Mildfruits 2020 hydroponic

Hi all! 
 
This is my second grow blog. You can find the first one here. 
I bought a lot of new equipment enough to warrant a new grow blog. 
Quick intro: Due to lack of outdoor growing space I've had to get creative with indoor growing without soil. 
 
I grow mainly with grodan blocks with automatic watering, from a nutrient tank using masterblend. 
 
Things that have changed from my last glog: 
I have bought another tent and light. 
I have started growing tomatoes indoor. 
New seeds! 
Also not mentioned in my last glog, but my lights and fans are controlled by a device called Shelly. Useful in everyday home automation, controllable from your phone with timers and monitoring. 
 
Lets get started with some pictures! 

Heres my new tomato light a quantum board from HLG called 100V2. A little brother to my pepper light (quantum board HLG 260W)

And here's my tomato tent with the light installed. 

Heres my two tomatoes, Sugar lump and Muddy waters. Both are indeterminate, meaning they grow forever, so pruning will be necessary.
 
And now to the interesting part! 
A quick before and after of my pepper tent: 

Seeds: 
This year I have been so lucky to receive some wilds from CaneDog! Lots of cool varieties, more than I can grow unfortunately, but maybe some day! 
 
I also participated in a european seed exchange witch included some seeds from the US, so I also got seeds from Yekanfam Farms also a THP member. 
 
Seeds started: 
De Arbol (Fatalliseeds)
Aci Dolma (CaneDog)
Tepin Cappuccino (CaneDog)
C. Flexuosum (CaneDog)
Aji Amarillo (Fatalliseeds) 
Pimientos De Gernika (Fatalliseeds)
Rocoto Costa Rica (Fatalliseeds)
Rocoto San Pedro, Orange (Fatalliseeds)
Lemon Starrburst (Yekanfam Farms)
C. Galapagoense
 
This years theme is challenge. Previously I failed growing Aji Amarillo and C. pubescens varieties, this year I hope to change that! 
My list needs to be cut down to 6 so this is not my final list. 
 
I wish everyone a happy grow in 2020! 

 

[podz]

What a great idea, I moved the plant into a room with an open window last night, and the temps dropped around 13 degrees celcius. I'll try this forward an see if it can wake it up .  

 
Yeah, that should do it. The optimal fruiting temp for most pubes, I think, is somewhere around 13-15c night temps, when daytime temps are 23-25c. I also add PK 13/14 when I want to trigger them to flower heavily.

 

[Mildfruit]

 
Yeah, that should do it. The optimal fruiting temp for most pubes, I think, is somewhere around 13-15c night temps, when daytime temps are 23-25c. I also add PK 13/14 when I want to trigger them to flower heavily.

 
That very close to my temps overall, will be interesting to see if it works    
But as first post in this tread said: This is the year of challenge. 
So hopefully I'll find a way to get my chinenses and pubescents to set pods! 

 

[Mildfruit]

The tent are starting to be filled with green again
 

These grow bigger by the day. I've never grown bell pepper sized peppers before.
 

Aji Amarillo, according to the vendor (Fatalii) they should approximately get twice as long. Very big plant, I've had to trim it aggressively. 
 

My Khang Starr Lemonburst. It does look kinda sad, I think due to its weight (and leaf curl) that I've overwatered it a bit. 
 

 
Taste test!
My kratky experiment have worked tremendously! The pepper I've used is the De Gernika, a padron type of pepper. 
Normally you roast these on the pan in a bit of olive oil and sprinkle them with salt before consuming. However this I just ate fresh, so have that in mind  
In my last blog, I grew a normal de padron pepper, and I was a bit disappointed with the fact that they were insanely hot. Normally I like the spice, but the "fun" in padron peppers is that 1/10 is spicy. When they all are blazing hot no one wants to eat them.. 
This pepper however had zero heat, and tasted very very much like green beans, and that's a good thing, for me atleast. They did have that flavor one typically associates with padron peppers, mixed with this green bean flavor. Very tasty. I liked them so much I was a bit sad I didn't grow them like the other big plants. Oh well. Theres always next time .

 

[podz]

I really dig your grow tent operation. I'm still trying to get mine established.

 

[Mildfruit]

I really dig your grow tent operation. I'm still trying to get mine established.

 
 
Thanks! Its definitely a fun hobby, and 2 years after, im still learning from it. Hopefully you'll get a great setup! 
I'll be sure to follow your progress

 

[podz]

 
 
Thanks! Its definitely a fun hobby, and 2 years after, im still learning from it. Hopefully you'll get a great setup! 
I'll be sure to follow your progress

 
Are you a surgeon, man?

 

[Mildfruit]

 
Are you a surgeon, man?

 
Not yet, I work in a surgical specialty, but I'll be years before im fully trained .
 
Now a comparison, and to see if Pauls advice was any good. 

This is the old photo, before I trimmed the Tepin Cappuccino 

It just bounced right back with more branches! Thanks for the advice Paul, it worked flawlessly 

 

[PaulG]

 
Not yet, I work in a surgical specialty, but I'll be years before im fully trained .
 
Now a comparison, and to see if Pauls advice was any good. 
 
This is the old photo, before I trimmed the Tepin Cappuccino 
 
It just bounced right back with more branches! Thanks for the advice Paul, it worked flawlessly 

Great result, Rasmus! Mine did the same thing,
but has dropped a lot of leaves due to aphids
and overwatering. Hasn't been the best of seasons
so far, in my own grow.

 

[Mildfruit]

Great result, Rasmus! Mine did the same thing,
but has dropped a lot of leaves due to aphids
and overwatering. Hasn't been the best of seasons
so far, in my own grow.

 
Yea I saw the current battle you have with aphids going on right now. Last time I had them, I panicked after neem oil took longer than anticipated (I waited 2 days ) and bought something a bit more agressive. Wouldn't recommend it tho, especially if one plans to have children anytime soon    It was effective tho, and if used within 4weeks before consuming I think most of the bad stuff should be out of the plants system, but guess you never really know. 
 
Back to my chinense problem, or the problem with low pollination, seems to have improved by the higher humidity. Now its still very very little pollen production, like a grain from each flower. However, as my annuums are showering in pollen, I tried to cheat a bit, by transferring some of the pollen onto 1 flower on my Lemon Starburst, and a few days later, it looks like this: 
 

I still hope they will start producing pods by themselves some day, as I plan to cross a chocolate ghost with the lemon starburst in the near future 

 

[podz]

How did you carry aphids into your growing operation?
 
Most common way is to bring a store bought plant into the grow tent, or use store bought dirt for one of your plants.
 
Since I switched to coir, rockwool and hydroton for the inside growing I've never had those bastards in the house. Also, the importance of a strong, continuous airflow from a fan can not be overstressed. Last year, I did my outside grow in coir-perlite-vermiculite and zero aphids the entire season. Moths were tearing the hell out of my rocotos, but not a single aphid.

 

[Mildfruit]

How did you carry aphids into your growing operation?
 
Most common way is to bring a store bought plant into the grow tent, or use store bought dirt for one of your plants.
 
Since I switched to coir, rockwool and hydroton for the inside growing I've never had those bastards in the house. Also, the importance of a strong, continuous airflow from a fan can not be overstressed. Last year, I did my outside grow in coir-perlite-vermiculite and zero aphids the entire season. Moths were tearing the hell out of my rocotos, but not a single aphid.

 
 
I have a window in my grow room, and last summer when things got a bit to hot, I regulated by opening the windows. Big mistake and lesson learned 

 

[Mildfruit]

A quick update. 
 

The Aji Amarillo plant is made for a higher tent, I knew it was a tall plant, but Jesus, I've been real agressive with the trimming, but it seems it still puts out a lot of pods. I've never grown an actual Aji Amarillo before, but if the taste can match last years Peruvian Giallo Arancio it will be a hit!
 

Seems like a second pod is setting on the KGS LB. I've been doing a lot of brushing, meaning using the backside of an electric toothbrush on the back of the flowers. Seems like it works to pollinate with the very small amount of pollen it produces. Fingers crossed!
 

A window update on my Thai dragon x unknown to the left (thyme in the middle) and to the right Thai orange hot. They have grown quite a bit since I replanted them into soil. 
 

Sorry, I cant stop to show off this beast. Aci antep dolma, properly the pod im most excited to taste, since I've heard such good things. 

 

[PaulG]

Looks like you are firing an all cylinders, Rasmus!
 
I have had Aji Amarillo plants hit seven feet tall.
You have courage to make it an indoor tent plant!

 

[CaneDog]

+1, it sure does.  Great work. And that AAD is just ridiculous.  What a beast.
 
Somehow you've managed an outdoor grow in a tent.

 

[Mr.joe]

Looks like you are firing an all cylinders, Rasmus!
 
I have had Aji Amarillo plants hit seven feet tall.
You have courage to make it an indoor tent plant!

7 foot? I need to step up my game.

 

[PaulG]

7 foot? I need to step up my game.

 
To be honest that was in an 18-gallon container
during a really good grow season. But last season,
even in a 3-gallon pot, one grew to four feet. They
are definitely a vine-type of plant, and set pods like
crazy.

 

[Mr.joe]

 
To be honest that was in an 18-gallon container
during a really good grow season. But last season,
even in a 3-gallon pot, one grew to four feet. They
are definitely a vine-type of plant, and set pods like
crazy.

Very cool, for me even a 4 foot pepper plant is large. Maybe this season I'll have bigger plants

 

[Mildfruit]

Looks like you are firing an all cylinders, Rasmus!
 
I have had Aji Amarillo plants hit seven feet tall.
You have courage to make it an indoor tent plant!

 
I had to use google to calculate what 7 feet was, didn't sound very long, but holy sh**! Thats taller than I Do you have any pictures? Impressive! 
 

+1, it sure does.  Great work. And that AAD is just ridiculous.  What a beast.
 
Somehow you've managed an outdoor grow in a tent.

 
Well you provided me with some excellent seeds, so I cant take all the credit. Thanks man
 
Quick chinense update. I followed some of the help I got in the last page, and know my KS LSB have lots of pollen, or at least enough to actually see! 
I can see at least 4 pods now, with this being the biggest:

No stinger unfortunately, but maybe the later pods will show  
 

This is a first time appearance in my glog. Just repotted yesterday into its final container. Chocolate ghost. I got the seeds from a pod I bought back in 2018, the pod was rather small and I didn't think it would germinate at all, but here we are. Im running the risk of it being cross pollinated. I managed to find an old picture of the pod : 

Looking forward to see if I can cross it with the LSB. 

 

[PaulG]

Alright, pods on the Lemon Starburst!
That's awesome!
 
I'll see if there is a pic of the big AA in
one of my earlier grow logs.

 

[Mildfruit]

A quick update on a very sunny day here in Denmark. 
 

Im moving plants around the house to give them a bit of real sun, they get a few hours each day of real sunshine and I think they are loving it
The picture above is the chocolate ghost with the first open flower. A bit premature perhaps, the flower have a green tint instead of the usual white chinense flower.
 
 

The Costa Rica is getting more and more outside time. Starting to set the next round of flowers. Hopefully some will make pods this time 
 

Its been a while since I showed a picture of my De Arbol. I've stopped counting pods on it, but none have ripened yet. This will make a fine all-around spice and for tacos!