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JJJ Glog 2015....Peppers,Peppers,Peppers.....

Peppers,Peppers,Peppers.....
 
This starts my third Grow Log on THP.
 
And “I (as we all promise) am cutting back this year”, but we'll all struggle not to plant willy-nilly way more than we can easily get in the ground, consume, or harvest for next summer. There are many less innocent passions to pursue so, “what the hay?” My goal as far as cut-back, is to not end up with more that 45 plants in the ground about the end of May. But the “sowing itch” could make that 60 in a heart beat.
 
It's about time to get some soil made up. Last year I think for the first time I started to really get a handle and some decent results in the making of container soils, due mostly to the advice of Ganjagirl on a 420 site. Plus, I tried some plain ol' coir with hydro nutes and that  works as good as soil. Even grew some tomatoe transplants in pure, well-composted oak leaves and guano tea. Worked just fine. I made a trip to an organic farm supply last September and stocked up to add to what a scrounge up locally. I have some bricks of coir and a bale of sphagnum already soaking, worm casting, azomite, kelp, perlite, vermiculite, compost, composted oak leaves, glacial rock dust, oyster shell grit, dolomite, and a few other goodies at the ready to start thinking seriously about a final recipe. [SIZE=10pt]Thirty days is good to let everything meld before sowing in, but 60 days is better. So it's none too early.[/SIZE]
 
I'm still looking for that magic start date that gets the best-sized transplant plant in the ground with plenty of time to ripen fruit. The super-hots, manzanos, and a few others are the main lots that I want to time-tweak. First year, supers were sown in early February, the plants were smallish (bad soil, cool grow area) at mid-May plant out. Still they made a more than adequate crop, though some varieties had a lot of green pods at frost. That can be a factor of summer heat interrupting pollination and not just immature plants. Then the there's day length...so many variables, so few equations. A lot of things work plenty well enough, I have a habit of over-thinking. The next year I started early in January, good soil and warm grow space, thinking bigger plants would produce more ripe pods and maybe sooner too. It was better, but the the plants may have been a little root bound, it was dry for a month after plant-out, for what ever reason they seemed to stall in the ground, more than just a little transplant shock, but nothing major. So this year I'm going to do a bit of a straddle. A few early January supers, but moving to a gallon pot at about 4-6 weeks. Last year, I moved a few from 3.5” to 5” but I think there wasn't enough recovery time or pot volume to make a difference from the ones that stayed in 3.5” square (deep) pots. But in the end, this year's protocols will be just slightly better educated guesses with plenty of unknowns to keep me interested.
 
Anyway's here is my sowing calendar for peppers subject to change (without discretion)

 

 

 
Sowing dates will also flex I'm sure. I just need something to help me focus and control the Itch.
I've spent a fair amount of time getting my seed database in order this past year. 
 
I'm doing a little less experimenting variety wise this year. Lots fewer supers, but plenty enough to heat things up. I've thought of growing supers in 5 gal SIP buckets, but before I do that I need to hook them up on a float-controlled water supply. A SIP with a big plant in it sometimes need watering everyday and I'd rather side-step that everyday thing.
 
One pepper that I'm getting good mileage from on the dinner plate is the Manzano. I've still got good fresh peppers in the fridge over a month old. 
 
I grew 6 plants and some had ripening issues, but I've got a couple of early starts already going in 5" pots.
 

 
At this rate I'll have to prune or something make it to May. Those sprouted in about 11 days and are 5 weeks from seed. 
 
 
Rather than idle my grow shelves I've been cropping lettuce and chard on them for salads since an extra cold Nov decimated my outdoor lettuce bed among other things.
 

This is 25 days from seeding.
 
I did get my garlic in the ground a little earlier this year (about a month ago) and a nice layer of composted leaves on it.
 

 
I should start giving it liquid nutes about late February.
 
The only real expansion I have in mind is a series of small raised beds about  30" x 48" for herbs, perennials, and what not.
 

 
Plus some 4x4 for roses, 
 
Maybe some wine grapes - Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Riesling, do OK around here.
 
I'll likely plant another 25 raspberries in late March.
 
2015 could be the year I finally start some bee hives. Ya never know.
 
Thanks for reading.
 
It was very good, Andy He got me to researching some old timey crops like Endive, Mache, some beets, but mostly greens that are very cold hardy.
He supports his beliefs about sustainable sustenance, with applied evidence, practical experimentation, all aimed toward using the simplest solution.  
 
Cool, thanks.  I'm going to have to check his stuff out sometime. The sustainable stuff really gets my attention for a lot of reasons, and there are people who have done wonders with it. 
 
Nice cold frame TJ! I bet it'd be a great place to plant Mache or Claytonia in the fall to munch on all winter. It's hard to get the timing right on Cabbages here... they grow well in cool weather, but if you set them out before the summer solstice they just seem to bolt much too quickly.  How are your Onions doing about now? Seedling Manzanos are beasts!
 
As usual, I see you're a busy man!
 
None to soon on the Manzano transplanting, they will take off in those new shoes. And you Onions look great!
 
LB wants a green house (cold frames reminded me). I need to come up with a design the breathes (airflow when warm) but protects against frost and freezes. I have a bunch of glass...hmmm.
 
Keep it green!
 
Thanks, guys.
 
 
 
stickman said:
Nice cold frame TJ! I bet it'd be a great place to plant Mache or Claytonia in the fall to munch on all winter. It's hard to get the timing right on Cabbages here... they grow well in cool weather, but if you set them out before the summer solstice they just seem to bolt much too quickly.  How are your Onions doing about now? Seedling Manzanos are beasts!
 
Onions are doing OK. They are not quite to third leave which I think is the mile post at which to thin into pot-ups.
The Austrailian Browns seem about the most vigorous.
 

I gave them all hair cuts today.
 
 
I've been away from home since Thursday morning. Everything seemed fine when I got home around 1 pm Monday.

The manzanos look like they are having a growth spurt based on the "tender green"  leaf colors of new grow. Or, maybe I just over-watered them?
 
Several poppers while I was away.
 

Reapers (actually sown 2/3, probably popped by 2/14)
 

Dulac's F4 red Bhut
 
 

Fatallis, my second gen. One of these actually popped last Thursday AM 2/12/15 -a 9 day germ.
 
 

TS Yellow CARDI
 
each pot got 3 seeds. I'll weed to just one plant in a few days.
 
 

The F. Roxa are looking good, but I looked at a picture last year at this stage and I don't think these are quite as vigorous as last year's primarily Ocean Forest grow. They are not far off, but I may attempt to  bump my available nitrogen up a notch for the next batch of seedling soil I mix. Probably with Seabird Guano 12-11-2 containing available nitrogen at about 4%.
 
Last Wednesday before I left, I got my onion bed in order.

I topped it with 1" of a compost & pine bark fines mix with several amendments.
The ten-day had a significant chance of snow and cold in the forecast and I wanted it to "cook" well before early April onion plant-out.
I't's snowing and we were supposed to get 8-12 inches today, but my guess at about 4:30pm is 5" at best. Wed and Thur are supposed to sub-zero lows.
That will slow down raised bed construction for a few weeks probably. :D
 

 
Thanks for reading.
 
Nice looking onion bed JJJ.
 
Yes, this weather moving in will slow the garden work for a little. About 4+ inches so far here and brutal cold for the next few days. How's it doing to the east in VA?
 
Thanks, guys.
 
Jeff, NoVA is where I was. They may get a couple of inches. 
Here in SWVA we are now at about 5" in the lower elevations.
Snow will be good on the beds and protect them from the wind and freezing so deep. That way the soil biology will stay a little more active or at least recover quicker I'm thinking. 
 
 
 

stc3248 said:
Sweet...found it!
He's BACK! Somebody get a net.
 
Great looking Onion Bed JJJ. Can't wait to plant onions here- but the garden is still under about 4ft of snow.  :P   Looking forward to following your glog again this year. All the best for a great season.  Hope the LG seeds I sent do well for you. 
 
JJJessee said:
 
 

The F. Roxa are looking good, but I looked at a picture last year at this stage and I don't think these are quite as vigorous as last year's primarily Ocean Forest grow. They are not far off, but I may attempt to  bump my available nitrogen up a notch for the next batch of seedling soil I mix. Probably with Seabird Guano 12-11-2 containing available nitrogen at about 4%.
 
Last Wednesday before I left, I got my onion bed in order.

I topped it with 1" of a compost & pine bark fines mix with several amendments.
The ten-day had a significant chance of snow and cold in the forecast and I wanted it to "cook" well before early April onion plant-out.
I't's snowing and we were supposed to get 8-12 inches today, but my guess at about 4:30pm is 5" at best. Wed and Thur are supposed to sub-zero lows.
That will slow down raised bed construction for a few weeks probably. :D
 

 
Thanks for reading.
 
 
Those Roxa's look awesome.  Beautiful leaves.
 
Raised beds looking very nice as well. 
 
With that last picture, do you bury that wood in your raised bed and grow on top of it?
 
Terraces looking great, Carl!
Some nice starts popping up for ya, too.
 
Pulpiteer said:
 
 
Those Roxa's look awesome.  Beautiful leaves.
 
Raised beds looking very nice as well. 
 
With that last picture, do you bury that wood in your raised bed and grow on top of it?
 Thanks, Andy.
 
Yeah I like the Roxa, almost an ornamental but the pods are pretty good too.
 
Yes burying wood is an old, old trick. It can take a while to start showing benefit, but is can take stress off plant in dry seasons.
There is not much more wood in there than is showing.
Here are a few picture steps from last year's hugelkulture under a 4'x6' raised bed.
I dug down 18" or better and started laying in wood, dirt, compost.
 
I've gotten into permaculture the last few years - at least learning about it - so yeah, I'm familiar with hugelkulture, which is why your stuff caught my eye.  Are you familiar with Sepp Holtzer or Paul Wheaton? All that stuff is fascinating.  Do you have old wood in some of your other beds then? Because, like you said, I've heard it's a long term thing and you'll see benefits after a year or two.  Anyway - very cool. It's been interesting on this forum to learn from this collection of knowledge.
 
Pulpiteer said:
I've gotten into permaculture the last few years - at least learning about it - so yeah, I'm familiar with hugelkulture, which is why your stuff caught my eye.  Are you familiar with Sepp Holtzer or Paul Wheaton? All that stuff is fascinating.  Do you have old wood in some of your other beds then? Because, like you said, I've heard it's a long term thing and you'll see benefits after a year or two.  Anyway - very cool. It's been interesting on this forum to learn from this collection of knowledge.
I agree, they is a lot of grow-know-how in these glogs to be inspired by.
 
Last year was the first time I'd put any wood in the ground. I did a hot bed 2013, with less than stellar results(from getting careless about mixing semi-fresh sawdust in the ground). I think it's barn litter is probably a lot less hot now. It produced a nice crop of eggplants last year. It's on schedule for taters this year.
 
I have heard of Sepp Holtzer, and I've been listening to the podcast from Wheaton Labs and doing some lurking at permies.com
 
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