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Mill's 2011

Siliman said:
Very cool!
Hey do you mind describing your 'haircut'procedure? Did you remove all the foliage or were the 'trunks' pretty much in hibernation? Did you just now put them under the lights to wake 'em up? Did you add any nutes now or during the preceding months? What kind of of growing medium used? Did you originally yank these from the ground or pot down?
What is your target for getting them back in the ground or back outside?

I only have a few dozen more questions, but will hold off for now and appreciate in advance any insights.
Click to expand...


Ok, let me try and answer them all.

When my season starts coming to an end, I decide what plants I want to keep for next year. Sometimes I overwinter just for fun, sometimes I do it to get a jump start on next season. What ever plant I decide to overwinter get either pulled out of the ground(yes, pulled. Grab the bottom of the stem and yank them out. Most roots break but the big strong important ones stick around) or pulled from their pot. The rootball is trimmed down to a size that can fit into a 16oz cup or whatever little pot I have to store them in over winter, like those square ones. As soon as they get the root cut they get a "haircut." All the leaves and most of the top branches get cut off. I find a good node and trim all the way back to there. This gives them a good chance to stay free of an aphid infestation that may already be on the leaves. Pot them with some new soil and stick em under the lights. I think these got put up for the winter in early november.

Sometime around the beginning of the year they have way too much growth on them to keep control over them, so, they get another haircut. Usually only water once every two weeks in the winter, and once a month give them a half strength shot of nutes. Once mid march comes around all these will get either put back in the ground or put into pots, frosts and hardening off be damned.

My soil mix consists of
1 bale peat
2 40lb bags composted cow manure
2 30lb bags composted chicken manure
2 16quart bags perlite

Anything else?
 
Allrighty thanks very much. Many things answered there. Glad to hear I didn't have to worry much about the initial extraction!

My main concerns were how much light to allow during the 'off season', how much winter growth to allow, how much and when to cut back, and how you time this for the upcoming season. also the soil and feedings. You pretty much nailed those for me. Now that I'm about half way thru my own overwinter, really appreciate your perspective.

So to finalize a couple more: Is room temp very important for the overwintereds? If there are leaves that grow straight out from the nodes out of the main stem, do you pluck them off also? Any other usefull tips on pest control (other than me)? (Dang fungus gnats.)

For the tasty potting mix you build, do you stir it up and let it mellow for a time or is is good to go fairly soon? Does that mix work well in your bigger pots for the summer?

I'll open up a new thread regarding my own pending haircuts so I don't step on your grow log that much. Thanks again for your knowledge.
 
Not a problem at all. how much light is all up to you. I tried last year letting them go dormant and most died off so this year I was trying to keep them all alive which is why I poured the light on them. My ambient temp is in the 45-55F range. The grow is out in my detached garage. It never gets below 40 out there but during the cold months, it doesn't get much above 50. I let all the leaves grow until it is haircut time again and safer soap is what I use to get rid of pests, that and the haircuts :) The mix I use goes in to my big pots 5-7 gallons and I just use it right away, dont really have the time to let it sit around.
 
Interesting: Providing light but not much heat. Hope it works for you. When it comes time, please add a photo progress of those bad boys.

I've posted a thread on my plants, hope to get some additional ideas from the gold mine here. Maybe my window dwellers in 60-degree ambient gonna be a different story, tho. Feel free to post on that and tell me where you would slice and dice.
 
Update, have more seeds sprouting and the cutback are finally showing new growth.

Giant Jolokia from thepeppergrowingman

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Birgit locoto from before and new

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C. Rhomb

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Brain Strain

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And still more fun... This is Sarracenia Oreophila, a super endangered pitcher plant from the southeast. Seeds are sprouting for me which is really freaking exciting.

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Nice new growth coming on the overwinters. If you put the Pitcher plant along side your peppers,,then when the Ladybugs knock off any extra aphids the plants can devour em! :lol: Cant wait to see that Pitcher plant grow up!
 
Me too Kevin, this is really going to be a fun season. I also have a ton of Drosera Capensis plants that love fungus gnats... And also, every seed I have tried to germinate from you has sprouted, every single one. Thanks again man.
 
Yea man,my 12 year old went on a field trip to see carnivorous plants with a chance to buy one,,I gave him the 7$ for a sundew, and he used it for a coke and candy! :shame:

Edit: Oh and I'm glad the seeds are doing good for ya! I cant wait to see how big you grow that Birgit Locoto!
Kevin
 
Well, I moved all the plants inside the house, it has been too cold for anything to grow out in the garage. Hoping the most recent slice n dice will promote new growth. The super hacked up one is a Scorpion Moruga, it has too large of a rootball and needed to fit under the lights.
 
Some new growth on an old cutback

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Drosera Capensis seedlings

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Sarracenia Oreophila seedling

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Tricot Fatalii

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A few Fatalii

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Rhomb growth

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Everything has light at this point in time. But I am about to start running out of room under the lights so I will move the bigger over-wintered guys into the kitchen by the back door after they get some nice sized leaves.
 
Man, you cant slow down that Rhomb!! That thing looks incredible!

Those carnivorous plants look so cool! So sweet and innocent..then...BAM! die you little aphid! :cool:
 
Currently using them to control my crazy fungus gnat infestation. Aphids suck even more though cause they get around the sticky traps and pitfalls. Thats what safer soap is for though. The rhomb is crazy, it hasnt slowed down at all. I cut it back and a week later it has a ton of new growth on it. Thinking this year its going in the ground so that I can witness its full glory. Hows yours looking Kevin?
 
I've recently tried dusting cinnamon on the soil of my indoor plants, fungus gnats seem to hate it, they take off pretty quick. I need to try and germinate my carnivorous seeds, should help with the gnats as well. I just need to find some proper growing medium.
 
I really need to get a germ chamber like that going ^^
Look forward to seeing moaar piccs! Seems like you have some pretty unusual strains going :cool:
 
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