. Its a sight to see.

 

[cmpman1974]

The garden is looking great Rich. I strive to get soil like yours. You do everything right on that front!

I'm curious how you got those free samples from Xtreme Gardening. Did you have a contact there? I'd be interested in trying some from them if possible. Let me know. Thanks!

Chris

 

[Pepper-Guru]

The garden is looking great Rich. I strive to get soil like yours. You do everything right on that front!

I'm curious how you got those free samples from Xtreme Gardening. Did you have a contact there? I'd be interested in trying some from them if possible. Let me know. Thanks!

Chris

They are sending them to anyone who likes them on fb and mentions it in a message. Ask them if they are still doing it!

 

[Cayennemist]

So when I see these I should be happy?
The peat is just a top layer (feel like it keeps back the fungus gnats a little (big in a Greenhouse)

 

[Pepper-Guru]

How's everyone doing out there THP?!

Still kind of boring around here as I plant seedlings into the garden. Its so wet this spring and the one thing I didn't do was spread slug pellets around the seedlings. Caterpillars are out in full force and hit me during last weeks rain pretty hard. I plant the strongest seedlings as they prove themselves worthy of real estate in the mound. The others will have to rebound from all the nibbling or be replaced by the back ups in the germ tray. That's right! Sink or swim around here boys!

Anyway here's a panorama turned on its side.

OH! Remeber back on the 3rd of this month that this is what the Fatalii, BrainStrain, and Cherokee Purple looked like.

Well this is them today the 15th, just twelve days later....

Here's the BrainStrain on the 3rd

And here she is today, the 15th...just twelve days later....

I gotta feeling this BrainStrain bitch is gonna be a HOSS

I also transplanted a Trinidad Scorpion into a 65 gallon air pruing pot today, and a Bhut Jolokia into a 15 gallon like the Cherokee Purple.

Hope everyone's season is going well!

 

[Jamison]

Lots of growth in a couple weeks. Plants are beasts!

 

[MGOLD86]

Your 12 days of growth is my 30 days.

Im going organic.

True story.