Hey junglejoe, I feel for you with the weather and critters. Im not new to gardening but havent in ten yrs. I live on a slope thats compacted and due to a bad back Im having to do containers. Ive got limited knowledge of peppers having done cayenne,jalapeño Bell. Maybe one or two more. Im stoked to try this Reaper tho. I havent found any seeds locally so Im going to order some. I hope they will keep as I only need a few. I got some other peppers that should be saying hello any day now. Im getting a late start. I hope it gets better there soon.
I'm in and starting with Reapers and Cayenne
- Thread starter Jungle Joe
- Start date
Deadhead - I have perhaps been lucky, but growing peppers hasn't been any different to me than anything else - like beans, tomatoes, etc... They like HEAT, and SUN and the right amount of moisture. Good draining soil, keep pesty critters away and WAIT - that's all I can advise really. I DO put chicken wire around my barrels when things get going which should be any day now. I learned that one 2 years ago when I noticed my tomatoes started disappearing... I was like "it's gotta be a neighbor" (my damn tomatoes were awfully good, being organic and all). Turns out it was a frikin' squirrel ! Sonsabitches ! lol
So I have chicken wire that goes around both barrels - looks really fantastic let me tell ya. As long as everything goes more or less as planned, you'll see.
Storage for your peppers - you mentioned hoping they keep. I make slits in the skin with an xacto blade and hang them from a string over my sink. They stay there all year and I use them in chili's and spaghettis and soups. If you were paying attention earlier, I did say that I used seeds from one of these hanging cayennes from last year. I was SHOCKED at how viable the seeds were. And they popped in like 5 days.. So storage/keep can be done that way and for SURE freezing and there are at least 10 people who have posted on this site that are worth listening to/reading for that very subject.
So, for Deadhead, here's my peppers hanging - this is no Ristra by the way !
And since I'm still hoping to get some Anaheim Peppers soon, I wanted to get some more organic soil going near my deck where I have grown beans in the past. I drilled 5, 1 inch holes into a cracked bottom 5 gallon bucket. That lets water drain out, but ALSO roots to grow down into the ground. Oh, and WORMS can come UP too !
Here's all that:
I added kelp meal, alfalfa meal, neem cake, crushed crab shells, oatmeal, azomite dust, my own compost, porous lava rock & sphagnum moss to some organic potting soil and mixed the hell out of it. I did this yesterday before the rain and of course you just know I was getting RAINED ON whilst doing it too. I can't ever get away from dirt without getting DIRTY. It's physically impossible.
Here's a close up - and that's just a loose tree leaf on top:
Here's last night's rain that I mentioned in last night's post - and bear in mind, I live in Minnesota currently, NOT Seattle, and they had predicted about 1/4"... Yeah...
So now for some quick-fire posts as of the NOW
Barrels, still covered in lighter dish-towels due to more rain being predicted. I will be taking these off this weekend and putting up my chicken wire - note my comfrey coming up - so cold even THAT is fighting !
Here we go:
Cayenne by the deck (note my rocks as it's the ONLY THING that has kept the squirrels from slaughtering my desired plants)
That Cayenne Close up
Cayenne the squirrel pushed over
Reapers - I PROTECTED the one already pushed over after straightening it back up
Back to Cayenne
And before I get too far, I needed to mention that I saw Theo Greyjoy playing pool recently
Yes ?
So I have chicken wire that goes around both barrels - looks really fantastic let me tell ya. As long as everything goes more or less as planned, you'll see.
Storage for your peppers - you mentioned hoping they keep. I make slits in the skin with an xacto blade and hang them from a string over my sink. They stay there all year and I use them in chili's and spaghettis and soups. If you were paying attention earlier, I did say that I used seeds from one of these hanging cayennes from last year. I was SHOCKED at how viable the seeds were. And they popped in like 5 days.. So storage/keep can be done that way and for SURE freezing and there are at least 10 people who have posted on this site that are worth listening to/reading for that very subject.
So, for Deadhead, here's my peppers hanging - this is no Ristra by the way !
And since I'm still hoping to get some Anaheim Peppers soon, I wanted to get some more organic soil going near my deck where I have grown beans in the past. I drilled 5, 1 inch holes into a cracked bottom 5 gallon bucket. That lets water drain out, but ALSO roots to grow down into the ground. Oh, and WORMS can come UP too !
Here's all that:
I added kelp meal, alfalfa meal, neem cake, crushed crab shells, oatmeal, azomite dust, my own compost, porous lava rock & sphagnum moss to some organic potting soil and mixed the hell out of it. I did this yesterday before the rain and of course you just know I was getting RAINED ON whilst doing it too. I can't ever get away from dirt without getting DIRTY. It's physically impossible.
Here's a close up - and that's just a loose tree leaf on top:
Here's last night's rain that I mentioned in last night's post - and bear in mind, I live in Minnesota currently, NOT Seattle, and they had predicted about 1/4"... Yeah...
So now for some quick-fire posts as of the NOW
Barrels, still covered in lighter dish-towels due to more rain being predicted. I will be taking these off this weekend and putting up my chicken wire - note my comfrey coming up - so cold even THAT is fighting !
Here we go:
Cayenne by the deck (note my rocks as it's the ONLY THING that has kept the squirrels from slaughtering my desired plants)
That Cayenne Close up
Cayenne the squirrel pushed over
Reapers - I PROTECTED the one already pushed over after straightening it back up
Back to Cayenne
And before I get too far, I needed to mention that I saw Theo Greyjoy playing pool recently
Yes ?
Im using those bottomless buckets too. I got a bunch of good dirt from an old downed tree. Those look good. Squirrels will be a battle for sure. I got a self watering bucket planted today. Ive a pack of old seeds that are Banana Peppers, I thought were jalapeno. Those look like monster peppers hanging up.
They were some long-ass cayennes. Here's a shot of a few I had picked before hanging them up
Jungle Joe, I hope you keep the plants safe from the wildlife and have a good grow. It's quite late in the season for such tiny plants. If your Reapers don't make it to fruiting this year, will you be able to bring them indoors to overwinter?
Deadhead - just a warning. Watch out for the "ebay reapers". These are sold as Reapers (or other superhot or rare varieties) but in fact turn out to be cayennes, thai, birdseye or some generic red peppers. By the time you have pods and can see it's not a Reaper, the time to complain on ebay has passed so there is no comeback. So if you're buying online make sure it's a quality retailer. You can find some in the Vendor Vault section of this forum I think. White Hot Peppers is a name that comes to mind but there are others.
deadhead said:
Deadhead - just a warning. Watch out for the "ebay reapers". These are sold as Reapers (or other superhot or rare varieties) but in fact turn out to be cayennes, thai, birdseye or some generic red peppers. By the time you have pods and can see it's not a Reaper, the time to complain on ebay has passed so there is no comeback. So if you're buying online make sure it's a quality retailer. You can find some in the Vendor Vault section of this forum I think. White Hot Peppers is a name that comes to mind but there are others.
Right on Deadhead. When those started growing and they didn't STOP lengthening I thought what the heck do I have here. Well, they're just awesome cayennes. Very lucky as I bought started plants. They were labeled as cayenne, so that's all I know. The heat is fantastic too. I can easily just grind 'em for crushed red and I really dig that on damn near everything.
Howzitgoin' Owdman - glad you're diggin' it. That last post took me over an hour to cook up with all them pics and such and to label it all correctly. Gets me to thinking why in the hell I'm doing it when it goes on that long - lol. Posts like yours and the rest are sorta why - makes me smile anyway. That and then I have a record to look back on...
Howdy Mitzi ! UK - day'um !
As long as my plants make it, and give me even a few peppers - I'll be ok. I'm going to have a lot of plants for me. If I do get finished peppers I'll have seeds for Reapers & Anaheim in addition to the really nice Cayenne seeds I already have. But if last year is any hint as to how things might go, I should have more than enough to make me happy. In the fall they were sorta piling up on me even. The string still has some hanging as there so many to begin with. And that was ONE cayenne plant with a bunch of tomato plants. And I'm not doing ANY tomatoes this year - only peppers !
And no - I won't be able to bring any inside.. . Scratch that - I may get a pepper or two in a moveable pot yet. We'll see ~ food for thought. I do NOT have a grow set-up though.
Howzitgoin' Owdman - glad you're diggin' it. That last post took me over an hour to cook up with all them pics and such and to label it all correctly. Gets me to thinking why in the hell I'm doing it when it goes on that long - lol. Posts like yours and the rest are sorta why - makes me smile anyway. That and then I have a record to look back on...
Howdy Mitzi ! UK - day'um !
As long as my plants make it, and give me even a few peppers - I'll be ok. I'm going to have a lot of plants for me. If I do get finished peppers I'll have seeds for Reapers & Anaheim in addition to the really nice Cayenne seeds I already have. But if last year is any hint as to how things might go, I should have more than enough to make me happy. In the fall they were sorta piling up on me even. The string still has some hanging as there so many to begin with. And that was ONE cayenne plant with a bunch of tomato plants. And I'm not doing ANY tomatoes this year - only peppers !
And no - I won't be able to bring any inside.. . Scratch that - I may get a pepper or two in a moveable pot yet. We'll see ~ food for thought. I do NOT have a grow set-up though.
By the way - did nobody watch Game of Thrones ?? Mitzi - not even you !?! ? That dude looks just like Reek @!
Keeping a record to look back on
I made MORE 5 gallon bucket planters near the deck as I have lots of buckets and had plenty of material to do so.
Holes to allow drainage and allow root and worm (and whatever else) interaction:
Mixing and filling (100% organic) in final position after placing rocks and sea shells over/around holes. I did this so that if I ever needed to move them it would come more easily - yet still allow all of the drainage etc., to happen.
Done and covered with rocks. Still have yet to place final plants except for the last bucket on the right.
The cayennes that were in last years black 1 gallon re-planted
I made MORE 5 gallon bucket planters near the deck as I have lots of buckets and had plenty of material to do so.
Holes to allow drainage and allow root and worm (and whatever else) interaction:
Mixing and filling (100% organic) in final position after placing rocks and sea shells over/around holes. I did this so that if I ever needed to move them it would come more easily - yet still allow all of the drainage etc., to happen.
Done and covered with rocks. Still have yet to place final plants except for the last bucket on the right.
The cayennes that were in last years black 1 gallon re-planted
I FINALLY took the flimsy cover clothes off my barrels !! (Crossing fingers)
I have a secret to tell.
When the squirrel had made it look like one of my Reapers was gone I really really panicked. They were the whole point of what I was trying to grow this year - again, no tomatoes !
So when I had left for work that day I of course did the only thing I could do - I went online to get some answers for where I could obtain actual plants. I was hitting road block after road block though. EVERYBODY was sold out of live plants. Oh, I could get more seeds - NO THANKS. So I did finally locate an organic farm in Florida that "said" they had them in stock even. I felt like I was gonna be screwed, but tried anyway.... said something about 3 days - yada yada yada... Well I wasn't putting much stock into it and then of course my reaper was still there after all.
Then, on Thursday I got an email saying my order had shipped. I thought - huh, let's see how this goes. Extended weekend, this oughta be interesting... Well, out and about today hiking around Stillwater and having some tasty "beverages" today, I got a notification on my horn that they were delivered - and it even said "at or in mailbox"... it's like [you gotta be kidding me] - two live plants (that's what the order was actually for) in the frikin' mailbox ?!
Well - skeptic me was proven WRONG as usual. The box was indeed JAMMED IN the mailbox with not an inch to spare - silly mail-person, but here's what came out:
So here they are OUTSIDE - why wait ?!!?!??!?!? of course mycorrhiza was sprinkled to help with transplanting, etc...
I MOVED one of the cayenne to the center and will more than likely just cull it anyway - thoughts ?
And the deck side 5 galloners - leaving ONE for an Anaheim a friend found for me !
When the squirrel had made it look like one of my Reapers was gone I really really panicked. They were the whole point of what I was trying to grow this year - again, no tomatoes !
So when I had left for work that day I of course did the only thing I could do - I went online to get some answers for where I could obtain actual plants. I was hitting road block after road block though. EVERYBODY was sold out of live plants. Oh, I could get more seeds - NO THANKS. So I did finally locate an organic farm in Florida that "said" they had them in stock even. I felt like I was gonna be screwed, but tried anyway.... said something about 3 days - yada yada yada... Well I wasn't putting much stock into it and then of course my reaper was still there after all.
Then, on Thursday I got an email saying my order had shipped. I thought - huh, let's see how this goes. Extended weekend, this oughta be interesting... Well, out and about today hiking around Stillwater and having some tasty "beverages" today, I got a notification on my horn that they were delivered - and it even said "at or in mailbox"... it's like [you gotta be kidding me] - two live plants (that's what the order was actually for) in the frikin' mailbox ?!
Well - skeptic me was proven WRONG as usual. The box was indeed JAMMED IN the mailbox with not an inch to spare - silly mail-person, but here's what came out:
So here they are OUTSIDE - why wait ?!!?!??!?!? of course mycorrhiza was sprinkled to help with transplanting, etc...
I MOVED one of the cayenne to the center and will more than likely just cull it anyway - thoughts ?
And the deck side 5 galloners - leaving ONE for an Anaheim a friend found for me !
Happy Memorial to all !
And yeay - it's raining here again ! (sarcasm). They are predicting around 1 inch today - THAT and a low of 46 degrees Fahrenheit (that's for you, Mitzi). One of these days it will become summer and perhaps THEN my peppers can actually GROW. See - I am not patient
Oh, I realized I should mention that I will be at the "Hatch Chili Festival 2019" !
Getting to Hatch, NM on August 31st and leaving on September 2nd, Labor Day. I WILL be getting real HATCH PEPPER SEEDS (any interest?), a ristra or two, and I will be chowing down and having pale ales and such.
I'll be flying in to Denver Colorado just prior and will be driving from there. The drive from Denver to Hatch along the Rio Grand should be very cool to say the least. Perhaps even hit Albuquerque... I see Route 66 Green Chili Beef Jerky in my future
So, with the sprinkling rain, it would be good to have that Anaheim my friend got me in the 5 gal... I'll be getting it tomorrow though, so oh well.
That is a picture of it he sent to me when he picked it up.
And yeay - it's raining here again ! (sarcasm). They are predicting around 1 inch today - THAT and a low of 46 degrees Fahrenheit (that's for you, Mitzi). One of these days it will become summer and perhaps THEN my peppers can actually GROW. See - I am not patient
Oh, I realized I should mention that I will be at the "Hatch Chili Festival 2019" !
Getting to Hatch, NM on August 31st and leaving on September 2nd, Labor Day. I WILL be getting real HATCH PEPPER SEEDS (any interest?), a ristra or two, and I will be chowing down and having pale ales and such.
I'll be flying in to Denver Colorado just prior and will be driving from there. The drive from Denver to Hatch along the Rio Grand should be very cool to say the least. Perhaps even hit Albuquerque... I see Route 66 Green Chili Beef Jerky in my future
So, with the sprinkling rain, it would be good to have that Anaheim my friend got me in the 5 gal... I'll be getting it tomorrow though, so oh well.
That is a picture of it he sent to me when he picked it up.
Yikes
Rain total in my gauge = 3 inches !
And just checking around to make sure no transplants drowned, I saw
what looks to me to be MORE TRAUMA, from a squirrel no doubt, on one of the Reapers again
So I added MORE ROCKS very close around the sucker.
If these little things make it, with cold, MASSIVE rain, and squirrels - I'll be amazed. I'm just very glad I DID order the further along start-ups from
NaturalNomadFarms all the way out in Boynton Beach, Florida !
And, for that matter, I now have the Anaheim in MY possession.
I'm very glad I have that too. I did tell him to get me 2 more if does see them again. I can go through A LOT of Anaheim peppers in just one breakfast even !
Rain total in my gauge = 3 inches !
And just checking around to make sure no transplants drowned, I saw
what looks to me to be MORE TRAUMA, from a squirrel no doubt, on one of the Reapers again
So I added MORE ROCKS very close around the sucker.
If these little things make it, with cold, MASSIVE rain, and squirrels - I'll be amazed. I'm just very glad I DID order the further along start-ups from
NaturalNomadFarms all the way out in Boynton Beach, Florida !
And, for that matter, I now have the Anaheim in MY possession.
I'm very glad I have that too. I did tell him to get me 2 more if does see them again. I can go through A LOT of Anaheim peppers in just one breakfast even !
Jungle Joe said:
I did watch it. Yep, he is a dead ringer for Theon.
Looks like 46*F is a shade below 8*C. It's been 6 or 7*C here for the last couple of nights and will be again tonight so I've been dragging my chinenses indoors and out again although I left the annuums, baccatums and pubescens to fend for themselves outdoors.
Have you tried scattering some of your homemade chilli powder around your seedlings to deter the critters? Got to be worth a try.
Mitzi said:
Alright ! I thought so, even pointed at him that day and whispered to my friend "Theon Greyjoy" ? - He said, "Reek!" - lol
I then knew I was on to something....
Mitzi said:
Cold over there too... Do you know what that means ?!?!!! - it means it's COLD OVER THERE TOO ! lol !
Heat please soon, man. Soon.
And no - I have not tried sprinkling crushed red all over. Yet. The squirrels aren't eating the plants though. They're just trying to bury their gold and their scratchy little claws don't care what's in their way. That last cayenne was pretty well surrounded by stones, but there was a 1" spot of dirt available for them. Unbelievably, they took it and in the process scratched fragile little leaves away. My answer for that was to make sure there wasn't even a sniff of dirt for them to try to bury junk in. It was quite shocking to see though - gotta admit. And I can guarantee it's a grey squirrel - so perhaps I will call the squirrel Reek ? (Greyjoy / Grey Squirrel.... )
It's been a while.
Nothing like being DELUGED in rain and cold for way too long. I had pretty much given up on any chance of a ripened pepper - it was ridiculous.
But, finally, Minnesota experienced some DAMN HOT & HUMID days... close to about 2 weeks. Just in the nick of time too. In those few weeks my deck peppers (in pots even) went nuts. Probably because they get the most sun as I relocated them up onto the railing.
The barrel peppers finally started to at least expand, but they have been so over-rinsed/watered, and this year the trees are just blocking too much of the sun this year. I'm still thinking they are just hopeless. Same with the 5 gallon buckets. Too overly rinsed & not enough sun. All the good stuff in my "pot buckets" was rinsed right out... I bet the ground underneath them is happy though !
SO here they are:
5 Gal's = Store-bought Anaheim -> Store bought/shipped Reapers 1 & 2 -> Cayenne late-started Seedling
Barrel = Store Bought Anaheim - Cayenne Seedling & Reaper Seedling
Barrel = Store Bought Anaheim -> Cayanne Seedling -> Store Bought Reaper & one of my Reaper Seedlings to the right
Store bought Anaheim -> Basil -> Rosemary
Rosemary -> Store bought Habanero -> Cayenne Seedling & the greatest shocker -> my Carolina Reaper Seedling
Habanero Buds
Cayenne Buds
My All-Star Carolina Reaper Buds - damn fine genetics here I'd say
Just look at this potted puppy
Nothing like being DELUGED in rain and cold for way too long. I had pretty much given up on any chance of a ripened pepper - it was ridiculous.
But, finally, Minnesota experienced some DAMN HOT & HUMID days... close to about 2 weeks. Just in the nick of time too. In those few weeks my deck peppers (in pots even) went nuts. Probably because they get the most sun as I relocated them up onto the railing.
The barrel peppers finally started to at least expand, but they have been so over-rinsed/watered, and this year the trees are just blocking too much of the sun this year. I'm still thinking they are just hopeless. Same with the 5 gallon buckets. Too overly rinsed & not enough sun. All the good stuff in my "pot buckets" was rinsed right out... I bet the ground underneath them is happy though !
SO here they are:
5 Gal's = Store-bought Anaheim -> Store bought/shipped Reapers 1 & 2 -> Cayenne late-started Seedling
Barrel = Store Bought Anaheim - Cayenne Seedling & Reaper Seedling
Barrel = Store Bought Anaheim -> Cayanne Seedling -> Store Bought Reaper & one of my Reaper Seedlings to the right
Store bought Anaheim -> Basil -> Rosemary
Rosemary -> Store bought Habanero -> Cayenne Seedling & the greatest shocker -> my Carolina Reaper Seedling
Habanero Buds
Cayenne Buds
My All-Star Carolina Reaper Buds - damn fine genetics here I'd say
Just look at this potted puppy