Highalt's 2013 Grow - End of Season Wrap Up

Sawyer · Mar 31, 2013

LOL. Happy Easter.

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 31, 2013

Plants are looking good Bonnie. Tomatoes are going well for you too. Happy Easter.

highalt · Mar 31, 2013

Thanks, Sawyer and Bodeen! Hope you both had a nice holiday!

I had a very pleasant day today. Had the privilege of jamming with the Praise Team to a packed house this morning, came home and cooked a ham, some corn pudding, and asparagus for dinner, with a Pineapple/Mandarine Orange Cake for dessert, and even worked on one of the flower beds for a while this evening, while the kids were playing outside.

When I checked on the peppers this afternoon, a couple hours after I took those pics of the tomato sprouts, I found a bunch more hooks! So now in addition to the Earl's Faux, Indian Stripe, and Amish Paste, I also have germination on the following:

Black Cherry
Gold Currant
Gold Medal
Amazon Chocolate
Ludmilla's Pink Heart
Neves Azorean Red

And the ones that were hooks in the photos were already up!!! It's bizarre to me how they are all sprouting at exactly the same time, exactly one week from sowing. I wish all the peppers were that timely!!!

stc3248 · Apr 1, 2013

Glad you had a great day! We had them all hunting, 17 (and boyfriend 17), 15 and 12 yo...we numbered a few eggs and had a white-elephant style prize give away at the end. With giftcards and even a little cash. That keeps the older ones attention! Your meal sounds wonderful as well. Happy Easter Bonnie!

Pulpiteer · Apr 2, 2013

Your peppers are looking great Bonnie! And now tomatoes on the way... I've got to get mine going too. And I'll be pulling for that fatalii of yours! They're an awesome plant with beautiful pods.
Happy Easter!

Sanarda · Apr 2, 2013

Congrats on the new sprouts. I think I love late sprouts. I think they will be the greatest producers. No logic to it, just my idiocy.

highalt · Apr 4, 2013

Spent the evening potting up the very last pepper sprouts. The total number of plants is 105, unless that Birgit's Locoto ever pops his head up, or the Golden Cayennes sprout. Oh, wait, it's 106! I forgot to count my new Fatalii plant (Thanks again, Shane!)

I also attempted to separate all those tomato sprouts, and was partially successful. The roots on the tomato sprouts seem more fragile than the pepper sprouts. I damaged the roots on about half of the tomato sprouts. I only had a few peppers that had multiple sprouts in one Root Riot plug, but didn't have any trouble separating the roots on them and keeping them in tact. So the lesson here is only sow one tomato seed per plug, or plant them in regular old germinating mix instead of the plugs.

Sorry to post such a blurry picture, but I wanted to show what I was dealing with. It looks like a Gold Currant chia pet!

The Neves Azorean Red wasn't quite as bad.

Aunt Gertie's Gold is the only one that I didn't get 100% germination on. That's okay, I only need one of them anyway.

So far I'm up to 3 dozen tomato sprouts. There are five varieties that haven't germinated yet: Virginia Sweets, Soldacki, Giant Belgium, Matt's Wild Cherry, and Anna Russian. I only have room for 17, so I've already got twice the amount I need. Even if those last few don't germinate, I'll still have more than enough tomato plants.

One of my sisters arrives tomorrow for a visit, which I'm very excited about. The plants are in the guest room though, so I may be having serious pepper withdrawals over the next few days! I made sure everybody got a good drink today.

Not sure why I took this picture, other than the fact that the tuna sandwich had some of my homemade zucchini relish on it.

May not post much this weekend, but will try and update with some pics by mid week.

Sawyer · Apr 4, 2013

2:30 AM and now I'm hungry. I just finished planting and potting, but it may be ~~tomorrow~~ later today before the glog gets updated.

DocNrock · Apr 4, 2013

Looking great, Bonnie. Pulling for you on those Golden Cayennes!

Devv · Apr 5, 2013

I also attempted to separate all those tomato sprouts, and was partially successful. The roots on the tomato sprouts seem more fragile than the pepper sprouts. I damaged the roots on about half of the tomato sprouts. I only had a few peppers that had multiple sprouts in one Root Riot plug, but didn't have any trouble separating the roots on them and keeping them in tact. So the lesson here is only sow one tomato seed per plug, or plant them in regular old germinating mix instead of the plugs

You can't hardly kill a tomato plant, just keep em moist and out of full sun for a few days, they'll come back. I've even taken cuttings from the spring maters and just stuck em in the dirt (in the garden) kept them moist and grew a second crop.

Scott

Sawyer · Apr 5, 2013

I used to grow tomatoes commercially. We'd prune the suckers and just drop them in the middles between rows. If rained at the right time, they'd root and you'd have all these little tomato plants growing like weeds. Sometimes all it took was just a heavy dew. So yeah, they grow like crazy... 'til the diseases kick in.

highalt · Apr 9, 2013

Yeah, I shouldn't have been worried about those tomatoes. Didn't lose a single one!

For those of you that are squeamish, LOOK AWAY NOW. The following pictures are not for the faint of heart!

Wenk's Yellow Hot, not looking so hot anymore

Jaloro

Frenso

Ancho San Luis

Lumbre

I also lost a Jimmy Nardello, and part of a Barker's.

I knew when I found out my sister was coming for a visit, that the chances of Melvin, the punk cat, sneaking into the guest room were high, but losing a few plants was worth spending a few days with my BFF.

He was only in the room for a minute or two!

The guilty party ...

On a positive note, the Aunt Molly Ground Cherries finally decided to sprout, while I wasn't looking.

... and look at all the new growth on Shane's Fatalii!

Have a few more pics I'll post in a bit. Have to go help the kids with homework. Sure hope they cancel my daughter's soccer practice, since it's 25 degrees with winds in the 30 - 40 mph range, and snow flurries!

highalt · Apr 9, 2013

I'm back!

I'm loving all of my purple varieties this season!

Here's Peruvian Purple

... and Cheiro Roxa (again!!!)

This Condor's Beak is starting to bush out a little, but the top leaves are still curling upward. Not sure why it's doing that, but it seems healthy otherwise.

The leaves on this Beni Highlands are getting quite large.

Tobasco

White Habanero

... and one of the bushier annuums, Tangerine Pimento.

That's all for now. I'll try and catch up on some glogs now.

stc3248 · Apr 9, 2013

Damn...I only liked that first post due to the fatalii update. The rest SUCKED! They sure can wreak havoc on the grow shelves. Looks to me most of those still stand a chance. Hope so...

Chaosbites · Apr 9, 2013

Bonnie, I am not sure my heart can handle the path of destruction of punk cat Melvin! Doesn't he know we have coyotes for cats like him? Lol

Hopefully, what he left behind will continue to grow strong.

All the non-melvined babies are looking great. You have quite a selection!

Michelle

stickman · Apr 10, 2013

Hi Bonnie
Cat damage sucks, but the rest look AOK. Will you be planting out in about 35 days?

DocNrock · Apr 10, 2013

Sorry to hear, and see, the cat damage. But as was said, they still look like they have a chance. Everything else looks awesome! The Beni Highlands is a great looking plant. I too have one of those growing.

RocketMan · Apr 10, 2013

Bonnie you just need to get a seet of Cat Handcuffs, check with Steve Martin where he got his,

Glad to see they're coming back. You should be close to getting them some outside time now arn't ya?

Take care

Devv · Apr 10, 2013

I'm in agreement with everyone on the comeback of the kitty damaged plants. Those peppers are tough! Damage is handled better than disease.

As mentioned the rest look great!

Maybe kitty sleeps outside tonight...LOL

annie57 · Apr 10, 2013

Bonnie, you sure we're not kin? + 1 on zuke/squash relish or as we call it, "chow-chow." Everything around here that gets mixed with some vinegar, spices, hot peppers--I even mine out with some sweet for the really hot stuff--others I make for wimps, but all relish is called "chow-chow." Good stuff! I'm also wondering who I can "share" some mater plants with. Did Lucky Cross rather than VA Sweets this year. AND, actually, I was watching my cat--have a mylar covered refrigerator box opened--box frig came in, they gave it to me at Home "Depote"--in front of shelves, and back is similar to a certain height, but back is also backed up to a surface they can't get to . . . I have one cat who had no sense until I let him eat the top of a Trini Scorp that was good size, it's growing back. Had five more, eh, teach him lesson because those leaves are hot. I let the little jerk do it. I was watering/feeding, he got in there and when I saw which one he was getting ready to chomp, I let him! He shook his head, ran a little, ran to water bowl, ran some more, cried like a kitten (he weighs 22 lbs.); I just laughed mao! His step-sister looked at him like, "You IDiot!" I was de-seeding some nagas for smoking, dehydrating for powders, last fall, and yeah, I let him stick his face in that seed bowl, given that he just HAD to. He acted choked for a second (went through above sequence of behaviors) and again his sister looked at him, like "IDiot!" You notice he only ate tops off milder peppers. Baby rabbit found me couple springs ago, I hand feed that guy carrots, leaves lettuces alone, surprising, walks with me through garden. Harvey, the rabbit, was looking longingly at a paste tomato. I called him to me and walked him to the fatalii. He took a bite of a pod. Hmm. Sorta acted like Buddy, the IDiot.

Nice looking grow, hon! How long until you plant out? Peace, Annie