HBJ 2015 - Got a box of pepper love in mail today!!!

PaulG · Feb 6, 2015

60 sounds like a pretty good start!

Jeff H · Feb 10, 2015

Looking good HJeff with both the ferments and the plants.

HillBilly Jeff · Feb 17, 2015

Having a couple issues with germination. Nothing major, ts chic and fatalii chocolate. Burgundy too. So I have burgundy, bubblegum, along with two new habanero peppers; ocean wave and caramel. Trying to germ them in wet paper towels and zip locks behind the wood burner. Still have 80 hot peppers up so far.

jcw10tc · Feb 17, 2015

Good luck, I am having issues germinating a few varieties also. Got about 10 giving me issues for some reason. Hopefully some of the mail I got on frigid days didn't cause any problems. 90% of the rest going fairly well though.

Sawyer · Feb 18, 2015

HillBilly Jeff said:
Having a couple issues with germination. Nothing major, ts chic and fatalii chocolate. Burgundy too. So I have burgundy, bubblegum, along with two new habanero peppers; ocean wave and caramel. Trying to germ them in wet paper towels and zip locks behind the wood burner. Still have 80 hot peppers up so far.

How fresh is your seed? I (finally) got 2 flats worth in the dirt today and about half-way through started worrying about the percentage of seed that's from 2013. Hopefully they will go ahead an germinate. What's an Ocean Wave Habanero like?

HillBilly Jeff · Feb 22, 2015

Sawyer said:
How fresh is your seed? I (finally) got 2 flats worth in the dirt today and about half-way through started worrying about the percentage of seed that's from 2013. Hopefully they will go ahead an germinate. What's an Ocean Wave Habanero like?

Most all of my seeds are from last year. I have some seed that is older because I haven't grown in a year or two (Bajio, yellow hab, peach hab, aji hab, lemon drop) but those are all up but one bajio. I did have to plant the peach and yellow again and now I have a good stand up lol. Loaded down the lemon drop and have like 20 plants up that I am going to have to thin.

Everything in the paper towels germed and I potted except the ocean wave habanero. Still holding out hopes on it.

My 72 cell tray of peat pellets went 67/72

My 36 tray root riots went 31/36

Almost 100 hot peppers, some are to be given away though.

I believe every variety I planted has something up except inca red and TS Chocolate. Neither one is breaking my heart at this point. I was worried about not having much luck germing my TS Yellow and my 7 Pot Burg, but I have a couple each of those. Even though I have the freezer well stocked, I love these pods fresh.

Its been a struggle with working so much and two new puppies. Got my A/v Stand built for the mancave to house my stereo components and my dvd player and xbox. Just need to get some speakers for it.

Everything in cedar in the cave. Not perfect, but its real wood and homemade!!!

Will try to get a list up of what I have growing soon. If I don't kill them with too much water.

Aji Hab is already in a gallon pot SMH

Sawyer · Feb 22, 2015

Nice-looking stand. I really love the translucency a good finish can impart to cedar.

I've got my fingers crossed for hooks by mid week. Still got two or three flats to plant, though, mostly annuums.

PaulG · Feb 22, 2015

I love cedar - awesome wood to work with.

Looking forward to seeing what you finally come up with.

Jeff H · Feb 23, 2015

HillBilly Jeff said:
Its been a struggle with working so much and two new puppies. Got my A/v Stand built for the mancave to house my stereo components and my dvd player and xbox. Just need to get some speakers for it.

Nice woodwork.

Did I miss a post about you getting new puppies? Congrats. I didn't think you were getting any more.

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 3, 2015

Jeff H said:
Nice woodwork.

Did I miss a post about you getting new puppies? Congrats. I didn't think you were getting any more.

I really wasn't going to get any more dogs, but I missed the two I lost a little too much and needed these two new ones I think.

Sweet peppers are planted. Got away with just one 72 cell flat.

Hot pepper progress. Caramel hab and ocean wave hab have made appearances. I think I lost three peppers that made it up. One had it's cotys sealed together and the other two just didn't make it. I had spares though.

Budapest, Biggie, and Tepin are pushing for gallon pots too. Couldn't get a lemon drop to germinate, so I stuck in quite a few seeds to make sure I got one and had ten come up. I was actually able to cut the extras off. Same issue with the yellow and peach habs. Old seed. Burgundy had two come up in one cell, but I am trying to keep them both since those are the only two I have. Judging by my freezer, I only need one, but it is nice to have fresh pods to eat and give away.

Thinking middle of March to plant cabbage, tomatoes, and whatever else I want to start early. Trying honey dew for the first time and I am going to try to grow the smaller fruiting variety on the alternate pickle fence. See what happens.

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 3, 2015

What amazes me is that aji hab was planted less than 50 days ago.

Just calculated it at 41 days. Yeah, its going to be a beast.

Sawyer · Mar 3, 2015

Plants are looking great! When is your average last frost date?

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 4, 2015

May 20th is usually good to go. Could have planted out last year during the first week of May, but once they're out, its hard to protect them against a late frost. So I play it safe and wait until 3rd week.

Not sure with the row covers on raised beds. Still have to harden them off and doing that earlier will be tougher.

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 9, 2015

28 sweets popped in week one.

Sawyer · Mar 9, 2015

Sweet!

Devv · Mar 10, 2015

Well I've been slacking here Jeff; well I've been slacking everywhere

Nice addition to the man cave! And your plants are looking stellar!

Great germ rates and large healthy plants.

Keep it green!

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 12, 2015

Found chayote at Walmart this week. I know Ramon uses it in his moa sauce. Thought I might as well pick some up.

PaulG · Mar 13, 2015

Plants are really rollin', Jeff!

Funny, that Aji Hab looks like a pubescens;
it's really taking off, all right!

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 13, 2015

My only OW plant has ripe pods on it,.

Jeff H · Mar 14, 2015

HillBilly Jeff said:
My only OW plant has ripe pods on it,.

Maybe I missed it, but what is it?

Everything is looking good Jeff. With plantout 8 weeks or so away, what hits the dirt next?