• Blog your pepper progress. The first image in your first post will be used to represent your Glog.

KingLeerUK's 2014 Grow Log - "Plants Off, Dance Off"

After a bit of a hiatus... I'M BACK BABY!
 
Towards the end of last season I drifted off THP due to having had such a poor season and my ever-increasing race schedule on the weekends.  My plants just didn't produce very well last year.  There wasn't a single reason; the combination of too much rain early in the season, leading to brownspot issues and then a really bad whitefly infestation brought my garden to its knees.  I did manage to overwinter several plants and get the pests under control which has given me a bit of a head start on this year.  That said, I've still found a way to be a little late to the party.
 
Let's start off with the Good News
 
In the "fall" (Florida doesn't really have seasons) I had a bit of a brain spark and realised that I could use my 35 pound kitty litter containers as 5-gallon equivalent growing pots.  I transplanted 5 plants into these makeshift buckets and was therefore able to shelter them indoors during the worst of the "winter".
 
As a result, going into the year I had two Red Savina Habaneros and 2 Trinidad Moruga Scorpions and 1 of something that is definitely a superhot (maybe a Butch-T) get a running start with 18" of established growth.  They are now almost 3 feet tall and putting on tons of pods.
 
OvYIEqg.jpg

The kitty litter container garden.
 
wf1QuhV.jpg

More detail on the kitty litter containers.
 
COK6tVd.jpg

Possibly Butch-T?
 
I've been planting out some of my 7" pot over-winters as buckets became available, and these include:
3x Carolina Reaper
2x Chocolate Scorpion
2x Doughlah
2x Yellow Scotch Bonnet
1x Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
1x Devil's Tongue Yellow
 
I have had a few small early pods from the Scorpions.
 
In the back garden I had three Moruga Scorpions survive, and they are all putting on large pods with distintive tails.
 
WhFDDQ5.jpg

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Tails
 
I also have several Devil's Tonuge Yellow plants in both the front and back garden area.  Only the plants in the front yard are putting on pods, but they are doing so in a spectacular fashion.  I've already been able to harvest several pods in April.
 
hYr2yWX.jpg

Devil's Tongue Yellow
 
I started a batch of seeds in the propagator about 5 weeks ago and they have already migrated through the 4" pots up to 7" pots on the back porch light table.  This year I've decided to do early topping of all of the seedlings to try and get them to branch out and be less leggy.
 
OUw1Izj.jpg

 
ylPcDEd.jpg

 
I started a second batch of seeds in the propagator last weekend, mostly replacements for the low-germination seeds from the first round.  This only also includes a variety of tomatoes.
 
INelyvd.jpg

 
 
Some of the Bad News
 
I only had two of my Bhut Jolokia (Red Ghosts) survived the winter and they are in pretty poor shape.  I may start some new plants now so they can overwinter for next year; they might even produce a few pods before it gets too cold this year.
 
I lost most of my Kung Paos.  I have one very health plant that survived the worst of the "winter" being nestled up next to the fence.
 
I lost my one and only established Cherry Bomb, but more seedlings have already been started.
 
I lost all of my Golden Cayennes, but as with the Cherry Bombs I have seedlings started.
 
I am having one hell of a time trying to get any Bishop's Crowns to germinate. This year I ordered seeds from pepperlover.com and not a single one of them germinated on my first-round attempt.  We'll see how it goes for round 2.  If none of them start that will make FOUR YEARS in a row I've tried to grow these and never gotten a single hook.
 
 
And the Indifferent News
 
I'm abandoning any tobasco growing for this year, while the plant is very pretty and was massive last year, I never used the pods and it is taking up precious space.  If I can't find a home for it in the yard elsewhere it will just be culled.
 
 
KINGLEERUK'S 2014 GROW LIST FOR KIDS WHO CAN'T GROW GOOD AND WANNA LEARN TO GROW OTHER STUFF GOOD TOO
 

7 Pod Brainstrain Yellow
7 Pot Jonah
7 Pod Primo
Aleppo
Aribibi Gusano Orange
Bhut Jolokia Red (p)
Bishop's Crown
Brazilian Starfish
Carolina Reaper (p)
Chichimeca Jalapeño
Chocolate Scorpion
Cowhorn
Datil
Devil's Tongue Red
Devil's Tongue Yellow (p)
Douglah (p)
Giant Jalapeño
Giant Mexican Rocoto
Golden Cayenne
Kung Pao (p)
Mariachi Jalapeño
Mucho Nacho Jalapeño
Naga Morich
Naga Viper
Olive Primo
Purple Jalapeño
Red Cayenne
Red Cherry Bomb
Red Savina Habanero (p)
Trinidad Barrackpore 7 Pod
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
Yellow Scotch Bonnet (p)
 
(p) indicates pods in production now

 
More updates when I can.   Same bat time, same bat channel.
 
This just in: pictures from the garden hot spot.
 
 
KnrnIWs.jpg

Round 2/3 Seedlings on the main light table
 
eekx56Z.jpg

More Round 2/3 seedlings on the supplementary light shelf
 
UzAbra1.jpg

My one in-ground surviving Bhut Jolokia Red plant has put on some nice pods
 
Q95yNjF.jpg

Trinidad Scorpion Bumper Crop - Plants 2,3
 
1d08Jhx.jpg

Trinidad Scorpion Bumper Crop - Plant 1 - this one is a monster; over 3 feet high and 4 feet across now with dozens of pods on.
 
rvwUqWQ.jpg

The tobasco that refuses to die
 
rgJ8DOn.jpg

Lots of Yellow Scotch Bonnets on this plant, with one of them nearly fully ripe now.  This first pod has been on the plant now for 3 months; incredibly slow to turn.
 
Xc9g6Eu.jpg

Round 4 Seedlings (final for the year).  Aribibi Gusano Orange, Naga Viper, Olive Primo, Aleppo
 
R7U4gOv.jpg

I'm Reaper Burgundy?  This pod continues to stay... purple/burgundy and it's freaking me out a bit.
 
6K4UjKF.jpg

The other Reaper is ripening in a normal way.
 
 
88zdBMQ.jpg

The Douglah Invasion continues
 
AqcvpjI.jpg

Top-down Douglahs
 
hi6SmfI.jpg

The "mystery" scorpions in the front container garden are ready with the next harvest
 
OAuFjkS.jpg

This single Yellow Devil's Tongue plant has already put on over 20 pods this year
 
There is no way I can be 100% sure that it wasn't some kind of cross or a mislabel.  That said, all of my Reaper seeds came from the same send package and I'm extremely diligent with my labeling, sorting and potting-up processes because I hate having mystery pods.  Of the other two Reaper plants that I have going, they have identical flowers and the pods on the other producing plant are "true" to the phenotype.  This burgundy/purple pod has the same bumpy/gnarly skin on it as the other Reaper, but it is ripening completely differently and has a different pod shape.  And that said, it is the first pod ever for this particular plant and we all know that early season pods don't necessarily grow true in shape or size.
 
The fact that I have what (might be) Butch-T scorpions in several of my containers bothers me to no end.  Those particular seeds came from an Amazon vendor and I've had at least two other pepper growers tell me (after sampling a pod) that they are definitely some kind of scorpion; the shape points to Butch-T.
 
While out watering this morning I found that something had knocked one of the scorpion pods off the plant and had taken a small bite out of it.  I can only hope it was either a squirrel or a raccoon that has learned a valuable lesson.
 
In any case, I brought the pod inside to split it and harvest the seeds.
 
Holy Batman Underoos does this thing have a ton of placenta and capsaicin oil on the walls!
 
GYBLtTp.jpg

 
QSEbLzK.jpg

 
There is barely any open space!
 
So, the day has come, and I have harvested my "mystery" Carolina Reaper.
 
tVZbE6L.jpg

 
AdwJD2T.jpg

 
Along with two pods from my other producing Reaper plant.  From left to right, the 1st and 2nd pods of the "normal" plant and the 1st pod of the season off the burgundy version.
 
And then I cut it open:
 
AerMzEC.jpg

 
The inside walls are just completely covered in capsaicin oil and the smell is quite fruity with a strong, sharp tang.
 
Taste is battery acid + cherries.  Burn is all over but the tip of my tongue feels like it's melting right off.  I can't even taste the milk I'm using to try and kill the burn.
 
Burn was solid for the first 10 minutes before slowly starting to taper from my efforts to relieve.  Even now 20 minutes on there is a hint of burn remaining in my cheeks.  I can barely feel my tongue; the top of my tongue feels raw like someone scraped it with sandpaper.
 
The endophin rush was massive.  My ears were ringing, scalp tingling.
 
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
 
I still don't know exactly what this thing is.  I'm always really careful with seed segregation and labeling when I plant and pot-up/on so while there is a chance this could be something else it's fairly low.  I was able to harvest 10 seeds from this pod that I'm going to share for grow out with others on THP.
 
I live.... again....
 - this thread
 
After some weeks of waiting and watching it is time for a brief update.
 
What was once a "large" Trinidad Scorpion plant has become, A MONSTER
 
kpFAspy.jpg

 
This thing is over 4 feet tall, at least that much across and has a main stem over an inch in diameter.
 
62tXNtD.jpg

 
It's even giving my okra a run for its money.
 
al5Qhv4.jpg

 
It is putting on some insanely large pods now, this one is nearly 2.5" across.
 
Indoors, things a little bit more tame, with the 20 Red Bhut Jolokia seedlings putting on some healthy growth.
 
yZKUeb4.jpg

 
On the tier up from the 7" pots I have the remaining (60+) 4" potted seedlings begging for a pot-up/on.
 
DG9cdDK.jpg

 
My one goal for the grow this weekend is to get as many of the 4" seedlings potted up to 7" pots and sort those that are going into the orphan pile for Central Florida giveaway.  I also need to dig up one of my 2 foot scorpions to give to KoreanSoul at our meet-up next week.
 
I picked that monster Scorpion:
 
GQf0sps.jpg

 
rR2aGTC.jpg

 
With some of his friends and a selection of red bhuts which are destined for a Sunday morning omelette!
 
Last week I pulled a small harvest to make salsa:
 
jaXvt7x.jpg

 
1zu0Vtg.jpg

 
The superhot mix contained 6 Trinidad Scorpions, 2 Red Bhuts, 2 Red Habaneros, 2 Yellow Scotch Bonnets, 2 Douglahs, 1 Yellow Devil's Tongue,  1 Carolina Reaper and about a dozen Jalapeños (not pictured).  Everything was deseeded.
 
3Ok8c4O.jpg

 
I also made mango-ginger-honey and a medium mix with mostly jalapeño and a couple of deseeded Kung Paos.
 
I'm so very pleased that some non-superhots are finally producing, with me being most excited about these beautiful Purple Jalapeños.
 
Bde1t0l.jpg

 
I also pulled two of scorpions out of the back garden and potted them so I can give them to KoreanSoul at our meet-up.
 
mEz9NA0.jpg

 
Today, I mailed this box of agony off to Pex for sauce adventures:
 
QEngMBH.jpg
 
Back
Top