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.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

True... asphalt shouldn't change the pH as much as the concrete, but it's still a petroleum distillate. If it was me, I'd want to be removing it.
 
I don't have a bag of Tomato Tone on hand, but there are good directions printed on the bag for both base dressing and side dressing. You can't add too much compost, so I'd say go ahead and lay it down whenever you want. You can't harm your plants with it and it's excellent food for them.
 
When prepping the site of a raised bed on concrete or asphalt, some people take a rental jackhammer and drill drainage holes down to the soil underneath and lay down landscaping fabric before filling the raised bed with soil so none of the soil goes down the holes. If that wasn't done for your raised beds you can still bore some fairly large holes in the sides of the raised beds and place stones or pottery shards next to them to keep the soil in and let the water out.

 
Thanks again Rick! Sadly I don't think the higher ups will take kindly to jackhammering, but the beds definitely retained water well this past season. Too well actually, had to be very careful about over watering. 
 
Will formalize a plan for the plots in a month or so... no reason worrying about it now, the community compost isn't open yet and I'm still growing the fall crops in the active plot. Will do on the tomato tone.
 
I was bummed when we moved into our current apartment because I was losing the garden space. Luckily I found out about these guys pretty soon after moving in. At first my plan was just to continue with the pepper plants I had, but they did so well that, well, hence the glog!
 

those are some nice raise beds...and loving the kales.... i love them i specifically bought a blender just to make smoothies out of them...i should grow them also lol...are they good with clay soil since my groun soil is kinda clayish

 
Thanks Pinoy! Yeah, kale is a wonder plant. We eat it once a week or so, normally just crisped in the oven. Very hearty and delicious. Nice with a little salt and pepper powder!
 

Beautiful garden plot Adam! It warms the urban landscape nicely!

Keep a close eye on those hooks now!

Have a great day!

Mike

 
Thanks Mike! I think so too. Amazing ambiance, and the other community gardeners are a pleasure to chat with. Very good way to connect with the local community.
 

Excellent read (quick one, must re read something). Love bonchi pics and logistic explanation. I wish i had same patience to track all as well as here!
And very nice varied list!

 
Thanks Essegi! Nice to have you along! Will be tracking the bonsai's all the way, and hopefully adding to the stable next Fall!

 

[PIC 1]

I like the Bonchi grow and the documentation. Good luck with the seed startup and plantout. I see you have access to beds within a community grow.
With the appropriate soil medium within the beds the plants will do fine, even if they have shallow depth. The roots will travel sideways and they'll certainly have more space to roam than a large nursery  container. The key is to wet the planting hole prior to setting in the plant.  If there's any compaction after the water drains....fill the hole with additional soil, you really want the plant to sit as high as possible when planting....they can sink!
I rework and hand till my beds in the Spring....but I really take care of what's in and around the planting hole. (compost, worm castings, bone and blood meal, 10-10-10)..
 
Have a blast with your garden this year !

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

Nice looking plots.  I think kale can grow through snow...its a tough bugger.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

I like the Bonchi grow and the documentation. Good luck with the seed startup and plantout. I see you have access to beds within a community grow.
With the appropriate soil medium within the beds the plants will do fine, even if they have shallow depth. The roots will travel sideways and they'll certainly have more space to roam than a large nursery  container. The key is to wet the planting hole prior to setting in the plant.  If there's any compaction after the water drains....fill the hole with additional soil, you really want the plant to sit as high as possible when planting....they can sink!
I rework and hand till my beds in the Spring....but I really take care of what's in and around the planting hole. (compost, worm castings, bone and blood meal, 10-10-10)..
 
Have a blast with your garden this year !

 
Thanks for the tips! Going to follow them as best I can. Also going to top everything off with a good layer of mulch and a good dose of tomato tone. Thinking about dumping excess Ocean Forest into each planting hole as well, as I don't really have the space to keep it in storage all year. Just don't want to give the little guys too much of a good thing.
 
Yeah, they get commercial productivity out of their bell pepper beds, selling their produce all over the city, so it can't be too big a problem. But that may be why I am not expecting my plants to get quite as big as some of the examples posted here.
 

Nice looking plots.  I think kale can grow through snow...its a tough bugger.

 
Thanks. Kale is my first real "financially successful" plant. It easily paid for the plot in the Fall. I very nearly broke even on tomatoes and peppers last year, but nothing compares to the productivity of those kale plants. I think I got another $10 or 15 left in those plants too.

 

[Devv]

Some good advise here Adam, these people know what they're talking about..gotta run..

 

[maximumcapsicum]

FINALLY! The winner for first hook of the season is Charle's Chiltepin X 7 Pot! 
 

 
This is 8 days after I put it in the dirt. There are some signs of life from the 7 pot brainstrain as well, but no hook to speak of yet, nothing else in any of the other pellets so far. 
 
I'm a little surprised it's taken so long this time around. Last year conditions were far from ideal and I had most my sprouts after a week. This time around the temp stays between 85° and 95° and the little guys are taking their time. 
 
Also odd that the first to come up was a seed that wasn't soaked. 
 
Expecting more to appear before the weekend is done. Stay tuned!

 

[MeatHead1313]

Congrats on your first hook! Tepin x 7 pot sounds interesting. Hope the rest follow quickly for you.

 

[Spicegeist]

FINALLY! The winner for first hook of the season is Charles' Chiltepin X 7 Pot!

 
Oh yeah! 

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

Congrats on the first hook of the season.  Won't be long and things will be massively green.

 

[stickman]

Good on ya for your first hood of 2014... we hope the rest follow smartly.

 

[Devv]

Congrats!
 
As said above the rest should be right behind the first, before you know it you'll be out of room!

 

[Jeff H]

Congrats on the hook. You're a father now. Got a cigar?

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Congrats on your first hook! Tepin x 7 pot sounds interesting. Hope the rest follow quickly for you.

 
Thanks! Yeah, was surprised that first sprout was actually one that hadn't been soaked!
 

 
Oh yeah! 

 
!!! Can't wait !!!
 

Congrats on the first hook of the season.  Won't be long and things will be massively green.

 
Thanks Jeff! That's the goal! Got to keep it green!
 

Good on ya for your first hood of 2014... we hope the rest follow smartly.

 
Thanks Rick! Let's hope the others follow suit! It's taking a tad longer than I thought.
 

Congrats!
 
As said above the rest should be right behind the first, before you know it you'll be out of room!

 
Hope so! Not much room to run out of, so let's let the little capsicums take over!
 

Congrats on the hook. You're a father now. Got a cigar?

 
Haha, thanks Jeff! Can't wait to see the next round.
 
Another pellet got hooks this morning:
 

 
Brown Egg from Jason. These guys were soaked so logic is taking its course now. Looks like all three seeds hooked too, though you can't really tell in the picture. As soon as I see a coty I'm going to remove the humidity dome. Not sure how necessary it has been anyway.
 
Happy growing!

 

[Jamison]

Hell yea now your in business!

 

[ohmatic]

have to love seeing the first hooks, always makes one smile doesnt it

 

[HabaneroHead]

Congrats on the hooks! :-)

 

[capsidadburn]

Your'e on your way now!  Keep em rollin in!

 

[Devv]

Adam,
 
As soon as they stand up and show cotys I move mine to a solo cup so their not under the dome.
 
Wishing you continued success !

 

[GA Growhead]

Yay!
It's about to get crazy!

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Hell yea now your in business!

 
Hopefully business will boom!
 

have to love seeing the first hooks, always makes one smile doesnt it

 
So tiny, so much potential. Such a long and delightful road ahead.
 

Congrats on the hooks! :-)

 
Thanks HabHead!
 

Your'e on your way now!  Keep em rollin in!

 
Tell them that! I've been surprised how much they're taking their time.
 

Adam,
 
As soon as they stand up and show cotys I move mine to a solo cup so their not under the dome.
 
Wishing you continued success !

 
Copy that. Was going to remove the dome but instead I moved the sprouted pellets into a new tray. I'll switch them into solo cups a little later, after I decide whether to separate sprouts or snip. Also got to get back by the hydro store and pick up some ocean forest.
 

Yay!
It's about to get crazy!

 
Your mouth to their cotyledons...
 
Put a reptile thermometer on the base of the tray, looks like I'm not breaking about 89°. Was worried it was getting over 100°. Different thermometers giving different info. The tray is warm to the touch, but shouldn't it be?
 
I am probably worrying too much. Just was expecting a couple more sprouts by now!