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Mitzi's 2019 - Grow, grow, grow your Bhut

Sorry about the title; it just came to mind.  Warning:  This glog will most likely be EXTREMELY BORING - read at your own risk.  2019 will be my third "proper" year growing chillies.  I'm still at the newbie stage of wanting to try every variety of several species and haven't yet managed to narrow it down to particular favourites.  Consequently most of my planned grow is made up of things that are new to me.  
 
Decided to go for more baccatums next year as they seem to do well in my climate; they take months to ripen but then I get a glut.  Gluts are very welcome in my house.  Will grow a few annuals as ornamentals outside the front door and also some I hope are reliable enough to get a crop from even if we have a bad summer.  I love the challenge of growing really hot peppers even though I don't have a greenhouse so that means some chinenses.  So it's quite a mixture.  Only one rocoto so, if it's successful, I should get true seed from it to re-stock the European Seed Train (EST).
 
List currently looks like this:

  1. Aleppo
  2. Basket of Fire
  3. Ethiopian Berbere*
  4. Gelbe Kirschen (Yellow Cherry)
  5. Hot Cherry (Cseresznye) Paprika
  6. Pritamin (sweet pepper)
  7. Rosemary Pepper
  8. Purple Tiger
  9. Thai Demon
  10. Urfa Biber
  11. Aji Berry Amarillo
  12. Aji Guyana
  13. Aji Guyana Rush F2
  14. Aji Lemon Drop
  15. Aji Mango
  16. Criolla Sella
  17. El Oro de Trinidad F2
  18. Ethiopian Peppertree
  19. Hot Orange
  20. Mini Bonnet
  21. Sugar Rush Cream*
  22. Sugar Rush Red
  23. 7 Pot Brainstrain Yellow
  24. 7 Pot BBG White
  25. BBG7
  26. Bhut Jolokia Peach
  27. Bhut Jolokia White
  28. Black Cayman
  29. Coyote Zan White*
  30. Fatalii Peach
  31. Fatalii Uber Yellow
  32. Genghis Khan Brains
  33. JPGS
  34. Moruga Scorpion
  35. Moruga Scorpion/Brainstrain(?) Red
  36. Moruga Scorpion/Brainstrain(?) Yellow
  37. Moruga Scorpion Caramel*
  38. SB Matthew Arthur red
  39. SB MOA WHP x
  40. SB TFM
  41. White Lightning (PDNxBMJ)
  42. Manzano Orange

 
* Not received yet
 
There are a couple more I got from the EST but, embarrassingly, I can't remember what they are.  
 
Attempting to overwinter:

  1. Bahamian Goat
  2. BOC x Primo yellow
  3. Brazilian Ghost (2 plants)
  4. Burkina Yellow
  5. Carolina Reaper
  6. Genghis Khan Brain
  7. Habanero Red
  8. Krishna Jolokia
  9. Nagabrain Chocolate (2 plants)
  10. Nebru 7
  11. PdN
  12. PdN x SB7J
  13. SB Cappuccino
  14. SB MoA

 
They are all aphid-infested and somewhat sick looking so I'm not sure any of them will make it.  I certainly need to deal with the aphids in the next few weeks before I start sowing seeds.  My other half (OH) has banned plants from the bedroom windowsill which is the best place in the house (south-facing.)  I've snuck three tiny ones on there but most of the rest are languishing in a north-facing window so are getting no sunlight whatsoever.
 
This year (2018) I had 38 pots outside plus three indoors, making 41 pots of 35 varieties, plus about a dozen more plants which never got potted up into proper pots.  Approximately 40 pots will be my limit again for next year but I would like to grow more than one plant of some varieties so ideally I need to whittle the list down to 30 varieties or fewer from the 56+ above.
 
How on earth does one choose?
 
Click to expand...
Annuums don't half germinate quickly! Lemon Spice Jalapeno were sprouting within 24 hours. Sometimes seeds do sprout incredibly quickly (too quickly) but then seem to die. In this case they have continued growing and look like they are going to be fine. I've never grown Jalapenos before; I gather Lemon Spice is particularly mild; I might try Jalapeno Early as well just to see the difference.
 
Today (3rd day from sowing) I also have Monkey Face, Purple Tiger and Ethiopian Berbere showing signs of life. Exciting stuff!
 
 
The even more exciting news is that I may, finally, have a bubblegum germinating from my latest sowing. Only one but hey, that's so much better than none. I've had failure after failure with those. Persistence pays off in the end. Hope I haven't jinxed it - it's very early days.
 
Yesterday I potted up the plants I received in a seedling swap:

Strawberry Drop
Pumpkin
Dorset Naga
Giant white hab
Basket of fire
Chupetinho
Cheiro Roxa

The cheiro roxa has green leaves. I had expected them to have a purple tinge. They had suffered in the post and some look sick. Fingers crossed.

Also potted up a BBG White and a PDNxBMJ from my own seedlings. Need to make pop bottle pots to pot up more because I've run out of space in the garland trays.

Pricked out one each of:

Numex Lemon Spice
Monkey Face
El Oro del Trinidad
BBG7 red
Ethiopian berbere
Peach Fatalii
 
You're keeping pretty busy, Mitzi!
 
Your grow is starting to take off with
the potting up and new seedlings.
 
The two liter pop bottles make great
planters - like to see how you set yours up.
 
I have mixed up some labels. I'm normally extremely careful with the labels so I'm really annoyed with myself.

In one tray of Jiffy pellets there are two labelled Guyana Rush. In another tray is one labelled Havana Gold and one labelled White Jolokia. The two seedlings in the second tray are both tall and lanky i.e. look like baccatums. In the first tray there is one lanky seedling and one short, squat one which looks more like a chinense. There are other chinenses in both trays.

It seems as if it could be a straight swap of the four plants between the two trays but maybe the whole lot are mixed up. How can I trust any of the labels in those two trays?

So frustrating!
 
I feel your pain, Mitzi. I have learned to double
label everything and use a seeding chart. Names
go on germinator trays, domes, cups, and anything
else that the seed/plant touches!
 
On the other hand, the mysteries are intriguing and
you will be observing the plants closely, and will
learn a lot about identifying peppers!   :D
 
Here's wishing you luck getting things sorted out.
We've all been there  :oops:
 
The swap seedlings have all perked right up and the Cheiro Roxa has "purpled up" nicely under the light.  The only exception is the Giant White Hab which arrived with very pale leaves and floppy and hasn't really improved.  I suspect it may have got too cold in the sorting office overnight (or Royal Mail van or plane.)  Ah well, it's got two chances, and it's not like I'm short of plants!
 
Over the last couple of days I have potted up into pop bottles:
  • Peach Jolokia
  • White Jolokia
  • CW Red
  • CW Yellow
  • MA SB
  • SB MoA WHP X
 
and pricked out into Jiffy 7s:
  • Cseresznye Paprika
  • Purple Tiger x2
  • Aji Mango
  • 7 Pot Burgundy
  • Peach Fatalii
 
The Mango is a helmet head so I'm just hoping it can free itself.
 
I still have another eight to pot up into bottles or porridge pots and lots more still to prick out.  It's getting ridiculous; I've got far, far too many plants this year.  Next year I have to pare the grow right down.
 
I always say that.  I never do.
 
"I always say that.  I never do."
 
That's the spirit! 
 
You are doing well, Mitzi, any pics
of your bottle technique?
 
Just for you, Paul...
 
The second one from the left (tallest one) is the plant labelled White Jolokia but it is clearly a baccatum judging by the growth habit.  So it could be a Havana Gold or a Guyana Rush.  I don't know which.
 

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Thanks, Mitzi.That's what I kind of thought you'd be doing.
 
When I taught Science, we used to make 'decomposition
columns' with a set-up similar. Kids would put compost,
leaf litter, creepy crawlies, seeds, and whatever organic
material they wanted (no meat/cheese, please). Then,
watch them for a couple of months while the little
ecosysystem functions.  Very cool, fun project.
 
Today potted up into pop bottles:

PdN x BMJ
Guyana Rush x 2 (may be wrongly labelled)
Havana Gold (possibly also wrongly labelled)

A couple of plants in the first pop bottle batch already have roots showing at the sides which is quite impressive as they have been in there less than a week.

Potted up into porridge pots spare plants of:

CW Red
CW Yellow
SB WHP MOA X
Peach Jolokia

The plants potted up today have much paler leaves than the ones done previously. Although I have been feeding them diluted Chilli Focus, its clearly not enough.

That brings the number of plants to 10 in pop bottles and 14 in porridge pots. I have the same number (24) still in Jiffy 7s and more needing pricking out. Im going to run out of space for them sooner rather than later so I have to decide which to give away and actually do it.

Found a couple of moths today. Hope I got them before they were able to mate and lay eggs. I thought aphids were bad but these caterpillars are something else. I am desperate to avoid them getting on the seedlings.
 
All the seedlings in pop bottles and porridge pots are currently sitting in the bath having had a good spray with SB Invigorator. Think I will need to do it a few times to get on top of the aphids.
 
Hey, you have been busy over there, Mitzi!
 
Were you able to quell the moth invasion okay?
Sounds like it's time to up the nutrients a bit.
 
Have fun finishing up the transplanting stage!
 
No, there are still moths. Obviously I squish them every time I see them but sometimes they get away, so I fear that there will be another generation of caterpillars.
 
Havana Gold seedling is forking - my first one of the season. Or maybe its a Guyana Rush -its one of the plants involved in the big label mix up.
 
Mitzi said:
No, there are still moths. Obviously I squish them every time I see them but sometimes they get away, so I fear that there will be another generation of caterpillars.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Mitzi!
 
Use BT powder, a product name here is Dipel dust. It's a naturally occurring (organic) bacteria. Instantly locks up a caterpillar's gut, then they starve to death. Gotta love what Ma Nature gave us for free ;)
 
Also, if you don't mind (and I'm weak in this) is some pics. We just gotta see em:)
Good luck this season!
 
 
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