Let the Games Begin

willow · Jul 12, 2016

This bed is actually under the eave of the old cottage, it gets no direct rain, but does get seepage from the stone path under the bed I think. What I will do is cover with pine needles once they are a little bigger and the basil has grown a few more inches, mainly to protect from soil splash back when watering, try to help avoid soil borne disease etc. Otherwise that is it. It gets crazy windy here in the dry season so hopefully the stakes will help with that, we will have to see. I add a lot of river sand to all my pots and beds to aid drainage, nothing else, main focus is using what I have and not buying any components of the soil apart from perhaps some lime, I have had a fair bit of blossom end rot on toms and peppers but to be honest I think it might be from just too much water, preventing the uptake of calcium and not a lack of calcium.

I have other raised beds I will be working on next, I plan to raise the soil level to the edge of the bed and dome it up all the way down the middle, similar to the pots and do the same thing with the plastic, not just with peppers but with almost anything I grow during the wet season, good drainage just does not cut it with the downpours we get the soil is continuously drenched regardless.

I did think about having plastic above the plants semi greenhouses everywhere but way to much work and I think the rain might do the peppers good, helping keep them critter free, once again we will see how that pans out. I think the best thing for the outside pots and beds is to top and FiM and create stocky, strong plants, to help them fight the rain and wind when it comes. As the growing season never seems to end I think this is the best way to go as there is no rush to get them producing pods.

One thing I think I am sure of is protecting from over watering is vital to getting healthy plants and good crops, it is well worth the trouble to plan for it. Nearly all my pepper and plant problems come from too much water. I spend 7 months trying to protect them from water and 5 months desperately trying to get water to them! 12 month growing season comes with its problems that is for sure.

willow · Jul 19, 2016

Banana busy cutting the grass

Fer De Lance busy trying to kill Banana and me. A neighbor got bit 2 days ago, in hospital on life support, looks like he will not make it, very old guy so very vulnerable to something like this.

The big bed got some splash back from a heavy storm on the edge and quite a fe mushrooms popped up, always a good sign of healthy soil, that is what I think anyways.

Patio outside the kitchen is filling up.

Heavy rain yesterday and a noticed a bright yellow substance seeping from the gap where the stake and pepper are, looked closer and looked like some ind of fungi, wiped it away but it kept on coming, it eventually climbed up the stake, pretty cool, it moved around 5 inches in a few hours.

Another smaller raised bed with some sante fe, fresnos and a couple of heirloom tomatoes

This is an area I prepped last september with 3-4 foot holes layered with all sorts of goodies, explained in first post. I am now replacing the first attempt at beds with a new concept, horse show, plastic cover, draining away down the slope, so far seems to be working well, the Moruga and Butch trinidad seem quite happy.

Today planting up 4 of the 90 gallon pots with Bubble gum, naga viper, Butch t and a jigsaw, see how they get on. Plastic covers seem to be doing there job its very very wet at the moment and the peppers that are outside seem happy enough.

Neel · Aug 12, 2016

Any update? Realy enjoyed this glog

moruga welder · Aug 12, 2016

Neel said:
Any update? Realy enjoyed this glog

+ 1 , more please ...... :onfire:

willow · Aug 18, 2016

Been away from my babies! 2 weeks in UK and 2 weeks in Kashmir/India. Heading back in 7 days. I have been told all is well, but have no photos to back this up. Fingers crossed when I get back I will have some topping, pruning to do. What I have done is got another batch of seeds. Not sure where I will find the time or space but more the merrier! Should have a proper update towards the end of the month.

Limon
7 pot brainstrain red
Aribibbi Gusano
Maya Pimiento
7 pot rennie
big bang choco naga
antillais14.5
PDN X Douglah 1.1 F4
JAFSH
Red Bhutlah SLP
7Pot Infinity
Trinidad Sc Long SR
CGN 23257
Butch X Jonah
7 pot Jonah
7 pot brown
7 Pot Congo Chocolate
Chocolate Scorpion
Doughlah Billyboy
Yaki Blue Fawn
Brown Bhutlah SLP
Trinidad Sc Yellow CARDI
Avenir
Trinidad Sc Moruga Yellow
Trinidad Hornet
The Superhot Beast
7 Pot Brain-Strain Yellow
Nagalah
CGN 23258
JAFSH Red
Bhut Jolokai Strain II

willow · Aug 20, 2016

Managed to get a few photos sent to me. Have to say I am very pleased with how they look considering I have not been there to take care of them. Looks like the crew have done a great job.

Neel · Aug 21, 2016

Beautiful fat leaves!

willow · Sep 15, 2016

Been rushed of my feet. Trying to do a full update is overwhelming so will do bit by bit. So the Red Paper Lanterns are the most advanced and are throwing out flowers and peppers like there is no tomorrow. But a major issue is the peppers are falling off. Lost about 30 so far, but 1 or 2 a day seem to be dropping. I am not sure why, could be the fact we are having a very wet year and the rain is crazy and very powerful, but they are not only dropping during the rain, could just be the soil moisture fluctuating too much. Even though I have them well protected just the hole where the pepper comes out will take in enough water to saturate the pot. Any idea welcome. Shame to loose so many.

willow · Sep 15, 2016

Plants are by and large doing very well, once they get going, they grow!! Here is a pic of the ones outside the kitchen that include the Red Paper Lanterns, a couple of spicy mustard, Bubble gum, sante fe and some others. A few had a black fly/bee that would suck the sap from the flowers and they would curl up and die, I thought they were pollinators, but my local guy said kill, so I did, they have been replaced by our lovely orange pollinators whatever they are and now many more peppers setting. Have basil all around these peppers, seems to keep the worst at bay, who knows. Also a random watermelon growing out of the patio.

The killer bed That I dug under the eave and still gets no sun is a bed of two halves. One half of the super hots is doing great part from one, foto below, but the others on the end are struggling a bit, for one reason or another, still throwing out some peppers though. Basil is very happy and seems to keep insects at bay. Great for cooking too

Couple of Moruga BTR strains in theory at least. I topped them 3 weeks ago and they are going crazy.

This is the sick one, started throwing out odd looking leaves, have a couple around that have done the same, so I topped it like I did with a choc fatalli (I actually pruned this right back to a few leaves and seems much happier now), the new growth on that is good but this one is throwing out similar dodgy growth after topping, like the fatalli the the large leaves have gone very dark and sturdy, tough unlike the others, no idea what this is, any ideas welcome. Will see how it goes, might prune right back if no improvement.

Here is one I topped a few days ago and its throwing out new growth all along the stem.

Choc Carolina Reaper Also topped and looking good.

willow · Sep 15, 2016

Last update for today is a sad tale. I had one random what I believe to be some BTR strain pepper. Plant still long way to go but this pepper must have come very early, plant is only a foot high, but I spotted it the other day, just went to take a photo to post here and it was on the floor next to the plant. I think again its down to the rain, either directly knocking it off or just moisture levels in the soil, I am hearing across Panama they are loosing herb and regular pepper crops to the crazy amount of rain about.

I have two options I let nature take its course or I keep nipping off the flowers until the rains stop and then let them go crazy. Trouble is thats 2.5 months away and I have 50 odd plants at the moment so I think nature will just have to do its thing. I am learning that Hot peppers seem to be ripening over the last month, I think they know the rains are getting heavier and do their thing beforehand. I gave a fatalli to my neighbor last year and its already produced 100's of fully grown ripe peppers as have the Thai ones I had left over from last year, they are almost finished.

Surprising that they would ripen at a time of year when there is a lot less sun about. Mmm lots to learn out here.

So in short I think my peppers should have been doing their thing over the last month. Whatever happens next year all these plants will do what they want when they want and this will give me a clear indication of when I should and shouldnt be starting new plants. Plants know what is best for them in any given climate so best learn from them than any book.

karoo · Sep 16, 2016

Tough conditions over there.
Strange to see pots with plastic covers to keep water out.
Not something I thought I would ever see. :confused:

willow · Sep 16, 2016

karoo said:
Tough conditions over there.
Strange to see pots with plastic covers to keep water out.
Not something I thought I would ever see.

Yeh it is a little funny, come mid december it will be the total opposite, 5 months of trying to get water in and keeping it in from the tropical sun, call me crazy but I am thinking of tin foil! Or as we have a lot of waste here and recycle everything my plan is to get some volunteers to make pot covers from milk cartons etc, the ones with the silver lining, use them to repel the sun to keep the pots cooler and the moisture in, might do the same around the ones in the ground. All ideas at this stage but I saw someone built a house from plastic bottles and used these cartons as slates on the roof, seemed to work a treat.

willow · Sep 17, 2016

Here is an update on some of the large 90 litre odd pots.There is supposedly a Niger Viper, BTR Scorpian, Jigsaw. The 4th not pictures as I overdosed it trying to kill of an ants nest in the pot with Neem. It is in recovery and looks like it should make a full recovery in time. These were getting some serious leaf damage we think from caterpillars, but they were doing just fine regardless, I topped them a couple of weeks back and new growth everywhere and looking good. I will top a few more times to make them as bushy and strong as possible, to deal with the winds coming their way.

Some more 10 litres I have in a different part of the property, all doing ok, planted later than the others so not as big, all flowering and the scotch bonnets are doing especially well as you can see in the photo, with no dropped peppers as of now. A few others including yatzy doing well, need to check on what the others are. No doubt will find out when peppers are ripe.

Another bed that my Gardener filled with randon pepper seedlings, or at least they were random when he had finished and I asked which was which

I think there are a few Fatalli, Kung poa and others. Most are flowering apart from the fatalii, They are getting some rain damage for sure, might put a plastic roof over these guys . I just topped all the Fat
alii and a few of the others, left a few to do their thing as they already have peppers.

Next update will be peppers I put directly into the ground but with rain protection, they have had the toughest ride it seems, but still plenty of hope for them.

Trident chilli · Sep 18, 2016

Fascinating glog very interesting read .... you must have the patience of a saint with everything you have to deal with including snakes. I remember that particular species when I served in the Army in Belize on our introduction brief to the country one to stay well clear of ... did your neighbour recover ..... I look forward to your next update

willow · Sep 18, 2016

Trident chilli said:
Fascinating glog very interesting read .... you must have the patience of a saint with everything you have to deal with including snakes. I remember that particular species when I served in the Army in Belize on our introduction brief to the country one to stay well clear of ... did your neighbour recover ..... I look forward to your next update

Thanks, I am patient that's for sure, years of dealing with backpackers as a hostel owner

Neighbour unfortunately died.

willow · Sep 22, 2016

Got a ripe chili and funny enough it was from the saddest looking plant of all, about 8 inches tall, has 4 chlli on, others almost ripe, all leaves have fell off. It ia in a small raised bed and nothing in the bed was happy, not sure why, bad drainage around the bed perhaps, somehow way too much water was getting in, even though it was covered. I thought I knew what it was but its nothing like what I thought so any ideas welcome. Its got a good kick.

Another small bed in from off one of the buildings, shaded half the day and not the latter half. All seem relatively happy. No idea what they are per say as the gardener has a habit of planting and discarding the cup they were in or wiping it clean at best lol. Planted our pineapple heads in-between, see how they get on together, will throw in some basil at some point no doubt.

willow · Sep 24, 2016

Mustard Habanero

Fresno I think

Paper Lanterns starting to turn

A few lemon habs taking shape

willow · Sep 24, 2016

So this bed was a total failure. Covered but all plants showing signs of way too much water. None got higher than a foot and although its produced a few peppers, this is a no go for peppers, might try zucchini in here next.

Some in the ground peppers, Covered a fairly large area around will a canal around the plant as well to divert water. Even with this the bottom two plants shown first have signs of way too much water. They are super hots and one had that BTR in an earlier post that fell off green. I think keep topping them until the rain stops. I have topped and de leafed many of the others quite dramatically. New growth looking good. They had some serious leaf damage I believe from caterpillars. seems to have abated for now. The ones higher up the slope seem to be less effected by the rains.

This row was the last to go in the ground and I recently topped and pruned them all, once again a lot of leaf damage, but they are fine I think and new growth is coming, give them time.

willow · Sep 24, 2016

I think these are the last of the peppers I have on the go at the moment apart from seedlings in pots. They are in the big field which is shall we say over run with weeds, but believe it or not this was weeding a few weeks back. This is a raised bed with drainage channels and they seem to be doing all right, but will probably construct a basic plastic run off for the heaviest rains that are to come over the top of the peppers and bed. I just topped all these today after the photo.

Jubnat · Sep 24, 2016

Awesome stuff! It seems like you have some really beautiful land down there.
Looking forward to more updates.