Mitch's 2013/14 GLOG - In ground drip irrigation set up

Hi everyone,
 
Thought I would start a Glog after seeing Cartz's up in Brisbane.
 
I'm going to try an make this short and sweet. I am situated in Melbourne and had a great season which I didn't document last season. Some of my plants are still going due to the mild winter we are having.
 
So I have started my seeds for this season and had some early success with the Yellow 7 Pots (no doubt my favourite pepper) and Jalapenos (got to love them too). I am still waiting for some extra seed varieties from the US, I hope they get through customs???
 
Here are some pics of my first update:
 
Seeds started all together (2 Jalapenos already taken out due to getting leggy and needing light), using two different seed starting mediums for comparision

 
Have taken the 3 Yellow 7 Pots and put them on the windowsill for light

 
Some pics from last season:
 
Start with my favourites, most amazing flavour, Yellow 7 Pots

 

 
My one Bih Jolokia Plant before and after cut back, keeping in mind I cut back leaves yesterday, it was pretty healthy still considering 3rd month of winter

 

 
Crazy Jalapeno in ground, not kidding when I say 3kgs of Jalapenos off one plant, I was proud of this one

 
Aji Amarillos, most peppers I have got off a chilli, easily in excess of 500, in ground for the second year after being in a pot

 
Bump for more pics of last season.
 
Cheers
 
Mitch

 

[WalkGood]

Great start, pods, OWs and g-list … pizza isn’t pizza without peppers and that shrimp dish looks divine. Great successes to you in your 13/14 grow mon!

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

Great start, pods, OWs and g-list … pizza isn’t pizza without peppers and that shrimp dish looks divine. Great successes to you in your 13/14 grow mon!

Thanks mate! Ill be sure to post some pics with homemade pizza. I am looking at going fishing a bit this summer, I have been slack the past couple of years. I want to start cooking some Murray Cod with superhots. I am tipping some pan seared cod with chilli would be perfect. Here is a few pics of cod I have caught in the past:
 

 

 
Speaking of fish, here is my pet barramundi, unfortunately it died recently. I bought him at 5cm and raised him to just over 40cms, however, I think I got a dodgey batch of live fish which killed him within two days. This fish was an amazing pet. Incredibly intelligent for a fish I thought, also when it knew I was feeding him it would light up bright white with flashes down its sides and back (something they do when they attack)

 
Cheers
 
Mitch

 

[Cartz]

 
Bhut x Mayan Red, Cartz I am reasonably sure this shouldn't be a black stem? It is darker then the black pearls stem, whatever it is, its always nice to have a surprise
 

 
Everyone loves a mystery pepper! But seriously, I have no idea. I pulled them straight from their original pack (from JR) and put them into yours, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't my doing. Plus the only purple I'm growing is the PDN and looking at my germination pics for it, it only had a light purple stem, and green cotyledons. Even now when the true leaves have coloured up the cots still only have a hint of purple...so pretty sure that it's not a PDN. Hopefully you get some more hooks for it and can see if those are true to expectation. Whatever it is it will be a fun wait to find out.
 
Regarding overwintering in Aus, I think your suspicions are correct. What I did with 3 of my 4 OW's was to leave them as is through the coldest part of winter, and then cut back all of the old growth the moment things started to warm up which has prompted new growth to explode. I did prune back one completely at the start of winter to deal with an aphid problem, and it put out new growth straight away when it was still too cold. As a result that new growth stalled and it's still just sitting on there without doing anything. Think I'll have to cut it back again now.
 
I swear you are just trying to make me jealous with those cod pics! I've never had the chance to go after murray cod but it is one of Australia's truly special fish. Happy to see that you've only taken good sized juveniles...I'm assuming you threw back all of the 50 pounders to keep up the breeding stock  I'm off to Cairns next week and will be definitely be heading out to the reef for a fish if the weather plays nice       

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

Its easy for the vendor to get them mixed up given they have thousands of seeds. Im not worried in the least, looking forward to the surprise
 
I agree with the OW, I will just leave them from now on, then maybe do a little cut back before summer like you mentioned. We don't have it as bad as the States with snow and regular sub-zero temps so its definitely an advantage. My jalapeno and birdseyes in the ground have came through winter as green as they were in summer, just no more flower production.
 
Cod fishing is great, living 2 and a bit hours from the border by car is always good for a weekend camping trip with some mates. Haha, I wish I had caught some 50 pounders (would definitely throw them back). The biggest I have caught was 13 pounds and I was pretty happy with that. I usually fish at night with bells on the rod and let the fish do their thing while I have a beer Good luck with the fishing in Cairns if you get a chance, the fishing up top Is amazing! I was fishing in Wyndham, WA, earlier this year. Got a 95cm barra, some dewfish and some threadfin salmon around a metre. That's as good as it has got in terms of fishing for me!

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

mini update.
 
Chillies on the windowsill. We have been enjoying some unusual warmth for this time of year. 25 and 26 degrees for the next two days!

 
Some close ups

 
mystery pepper on the left

 

 
some that just popped

 
in the ground, birdseyes have put out pods throughout winter, I have cut them out to make room for the new season though

 
in ground plot I am working with

 
I am waiting on red and yellow primos to pop. Also rocoto, fatali and actual bhut x red mayan.
 
Cheers

 

[Cartz]

It's been a while mate...any updates to speak of?

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

Hey mate! Not much happening here. The plants are just stalling, hardly putting out true leaves! Still! The weather has been all over the place. 25 yesterday, 30 mls of rain last night and 16 and blowing a gale today! I am hoping they will get going soon. It seems the ones that sprouted later are overtaking the early sprouters with ease. My theory is the early sprouters have stalled thanks to the cool weather to begin with???

 

[Cartz]

Ah that's bit of a bugger. Yeah perhaps the earlier ones spent most of their initial energy reserves just staying alive before the weather turned...you must be due for some consistently warmer weather soon mate! Just a bit more experience and knowledge to put into the bank for next season I guess.

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

Yeah it sucks a bit. I am not too worried as hopefully this season, like last, will be a long growing season. I might plant a few more seeds at the start of October.

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

10/10/2013 Update
 
Not much happening down here in Melbourne. Weather isn't picking up like I had hoped. Unlike Sydney and Brisbane who are currently copping it!
 
On a side note, just got my new Samsung galaxy S4 today. Used it to take the below pics. I have always been an iPhone man. But after 2 hours of having this phone I am sold it is FAR better then the new iPhone.
Yellow 7

 
Aji Lemon

 
Choc Hab cross

 
Red primo (got heaps of these)

 
Yellow Primo (hope these turn true!)

 
Bih

 
Red Bonnet

 
2 x Jalapeno in a pot

 
Need a bump for a few more.
 
Cheers
 
Mitch

 

[Cartz]

Bump

I agree totally on the phone! I'd always stuck with iPhones (figured I was over-invested with iTunes haha) but I got the new Galaxy a couple of months ago and the camera on the S4 is just amazing! So much so that the missus won't let me take her photo on it anymore...its not 'forgiving' enough haha
 
Your plants might still be small, but they are looking mighty healthy. Good job. 
 
PS. Dibs on some of those yellow primo seeds for next season (if they grew true of course)

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

The phone is awesome and the camera truly is great. Haha at your missus! Mine wont get off my phone.
 
They sure are small, but they will get going, I think I only put the bih jolokia in a pot around December (10 cms tall) and it got to roughly 3 foot within 4 or so weeks. So I am hoping for the same this year. It might just be wishful thinking but I should get something going. I don't have the mites like you, so I have a bit of an advantage
 
I hope they turn out, they popped quickly with good germ rates. I will send you some fresh pods if they work out.
 
A few more pics
 
a very similar looking yellow 7 in a pot

 
OW 3rd year yellow 7 putting out some new growth

 
Growing 3 different tomatoes from seed, looking great in some pots at my place



 
Now I did some work at the olds place in the vege garden. Made some rows and put 4 tomatoes at the back with a cayenne chilli. Also I have two other rows with 10 bamboo sticks waiting for some bigger chilli plants to go in I used sugar cane mulch just in case they don't get much water from my parents on occasions.



 
The patch is in a perfect location, it gets a little shade from tall trees at certain times, but still gets plenty of sun. While working on it for an hour the other day I got a bit sunburnt in 21 degree weather.
 
Cheers
Also the pics of the vege patch were taken with the iphone the other day, so not as good quality

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

Decided to set up a mini drip irrigation for the pots. First time I have built an irrigation system of any kind. Did it for just under $40.
 
25 meters of 13mm poly,
10 meters of drip line,
tap connecter,
hole punch,
controllable drips,
connectors for poly to drip line.
 
This is very simple I know, but I thought I would use it to save water, but most importantly reduce as much water hitting the leaves as possible (rain will still get them though). This will be particularly useful for the tomatoes I have, which I think got blight last year from wet lower leaves. I am thinking about doing the same for the plants in the ground at the folks place.
 

 

 

 
I am hoping we get some warmer weather soon to put many more chillies in the pots and in the ground.

Cheers
 
Mitch

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

Ok so decided to set up the drip irrigation for in the ground too. Roughly $30. Took 2 hours to cut, join, etc. The little drippers off the poly are tight and take some joining, 20 drippers in total.
 
The bed looks a little messy because I stepped through it, but the rain was getting heavy so I will clean it up soon.
 

 

 

 
cheers

 

[Sarge]

Awesome man, looks like its coming together nicely. I like how the jalapeno seedlings grow upwards and the super hots grow outwards, interesting little observations you see with the different varieties like Cartz suggested to me!
 
Whats that stuff you put on the surface of your potted plants? Looks good and it looks like it might trap the gnats out of the soil!

 

[MeatHead1313]

Nice looking plants! Hope you get a kind spring and summer. That's some nice looking cod too. Well done! 1 of the few fish still on my must catch list back home.

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

Awesome man, looks like its coming together nicely. I like how the jalapeno seedlings grow upwards and the super hots grow outwards, interesting little observations you see with the different varieties like Cartz suggested to me!
 
Whats that stuff you put on the surface of your potted plants? Looks good and it looks like it might trap the gnats out of the soil!

Thanks mate. Yes the different varieties tend to grow quite uniquely. Its great. I have noticed the cotyledons are different for many varieties.
 
Its called euci mulch, not really sure exactly what it is, the bag doesn't explain much. But it worked well last season.

 
 

Nice looking plants! Hope you get a kind spring and summer. That's some nice looking cod too. Well done! 1 of the few fish still on my must catch list back home.

 
Cheers! Me too, I hope the weather can warm up like it is in Sydney and Brisbane at the moment. The cod are great fun to chase, I usually just fish at night, its easiest to get them as they come out of their holes to eat.
I have plenty of spare scotch bonnets and orange habs, so I put 3 of each them in a long pot together to see if they can do anything in there.
 

 

[Sarge]

You really don't want these Sydney weathers. 35+c 70+km winds, its hammering my plants, I'm moving them in and out, they wilt and burn very easily in this sun and ontop of that, when they wilt and go soft, the wind will demolish them. Its really a bad combination at the moment. Today 36c, tomorrow 22c.
 
Damnit, all those bath tubs I threw out at the last council cleanup, I knew I would have had a use for them!

 

[Mitch_from_OZ]

You really don't want these Sydney weathers. 35+c 70+km winds, its hammering my plants, I'm moving them in and out, they wilt and burn very easily in this sun and ontop of that, when they wilt and go soft, the wind will demolish them. Its really a bad combination at the moment. Today 36c, tomorrow 22c.
 
Damnit, all those bath tubs I threw out at the last council cleanup, I knew I would have had a use for them!

Yeah its been too hot there I suppose. Something in excess of 20 and below 35 would be good for a while. I know the variable temps can throw everything out of wack. Hope for your sake you get some more constant reasonable temps by the time summer rolls around.
 
You could grow some huge plants in bath tubs! The tub I have there really isn't too big, but I grew a few decent habs in it last season, so brought it out again.