How r ur peppers going in Perth west oz?

I did not try any of them, but did get a hell of a lot of them enough to fill a small plant pot.

The Aji lemon's are awesome great taste with a nice fruity flavour. I made a batch of salt with some of mine 1 part Chili to 2 part salt by weight. It smelled like frosty fruits icecream.
 
Cool idea.  Kind of like lemon pepper and salt seasoning, but with a nice kick. 
 
I got a dirt cheap food dehydrator for $20 and it made some great powders this winter.   If I get plenty of aji lemon pods I might give that a go.
 
Anyone here into cacti/succulents? Picked up this San Pedro cactus (Scopulicola x Pachanoi) a few days ago. Will cut in half so I have 2 :)
 
h8wt26F.jpg
 
I found something similar (not potted but a big stick of it)  thrown out for roadside rubbish collection a couple of years ago - which i insisted on bringing home- much to the embarrassment of my kid 
 
All a bit quiet on here so thought I'd give you all a quick update on this years grow...
 
About 2 weeks ago I made a DWC set-up and finally got round to putting my first plant in today (yellow bhut jolokia) and have a fatalii for the other side when I'm sure I've got the set-up correct. 
DWC_zps9bde34dc.jpg

I have a few concerns with the DWC as its my first time trying hydro, but I've put these in another thread, anyway I digress...
 
My Aji Lemon is still going strong, this is the first plant I have grown from seed to do so well and set so many pods.  I must have about 30 odd on this tiny fella!
20141217_141833_zpse4b0a09f.jpg

 
The four Jalapeno pods are turning red and are nice and hot with a lovely taste (I could not resist eating one from the plant before I got back to the kitchen).  Hopefully when all four pods have turned and been plucked, the plant can re-focus on growing bigger as its been mauled by some damn bug and has very few leaves left.
 
I've planted a heap of marigolds as companions around the other plants as I read they are good at attracting beneficial insects.  No sign of aphids yet... tough wood.
 
My newest seedlings have all popped up and are about 3 cm tall in the green house.  I noticed my usual tenancy to over-water just in time I think, so hopefully they will all thrive like the Aji Lemon.
 
My over-winter red savina has a tiny pod, but is largely dragging its ass back to the living.
 
The two mexi-bells I've grown from seeds (taken from pods grown off a Bunnings plant last year) are going really well, so I have high hopes for them now.
 
After the initial disaster in spring when I got back from holiday in NZ to find the mother-in-law had killed a few plants, I'm mildly optimistic for some pods, albeit no significant exotic chinense varieties (yet). 
 
How are the rest of you going? 
 
not too badly here, my focus hasn't been chillies all that much, I've got a few peach ghost scorpions and my burmese naga and a chocolate hab...which i'm pretty sure isn't a chocolate hab. and a few others around.
 
Good luck with the DWC.  I havn't had a ton of luck with DWC, in the end I've decided I couldn't get enough oxygen blowing through the water.  I had two pumps going.  Put my most recent peach scorpion in something more like NFT and and much more sucess.  By no luck I mean couldn't get flowers to hang on.  Either way I ended up with a massive plant with tons and tons of flowers.

The Chocolate Hab from masters
P1040839_zps808669b8.jpg

 
This was from a bag of random superhot seeds.  I think it might be a moruga...last years pods were very very hot.
P1040840_zps0e695dc2.jpg

 
Rocotto Aji Largo
I'm thinking I might chop this plant up.  Its wayy to big, there are hundreds of pods on it and that eggplant moth is infested in it.
This is the biggest chili plant I've ever grown 
P1040841_zps4b562f9d.jpg

loaded with pods, the branches hang down because these pods are really heavy
P1040847_zps91bf64b5.jpg


this is where my focus has been
 
IMAG2146_zpsadeea0de.jpg
 
What is that David, a pumpkin?  That's insane whatever it is.  
 
Someone else just commented about insufficient air pumps on my DWC thread.  That will be annoying, especially as my plan to get a second pump might not suffice either.
 
I'm still a novice grower and my pepper ID skills are shite, but that choc hab looks more like a bhut to me.
 
yes thats a pumpkin, from the measurements I've taken its about 63kg.
 
Its hard to know how much air to put into DWC, I had a carolina reaper in DWC for about 6 months before it hung onto any flowers and made pods.  I had two air pumps running in there.  I finally made pods and when they were done I couldn't get it to set any more again.
 
I did a Burmese Naga for a similar time after that and didn't get one pod.  
I was messing with PH and different nutrients and different nutrient levels. I just couldn't get it to work.  Then I grew a peach ghost scorpion in expanded clay and ran water through it for 15 mins every couple of hours and had success straight away.
Chilies really love their oxygen, ph and nutrient levels seem to come secondary in importance.
I should say the air pumps I used were fairly cheap, maybe a more expensive pump would get more air through the water.  DWC can work, just seemed alot harder to get it right.
 
 
and yes I'm pretty sure thats not a chocolate hab, I think they had the wrong label on it.  Its a yellow something and the one pod I got off it at the end of last season was way hotter than a hab.
 
I'm interested in the 15 min flood system you've made.  Does it require much equipment - it sounds more expensive, which was what drew me to DWC.  I'd already got all the gear from compost tea making, so all I needed was some pH Up/Down and an EC meter, so the cost was less than $60.
 
But if the DWC doesn't set pods for me, it will be pointless spending money on nutes, so I could also rig a second system if it was relatively straight forward to do.
 
I guess it can be slightly more expensive,  the water pump you can get from bunnings pretty cheap, no more than an air pump I dont think and the next most expensive thing would be the expanded clay.
 
At work we get detergent and white oil in 20ltr plastic drums with a tap hole.  I cut the top off that and put a tap on it and run a bit of hose from the tap to the reservoir.
And from the reservoir I run a little pump to run water through the expanded clay.  Its very simple, gravity draining, I've got the water pump on a timer and I'm actually only running the pump a few times during the day for 15 mins at a time and once at night.
 
The blue garden hose is the drain and the little black ones are running nutrients up into the plant.
I've got a short regular piece of retic hose that I have attached to the pump and that is terminated on the end, then I tap into that and run my smaller hoses to the plant
P1040848_zps2d513791.jpg

P1040849_zps4fffce84.jpg
 
I would never have thought of something like that...  I like how simple you've made it - straight forward, yet effective judging by the size of the plant. That's really cool, nice work man.
 
I might see what's lying around out back and make something similar if the extra parts can be got cheaply.  Need a new project to keep me occupied over xmas.
 
What type of chili is it by the way?  Also are you going to enter that giant pumpkin in a competition or planning to just eat it?  I imagine you would be eating nothing but pumpkin for weeks...
 
Thanks!  Yes you could make that kind of set up with just about anything! Most of what I have out the back is bath tubs I find out in the street when bulk collection is on.
 
20 litres seems to be enough for chilies hydroponically, This is the same plant before I cut it back to what it is now. ( Its a Peach Ghost Scorpion)
P1040811_zpsdea0cd50.jpg

 
I dont know of any Pumpkin competitions in WA, I'm really only growing it for my own satasfaction.  I dont even know if I'll eat it, they aren't great eating, maybe good for soup and pumpkin pie.  Its having a few troubles so I'm not sure if I'm going to end up with a pumpkin to keep.  Its weeping a bit, I think I had too much nutrients going into it and it grew faster than the outer shell could handle.  They tend to crack and weep if that happens. I'm treating it with sulfur to stop infection and some of the weeping spots are healing up so I'm slightly hopefull It will keep.
As far as I know I'm the only one growing on hydroponically in WA...or even Australia.  I've heard of one guy in Mandurah growing a 400kg  pumpkin in the soil last year, but it rotted on the vine before he could officially weigh it.
 
Rainman said:
All a bit quiet on here so thought I'd give you all a quick update on this years grow...
 
About 2 weeks ago I made a DWC set-up and finally got round to putting my first plant in today (yellow bhut jolokia) and have a fatalii for the other side when I'm sure I've got the set-up correct. 
DWC_zps9bde34dc.jpg

I have a few concerns with the DWC as its my first time trying hydro, but I've put these in another thread, anyway I digress...
 
My Aji Lemon is still going strong, this is the first plant I have grown from seed to do so well and set so many pods.  I must have about 30 odd on this tiny fella!
20141217_141833_zpse4b0a09f.jpg

 
The four Jalapeno pods are turning red and are nice and hot with a lovely taste (I could not resist eating one from the plant before I got back to the kitchen).  Hopefully when all four pods have turned and been plucked, the plant can re-focus on growing bigger as its been mauled by some damn bug and has very few leaves left.
 
I've planted a heap of marigolds as companions around the other plants as I read they are good at attracting beneficial insects.  No sign of aphids yet... tough wood.
 
My newest seedlings have all popped up and are about 3 cm tall in the green house.  I noticed my usual tenancy to over-water just in time I think, so hopefully they will all thrive like the Aji Lemon.
 
My over-winter red savina has a tiny pod, but is largely dragging its ass back to the living.
 
The two mexi-bells I've grown from seeds (taken from pods grown off a Bunnings plant last year) are going really well, so I have high hopes for them now.
 
After the initial disaster in spring when I got back from holiday in NZ to find the mother-in-law had killed a few plants, I'm mildly optimistic for some pods, albeit no significant exotic chinense varieties (yet). 
 
How are the rest of you going? 
Click to expand...
 
Looking great there Rainman :cool:
So you are venturing out into something different, great to see! As Superdavid was talking about try using his 15min flood system.
I have been growing in a Channel(self made) with clay balls, a spray bar and using a slant(gravity) in the Channel to let the nutes drain back into the reseviour. It's a recycling system.
The Chilli's loooove it. I did find it took them a while before they settled in and got happy before they produced Chilli.
Unfortunately after growing in it for about 4 years the whole system needs a cleanout now as they aren't doing to well at the moment(nute/root buildup I think).
 
My season has been pretty slow at the moment. I have been neglecting my Chilli's and they have been suffering a bit.
All my spare time has been put into my boat at the moment. I brought a secondhand ally cat and have been pulling off the old outboards(repowering with bigger ones), sanding and repainting before putting on the new ones. 
Man I am over sanding!!! I def would not make a panel beater I can't even get the bog to harden properly!!!!
 
Anyway here is some of my first Chilli of the season-
 
IMAG0924.jpg

7-Pod Primo
 
IMAG0928.jpg

Cili Goronong
 
 
 
Hey Superdavid your plants are looking fantastic. I love that Rocotto and is getting bigger every year.
I have said many a time that I have a policy of 1 Pube per garden and this is a classic example of why!
Faaaark me look at the size of that Pumpkin Pheeeeew! Now that reminds me of the Pumpkin chucking comps they have, man those guys go ballistic.
 
Happy Chilli Growing,
Micca
 
Hey Micca - Love the look of the pods.  Twisted or bumps as all hell - nice.  
 
The last two chinense plants from my original grow list (mainly your seeds) are losing the battle vs. a leaf eating machine!  I've seen white fly / slugs / snails and been destroying on site, but they are eating the chinenses and leaving the others. So frustrating.  
 
I have a second wave of seedlings from your seeds that are about 3-8 cm tall now, so I'm up against it to maybe get some late season autumn pods if i can get them to the finish line.
 
I'm definitely going to look at building either a Drip/NFT set-up like yours or a flood/drain set-up like Dave (I've found this website today for reference: http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm)
 
I'm off to the recycling centre in Balcatta to see what scrap materials I find now.  They also have curb site pick-up in the Balcatta area so I might be able to scavange some cool junk off the side of the road to make some stuff as well :) I do get a kick out of recycling stuff into useful new things...
 
Yeah it's a real pain getting your plants eaten. I've been getting the same too.
Mine are these Giant grasshoppers(size of hand) that came into my garden a couple of years ago and every season now I do battle with them.
These suckers not only strip a plant they even chop the heads off! Aaaargh!!!!!!
Never been able to find a solution to getting rid of the buggers
 
Micca
 
Its bulk collection around the Craigie/Beldon are at the moment.  If you can't find anything at Balcatta I've got a spare bath tub you can have!

I also have spare 20 litre drums you can have
 
Super David said:
Its bulk collection around the Craigie/Beldon are at the moment.  If you can't find anything at Balcatta I've got a spare bath tub you can have!

I also have spare 20 litre drums you can have
Click to expand...
 
Damn, saw this too late.  I could have used a 20 L drum for the main reservoir. The pump aside, it was the only significant bit I could not recycle from old stuff.  I've made a 3 plant system from 3 old brewing fermenting barrels. I've connected two of them up so far and its working well.
 
I might have to buy another timer if the one I have already doesn't do the on/off pattern I want.
 
All up it's cost about $90 ($40 pump and $25 reservoir tank from Bunnings taking up most of the outlay, with the rest on specialised stuff I could not scavenge like net pots). 
 
Will post pics later this weekend, as I'm off out tonight.  
 
Cheers guys, RM

Micca302 said:
Yeah it's a real pain getting your plants eaten. I've been getting the same too.
Mine are these Giant grasshoppers(size of hand) that came into my garden a couple of years ago and every season now I do battle with them.
These suckers not only strip a plant they even chop the heads off! Aaaargh!!!!!!
Never been able to find a solution to getting rid of the buggers
 
Micca
Click to expand...
 
I would lose it if I have giant grasshoppers.  I've given mine a light spray of pyrethrum, so hopefully that will keep the little fuckers at bay for a bit.
 
Here's the overall set-up:
1_zps16eafc7e.jpg

 
3_zps23f48b2d.jpg

 
4_zps7ded0141.jpg

 
The underneath connections currently use T-pieces, but I'll need a new single connector if I want to hook up the third barrel or a 4-way adapters if they make them.
 
I initially used some clear, flexible tubing I had lying about, but it kinked and reduced the flow of water, the old garden hose works a treat tho, so I'm really pleased with how it all came together.  
 
The system is essentially water tight, the drips you see are me spraying with the hose as I tested various ways to make the system work.  It looked like I'd pissed my shorts after one test run where I forgot to hook up the 2nd barrel... that being said, I'll be clamping all the connectors at the end and also covering in white reflective paper to act as a heat shield.
 
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