MeatHead 2014

Thought I'd start a new glog as my 1st year grow plants have now gone, and all remaining plants are intended for the 2014 season. Currently have growing with hopes of keeping through winter-
Yellow bhut jolokia
Brain strain
Aji limon
Chocolate Trinidad scorpion
Fatalii
Black Hungarian
Chinese 5 colour.
Have all healthy plants bar 1 out of 6 inch pots and in either permanent or semi permanent homes. Due to messing up the labels I'm not sure which is which on the Chinense varieties. Have 1 seedling that was seriously struggling, but it's starting to throw out new leaves so there's hope for it yet. Hoping we either have a mild Winter here, or I can get some lights set up in our spare bedroom to get them through until Spring. Have a few more varieties I have yet to plant, but thinking I may wait til the end of January to start those seeds. 
 
Anyway, enough babbling. On to some pics!
Green pot is an Aji Limon, bag TBD Chinense, Venus fly trap and pitcher plant on the cooler in the back, cayenne I'm trying to decide whether to OW or not in the red pot and some cilantro in the cup

Another couple of TBD Chinense's and the struggling seedling that's popping back (over watering was the cause I think)

Chinese 5 colour and 2 more Chinense's

Aloe vera and a couple of strawberries for my wife

More tbd Chinense's

Black Hungarian (already putting out flower buds that are getting pinched off for now)

Last 2 Chinense's

 

[MeatHead1313]

Your plants look really happy in their new digs.  But like Scott said, keep a close eye on them when the sun is out.  They can bake in a hurry on a sunny day.

Thanks Sawyer! Yeah they seem to be really enjoying the new home. Temps have warmed up again here so vents are being left open all day now and only getting closed once the sun has gone down. Haven't actually checked the inside temp yet, but judging by feel it's not much warmer inside than out.
 
Have noticed the plants I still had in the Vigoro potting mix were struggling really badly while the plants I have in MG were doing really well. Took a few out of the Vigoro and used the last of the MG I had, and those plants have bounced back well. I've been wanting to get away from the MG and try to get a bit more organic, so ordered some Fox Farm Happy Frog and will be moving the last 2 or 3 that are in the Vigoro into the FFHF. Not sure  what it is about the Vigoro that's making them struggle so bad, but I have noticed (to me anyway) that it seems to retain too much water, and when I first used it instead of being light and fluffy it was actually pretty dense, and was full of large chunks of wood and sticks. 

 

[Sarge]

Ive never got any of those tiny little buds to do anything. They usually just turn brown and fall off All of my seed started plants are pushing those style pods at the moment but I don't anticipate they will open or set. Fingers crossed!

 

[MeatHead1313]

Ive never got any of those tiny little buds to do anything. They usually just turn brown and fall off All of my seed started plants are pushing those style pods at the moment but I don't anticipate they will open or set. Fingers crossed!

Yeah that's pretty much what I'm expecting to happen too. That plants still only 7-8 inches (18-20 cm) high, so I'll probably just end up pinching them off and let it focus a bit more on growing for now. 

 

[MeatHead1313]

Quick pic of the recovery of the plant that was struggling really badly in the Vigoro mix.

 
Rest of the plants are still going great. I'm going to need to get another greenhouse at the rate these are growing!

 

[MeatHead1313]

Repotted all the plants that were in the Vigoro mix into Fox Farm Happy Frog. It was definitely a water retention issue with the Vigoro mix that was causing the problems. Even in pots that hadn't been watered for 2 weeks the soil was saturated, while the same type pots with MG were bone dry. That would also explain why even going without watering I was still having fungus gnat issues. Hopefully the plants like the new mix they're in. 
Some updated pics of a few plants-
Little chinense all potted up in FFHF. This one has surprised me with how well it bounced back

Chinese 5 colour has a few nice flower buds on it

New growth still coming in strong on a few plants

This one is still bouncing back nicely as well

Cilantro growing strong

Jimmy Nardello seedling

Black Hungarian repotted into FFHF

 
Also noticed I have an SBJ7 showing a hook! Can't wait to grow this variety out. Absolutely delicious pepper!

 

[MeatHead1313]

Got home from work this afternoon and during my usual check of the plants noticed I have my first open flower!     My Chinese 5 colour bud opened either last night or today. Hoping I get pollination on it, but won't be terribly upset if it ends up dropping. I'm just excited to be getting flowers already. Makes me happy to know my plants are loving their Winter home.
 
Not the best pics, was getting dark out so had to use a flashlight and my cell phone camera

 
 

 

[PaulG]

Awesome, MH!  Your little greenhouse is doing the trick.
 
The new growth looks very healthy and robust.  Good 
luck with grow 2014!

 

[MeatHead1313]

Thanks Paul! I'm glad the greenhouse is working out. Much easier and cheaper for me than trying to build something for an indoor grow. 

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Nice project Meathead! How tall do your plants normally get in the containers? I kept mine in three gallon buckets last year... had a serrano get almost 2 feet tall. Everything else stayed pretty low though. 

 

[Penny]

Nice plants and glad they are doing better for you now.

 

[MeatHead1313]

Nice project Meathead! How tall do your plants normally get in the containers? I kept mine in three gallon buckets last year... had a serrano get almost 2 feet tall. Everything else stayed pretty low though.

This is only my 2nd grow so not too sure lol. Jalapeno and cayenne plants got about 3 foot in the small containers, and the orange hab I had got about 2 foot tall but was about 3-3.5 foot wide. This is my first time growing any of these so not sure what to expect. Most will be potted up into the 5 gallon bags after winter

Nice plants and glad they are doing better for you now.

Thanks Penny!

 

[maximumcapsicum]

This is only my 2nd grow so not too sure lol. Jalapeno and cayenne plants got about 3 foot in the small containers, and the orange hab I had got about 2 foot tall but was about 3-3.5 foot wide. This is my first time growing any of these so not sure what to expect. Most will be potted up into the 5 gallon bags after winter

 

 
I know this is asking a lot, but what kind of yields did you get? I'm going to take better notes this year to see how many pods each plant makes... lost track last year. What did your hab get you?

 

[Devv]

Everything's looking good!
 
Glad the greenhouse has been working well for you.
 
Congrats on the flowering.

 

[Jamison]

Still chuggin along I see! Can't wait to see them MoA's hook!

 

[MeatHead1313]

 
I know this is asking a lot, but what kind of yields did you get? I'm going to take better notes this year to see how many pods each plant makes... lost track last year. What did your hab get you?

Yields were pretty good. I'm not sure on numbers, but I've made sauces, some jellies and gave some habs away and still have a bag and a half in the freezer so very decent results for my first grow. Could've got more but culled my plant pretty early due to ants and aphids. 

Everything's looking good!
 
Glad the greenhouse has been working well for you.
 
Congrats on the flowering.

Thanks Dew! 

Still chuggin along I see! Can't wait to see them MoA's hook!

Thanks Jamison. Me too! I've loved the bonnets I tried this year, and going by what I've read on the MoA I'm really looking forward to trying this variety. Thanks again for the seeds!

 

[MeatHead1313]

Not much happening at the moment. Plants are still growing well, and have noticed some buds emerging on a few Chinense's again. Thinking of leaving them on this time and seeing what happens. The plants I re-potted with the Happy Frog have started showing signs of growth again, so really happy there. Not having much luck germinating seeds in Jiffy pellets at the moment, so going to give the paper towel method a try and see how that goes.
 
The new growth on this one just keeps on coming. 

 
Some new growth showing on the Black Hungarian after going into the Happy Frog

 
Jimmy Nardello seedling going strong

 
Brazilian starfish seedling

 
Had some more buds open on my Chinese 5 colour (lemon drop in the background)

 
Close up of one of the Chinese 5 colour flowers. I love the colour of these flowers

 
 
 

 

[Devv]

Love that flower pick!
 
I believe we have a few nice days coming up too!

 

[MeatHead1313]

Love that flower pick!
 
I believe we have a few nice days coming up too!

Definitely my favourite flower so far. 
Looking forward to temps in the 70's for the next few days for sure! Hoping they're wrong with the predicted severe thunderstorm potential for here on Saturday though. 

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Glad I came across your notes on the Vigoro mix, that was one of my possible options for this season. Gonna opt for either a straight up jiffy organic they have at ACE or go with Black Gold or Fox Farm for seed starting (the latter seems a bit too pricey). I mixed my own soil last year, mostly out of pine bark fines... wondering if a pre mix will give better results since most my plants will be in the ground.

 

[Penny]

Look'in good so far...