JJJ 2013 Glog- C'est fini. -awmost.

So,I may as well grow them, eh?

I started back gardening last year, but I left it to my co-gardener mostly to come up with pepper plants. We had some Bells, and Cayenne, a Carrot pepper, a black Jap, Hungarian sweet, maybe a Bullnose, Then I bought a 4 pack each of Anaheims and Jimmy Nardellos. I set out a little Shoshito start in July and it had a lot of fruit considering. Nothing here to write home about. The Jimmy's did ok. 2 of the Anaheims weren't true (and a cow at half of one of them), one did ok. The last one I planted in a new asparagus bed and the first week some sucky bug drilled it right in forehead and wilted the top. I started to pull it out, but thought, "no harm to leave it to see what would happen". I pinched the wilt off. That pepper forked an by frost it had held its own with the asparagus which hit about 6 foot. I pulled the whole plant day before frost, and it had about 50 nice peppers on it. I blistered and smoked them all.

.

But this year I'm gonna be pepper pro-active. Thanks to Durham Bull, I have a treasure house of Capscium genes -Bhuts, Scorpions, and the likes -none of which I'd ever heard of a year ago. The generosity of this community seems to only be matched by it passion for peppers. I dig it. Plus I was in at another site with an online seed blind swap and ended up with some mildly hot goodies.

Well I've never grown a pepper from seed. Never. So yet another new door. Bought a heat mat, I've got onions about to come off it now. After Spicy Chicken's glog, I liked his grow station and thought I'd buy some shelves and put overhead fluorescent on them. I had a domestic conversation about where to put the shelves and lost amicably. So I guess I'll have to finally clean out my toolshed after only 4 years to make room.

It has a skylight about, 30" x 96", but no heat, no electricity. But I think I can get by with an extension cord, and will have to pick up a little propane heater to knock the chill off. Peppers aren't safe outside here until mid-May.

Yesterday, I got my shelves assembled with one light installed - a 4x4' T8 fixture w/ 6500ks.

Plan is to wire them on to a gang of light switches, maybe a timer, cover it with Reflectrix movable curtains, some small fans.

I'd appreciate any advice, especially since I'm in the early build phase.

I'm shooting for about 100-150 plants if there's room -some to wind up in rows, some in beds, some into containers, some to share

A friend is sending me some more seeds today I believe, so I'll be closer to a final grow list when I see what that brings.

Thanks for reading and for any words of wisdom you can share.

 

[PIC 1]

Your on the right track..........A man with a plan. Anaheims are some of my favorites. "Hot Hatch" are a larger variety and are great for "blistering".
Its a good time to start the superhot seeds. Once transplanted outdoors it can take 2 to 3 months for ripened pods. You can beat the long duration to harvest by giving the seedlings a good planting medium for their "feet" ample amount of quality light and some good organic diluted nutrients such as "Fish Emulsion and Kelp" .
Good luck with the seed startup and the rows of green ...red...and yellow pods you'll be harvesting.

Greg

 

[WalkGood]

Nice start Carl, looking forward to seeing your progress

 

[Durham Bull]

That's going to be a nice setup.
Good luck with your grow.

 

[Sanarda]

Good luck. Its my first year also growing from seed. Lost a few valuables, but that goes with the newbie territory. You are so right about the generosity of growers here. They are simply amazing people.

 

[JJJessee]

Thanks, folks. Another envelope of seeds arrived from a buddy I went to HS with. He has encouraged and inspired much of my gardening pursuits this year.
I'll work on my grow list here in a bit and start researching grow mediums. I picked up a few things at the grow store down in Asheville NC the other day including two blocks of coir. Just found out about this stuff last year but nobody around here carries it.
I just so happen to have a caldron that I figured would hold at least one block.

It started to expand just as soon as the water hit it. I thought of the old joke of what Adam said when he first met Eve, "Stand back, we don't know how big this thing will get".

The directions called for 3 gallons per block, a little more helped.
Two blocks pretty well filled it up - 29 gallons I believe I measured it once.

I touched it, and fell in love instantly.


[font=trebuchet ms']Grow box work continue[/font][font=trebuchet ms']s.[/font]



Getting some hangers attached for electrical, fan rheostat, and for whatever other control boxes it might occur to me that might come in handy.

Electrician is not my strong suite. I worked the better part of the day just getting the two light fixtures wired in. Finished up by putting up 3 curtains.

Hopefully I can wrap up mounting the control boxes and fans tomorrow and finishing the walls.


At that point I think soaking some seeds is in order.

JJJ

 

[Sanarda]

Very nicely done. That grow box looks wonderful. I cant wait to see your little babies inside getting their grow on...

 

[JJJessee]

So my grow list has gotten outta hand.
Ya think?

Anaheim
Aji Colorado
Tabasco
Ancho/Pablano
Fatalli
Marisol
Jalapeno
Habanero, Caribbean Red
King of the North (sweet)
Waialua
Thai chili
Chiltepin
Goat's Weed
Habanero, Orange
Bhut Jolokia -Red
7 POT Jonah
7 POT -Yellow
Brain Strain
Trinidad Scorpion -Chocolate
Trinidad Scorpion -Butch T
7 POT -Primo
Trinidad Scorpion -Morouga
Bhut Jolokia-Indian carbon
Trinidad Scorpion -Yellow
Naga -Black
Banda ma Jacque
Datil
Aji Dulce
Scotch Bonnet
Ecuador Lemon
Shishito
Cherezo Cherry
Padron
Cowhorn Cayenne
Serrano


Durham Bull graciously offered and sent to me the items in red.
I have 220+ seeds soaking on a heat mat at a maximum temp of 85°F. I presume that one day is enough.
My grow building still doesn't have a heater, but it's insulated and it looked liked the heat mat thermostat was going to hit it's target. We're having a mild night -that's a plus. Tomorrow I'll rig up something to assist the heat mat and get the fans installed.
Going to check my babes at least once more to make sure they are tucked in for the night.

Sweet dreams,
(and hot ones too)

jjj

 

[annie57]

Love that list of hot goodness: love Bonda Ma Jacques as well! Love all those, actually. Great job! Good luck on grow and keep us posted. Dear Gawd, whad'ya pay for the coir in Ashevegas? I lived in A-ville few years and was up there couple weeks ago: nothing-special hamburger (except that it was meat and not veggie burger) 10 bucks? "Excuse me sir; let me run to bank to get a loan to pay for the herbal tea . . ." Nice set up, JJJ! (And I do love A-ville but it lost some funk with the new political correctness; still love that town: it gives good coir as well!) Annie

 

[JJJessee]

Yeah Annie, I know what ya mean about A-ville, but I would still move move there in a heartbeat if my roots weren't so deep. We have some friends that moved there from here after they retired and love it. We try to get over there every other month or so to hang with them, drink beer, pick up our staples at the food co-op, and what-not.

The grow store is Fifth Season. The coir brick (65-70 litre expanded) I bought was 16 bucks and change, but quantity discounts are available. I'm going back for more unless I can find a better deal on a truckload some where.

 

[Durham Bull]

That's a nice mix of chiles...
it's going to be a busy summer.

 

[Jamison]

Looks like you got it going on my friend! No beef pattie pics?

 

[annie57]

Yeah Annie, I know what ya mean about A-ville, but I would still move move there in a heartbeat if my roots weren't so deep. We have some friends that moved there from here after they retired and love it. We try to get over there every other month or so to hang with them, drink beer, pick up our staples at the food co-op, and what-not.

The grow store is Fifth Season. The coir brick (65-70 litre expanded) I bought was 16 bucks and change, but quantity discounts are available. I'm going back for more unless I can find a better deal on a truckload some where.

Yes: I'd like to move there (Boone? FORGET IT! Too cold. Asheville's actually warm, hot in summer: good for peppers. We played Bele Chere one summer and hotter than most summers in A-ville.) Got my eye on some bottom land in Leicester, about 10-15 acres, stream, good place for pond for stocking fish and irrigation. (And letting the yougins come fish out some channel cat.) And got ya on Fifth Season: one in Carrboro, NC too. A lot of the NC State Horticulture students go there for their own grows and experiments: hard store to leave! You made me want to go and spend $$$, JJJ! J/k but killer to know there's one in A-ville. Thanks!

 

[JJJessee]

Thanks, lads and lasses.
Jamison, Next patties will be tofu or goat.


Annie, Boone, the place that summer forgot, for sure.


Potting mix.

Almost 50% perilite, the rest coir.

Then I wet it down with 2 tbs Super Frog (3-4-2?) per gallon of mix dissolved in 2.5 gallons of water with a shot of Ca/Mg.

I should have plenty to start potting these puppies up when the blessed day arrives.

I put some in a 72 71 tray,

some in coir plugs,

(i'll have to water each cup individually since they don't sit at the same height in the cups.


some in egg shells (Hey, WalkGood!),

and the rest I laid to sprout on wet foam rubber with a piece of plexi on top.(experiment)

That took all afternoon and then some.

Temp is 80-85.

Probably going to need one more fixture of shelf lights unless I can kick my onion sprouts off the top floor.

jjj

 

[JJJessee]

Life Signs

We were out of town Friday night and Saturday night so my grow box had to fend for itself a couple of days -cold days at that. But I found a little heater and put it in the building with it so the heat mat could the keep the seeds in their comfort zone. And It seems to have done fairly well.
When I checked them late this afternoon the temp was 76°, but I suspect at least last night they we somewhat below that.
I wasn't too worried. I purposefully let them cool into the sixties a few nights ago to stimulate some contractions in the seed casings. Someone here mentioned it and it sounded right to me.



Anyways.


First Cotyledon Award goes to:

Tobasco.

Just in front of a Goat's Weed at full crowning.

A few of the loose seeds are just starting to hook. Here is a Cherezo Cherry

My potting mix has been outside and was still frozen when I got home, so I'm letting some warm-up now to drop the hooks in and I'm giving them a sip of very dilute AACT.

Thanks for reading
jjj

 

[Jamison]

Nice job Jesse! Always good to see them come out of their deep sleep!

 

[stc3248]

Same shelves I use! Nice and adjustable...careful sliding the trays in and out the front/back shelf supports are a little flexible and can be pulled out in the middle of the shelf...not a big deal when you have germ trays on them...causes a scare when you have 4 trays of 5.25" square pots freshly watered...some gorilla tape on mine did the trick. Like the way you hooked up the lights too. real pro stuff. Will be watching this one for sure.

 

[JJJessee]

It's Chaos, I say, Chaos.

Well, I've never been accused of orderliness, but I've learned with this project where it could come in handy.

Wouldn't it be nice if when a seed unfolded, you could right away move it right up against those lights while it's sleepy brothers keep their butts against the heat mat without juggling or resorting to Jedi mind tricks?

I'm working on it.

At 10 days, I'm at about 12% germination rate. Seems a little slow. I've had a few brief drops into the low 60°s that could be holding back the super hots. So far, I'm mostly getting stuff from the low end of the SCO scale.

Our weather is about to break warm for a few days and it will be easier to keep the building warm.
And maybe I'll be able to move may onions into a cold-frame and have a whole shelf for pepper seedling only.

Here is the original 72 with a few show offs.

I think it could still use a 1-1.5" riser and the new 72 needs even more. I'll fix then both in the morning.

I moved all the soaked seeds, without hooks, into those back cells to consolidate space.


Thanks for reading, all.

Shane, thanks for the heads up on the shelves. I like them too, but that press board is a might thin. Ultra-runner, eh? How long you been addicted?


jjj

 

[annie57]

What you call "lack of order" I call inventiveness, JJJ. NICE job! And supposed to warm up next few . . . love your creativity! Annie

 

[Sanarda]

Very nice. What medium is germinating the best for you??