seeds Matt's 2010 Garden list/seedlings

[Matt50680]

I have never used a heating pad, until today, when I finally purchased one at a local greenhouse. It is 10x20 and fits under my BioDome with room to spare. After plugging it in, I noticed an immediate change in the plants, they are standing up alot straighter and the inside of the done FINALLY has some humidity clinging to it. It has been under the seedling tray for 2 hours now and the temp inside has gone from 68 to 75, lets see how high it gets.

Finally, my sweet pepper seeds arrived today, yeah! Also got another seed trade packet today, the seeds look a little dark, we will see if they germinate. Does anyone else plant Peter peppers? Never had them before. I am getting serious this year with the peppers and starting ALL my own after being unhappy with the 1/2 dozen you can buy from greenhouses and whatnot.

So here's my final list of what I will have in the garden, I am going to need to build another box for planting. LOL

Bhut Jolokia
Pepperoncini
Orang Hab
Caribbean Red
Bounty Hybrid
Ancient Sweet
Zavory (looked interesting)
Giant Aconcagua Sweet
Chinese Giant
Peter Pepper

The rest of the garden will be
4 types of tomatoes (early wonder, red rocket, super marzano vfnt hybrid and beefmaster hybrid)
Onions of course
Garlic
Cucumbers
Kale
Maybe a pumpkin or two
And the zucchini can go to hell, it took over the garden last year.

 

[El Sol]

Hey! Do you have the garlic planted yet? I find it does really good in Iowa, but I have always planted it in the fall.

I grew kale for the first time last summer, I was pleased with how it did, it was still hanging on until we got our first real winter storm.

 

[Matt50680]

Hey! Do you have the garlic planted yet? I find it does really good in Iowa, but I have always planted it in the fall.

I grew kale for the first time last summer, I was pleased with how it did, it was still hanging on until we got our first real winter storm.

Well normally I plant my garlic in the fall, before the first frost, but we are building a new garage and the garden boxes will have to be moved, so I am going to wait until late march/early april to plant the garlic after i move the boxes. Yes, kale grows exceptionally well, although i have to admit I over planted last year. LOL I origionally had a 6 foot row of it, but I dug everything up after the first harvest and spread the plants out into 3 rows that were 6 foot long, still had a ton. My kale was still growing really green until early december when the temp dropped.

Where in Iowa are you?

 

[El Sol]

I am in Iowa City (which I really thought I had added to my profile, I guess not).

I will be interested in hearing how your Peters do, I always thought they were interesting.

 

[Pepperfreak]

Nice impressive grow list. Can't wait for some pics.

 

[Matt50680]

There definately will be plenty of pics from me, I love my pepeprs and garden in general, just need to get rid of this damn snow!!!!!!! Also have to build another garden box and re-arrange the other boxes in the yard to accomidate the new garage (another high point in life).

 

[Matt50680]

Well the Bhuts are doing well on the seedling heating mat, they are hard to see, but they are getting their second sets of leaves. The empty sponges next to the Bhuts arent empty, they have Pepperoncini seeds in them, 3 days in, if you look closely at them (not in the pic) you can see they are coming, maybe by saturday they will be hooking up to the world.

These are my Habanero plants. The 4 on the right are regular orange Habs (3 yr old seeds, didnt know if they would grow or not) and the 10 on the left are Caribbean Reds (fresh seeds from last year). The 3rd down from the top on the right is getting it's seconds as well. The amazing thing is that the Caribbeans (left 10) were just hooking yesterday when I looked at them and this is what I found this morning.

 

[Pepp3rFreak]

Woohoo looks like your off to a good start in 2010! Best wishes to a huge success!

 

[El Sol]

Wow, you start early! Last year I started my peppers first week of march and they were huge in 16 oz cups by the time I could put them outside, which was like May7th or something here in Iowa City.

What size pot do you end up with? Those seedlings look very very nice!

The only hot pepper seeds I have so far are fatalii. I also am growing a couple other varieties of sweet peppers (Marconi, ect.). If you have any extra bhuts I would love to meet you halfway for a seedling trade.

I also will have tomatos, for sure opalka, aunt ruby's german green, and cherokee purple. Not sure what else yet.

 

[Matt50680]

Well I was out putting around in town today and stopped at the local greenhouse/nursery center and made a purchase. I know its early to be thinking about potting up, but I bought 24 4x4 pots anyways. I also purchased a grow light tube. It fits perfectly in my bookshelf that is now a grow station. I think i might get another light and add it to the lower level for when I pot up. I added a couple strips of reflective tape to the top area where the light is mounted (cant see in picture) and it helps to reflect light out towards the edges of the shelf better. Under the planter is a seedling heating mat also. Heres a couple pictures...

I like this picture, I took it with the flash on the camera turned off...

The clear box in the picture is my sweet peppers germinating up, the soil is about 83 degrees, should sprout quickly.

 

[Matt50680]

So another trip to town today. I picked up some potting mixes and repoted all my hot peppers I have so far. I also got another grow light, we are double level now!!! I was really suprised, so far not a single plant lost to the transplant and no shock what so ever. The lower level has my sweet peppers on it, Pepperoncini, Giant Ancongagua, Chinese Giant and Poblano Rancheros. I have another BioDome going with 80 cells, mostly tomatoes but also Jalapeno, Cayenne, Peter Peppers and Trinidad Scorpions (when the seeds arrive).

My Bhut Jolokias

My Caribbean Reds

My Habeneros

 

[Pepperfreak]

Looking real good Matt.

 

[POTAWIE]

Looking good so far!

Does anyone else plant Peter peppers? Never had them before.

I found them to be very dissapointing in flavor and appearance, most pods look nothing like a guy's junk. I'm still searching for the "country girl" pepper but it appears to be impossible to find.

 

[Matt50680]

I really dont know what is wrong with me, I must be obsessed with growing this year. I had 40 tomato plants going and everyone agreed they were leggy and needed trashed, so I finally gave in, they are in the garbage, which left me with a 40 cell BioDome with no seedlings in it. LOL

I found more seeds, not super hots, but hot still, Jalapenos, Sandia A, Espanola and Cherry Hot. I now have 144 seedlings/seeds planted in my house!!! LOL I am going to have to do some serious giving away of plants or my 3/4 acre side yard will have to be turned into one massive garden, but I dont think the city fathers would like that much.

Potawie, i have heard of the so called "country girl" peppers, but have never seen one or been able to locate seeds, are they as mythical as Atlantis and The Lock Ness Monster???

 

[pepperfever]

Matt, it happens to all of us..planting more seeds than we have room to put outside. The only solution is to grow the peppers in containers which allows you to grow many more plants. Sure you'll give some away but check out AJ's pots of peppers. he only grows in pots and has awesome results. He's not the only one, many of the growers on THP raise their plants in containers.

 

[Matt50680]

I went and did it again, I ordered more seeds today LOL I ordered Peruvian White Habanero, Fatalli, Medusa, Chocolate Habanero and Prairie Fire Peppers. So total count I am upto 14 hot peppers and 6 sweet/mild peppers. My garden is going to have to get expanded as soon as mother nature decides to melt all this damn snow.

I am also going to do weekly update pics on the peppers I have shown so far. It is amazing how much they have grown in the last couple of days since being put into the "dirt" mix and being under the grow lights 16/8

 

[Matt50680]

Here is my weekly update. I cant believe how much my little monsters have grown!!! They are now 3 weeks since the first seedling popped up. Seem a little behind to other people, but I was a week late getting them under the grow lights, so I am probably right where they should be, all things considered.
Habenero Orange I lost 1 plant :-( The ones on the right top and bottom are Bhut Jolokias

Caribbean Reds

Bhut Jolokia

 

[Matt50680]

I started a couple more seeds today. 5 Trinidad's from AJ and 9 Golden Cayenne from El Sol. I started the 5 from AJ and 4 of the ones from El Sol in peat pucks and the other 5 from El Sol in my BioDome as a little experiment, I am stoked with the germination rate of the BioDome, but I want to see how it compairs to the peat pucks, I guess we will see in about 7-10 days which is the victor of germination.

And no, I have NEVER used peat pucks before, they are fun to watch them expand and they seem to be the favorite of the members here. I guess you could say simple pleasures for simple minds I guess, right? (my mind anyways) LOL

 

[Matt50680]

Ok, another week has gone by and I am still amazed how much they have grown, again. I am not going to show my scorpions til they are bigger, but they are just getting their first set of true leaves, 8 plants total. LOL
Here are my Bhut Jolokias...

I decided since nobody i know wants super hots, I am only keeping 3 habs and 3 caribbeans. Top 3 here are Orange Habanero, bottom 3 are Caribbean Reds...

 

[jjs7741]

Plants are looking great Matt. Keep the pics coming.

jacob