Megamoo's 2012/2013 Glog

megamoo · Sep 3, 2012

The wasp is zero germ so I'll have to redo that one.
Best time to plant is supposed to be after new moon (dark) to before the full moon. I'm sure they'll be alright though.

gasificada · Sep 3, 2012

They better be alright or I'm blaming you!

Bummer. I hate zero germs. Redoing a handful of my own ATM. Not holding my breath on some of 'em though (old lookin' seeds).

I got some Wasp seeds I can throw your way if you end up having no luck with 'em.... just don't expect them to grow out how they're supposed to!

megamoo · Sep 3, 2012

That was 0 out of 2 seeds

I've got plenty of wasp seeds left. I was trying to get away with not having to thin out, because I only want two mature plants. Of course when I try that I get zero germination, but if I sow a lot of seeds they all sprout and I have to kill most of them.

What's with your wasp seeds, do you think they are crossed?

gasificada · Sep 3, 2012

I suspect the Wasp (sourced from PL?) is an unstable hybrid. There was too much variation between my two plants--neither which turned out how they were supposed to--to be an F1 (unless the two seeds were the result of two different pollen parents). To my understanding, and from what I have observed myself, F1 generation plants from the same parents will all be very similar to each other (if not the same?). F2-F3 is where the biggest variance occurs.

megamoo · Sep 3, 2012

Yeah I got my seeds from pepperlover. Just went to their site to see the picture and check what they are supposed to look like but there is no listing. Seeing as though they put a "SOLD OUT" sign on their varieties that are sold out they must have taken it down because its throwing out inconsistent pods ?

I'm intrigued to see how it turns out now! I'll sow a double lot in a tray of 8 cells - so thats 16 seeds in an effort to get something.

So I get it that an F1 is when you let a mummy and daddy plant get funky and you grow the seed from their pod. But is an F2 the result of the F1 getting funky with itself? and you do that upto F8 and you start to get more consistent pods?

If you get the F1 to sex up with one of its parents is their incestuous offspring called a new F1? I can imagine doing this if you really want the kid to be like his daddy more than his mum etc..
Or does this mess up the genes and make it all go elephant man?

gasificada · Sep 3, 2012

megamoo said:
So I get it that an F1 is when you let a mummy and daddy plant get funky and you grow the seed from their pod. But is an F2 the result of the F1 getting funky with itself? and you do that upto F8 and you start to get more consistent pods?

Correcto.

megamoo said:
If you get the F1 to sex up with one of its parents is their incestuous offspring called a new F1? I can imagine doing this if you really want the kid to be like his daddy more than his mum etc..
Or does this mess up the genes and make it all go elephant man?

Correcto again. They call it "backcrossing" and it is done for that exact reason; to achieve genetics closer to that of the parent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backcrossing

(I don't know if it is considered "incestuous" though. :lol:

"Inbreeding" is when the plant gets funky with itself or another of the same genetics.)

megamoo · Sep 8, 2012

Felt like doing another update only a few days after the last one.

The flood table is now at full capacity with the indian carbon and barrack pore finally hooking. All currently sowed seeds are now in the system.

I've finally found a propogation setup I'm happy with and so I remade the lighting setup, increasing it to 15 sockets and mounted it on a larger board so its spaced out to cover the seedlings completely.

At the moment there are 8x 18W globes and 7x 11W globes = 221W.

You may think that it would be easier to have long fluorescent tubes and it would be easier.. but I had most of the sockets already, the globes are your everyday ones so they're easily available, and the light output can be easily customised in strength and distribution. AND it works! the plants grow under it

Overview shot. Slightly bigger than 3 days ago.

This freakshow fused cotyledon seedling is from lavatung. Mystery strain that he thinks might be Red Savina.

Triple leaf moruga yellow seedling.

I had given up on the two douglah seeds sown but this ugly one has popped up late. Don't think it will make but have to wait and see.

Moruga red seedling has come up helmet firmly on. Not going to operate because already have 3 out of 8 good ones growing.

I like how the pimenta de neyde seedling looks with the dark colour.

I thought the naga jolokia purple seeedlings were chinenses but from their growth habit they are obviously annuums. Quick web search reveals they are annuums. From the name you would assume they are chinense.

gasificada · Sep 8, 2012

megamoo said:
Triple leaf moruga yellow seedling.

I had given up on the two douglah seeds sown but this ugly one has popped up late. Don't think it will make but have to wait and see.

Huh. The Moruga Yellow and Doogie look the same....

Bet you thought you had edited that before anyone noticed. :lol:

I think I already said it but nice healthy little babies!

PDN does look cool. Strangest thing, my overwintered one is growing back purple. Like, purple purple.

DocNrock · Sep 8, 2012

I see you have Aji Panca growing. I've got a plant that is just starting to bud. Really looking forward to trying one. And your fused-cot from Lavatung...I had a YBS seedling pop up just like that. Looks like your practice run is over and time for the real deal. Good luck!

megamoo · Sep 8, 2012

gasificada said:
Huh. The Moruga Yellow and Doogie look the same....

Bet you thought you had edited that before anyone noticed.

I think I already said it but nice healthy little babies!

PDN does look cool. Strangest thing, my overwintered one is growing back purple. Like, purple purple.

Yeah I did

Not sure how that happened, must be computer error.

Thanks.... you might not be able to tell in the picture but the newest growth is a bit yellow and bubbly. I'm overdue to refresh the reservoir but I'm waiting for a pH metre in the mail. I just waited a month for cheap one from China, used it about ten times then accidentally broke the sensor tip ! So ordered another an identical one from Sydney but from the time waited already I'm guessing they just order them from the same place then send them on. Have to refresh the reservoir without the pH measurement or they won't be healthy little babies for much longer. I know basically how to adjust it though so shouldn't be too far off.

DocNrock said:
I see you have Aji Panca growing. I've got a plant that is just starting to bud. Really looking forward to trying one. And your fused-cot from Lavatung...I had a YBS seedling pop up just like that. Looks like your practice run is over and time for the real deal. Good luck!

Aji Panca is 0 sprouts from 2 seeds so far. This was my first time sowing this variety so didn't know what to expect. Going to have to resow some more. It's real deal time for sure!

More photos.... because I can.

This is where there should be some wasps

7 pot red only 1 from 8. I'm surprised by this one.

Barrack pore hook

Habanero Chocolate on the left Limo Blanco on the right

Indian Carbon hooks

Sanarda · Sep 8, 2012

So exciting to watch everyone in Aussie to start their season. Your off to a great start. Cant wait to follow your season :fireball:

gasificada · Sep 8, 2012

Where did you source your Aji Panca, moo?

The one I grew a couple years ago was a rather unique looking plant--but there are different types around.

Never got to see any pods though as curl grubs got into the soil and killed the plant before it had a chance to produce. :mad:

Picked out each and every single one of the bastages and pegged them against the wall. I left the splat marks as a warning for others. Seems as though they took notice... I haven't really had a problem with 'em since....... :lol:

Hope you get 'em going! :onfire:

megamoo · Sep 8, 2012

Got it from peppermania. Only sowed 2 seeds and for some reason the rule seems to be 2 seeds sown = 0 hooks, but more often than not 4 seeds = 4 hooks. I'm going to have to stop being stingey and double up seeds into their cells, then thin out later. I have too many varieties and not enough space and time to give every variety an eight cell tray.

Had those curl grubs before. Cut them in half so they couldn't escape and put them on ant nests. So satisfying.

Getting really impatient about setting up the main grow section outside. Looks like the weather is finally warming up so next week the biggest seedlings will be potted up and hardened off in my little greenhouse box. Going to have to post a picture of that too.

gasificada · Sep 9, 2012

Sow too few and get nothing, sow too many and they all want to pop.... I know how that goes. :lol:

Feeding curl grubs to the magpies is sweetly satisfying too (they love 'em!). I wanted to make an example of these ones though and leave a bold warning to the rest of 'em. :hell:

(But really, there was no magpies around at the time and I was just too furious to resist destroying them then and there.....)

Lavatung · Sep 10, 2012

I had a few munted ones too. They taste wicked though. They have that full on Chinense fruity flavor. Efen hot too. Those Jala's ya sent me are going pretty good. A bit leggy though or maybe it's because their annuums. All of them germed except the early, I only got 1 out of 3

.

megamoo · Sep 11, 2012

This is my hardening off box. I was going to tape up the lid corners but its warm enough now. Have to remember to open it in the morning or they bake.

I move the seedlings out of the hydro section into this box to get them used to outdoors and sun.
Starting to get my reticulation sorted and getting more sunny days.

These are the plants from the test soil mixes.

They look pretty good considering I haven't watered them for two weeks

Seems I did lean too much towards water retention in my mixes.

gasificada · Sep 11, 2012

They don't seem to be showing any signs of overwatering. Maybe the key is airflow to the root zone as opposed to the degree of water retention? :think:

I'm starting to think water retention may not be such the evil thing it is made out to be--at least in climates like mine. Only the beginning of spring and I'm already watering every second day! I do have my babies out in full sun though.

Pablo_h · Sep 11, 2012

Lots of plants there megamoo.
Good work on the home made cold frame box. I just bought one of these and took the lazy way out. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/250874669430

megamoo · Sep 11, 2012

gasificada said:
They don't seem to be showing any signs of overwatering. Maybe the key is airflow to the root zone as opposed to the degree of water retention?

I'm starting to think water retention may not be such the evil thing it is made out to be--at least in climates like mine. Only the beginning of spring and I'm already watering every second day! I do have my babies out in full sun though.

Well if you think about deep water culture hydro plants the roots are forever in water. So the problem in pots is not so much water retention, as water stagnation or `de-oxygenation`. I think if you regularly introduce new oxygenated water to flush out or replace the old water then the plant will be happy. This is obviously how every potted soil mix in the world works. So you need a soil mix that will let the new water penetrate fully to relpace the old, and let excess to drain out. So airflow to the root zone and drainage are the key.

Many of my overwatering failures in the past have been with too compact and non draining mixes, so that no matter how much I watered them the old water wasn't getting replaced and was stagnating around the roots. I'd water them until it ran out the bottom of the pot thinking it was done but most of the pot probably stayed untouched by the new water. And every dose of fertiliser I put in stayed also and built up salts to make the soil an unfriendly pH. Every way I think about it it keeps coming back to drainage.

You can't see in the picture but a handful of the plants did shrivel up and die, and although they are undercover the rain can easily blow in.

After I did a few weighing measurements I found they were losing weight at the same rate. I did learn that coir almost doubles its weight when wet and is the best for holding water if thats what you want. I'd favour it over vermiculite for water retention. So then I decided to see how long they'd last with no watering. Longer than I expected.

For the next week I'm going to water them every second day and see what their response to frequent watering is. After that I will need the pots for my other plants so they be going into the garden bed.

Pablo_h said:
Lots of plants there megamoo.
Good work on the home made cold frame box. I just bought one of these and took the lazy way out. http://www.ebay.com....tm/250874669430

Thanks Pablo. I had the mdf and plastic and hinges already so it didn't cost me anything. Rather proud of it myself

Not enough room for a lot of potted up plants to go in but it'll do for the seedlings' first nights outside from the hydro tub. Your's looks pretty special! I know if I had that in my yard the kids would break it in about 20 minutes.

It's finally getting warm in Perth so we won't get much use out of them.

DocNrock · Sep 11, 2012

^^^ I'm still a noob at this, but I agree with you about the water stagnation. It would seem that a rapidly draining soil would be very useful. It would require more frequent watering, but that water would be fresh each time.