JJJ Glog 2022 Preview

State of the Garden -Late Fall 2021​

The whole of the fenced garden is 60x70 with 6" wove wire 8' tall
Starting last fall, we built the first beds inside the newly leveled and fenced garden area.
Garlic, shallots and a few fall greens were planted immediately.
This spring about 3/4 of the fenced area was put into typical garden vegetable production.
An additional 15x38' area was temporaily fenced and hand tilled for a crop of sweet corn and is currently in diakon radish for cover.

14 cuyd of mushroom compost were delivered last year, and 14 yd of Tru-leaf compost this year.
I had 4-8' beds made in spring 2020 or prior that were brought inside the fenced area -compost and all.
Only a few yards of the Tru-leaf remain unused.
The bed were filled with pure compost early on, but last winter I discovered the spot of an old feed lot (10-20 years old?) overgrown in poke, thistle, chicweed.
I cleared this by hand and grubbed out the poke roots.
I've hauled 5-10yd of the "bardyard dirt" and have been blending about 50/50 with the compost to fill beds.
Along with another smaller area of the same compostion I estimate almost 20 yards of very rich dark soil available for filling beds.

All my plantout beds are 42" wide
I'm in the process of building 4- 22', 8-10' and 8- 8' with 4' paths between them.
Some already have homemade concrete side panels 11.5" tall.
Some have 1.5" x 12" pine or fir sides
Some have been dug into the sandy clay subsoil 8-12" with the excavate mounded a few inches around the perimeter
Some beds have not been started except for a crop of Austrian Winter Peas being currently grown in the space currently planned for tomatoes
A 2' inner and 2' outer border for most of the 60x70 is being developed for herbs, flowers, asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb, gourds, whatever.
Outside the garden on the north end, grass and weeds are being scalded out for red and black raspberries plants that are on order for a 60' row of each next spring

(Early Plans subject to change without notice)​

2022 Peppers​

22' bed of sweet peppers (28)

Carmen F1 (Johnny's) -16​

Sulu Adana (self-saved) -2​

Ancient Sweet (self-saved) -1​

Jimmy Nardello (self-saved) -5​

Jimmy NarYellow (self-saved) -1​

Big Jim (2021-2021 Seedtrain)-3​

10' bed of medium hots (12)

Zapotec Jalapenos (Baker Creek) -4​

Yaki Blue Fawn (PaulG) -3​

Cabe Merah Panjang (self-saved) -1​

SB Papa Dreadie (self-saved) -4​

Potted or Mini-beds of Supers and Misc

Fatalli -1​

Aji Charapitas (Richmond Dave) -1​

Aji Ahuachapan (Harry_Dangler) -1​

Red Habanero (Richmond Dave) -1​

Shishito (self-saved and 2021-2021 Seedtrain)-2​

Potted Ornaments

UFO (Richmond Dave) -2​

16 Varieties
Total Pepper Plantouts Target -48

Sometimes I pre-soak 24hrs. Sometimes I don't.
Gerninate in starter mix in cups on a heatmat set to 85F

Transplant about 72 plants at coty stage (usually 14-28 days after sowing
4 trays of 18 allows for extras.
3.5" square x 5" deep P86D pots (43.75cu in each) in 18 pocket liners with Extra Heavy Duty 10x20 trays from Greenhouse Megastore
Uses about 2 cuft of 15gal of starter soil mix. (This seems like a lot but the calculator said 1.82 cuft)

Starter Soil recipe​

For 15 gallons
Start 30-60 days before needed for "aging" to allow beneficial fungal and microbial growth and organic nutrient breakdown to begin.

​

7.5 gal Sphagnum Moss​

3.75 gal Perlite​

3.75 gal Tru-Leaf compost​

​

2 cup Kelp Meal (1-0-2)​

3 cup Plantone (5-3-3)​

2 cup Comfrey Compost Tea (homemade)​

1/2 cup Feed Molasses (dissolve in the comfrey compost tea)​

​

2 cup Dolomite​

8 cup Glacial Rock Dust​

Mix throughly and store damp (not soggy) in waterproof container in place not subject to prolonged freeze. (Like in a contractor waste bag in a garage)

For an Early-Mid May plantout
Start chinensis Feb 1
Start baccatum Feb 21
Start annum March 7

I have a 50% shade cloth that I used for baby trees last summer that will come in handy for hardening plants off.
We live near a ridgetop and wind is vicious especially in, but not limited to, winter, spring, early summer and late fall.


Thanks for reading
advice welcome,
JJJ

 

[PaulG]

So cool that you have a chili-head neighbor. Mine
moved away last summer, so I'm swingin' solo

Chinenses looking marvelous!

 

[JJJessee]

The last wave, the Annum Class of 2022 is well popped at 11 days.

Shot a few blanks, but overall pretty good germ rate. Most of the fails were old seed I was giving one last chance.
I'll have to push something out the door to make room for this and some eggplants that are ready to up-pot.
As is, I'll put my keepers in my 3.5" by 5" deep and my 2nd string in 2.5" .
Come May, things will be able to sit outside most days, but I don't trust the ground until about the 10th on average.

Had 12yd of fairly hot mushroom compost delivered yesterday.
Guess I need to get my shovel and start mixing up the medicine.

Happy Peppering,
j

 

[JJJessee]

Where does the time go?

I've been in hand-to-hand combat with aphids for at least a month. The peppers have been moved outside to harden, though we are still dipping into the 40s. The wind and ladybugs seem to have the turned the tide, though every pepper I have deserves a purple heart. None are pretty, but no outright fatalities. Technically, the weather forecast won't kill 'em but my annums are not big enough anyway. I have only one bed ready. 3.5' x 10'

I'll be getting kale. spinach, and cilantro out of the other two beds in the next few days.

I do have a few Root Pouches with Cabe Merah in them and some hard pots too.

I call this one Indonesian 5 star.

This is the Inca Red Drop from Beth Boyd's seed starting to bloom with a Papa Dreadie.

Except for tomatoes and chinense, this is most of my garden and flower stuff.
It's time to garden. Thanks for reading. Have fun out there.
j

 

[Downriver]

@JJJessee Things are looking good J. You're way ahead of me. I still need to finish row prep lol. We've got a couple 39's forecast for this weekend, so I guess I'm gonna schlep all the plants back inside. Aphids suck, but I've always had the same experience - get them outside and Mother Nature clears them up PDQ. Looking forward to your future success this Summer!

 

[JJJessee]

Whew! Hot out there. Only 80 but I'm not acclimated yet I suppose. Forecast is for some 90's over the weekend giving way to 70's and rain next week with warm nights. I'm mostly finished getting peppers in the ground.

The sweet bed (mostly) finished yesterday

18-Carmen F1
4-Jimmy Nardello
3- Ajvarski
3-Sulu Adana
2-Ancient Sweet
2-Shishito
2-NuMex 6-4



Today I filled a 10' bed

2- JA Hab
2- Carribean Hab
2-NuMex Big Jim
2-Cabe Merah Pajang
1 - Cabe Merah Basar
1 - Cabe Merah Keriting
1 - Aji Strawberry Drop
1- Aji Panca
1- Aji Ahuachapan
1-Aji Amarillo

And in a corner by himself

Matt's Varigated Jala



Still have a few to stick in Root Pouchs and that will get my train out of the station.


Not much change on the first bed, but I think they are adapting transplanting more gracefully than last year's offering.

4- Zapotec Jalas
4- Papa Dreadie SB
4- Yaki Blue Fawn

And some kale that needs to come out soon.

I think counting the potted peppers that puts me at about 64, so with some extras to pot up I'll be around 6 dozen.

Which, in pepper math is a substantial cut back from the 3 dz or so I did last year.


jjj

 

[Downriver]

Things are lookin good J! It's gonna be a jungle in no time lol.

 

[PaulG]

+1 @Downriver

 

[JJJessee]

Been hot for a few days, 90ish, and I've ran the drips.
Sweet bed is looking sweet 12 days after transplanting.
Especially with a couple of rose bushes photobombing.
Last year seems transplants took a little longer to get in gear, but even the hots are doing better this year.

And yes, we do not have no peppers.
Aji Verde from an old @mpicante seed.

Sowed last December, topped and put in screwbucket - about 2 gallon.
I was gonna put it in the ground but it seemed so darned happy and I didn't think the roots had tied the soil together yet.
Don't wanna snatch pepper defeat from the jaws of pepper victory.

So, to up-pot or not to up-pot?
Tis the question I ask thee.

j

 

[JJJessee]

June is winding down and pod season is just round the corner.

This Purple UFO has the lead in production. I know virtually nothing about the pepper.
I saw it last year in Richmond Dave's collection and plucked some seeds. Also, got some seed off this year's train.
I'll have to check some records to see which it is, but I think the phenotype maybe off. Pretty pepper though. Red when ripe?

Pepper of 2022 is Yaki Blue Fawn.
I have these 4, 2 are substantially darker foliage, only a few pods set, but I gave a plant to my son in Baltimore, and his plant is somewhat smaller but really pushing pods

In the same bed, I also have 4 each of Papa Dreadies and Zapotec Jalas.
Generally all my plants look better than last year at this time, but we had a 3 day stretch of 90s a while back
that may have zapped some early flowers. I've noticed flower drop on some my container plants too.

Except the this Inca Red Drop from Beth Boyd's stash.
It is starting to pump some flowers too, though the foliage had some issues at first.

The sweet pepper bed is going bezerk.
Pod production has started, but hasn't nearly matched the vegetation.

Thanks for reading
j

 

[Downriver]

Plants look awesome J. Hopefully fruit-set will improve here shortly.

 

[PaulG]

Awesome garden, Carl. Everything
looks like it's enjoying life in VA! The
Yaki Blue Fawn plants are beauts,
alright. Four plants should give you
a bucketful of nice, dusky red pods!

 

[JJJessee]

Thanks, Paul amd DR.
Things are starting to pick up steam.
Even my Chiltepin is making a run for it.

Slowest pepper I can remember sticking in dirt.

I'm still learning the ins and outs of container growing.
If I'd transitioned this Aji Verde to a 10gal bag at the right time, it would have been a machine.
I doubt the bucket it's in now is over 2 gal. It seems to want yellow leaves for some reason.
Watering is also difficult.

But I am getting some color break.


Peppers are looking fine overall, I'm just impatient.
I did collect my first clutch of shishitos yesterday...with a couple of UFOs.
If you garden and like to cook., check out the pot-herb bunch hanging from the scallions.
It's Lovage. Looks and tastes like young celery, but it's easy as pie to grow -even in mid-Atlantic heat.
It's a perennial too, I started several from seed last winter.

After almost getting skunked on the variety last year, I got some gnarly Jimmy GNardellos coming on strong this year.
4 plants.

j

 

[PaulG]

The Shishitos are great peppers, Carl.
Yours look really good.

Perfect stand-ins for Spanish 'Pimientas
Padrón'. I love them both

 

[JJJessee]

I like the Padrons better myself too, but the crowd at my place hasn't been converted yet

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I love a padron - forgot to grow some this year, this time next year there will be padrons

 

[JJJessee]

Pods are ripening.
With a pleasnt surprise.

One, at least of my Jimmy Gnardellos, is a J. GnarYellow.
(excuse the damaged tip).
I thought I'd lost the genetic trait, but here we are.



This was a viable seed test last December. It was such an old seed I had to keep it.
Aji Verde.

Not an experienced container grower, and this little bucket has run me ragged keeping it wet enough.
I've set it in a 10x20 tray and let it gulp from the bottom. That, and nutrient deficencies are probably the reason it has yellowed.
I'm not complaining about it's performance though.
Hardly any flowers now, so I may try slipping it in the ground just to see what happens.



It has taken it's good'ol time to ripen, and even still has some green flesh, but I could wait no longer.

My first time growing and tasting.
It is not a pronounced tri-lobed phenotype, that some pictures I've found might suggest.
So, I wonder if it's possibly a cross. If you know this variety, please chime in.
It is one sweet baccatum.
Characteristic aji flavor with mild but stimulating heat.

j

 

[JJJessee]

Hey, folks.
The heat of summer has broken. My hot peppers seem late, but I think they will make it.
No supers on the list this year. I've focused on sweets, primarily a Carmen F1. And They. Are. Here.

I've got 18-20 plants that were hanging 5-8 ripe peppers today.

I ended up with two of these totes full. The big ones are running about 12". Should get at least one more tote if the weather doesn't get too wet.

Put them on the grill and roast/smoke until done.

These are about ready. I ran two batches with another to do.
After they cool, the skin slips off reasonably well. Then I pul out the seed core and freeze 3 per quart bag.
Thawed, they make a great tomato subtitute on a January burger or sandwich. My wife even likes 'em.



I pulled my first 2dz habs today.

Color is a bit washed on this photo. These are some of the best hab I'v e ever grown. The right are JA Habaneros, seed courtesy of Paul, as my seeds had gone stale. My HS buddy in Richmond handed me a pepper last year that we guessed might be a Carribean Hab. The shape on these seems a little off, and the flavor makes me lean toward some a 7-Pot or Scorpion. Heat is a lot easier though. Both types are hitting 24-30g easily. I smoked both these lots and will dehydrate most and make some sauce with the Carmens.

Across the garden aisle are my other hots. 4each L-R: Yaki BF, Papa Dreadie SB, and Zapotec Jalas.
Plants are looking nice, but production still lagging. The Jalas are also experiencing considerable Blossum End Rot.
I may end up buying a half bushel at the market if I can't tame my chipolte monkey.

Keep it hot, and stay cool.
j

 

[Downriver]

Nice pickins J. Carmens look good! Great way to use them as well.

 

[PaulG]

@JJJessee - Carl, those JA Red Habaneros
look great. Right on big, blocky pods. Glad
you are having success with them. At this
point in the season, I don't know if I'll get
any ripe ones or not. Weather wreaked havoc
on the Chinense peppers here, as well.

The pods on the left don't look like caribbeans
at all. They are usually smaller and more typically
habanero shaped with smooth pods, at least the
ones I have grown.

 

[JJJessee]

I'm with you Paul. The Carribs are off, nice taste and useful though.


The JA Habs keep on rockin.

Lovin the size on these babes. More to come. May have to hobble* to the smoker tomorrow to do 'em up right.

On the other hand, the Papa Dreadies are not as generous.
There will be a few more, but not this many. I'm growing out 4 plants.
Magnificent plants, shy on pods.

I've only gotten one 5-point (left). The pods are nice and heavy. No way I won't keep growing it, but I may throw some MOAs out next year to bulk up on quanity.


Yaki Blue Fawns.

I still have several hanging. Great taste, beautiful, large purplish plant.
Last box to check at least for me, is phenotype of fluted, elongated tube.
I will contine with this one.


On the deck, my chiltepin may just make it.
It's a slow grower for me, and got started late.
It's containerized so may have to bring it in next month for seeds.

That's it for today,
Thanks for reading.
j


*hobbled
Had an expected, first altercation with our new young rooster.
He challenged. I accepted.
I kicked with my right foot, but didn't quite land it.
So I came down hard on my left foot, lost my balance and crumpled forward badly hyper-extending my left knee.
It did scared the rooster.
Knee's much better 4 days later, but still on crutches.
Not broken, but my seek an MRI tomorrow.

He thinks won.
But that was just round one.