Mattys first ever Glog "Into the fire" 2019 season

Hello everyone and thanks for looking at my "Into the Fire" Glog!!
 
So I started my gardening hobby in my early 20's about 16 years ago now, and though I have played around with many types of flowers/vegis  tomato's is what most of my energy was put into. I loved alll the different colors and types that could be grown which really reminds me of all the exciting Chilli variety's that exist today. A couple seasons ago while looking for some info on a particular type of sweet pepper I stumbled onto a few videos of some people eating super hots (Ghost,Reapers ect..).  After looking into it a little more I figured this would be a very interesting thing to grow even just as a novelty since really no one in my area grows much if anything at all.
 
Last Winter I went and bought some seeds from Ebay..one was a mixed bag Ghost/Reaper/Scorpion...another was the Peter Pepper and the third was some type of Thai i believe. Only the Thai ended up growing true to type and the other 2 was a Cayenne and Ornamental. I was pretty disappointed when they did finally start putting out pods. It was around that time I started looking for a group or forum dedicated to Chillis, and luck would have it I found THP and all of you fantastic peoples.
 
Anyways with the boring back story outta the way I really planned ahead for this years grow....I built a 6'Hx6'Lx2'D grow box (not exact mesurments) which has 3 shelves and the middle one able to come out if I wnated to grow larger plants from the bottom tier. I went overkill on seed types making 3 decent size buys, 2 of which were 30+ from Garth at TexasHotPeppers and a smaller one from a fella in Arz.
 
I do not plan to grow all of these as my wife would kill me, but 20 or so might not be so bad.
 
The list:
 
Trinidad X strain
Pimenta Chris fat
Bonda Mahala
7 Pot Lava (Red)
Jays Choc Ghost Scorpion
Chachuca
Yaki Blue Fawn
BB7 Bhut Choc
Tobago Treasure
Jays Peach Ghost Scorpion
Peach Bhut WM
Borg 9 Yellow
Arseclown Jolokia
Red Savina X Fatalii (Yellow)
Tobago Seasoning
Arrowhead
Peachgum Tiger MAMP V1
Uraguay Seasoning
Reaper X SRTSL
Aji Charapita
MOA Scotch Bonnet
Reaper X BOC F3
7 Pot Moruga Scorpion
Choc Primo
BB7 Jobito Choc
Bad Brains
White Naga
7 Pot Pink
Tepin X Lemon Drop
Big Caramel Mama
Brainstrain X Reaper
Scotch Bonnet Long
CP115
Tangerine Hab
Big Yellow Mama
Monster Apocallise
Kraken Peach
Devils Tongue White
Bhutlah Lime X
Peach Bleeder
Jumbo Naga smooth
Jonahs Orange Nipple
Tiger bibi
Orange ghost Jami
Purple Reaper
Monkey Face yellow
Mustard reaper X
Peach Bonnet Scorpion
Naga Viper
Naga Viper Choc
BBG 7 white
BBG7 midnight
komodo Dragon
Red Mazano
Bad Brains pepper
Infinity
Jonahs Yellow
Sepia Reaper
Macapa
JAFSH Black
Fialga Roxa
Sugar Rush x Mango
white lightening Bolt
PDN x douglah 2.3
7 pot burgendy
Bleeding Heart yellow
Nagabon X Yellow Primo (yellow)
Orange Yaky
Orange Fatlli Scorpion
 
That was my 2 buys from Garth (The above list)
 
This is the smaller buy from Negroni
 
Chocolate Reapers
Red Ghost Peppers
Butch Taylor Reaper
Chocolate Scorpion Pepper
Red and Yellow 7 Pot Chaguanas
7 Pot Brain Strain
Bahamian Goat Pepper
Yellow Reaper
 
So would like to see some favorites and suggestions from the fine people here at THP so I can kinda get it down to a much much smaller grow list. Will also get some pics up shortly here of my grow box which still has one more shelf I need to wire up just waiting on a few more strip lights to arrive in the mail, but will still give an idea of what it will all look like when its done.
 
In final: This is a new hobby for me within the hobby I already enjoy...I am going to try some new things (new for me) and even the much earlier starts then normal will be interesting to see how it all comes out at the end.  I look forward to the input from the community and keeping this glog updated as much as I can.
 
Here is too success in 2019!!
 
CHEERS!
 
Matty

 

[CDNmatt]

So in the summer my daughter and I built "Robot Fan" in anticipation for the completion of the grow shelf..She did all the work I just showed her where to put some of the pieces and made sure she didn't get any  Gorilla Glue on herself. However we built it so that it pointed both ways and would likely hang from the middle of the shelf, which now I think it best to be on one of the ends.
 
This pic he doesn't have his head and I cannot seem to find one but you get the idea....
 

 
 
So last night "Robot Fan"'s life came to an end ..RIP Robot Fan. But again I got my daughter to build me a new one..I wanted this one easier to build onto if need be, also everything blows in one direction. The work is not as clean as the first but it's not her fault I just didn't have time to sand off the old glue.
 

 
So I will finish the quick wire jobby later tonight and try to get a pic up wherever I decide to mount it...Not sure how to mount it yet also
 
Edit - Page Toppa!!      Another assist to Andy on that one...ty sir

 

[DWB]

So I will finish the quick wire jobby later tonight and try to get a pic up wherever I decide to mount it...Not sure how to mount it yet also
 

 
I know how to name the new iteration. "Fanzilla"
 

 

[CDNmatt]

 
I know how to name the new iteration. "Fanzilla"
 

 
Fanzilla works..I ran it past the builder and she gave it the thumbs up

 

 

[Ghost Pepper Revolution]

Nice job with fanzilla, although the first was way cooler lol
Congrats on the pt this time....

 

[CDNmatt]

Nice job with fanzilla, although the first was way cooler lol
Congrats on the pt this time....

 
Yeah I hated to tear it apart but half of it would of been useless...will be easier to mount to a board or soemthing on the bottom as well this way. When it warms up I can go dig ot some more fans and maybe do a better design for shits and giggles.
 
And thanks buddy...on both accounts

 

[CaneDog]

She did all the work I just showed her where to put some of the pieces and made sure she didn't get any  Gorilla Glue on herself.

 
Missed opportunity to bond with daughter.

 

[CDNmatt]

Got another seed soak done tonight..was actually 4 trays but just took a shot of the first 2. Dida bunch of the Ali-express mystery seeds and badgers as well on top of some of the stuff I didnt get to pop yet.
 

 
So this morning before I got busy for the day I cleaned up as much of the seeds from Badger off of the placenta...is a crap load of seeds here.
 

 
 
Found a couple surprise seedlings on tray 1 and tray 2 (the very first 2 trays) tonight. I put the trays up outta way just incase there was some straglers, isn't much hope left for them but will keep them around for another week and see if anything else pops up.

 

[CDNmatt]

 
Missed opportunity to bond with daughter.

 

Ha..not really the bonding I was intending on thats for sure eh. Maybe to her room to keep her outta trouble though.

 

[CDNmatt]

Finally turned on the big lights for the seedlings, I was starting to worry abit about some stretching  but they don't look too terrible anyways. I raised it up using a few 10x10 inch blocks and some extra plywood. "Fanzilla" was not ready yet so I just shoved in a table fan on its side, more then did the job and kept it around 70F at most I think.
 

 

 
I went out to the shed and found a small piece of wood that fit perfectly across the bottom of "Fanzilla" and put my daughter back to work with some bonding time (for you Red) and she rigged it up just right. Not bad for a 5yr old.
 

 

 
If I didn't need to raise the plants up the table fan would be a nice fit for the middle shelf but would take up some much needed room...We do have a couple taller fans on stands but they would likely get in the way since room is an issue as it is, so I went ahead and ordered 3 more smaller fans that are similar to the ones on the top shelf but more power I can mount along the sides.
 
Edit - I also added the hanging lights just for kickers untill I get the back rigged up again with the bigger 5050's that I ordered....most shoudl be here this week and be enough to do at least half of what I need for now.

 

[Walchit]

Plants look like they like it

 

[CDNmatt]

I had ment to take a couple shots alittle closer to the plants but was in a rush this morning, so will try and get some later this afternoon.
 
Tried my hardest to not turn them on for as long as possible Andy until I had enough seedling to make it worth the extra cost for lighting. Think after I get a few more from this last set should be enough for this season. Still need room for everything else as well when in a month or so and don't wanna be cramming it all in, esp once the peppers go up and outwards. I am most likely going to have to top them, hell maybe even 2xs depending on growth and how many I kill between that time.
 
Tonight I should probably actually pull out the trays and make a list up of what I have, been putting it off for over a week now and really can't recall what I have excluding a couple from the past 2-3 days.

 

[CaneDog]

Not bad at all!

 

[DWB]

Tonight I should probably actually pull out the trays and make a list up of what I have, been putting it off for over a week now and really can't recall what I have excluding a couple from the past 2-3 days.

 

I need to get an inventory too. I have no idea on how my four crop varieties are mixed..I'm still operating under the assumption they're properly proportioned with less individuals of the least important variety.

 

[CDNmatt]

Think I am the opposite and have more of the ones I wasn't overly concerned aboot, really not having the best germination results I had hoped for.
 
Still is a small handful of ones I have not had a chance to even attempt yet as my second package from Garth should be on its way after we deciede that the original was lost and likely would not show up which was a bummer.
 
He would of sent it again sooner but since I had so many already I was not in a super rush for them and suggested we wait abit longer to see if it was just really late, being that it was sent in mid December its likely lost somewhere. Hoping that the new one arrives in the next week, I also added a couple types including a "Peter Pepper" which will be fun to grow.
 
 

 

[CDNmatt]

Just a couple closer update pics and some new seedlings nothing special....
 

 

 
Couple of the newer seedlings earlier this week....
 

 
These are some things from Ebay and Ali Express...Some of coming in fast and furious others not so much, I also have some scotch bonnets and Jalapeno's I bought from a farmers market on the go as well.
 

 

 
So overall I am pretty happy to this point...My germ rates were not as high as I had hoped for but I still have stuff popping outta tray 1 and 2, which irritates me a tad having to keep the trays around so long but shouldn't complain since plants are still coming all be it slower then normal I spose.
 
Garth msg'd me yesterday and the seeds are officially on they're way so the few types that did not pop for me yet I will just wait till my package arrives and start them all at once. Pretty excited to try and grow the Pepper Pepper this year, hoping for a solid germ rate for those seeds.

 

[DWB]

I'm glad you and your plants and everyone else survived the furnace malfunction. Must have gotten pretty cold or do you have a wood stove?

 

[CDNmatt]

Oh man the back up heat is a whole other story...we have a pellet stove which the igniter died on it last year..which no big deal I would jsut light it manually...... but it would run alot harder since it wouldn't turn on and off on its own (hooked to thermostat)the fans were put through alot more stress then they should of....and well fans don't last forever. So in December the draw fan went on it, we looked into having the broken stuff fixed but wold cost 3/4's of a new stove...the parts are not bad just the labor was disgusting and its just not something I could fix on my own unfortuantly.
 
So no back up heat source....I have 7 or so space heaters but used 4 of them and would pop the oven open now and then ....our house is not big which normally I hate but for a thing like this it worked out better because of that.
 
It was pretty miserable though, floors were freezing constantly...I had to keep the tap's running on drips so the pipes wouldn't freeze which would also be costly if it happend.....THEN to make it just awsome the block heater couldnt keep the battery warm so I had to start bringing it into the house and pput it on before my wife went to work in the mornings..yesterday when taking off the cord for the heater it jsut broke right off cause it was soo damn cold, I am gonna try and wire on a new end shortly here.
 
The good news...it is going to warm up starting tomorrow, though its gonna snow like 4-5 days in a row. Would be nice if it just stayed around -20 to -25 ..doesnt really snow when its cold like that and isn't too cold where it is unbearable.
 
 
I should also add that we can't have an indoor wood stove and have insurence on the house, they just won't do it anymore. I believe an outdoor wood furnace may be ok if its far enough away from the home.

 

[DWB]

Jeez Matt, how do you say "just shoot me" in Canadian? LOL

 

[PaulG]

Hey, Matty, hope your whole grow isnt frozen over .
Hang in there, buddy

 

[CDNmatt]

Jeez Matt, how do you say "just shoot me" in Canadian? LOL

 
Yeah its jsut been a gong show...I felt like I haven't slept in days...and I have but not alot besides it being around 14-15c in the house I was so worried about the heaters starting a fire or something I just could not get into a deep sleep. Looking forward to tonight man thats for sure.
 
Last 2 winters have been LONG..last year snowed around 20th of Oct and stayed and didnt melt till first week of May..this year snowed late Sept and a pile of it...it did melt away but wet miserable rain that was so cold for basically a month straight then snow storm couple days after Halloween.

Hey, Matty, hope your whole grow isnt frozen over .
Hang in there, buddy

 
Thanks Paul...I had the shelves blocked off with blankets with the lights on and a fan running which kept them more then warm enough but the fan kept it from getting too hot...really helped to take out that back panel so the air could go up the vents we made for it.  Anythign I have germinating I have on the top shelf with blankets again covering the front up and with the 4 foot heat mat on it was plenty warm enough, especially with the lights on the middle shelf pumping.