Hello from Illinois! (Pics)

TrentL

TrentL

My name is Trent, and I have a hot pepper addiction. :)
 
I'm a grower in Illinois. Started growing "normal" peppers about 5 years ago and gradually got in to the more rare / ultrahot stuff. Also a beginner hot sauce maker (made a few bottles last year).
 
I've been lurking on this website this winter, actually got on here for tips for controlling an aphid infestation (went the ladybug route.. much to my wife's chagrin...)
 
I love growing peppers and end up growing WAY the heck more than I could ever hope to eat, and grow more than I can plant, so at the start of the season I usually sell off some excess plants, and at the end of each summer I try to sell surplus pods / flake. 
 
Some pics from last year.
 
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some pics from the current grow/overwinters:
 
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(The "ladybug containment zone")
 
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Thanks guys / gals! 
 
I have a stressful job and growing is one of the things that levels me out.
 
Although sometimes I get stressed out about peppers too. :)
 
I had an *epic* war with aphids this winter, but prevailed without resorting to chemicals. Never would have guessed that someday I'd have to learn how to successfully raise and breed lady bugs??!! (INDOORS, at that!)
 
:)

More on those ladybugs. Fascinating creatures.. all they do is eat, and .. umm.. well. Yeah. Let the picture speak for this one.
 
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Guess I'll add a little more. This forum seems full of good people and I like making friends. :)
 
I grow hot peppers (obviously), but love outdoorsy type stuff of all kinds. It offsets my day job (run datacenter / hosting operations for Fortune 500's)
 
Have 5 wonderful children and a lovely wife who HATES gardening but helps me anyway from time to time.
 
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I love my garden, of course, and even found garden trolls in it last year. (Middle daughter in my Tomato plants)
 
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If I'm not at work or at the range, and there's not snow on the ground, I'm outdoors with a shovel.
 
Rock garden I put in last year;
 
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Of course my two younger daughters would tell you they dug this ALL BY THEMSELVES. :)
 
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I'm also a second amendment activist.. NRA certified rifle, pistol, shotgun instructor, Chief Range Safety Officer, and licensed IL concealed carry instructor. I'm also a match directory and coordinator for NRA High Power and Smallbore events in Tremont, IL.
 
After a recent funeral of a friend I had my son take some goofy pics of me to help me cheer up a little. It worked. (Firearm is a SCAR17S). :)
 
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"SQUIRREL!"
 
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Welcome Trent!  You look like such a (tye died) bad ass in that first pic lol.  I grew up in the Peoria area, currently in Chicago.  You and I share quite a bit of affinity for the same things.  Glad you're posting after lurking.  Welcome home bud.
 
:)
 
Thanks guys! 
 
I posted so many pictures of peppers and gardening stuff on facebook last year that my friends constantly complained about it.
 
"Oh, hell, Trent's out in the garden again.. get ready for 3 screens of hot pepper pornography"
 
At least I have a place where like-minded enthusiasts may appreciate some of it - AND I can learn more while I'm at it. 
 
Like I said been lurking for a couple of years. Learned about pepperlovers through here (thanks for all the free seeds when I ordered, if you read this!!). Learned how to overwinter plants. Learned how to fight aphids. Learned not to overwater my stuff. Etc. Heck I even learned how to make hot sauce here.
 
I mean, practically everything I've learned from growing has been from lurking on this site, so now it's time to pay it forward and help to answer some other noobs questions. :)
 
Thanks, and glad I'm finally "home". This hobby isn't going away anytime soon, growing has become a passion.
 
:welcome:  from sunny South Florida!  :woohoo:
 
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