MikeUSMC 2017 Grow

A little late in the season to start a glog probably, but I figure if I want to trade seeds with some of you guys at the end of the year, at least you'll know I'm not full of shit when I say I have stuff to trade

Anyway, I had a pretty rough start this year. Started my seeds mid-February, then proceeded to fry half of them when they dried out from being in the living room with my pellet stove (Doh!). After that, my two overwintered plants (a Manzano and a Rocoto) turned into aphid magnets. Those promptly got chucked outside in March (I think?) to freeze and die a cold, miserable death. Of course, the aphids found their way to (what was left of) my seedling tray, but I got those under control.

Ok, enough whining. I'll try to get you guys caught up.....
Last year, I grew about 30 different Scotch Bonnet plants, which caught the attention of Superhot Sim and Trident, who are also huge Bonnet fans. We ended up doing a seed trade last year, so a lot of my seeds this year came from my chilehead brothers from across the pond (in the U.K.) Thanks guys!

Here's my 2017 list (this will be my 4th year growing), which is a little smaller than last year due to a lower back surgery I had about a month ago. All is well, I'm on the mend, and back out in the garden

-Numex Twilight x3
-7 Pot Douglah x2
-Chocolate SB x2
-Scotchbrain (F4) x2
-Cappuccino Scotch Bonnet
-"Yellow" Scotch Bonnet
-TFM Scotch Bonnet
-Tobago Scotch Bonnet
-M.A. Peach Scotch Bonnet
-M.A. Daisy Cutter x2
-Bahamian Goat
-Aji Mango
-Aji Jobito
-Orange Blob
-Chocolate Bhutlah (DM)
-Nagabon
-Mammoth Jalapeño x2
-Poblano

Here's some pics from earlier in the year:
March 30, 2017

April 16, 2017- First look at the sun

I always grow in 5:1:1 mix (and add in CRF granules) in 5 gallon buckets. Here's a couple shots of my 5:1:1 "Graveyard" in the woods behind my house, and the new stuff ready to be mixed.

May 21, 2017- All potted up

What a difference a few weeks makes (Pics taken this morning)
I'm also trying CNS17 (3-1-2) instead of DynaGro this year. It's just so much cheaper.

Chocolate Scotch Bonnets on the right, Douglahs on the left

Numex Twilight (biggest plant in the middle). I had 2 Belingrath Gardens plants in that pot last year, and now there's a TON of volunteers popping up. Almost looks like ground cover, haha. Gonna leave 'em just cuz

Another Numex Twilight out front. Getting some volunteer Twilights in that pot too, but I'll probably pull those

Besides the Twilights, the only pods I have so far are a couple of 'peños...

...and a couple of small Poblanos

5 Tomato plants for Mrs. USMC

Thanks for looking, everybody

 

[Devv]

stettoman, on 06 Sept 2017 - 09:23 AM, said:

BoyOBoy, that military background sure helps for keeping and orderly jungle!!

I call it being "very regimented and organized," my wife calls it "OCD and psychopathic"
 
Now that's funny.
 
Good looking grow Mike! And glad to hear the back is getting better. Pods look great, you've done well this season!
 
Mine are flowering up for the second run, first wasn't so good...LOL

 

[MikeUSMC]

Pods look great, you've done well this season!

Thanks for the kind words, Scott, but I really haven't, haha

Something's going on this year, compared to last (I wasn't on THP last year though). I'm not sure if it was the long, cold Spring we had this year, or me switching fertilizers. Whatever it was, I feel like I was SWIMMING in pods by this time last year. Really, all I've had so far were 2 fairly small harvests. I was getting about 2 per WEEK last year (same number of plants too). My plants just aren't as robust as usual

Oh well. Still have a ton of green ones on there. We'll see what happens. Thanks though!

 

[MikeUSMC]

Example:

Here's my kick ass tomato harvest TO DATE this year. Picked this morning. Out of FIVE tomato plants, haha

I swear on my life. ^ That's it! You can't make this shit up Lots of green (full size, non-cherry type) fruits out there, but they just refuse to ripen. A lot of them grew pretty tall, then grew full size fruit on the upper branches, but the branches collapsed because of the weight. They didn't snap, but they're "kinked" (just like a garden hose) and hanging down with full sized tomatoes on them. I don't even care anymore, haha (about the 'maters, that is )

 

[tctenten]

Thanks for the kind words, Scott, but I really haven't, haha

Something's going on this year, compared to last (I wasn't on THP last year though). I'm not sure if it was the long, cold Spring we had this year, or me switching fertilizers. Whatever it was, I feel like I was SWIMMING in pods by this time last year. Really, all I've had so far were 2 fairly small harvests. I was getting about 2 per WEEK last year (same number of plants too). My plants just aren't as robust as usual

Oh well. Still have a ton of green ones on there. We'll see what happens. Thanks though!

Everything was delayed this year IMO. I think the spring weather definitely was the reason.

 

[MikeUSMC]

Everything was delayed this year IMO. I think the spring weather definitely was the reason.

Definitely was, and now we're at about 50* at night too. Sometimes high 40's. I'm praying for an Indian Summer

 

[MikeUSMC]

Finally got a decent overall pic of my plants for you guys. Sorry about all the previous ones, haha. I'm always out there early in the morning in the shade while everything's still wet

Been waiting on this big 'peño for MONTHS

 

[stettoman]

Example:

Here's my kick ass tomato harvest TO DATE this year. Picked this morning. Out of FIVE tomato plants, haha

IMG_5286.JPG

I swear on my life. ^ That's it! You can't make this shit up Lots of green (full size, non-cherry type) fruits out there, but they just refuse to ripen. A lot of them grew pretty tall, then grew full size fruit on the upper branches, but the branches collapsed because of the weight. They didn't snap, but they're "kinked" (just like a garden hose) and hanging down with full sized tomatoes on them. I don't even care anymore, haha (about the 'maters, that is )

 
 
Mike, you sound like me for the last 10 years or so. I was growing monstrous plants that would crush themselves under their own weight, and I'd wind up with a handful of corky tomatoes only good for stewing, the bulk not ripening.
 
I switched to Amish Paste and never looked back. Thickest, heaviest, most flavorful 'mater I've grown, and I've grown a lot of 'maters. These two boxes are maybe a 10th of what 4 plants are putting out...
 

 
One of my new tricks to not get the collapse of heavy branches is to let them vine to the ground. Yeah, you need to take a little more care, and yeah, the chipmunks can ruin your day now and then, but it saves the heartache of getting up one morning and seeing 6 weeks of growth shot to hell.
 
YMMV.....

 

[stickman]

You're doing wicked good Mike... You might want to tweak your growing arrangements a little bit to make a warmer microclimate for your chiles but the rest looks spot-on! Try wrapping black landscaping fabric or black poly sheeting around those white plastic pails and siting them against a south-facing wall... Stone or masonry wall for preference. That alone will buy you a couple of extra weeks during the growing season and hasten ripening. Low row covers are very cheap and will extend your chile season a whole month at least.

Sent from my LGL44VL using Tapatalk

 

[MikeUSMC]

Thanks, Rick. I would do that, but I grow in 5:1:1 mix. It's very fast draining and the medium dries out fairly quickly. If I switched to black pots the plants would be toast (unless I changed my soil). The white buckets are on purpose. I like my mix

 

[stickman]

Thanks, Rick. I would do that, but I grow in 5:1:1 mix. It's very fast draining and the medium dries out fairly quickly. If I switched to black pots the plants would be toast (unless I changed my soil). The white buckets are on purpose. I like my mix

Drip irrigation on a hose timer would take care of that reasonably cheaply and make for a largely "fire-and-forget" garden, but whatever works for you... The world would be a strange place indeed if we were all the same. [emoji2]

Sent from my LGL44VL using Tapatalk

 

[Genetikx]

Finally got a decent overall pic of my plants for you guys. Sorry about all the previous ones, haha. I'm always out there early in the morning in the shade while everything's still wet
IMG_5288.JPG

Look at those soldiers all lined up...the 5:1:1 is definitely serving you well and all the watering probably helps the rehab I imagine. Kickass yard too

 

[MikeUSMC]

Thanks, Ryan!

Look at those MARINES all lined up...

^ FIFY

 

[MikeUSMC]

It's about freakin' time. Finally getting to see a lot of color all at once, rather than 2 pods here, 5 pods there. Man, what a crappy season for me so far. Anyway.....

Getting some nice overall ripening going on

Aji Mango

Orange Blob Habanero

Bahamian Goat

Poblanos finally setting fruit

Chocolate Scotch Bonnet plant is a monster. I've got 2 growing, and they're loaded up

Super Sweet 100 Cherry tomato is sprawling like crazy, haha. I can't tell where it even starts anymore. I swear there's a bucket in there somewhere

I should have a few nice harvest pics in a couple of days.
Thanks for looking!

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Looking good, Mike!

 

[Blitz527]

Mike, those numex twilight are great looking looking peppers. I like the look of the orange blob habs too. Everything seems to be doing great.

 

[Devv]

Very nice Mike   Those Marines are ready for inspection!
 
You "say" you're not having a good season; compared to me you're killing it!
 
I agree the weather had to cause the slower season. I visit Long Island every summer, LB and I grew up there, this year the first week of August. The weather was WAY cooler than we've had on a trip. A good 10-12 degrees cooler on average and one day was a high of 69°!

 

[MikeUSMC]

Thanks, guys!

Mike, those numex twilight are great looking looking peppers

Yeah, Blitz, they're gorgeous plants. I grow one out front every year. I've got one out back in a bucket too, that I plan on digging up in a few weeks to turn into a Bonchi

Very nice Mike   Those Marines are ready for inspection!

I agree the weather had to cause the slower season. I visit Long Island every summer, LB and I grew up there, this year the first week of August. The weather was WAY cooler than we've had on a trip. A good 10-12 degrees cooler on average and one day was a high of 69°!

Yeah, the weather's been crazy here all year. We had a few days in late June with highs of 46*. Lately we're either in the 60's or 80's during the day, and in the 50's at night.

It's all over the place. Mark Twain once said, "If you don't like the weather in New England.......wait 5 minutes."

Put it this way: my wife was begging me to put the heat on the other night (she was vehemently denied ), and I have the central AC on today, haha

 

[D3monic]

Pretty sure I threw some Blue Christmas in your box, you should really give those a try. Neat dark foliage with pods that turn from purple-orange-red. Taste pretty decent too. 
 

 

[Biggy]

Do you grow your tomatoes in buckets also?

 

[MikeUSMC]

Yes, I do, but this is the first year I ever grew them. If you scroll up a few posts to the last group shot of my plants, 5 buckets furthest to the right are all tomatoes