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maxcaps 2014 grow: avoiding the freeze!

Hello All,
 
New here, but feeling right at home. I figured I'd go ahead and get my glog started, though I may wait a few weeks yet before starting anything.
 
I'm pretty new, not totally new. I had a small grow last year, mostly in containers, bringing up plants that I hoped would make cool overwinter bonsai's (bonchi's). I ordered a handful of different varieties from http://fataliiseeds.net, all  95% of which sprouted nicely, though something must have gone wrong because many never grew true leaves. I think my house was too cold... I've moved now and now have an excellent heating system. I also kept the seeds by a window that I think got too drafty. 
 
I did have a handful of chinenses survive, including a wonderful Red Habanero from fataliiseeds, and some chiero roxa plants that produced a handful of tasty purple pods. I purchased some local Scotch Bonnett starts from a small scale nursery, and grew jalapeños and serrano starts from a local nursery. It's safe to say I am now addicted, as all these fire worked its way into my family's weekly diet. I have a 12'X8' plot begging for plants, and I may do some extra in containers...
 
Enough background. Here's the plan. As jalapeños (salsa, roasted, and canned) are not a staple, I want to grow a handful of varieties. The chinenses have amazing flavors, so I'm going to branch out with two or three new varieties (though sadly I did not save any scotch bonnet seeds from the last season... what is wrong with me?). Last year I tried some super hot varieties... none lived. I am going to try again! I actually ordered most of these seeds before stumbling upon this wonderful community. In any event, here is the lineup:
 
Chinenses:
 
Red Habanero (seeds kept and OW bonchi (thanks fatalii)
Chiero Roxa (seeds kept, may use OW bonchi, haven't decided)
Scotch Bonnett (forgot to keep seeds, but I can replant OW bonchi)
White Habanero (seeds from Pepper Joe, should arrive soon...)
Chocolate Habanero (seeds from Pepper Joe, should also arrive soon)
Fatali (from pepperlover.com)
Big Sun Habernero (from pepperlover)
 
Superhot Chinenses:
 
Carolina Reaper (seeds from PuckerButt)
Naga Morich (seeds from PuckerButt)
Bhut Jolokia (seeds from PuckerButt)
Dorset Naga (seeds from PuckerButt)
7 pod (from pepperlover.com)
 
Other Superhot:
 
Tiepin (seeds from PuckerButt)
 
Annuums:
 
Poblanos (from Pepper Joe... growing to Acho's to use as powder base)
Giant Jalapeño (from Pepper Joe)
Early Jalapeño (from Pepper Joe)
Black Jalapeño (from Pepper Joe)
Purple Jalapeño (from Pepper Joe)
Fresno Pepper (from Pepper Joe)
 
Wish I had found you guys sooner, I'd have added some douglah's to the list. I am also on the fence about adding a couple more chinense varieties. 
 
Also growing some companions. Planning on putting in a couple tomato plants, garlic, cilantro, and carrots (had a lot of luck with tasty fat purple carrots... atomic purple I think they were called)
 
Will post some picks of my OW bonchi's tomorrow, and start going into techniques. On the fence about coffee-filter germination versus sowing in a tray.
 
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It's hard for me to cull any. Knowing how unstable many are, I would hate to kill off the better plant, and end up with nots or a lesser desired trait. Plus, can always find a home for the extras.
You are gambling with genetics anyway you look at it though. I even think this when choosing which seeds to germinate. :crazy:
 
Got a MoA hook today!

Also picked up a bag of ocean forest and potted up 5 of the babies.

With ice in my veins, I clipped the unluckiest sprouts in the pellets with more than one seedling. Figured waiting wasn't going to make it easier, and I am shooting for variety this year any who. There will be many chances to fill in gaps as the grow continues...

I do have some redundant pellets seeded in case of failure, but growing in an apartment/community garden limits my options.

Still, quite painful. The sacrifices will not be forgotten.
 
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. You can't. Well, you did. too late to get another plot now. 
 
 
 
 
Just an example of where I am at. The plan was 6 jalapeno plants. I just counted 10. The plan was 3 monzanos. I have 4. 3 ghost peppers...well, I have 4 red ghost, 3 white ghost, 3 or 4 Indian carbon and at least 2 or 3 naga morarch. The worst is the trinidad scorps. Zero is the plan and I have 2 clones from last year still going strong. How the heck does that work. 
 
You NEED a 3rd plot, anbd maybe a 4th. 
 
Jeff H said:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. You can't. Well, you did. too late to get another plot now. 
 
 
 
 
Just an example of where I am at. The plan was 6 jalapeno plants. I just counted 10. The plan was 3 monzanos. I have 4. 3 ghost peppers...well, I have 4 red ghost, 3 white ghost, 3 or 4 Indian carbon and at least 2 or 3 naga morarch. The worst is the trinidad scorps. Zero is the plan and I have 2 clones from last year still going strong. How the heck does that work. 
 
You NEED a 3rd plot, anbd maybe a 4th. 
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I do! I mean, the community garden really should just be a pepper plot, right? =D

Don't worry, I am still way ahead of the final intended plant counts. Kind of one of the things that has me worried. The sacrifice of a couple of seedlings now will not be in vane!

As the great philosopher Spock once said, the needs of the one cannot outweigh the needs of the many!

Lol butchered the Spock quote... Posting while feeding a baby at 3 AM!
 
Devv said:
I think we all plant too many, it starts off with making sure you have what you want to plant....then more come up than you really wanted...and then you go into what the heck mode...
 
And then more seeds come available...and the cycle continues ;)
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Exactly! What the heck mode has gotten me in trouble in the past... fighting it this time. I can't wait till I have a yard, which I will promptly turn into a garden. The entire yard. For now I have to make do with a couple of wooden boxes!
 
First up, MoA Hook from Scott! I am so glad that a couple of these are coming up... guess the week of 110° temps didn't fry them after all. I may make space for a second MoA plant or so. Let's see how they do!
 

 
Pot ups:
 

 
Got them in Ocean Forest. Seems to have plenty of nutes in it for this stage so I don't need to worry about adding anything for awhile. It's super light and you can tell its very rich. A little more than I wanted to spend but a single bag should fix me up fine.
 
Did the culling. It hurt, but was rewarded with the beginnings of trues on several of the chosen the morning after. 
 
Waiting for pots and culls:
 

 
And today's hooks:
 

 

 
So a chocolate is incoming! Yay! Can't wait to start eating some pods, making some powders, and blending some sauces!
 
Current stats:
 

 
The THP seeds are definitely the stars of the show. Some of Judy's seeds have come up. PuckerButt and PepperJoe are taking their time. That's fine. Now that hooks are popping, especially from some of the pellets I thought got burnt, I'm fairly sure I'll have plenty of heat come plantout. Gonna have to start worrying about hardening off *shutter.* Annuums start in a week or so, then tomatoes a week or two after that. Yay!
 
Happy growing, and thanks for reading!
 
Devv said:
Fantastic Adam!
 
I knew they would kick in!
 
Keep up what you're doing!
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Thanks Scott! Most of my "must-haves" have popped now, though I am still hoping for at least one representative of each of the superhots families!
 
HillBilly Jeff said:
Things are popping well.  Continued good luck man.
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Thanks man! Let's hope...
 
Lots of potting up. I now have 13 sprouts in solo cups, and 2 remaining under the dome. No room for the dry dome now, so once the coty's are out they go straight to the cups. Still waiting on some reapers, but got a variety of Bhuts and the 7 pot brain strain are going strong....
 
Brainstrain:
 

 
Trinidad Chocolate Scotch Bonnets:
 

 
Did two pellets of these because they're my only chocolate representative. However, the three that popped from one of the pellets looks very sickly. Actually most of the hooks coming up yesterday look a little on the yellow/sickly end? Could it be because they are the longer germers? Too wet under the dome? Not sure. Will probably cull the three yellow hooks since I have a nice green healthy one.
 
Habanero Big Sun is stuck under a helmet. Hopefully it will shed or another will pop. I have a back up pellet just in case.
 
JA Hab is up:
 

 
Love the habs and bonnets!
 
Tabago Treasure:
 

 
Jason's recommendation! Can't wait to see what they look like!
 
The cups:
 

 
You can see the chilitepin x 7 pot cross is doing quite well in the back. True leaves are coming out. Kind of my confidence barometer; it's doing well so everything must be fine in terms of light and temp! Also had a couple of volunteer hooks in the transplants. Will have to snip or separate. I am about at half capacity on my chinenses now. Still some silent pellets... if they stay silent I may spare a couple of the new volunteers from the snips.
 
I have a small space issue with the germ tray. I have the space for 32 plants in solo cups on the shelf, but they won't fit until the germ chamber is out. I may have to relocate it to a shelf with little light and simply transfer hooks as soon as I see them. Hate to mess around with things now that I got the temp worked out right.
 
A good weekend all in all... 13 seedlings potted up and hooks rolling in. A great way to start the week. Now if I can bang through a chapter this week life will be golden.
 
Happy growing!
 
Ever so often I find a pepper seed on the carpet. Part of me always thinks "man down." They're normally from pepper flakes I'd used on pizza, but still...
 
Spicegeist said:
Takes forever with my internet connection, but they are looking great!  I'm surprised the Aji Cristal hasn't come up, but then again, the seed is from 2012... I hope it pops eventually...
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Will give it time. No worries.
 
Devv said:
Very nice Adam!
 
Glad to see things are working well.
 
I'm a believer in the fan, I use a box fan on low about 3.5' from the station, and after a drink the ceiling fan is on for a day.
 
Keep it green!
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Thanks Scott! 
 
Why wait?
 
Here is the fan I rigged up today:
 
Ol0npGQ.jpg

 
Will move it to the top when I get by Home Depot and buy some hooks. It's the smallest vornado they sell... fabric blades, silent, nice low setting. 15 bucks. Running it on the same timer as the lights. That too much? Seedlings don't seem to mind... yet... though it did drop the air temp in there 5°.
 
I had to google "vornado".  I thought at first you had rigged up the business end of a trolling motor.
 
If you have access to any 3.5" square nursery pots, you might be able to get more pot-ups under the lights.  They fit 18 to a regular 11"x22" nursery flat.  Sometimes local nurseries will just give you a few used ones if you ask.  Just be sure to sterilize them before use.
 
They're really gonna like that fan. As for those small yellow seedlings...if you haven't tossed them yet, I'd be willing to bet they'd be fine once under the lights. My guess would be those got planted a little deeper and may have struggled a bit to get to the surface. Once under the lights they'll green up.
 
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