JJJ Glog 2014.....in summary

Whew!
2013 Swirling down the Drain of Time.
 
Washing the 10x20s for a New Year.
 

 
 
By last October I was so peppered out  -40 some superhot plants and over twice that many mild and sweets. Didn't think I'd ever see the end of it. But, an early surprise freeze caught me off guard and I lost several mild and sweeties. I did get almost the entire superhot crop, dried, smoked, fermented, frozen or pickled. so I should have no dearth of heat to see me through to 2014 harvest.
 
I owe most of my pepper success in 2013 to YOU.
All the folks here at THP helped me from seed, to advice, to encouragement, to inspiration.  Couldn't have done it without y'all.
 
Some changes for 2014:
 

 
I'm moving my Cappy 1000 Pepper Incubator into my  basement utility room. Last year I had it in a minimally heated out building and the night times often dipped into the 50s or lower. And come to find out, baby peppers don't much care for that. They survived, they were just slow growers.
 
 
Dirt:
 
Fox Farms Ocean Forest will be my potting mix. It's organic and hopefully will be as good as the Miracle Grow Moisture Control and it can't be any worse than my home-brew last year which wasn't horrible but coulda been better.
 
Timing:
 
Instead of putting most of my seed in the ground in early February, I'm going to hold off until later on the Annums. The Chinensis at least some in early - mid January and some Manzano seeds earlier than that if I can find them.
 
How Many for Plant Out?:
 
Not 140.
I'm devoting 2 raised beds -a 4x30 and a 4x16 to Sweet Peppers -Jimmy Nardello, King of the North, Gaint Marconis, Aji Dulce. About 26 plants. 
100' in my row garden. Probably 40 plant's. Haven't decided on the balance, Bhuts, 7 pot, Habs, Bonnets, Jalas, the usual suspects and a few odd balls.
66 plants +/- total. I totally neglected my maters last year(which given the season didn't make much difference), but this year I vow to do better by tomatoes. I hope to do 50 or so -all heirlooms, mostly paste.
I'll start several more of both than needed for selling and give-aways.
 
 
 
In related news....
 
My buddy up in Richmond grew a lot of peppers last year. He has a geodesic dome greenhouse. At the end of season he just dug up several of his pepper plants and moved them in inside.
 

 
They're looking pretty good for late December.
 
My last "harvest" of 2013 was 12/22/13; some Thai Chilis that I'd pulled the whole plants in October and just laid up on a table outside. Most had dried leather-hard.
 
I pulled, cooked, seasoned, ground and strained them into a sauce for Pad Thai for this winter.
 

 
 
Everything subject to change without notice.
(But I'll keep you posted)
 
Thanks for reading,
JJJ
 
 

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

Plants are looking nice.  Jealous of your BMJ.....still waiting on mine as I got a late start with them.

 

[JJJessee]

Thanks, fellars.
 
That Bonda Ma Jaques has a sister that fell ill a month or so ago - just didn't look right. It's still alive but I may put another something in its place.
I gave a third one away. I guess it's OK.
 
 
Another one of Annie's big bloomers
 

 
Inca Red Drop.
 
It has the characteristic green-hearted bloom, but the pods are setting with a point.
I expected more drop-shape I guess,  but it matches up with  other pictures on the internoddle after I researched. 
Anyways, this darling is going to perform if she likes loose clay.
I've got one more load of RCW mulch to scavenge and she'll get a generous share.
 
 
 
This little mystery is starting to unravel
 

 
This bastard  rascal came up with my self-saved Fatalli seeds last January. It didn't occur to me for a month that it was an annum leaf type -no question.
So I figured it was a cross, but I began to wonder if it could have been a stray annum seed that didn't even come from the Fatalli pod.
Well I was fiddling around with it and a little green pod accidentally  : fell off and I tasted it. 
Still very green, but a distinct chinense flavor -even some heat, but nothing that impressed me as Fatalli. The game is still early I suppose.
 
Some non-essentials....
 
Cool last night, mid-40s, but nothing looked bent outta shape.
 
Pulled several Anise Hyssop seedlings from the onion bed that I had scattered last fall, and gave them a little plot of their own.
 

 
A wonderful smelling herb with a habit similar to catnip but less weedy.
Honeybees love it if you can get a patch large enough to make the trip worth their while.
That's what I hope to do.
 
It's was a great day to transplant if you could stay out of the mud. Not too hot and good damp ground.
Also pulled weedy, volunteer, tommy-toe tomatoes and gave them a more suitable place to sprawl.
 
 
 
Pulled a few sample onions.
 

 
Only the Super Stars are heading up.
But they all taste good. 
 
 
 
 
Black Raspberries blooming...
 

 
A little late, but coming on strong finally.
 
 
 
I pulled  my winter scallions except what I want for seed...
 

 
with my basil defense system already deployed for the paste tomatoes I'll plant when the weather breaks warm again.
Strawberries were an impromptu plant-out last year. They will make a small crop it appears and I'll appreciate, but I want to move them to a better spot if I can figure one out.
 
Rhubarb wasn't gonna wait on the strawberries.
 

 
I may have to buy a few.
 
Thanks for reading.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Oh man, love that fresh Rhubarb. Wife would love a big pile o' that to whip up into some baked oatmeal and pies.
 
Love the garden pics JJJ! It's gonna be pod time soon.

 

[Jamison]

Still kickin ass over here I see!  

 

[annie57]

Oh, dude, ya might have beginning of a cross there (and maybe not) with that non-fatalii. And the IRD's are courteous enough to point right up at ya to make easier to pic . I only have one outside OW onion that's seeding. Have no clue when to collect seeds. Suggestions, please? Like to hang onto seed as it's a Candy. Others making some fine spring onions/scallions but not bulbing too much yet either but not falling over so . . . love that rhubarb, man!! And great strawberry WEATHER! Many things I love about Canada but this ain't one of 'em.
 
But be a'ight next week . Looking good, TripJ!

 

[Devv]

Looking good JJJ!
 
That Inca Red Drop is huge and going to produce a ton of pods. I Googled them last week and they have 2 phenos, one berry looking and the other pointed.
 
I'm sure we're all going to have a bunch of crosses with as much OP seeds floating around. But that's a good thing. My garden is like a box of chocolates this year...LOL
 
Have a great weekend!

 

[JJJessee]

Lawsy Mercy!
 
It was only 75° out there today, but with full sun and a mean little wind, felt like 90°.
 
I've got the back wheels down on this sevim4Dsevim.
 

.
 
These dudes stayed inside over the weekend since we we're dippin' in the low 40s  
 
But today I got half of it in the ground, ~18 tomatoes and a ~12 sweet peppers.
All I lack to transplant, is 8 jalapenos, 14 eggplants,  1 chinense, and a few gourds I pot-started, and the front wheel will be DOWN.
 
Sunday I scrapped up the last of "my" RCW pile.
 

 
 
Today I finished spreading it around the row peppers.
 

 
I could have used a little more, but hay.
No, actually I put a bale and a half of straw on the maters. A few needed some pruning and were big enough to clip onto a trellis string.
And the buckwheat has popped thick. Probably over sowed it.
 
 
A few of the Indonesian peppers are looking really rough as is a lot of the basil.
Nothing much looks down right charming  at this stage, except maybe some lettuce.
 

 
I may have to replace them with somethin.
 
 
 
 
The 18 sauce tomatoes went in a raised bed where my winter scallions are seeding out for saving.
 

 
I think most of the seed are set on a couple of heads, but it will be awhile yet until they are ripe. Gotta catch 'em before the little seed pods start to split.
 
thanks for reading
 
 
 
 
 

 

[JJJessee]

yeap, doubble.

 

[Devv]

I think I'm seeing double...
 
But goooood double!
 
My scallions are going to seed too. So pick them before they split? I've never let them go that far before.
 
Those rough looking gals will do fine, they just need warmth and love.
 
The RCW is great but can suck nutes too, some additions may be needed.
 
Have a great week and keep it green!

 

[jedisushi06]

looking good!

 

[buddy]

Looking great - nicely done.  Good luck the rest of the season.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Looks great JJJ. Rcw sounds like some good stuff. Have been reading up on it. Lots of good stuff going on here. Good luck.

 

[JJJessee]

Thanks, guys.
Yes RCW can be a blessing and a curse. If that stuff is gets mixed into the soil too deep, it can really plant havoc on the plants. I had a couple of beds last year that took forever fro every to get going because of mixing instead of mulching.
And even with mulching, some extra N I'd say is a good idea.
 
I had drips running on the tomato and pepper rows today.
We've got July for day temps and May for night temps and wind. It makes the plants tough I guess.
 
Finished off a tray of basil transplants that looked  that looked like they had been in a bar fight.
 

 
Basically where ever there were a couple of tomatoes, I set a basil plant close by. Suppose to be a good tomato companion and bees and I love it.
 
 The front deck manzanos are beginning to come out of transplant shock.
 

 
This one has made good with its first couple pods set, some new flowers, and some new leaf activity too.
Plus I've had several good salads waiting on the peppers to take charge.
 
 
 
 
My two SIP tomatoes are getting in the groove.
 
The Black Cherry was smaller than the other seedling but is making up for it now.
 

 
It just has set few BB-sized fruit.
 
 
Black Vernissage
 

 
 
 
with its first cluster
 

 
thanks for reading.

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

Everything is looking great.  Rhubarb does grow quick once it pops.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Thanks for the info. The SIP looks to be working well. Any problems with it over watering? They say to keep the reservoir full all the time. This is my first attempt grow with these. I thought I would water just like my other containers. Weight test and leaf droop. Thanks for the update.

 

[JJJessee]

OCD, the drain holes on the side of the reservoir bucket about an inch below the soil bucket (along with the bucket top cover) prevent an excess of water there. All water in the reservoir must move upward through the solo cup "wick" to reach the plant roots. Even still, the plant uses more water than I expected. The plants are approaching 5'. They were transplanted cotys on March 17, moved to the SIP buckets about a month later, then about quadrupled in sized in a little over a month. Since the leaves have appeared on the surrounding oak trees they will only  be getting a few hours of direct sun per day, so I think growth will slow at this point. I have had  our CNC operator at work layout a bottom pattern for the soil chamber bucket making a "false bottom" essentially. So now I can use only one bucket (salvaged) and the routed "false bottom" (from scrap) plus the SIP pipe, solo cup, and 2sf of 3mil plastic to make a bucket.The soil chamber will only be about 5 gal instead of 6 with the 2 bucket style, but I think it will be okay.

 

[Jeff H]

SIP Tomatoes are looking really good.
 
Glad to see the monzano flowering. I have a few on mine too. Can't wait.
 
Since you pulled some onions already and will have tomatoes and monzanos soon, I see some fantastic pico de gallo in your future.

 

[JJJessee]

Everything is looking great.  Rhubarb does grow quick once it pops.

Thanks, Jeff, I've got mostly youngish rhubarb plants scattered hither and yon through the garden beds. I'd like to get it together into one permanent spot sometime before next spring.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Nice update JJJ! Tomatoes look great. They're setting very slowly down here for some reason. Do you prune the branches after the fruit has set?

I'd give those those rough in ground peppers a week or two... I bet they'll perk right up.

 

[JJJessee]

Nice update JJJ! Tomatoes look great. They're setting very slowly down here for some reason. Do you prune the branches after the fruit has set?

I'd give those those rough in ground peppers a week or two... I bet they'll perk right up.

I have been pruning suckers almost as soon as they appear if there is no danger of damaging the main leader.
I don't know if that's right. Other's are more experienced on tomatoes. I've mostly just grown determinate, bush hybrids.
This is kinda anew to me.
 
Well I've had these two Birgit's Locatos standing around waiting to be planted. I thought today might be as good as I'll get. It rain hard last night. I probably caught 6-700 gal. That won't be used for a while. I'll be in NoVA  from Tomorrow PM to Tuesday PM. Then I think we may get a little more rain.
 
I got the bigger one out leaving the gourd pot mostly intact.
 

 
And clipped it onto some sticks.
 

 
even still I fear a storm will work it over.
 
 
the little one has a pod on it almost ripe.
 

 
They are both very spindly. Lesson learned. Don't start a Birgit's Locato in January unless you are able to set it out in February.
 
Speaking of sticks, I went down behind the house to check on my stick farm.
 

 
I started with 5 over 20 years ago. The rest is history.
They seem a little behind this year. Usually they are up by  2nd week of April and finish growing at about 35-40' 3rd week in June.
 
I resisted the urge to pick strawberries, hoping a few more will be riper before leaving tomorrow.
 

 
The bed is only about 4' square; shouldn't take long.
 
 
I cleared out the mustard bed. It bolted instead of making a heads.
 

This particular seed wasn't true because it varyied so much from the others. Still it made a handsome vegetable I think.
 
 
The old January volunteer has set a fruit.
 

 
And why am I still planting tomatoes?
 

 
Because they are there.
 
Thanks for reading.