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?

 

[PaulG]

I really didn't like post #78. 
Moths suck.

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.

 
Good advice from Scott.  BT is great because no environ-
mental damage or harm to beneficial organisms like worms.
 
Maybe a moth trap might help?

 

[Mitzi]

 
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!
 

 
Do you mean a moth photo?  We might have different ones in the UK from yours in the US.  I don't have any photos of the adult moths because I concentrate on catching them as soon as I see them.  Haven't seen any for a couple of days now.
 
Not sure if this will post ok but this is one of the caterpillars.  They are very small; this one at approx 1.5 cm long was about as big as they get.
 

 
They tend to create a nice cosy den for themselves by either sticking two leaves together or by rolling the edge of a leaf and hiding in the roll.  So I'm not sure if spraying would work as they are protected by the leaves.  I'm just trying to identify affected leaves and hand-picking the caterpillars.
 
Does BT harm ladybird larvae?

 

[Mitzi]

The way I'm planning to deal with them is keep picking them off by hand for the next 2-3 months until the plants can go outside.  After that, I will allow nature to take its course.  Also trying to keep overwinters and seedlings in separate rooms so hopefully the seedlings won't get affected (but moths can fly so I can't guarantee it.)  At the moment there's no sign of caterpillars on the seedlings, just lots of aphids.  (The SB invigorator hasn't done the trick as yet but will give it another few doses.)
 
I will keep a few plants (which are free of caterpillars) in the house all summer, with the rest going outside.  In autumn, no outdoor plants will be brought in for overwintering.  So basically anything which goes outside is doomed to death by frost in autumn.  This includes my beloved SB MoA and Bahamian Goat plants, which are now in their third year.  Caterpillars have spread to them from the Carolina Reaper and Burkina Yellow plants that I brought in and put on the same windowsill.  I will be very sad to lose those two plants, but I don't want to have this plague of caterpillars year after year.  Must make sure to isolate some flowers so I can collect true seeds from them.  At least they are reasonably common varieties that I should be able to buy seeds of, if for any reason I can't save my own.
 

 

[PaulG]

Handling those caterpillars like a veteran, Mitzi!
Sorry about your plant babies, but yearly infesta-
tions are no good.
 
I wonder if releasing a few parasitic wasps
in your grow space might take care of them.
They don't hurt people, and you might get a
good look at a gruesome 'being-eaten-alive-from-inside'
nature show. 

 

[Mitzi]

The plants are in my bedrooms.  I can just about get away with ladybirds (although my other half did get fed up of finding the adults in our bed on numerous occasions) because they are cute but I think parasitic wasps (even though they are tiny) would be crossing the line.
 
If the caterpillar infestation gets worse then I guess all options will be back on the table.

 

[PaulG]

Wow. Sleeping with the Beetles.
Sounds like a great scary movie.  
 
I guess parasitic wasps might be a
little unnerving in one's bedroom! 
 
Good luck with the manual eradication
strategy!

 

[Mitzi]

This is my final grow list (although I may add one more annuum as previously discussed):
 
Overwinters

• Krishna Jolokia

• Bahamian Goat

• Brazilian Ghost

• Cappuccino SB*

• Carolina Reaper

• Genghis Khan Brain

• Habanero

• Nagabrain Chocolate

• Nebru 7

• PDN x SB7J Orange

• Pimenta da Neyde

• SB MoA

* This may be dead
 
 
From seedling swap

• Basket of Fire

• Aji Strawberry Drop

• Cheiro Roxa

• Chupetinho

• Dorset Naga

• Habanero Giant White

• Pumpkin (chinense)

 
 
From seed

• Cseresznye Paprika

• Ethiopian Berbere

• Monkey Face

• Numex Lemon Spice Jalapeno

• Purple Tiger

• Aji Berry Amarillo

• Aji Guyana

• El Oro Del Trinidad

• Guyana Rush F2

• Havana Gold

• Sugar Rush Cream

• 7 Pot Burgundy

• BBG7 Red

• BBG7 White

• Bhut Jolokia Peach

• Bhut Jolokia White (hopefully I have one depending on label mix ups)

• BOC

• Chilliwilly Red*

• Chilliwilly Yellow*

• Fatalii Peach

• Matthew Arthur SB

• Moruga Scorpion Caramel

• SB MoA WHP X

• White Lightning F6

• Rocoto Canario Yellow

 
* Possibly Moruga Scorpions
 
44 varieties in total.  Multiple plants of some of them.  Quite a few failed to germinate which is obviously disappointing but I think I have more than enough to be going on with.  Where on earth am I going to put them all?

 

[PaulG]

That last question is the bane of pepper
growers. Mitzi! 
 
Sorry to hear the SB Cappucino is sickly - folk
seem to think highly of that variety, although
I've never grown it.
 
Forty-four varieties is darn respectable, my dear!
Hope you have a successful season on top of
your great start. When is your plant-out date?
Probably similar to ours here in PNW.

 

[Mitzi]

Mid to late May hopefully but there could be the odd late frost until June.

 

[Mitzi]

Ok so these are the plants with the mixed up labels. From left to right, as labelled:

1. Guyana Rush
2. Guyana Rush
3. Havana Gold
4. Bhut Jolokia White

 
I'm assuming the second one is the Bhut but I can't tell the other three apart although 1 and 3 have forked and 4 hasn't yet.  I really hope that I have two Guyana Rush and not two Havana Gold.
 
(I did turn on the flash for this photo but it hasn't done much good.)

 

[karoo]

Great list , seedlings , OW's and from seed , seems like you have it all covered.
 
Except the grow space!

 

[PaulG]

Mid to late May hopefully but there could be the odd late frost until June.

'bout the same as ours, Mitzi.
Seems like a long time away!
 
Good luck getting those plant
id's figured out.  Great practice
for identifying peppers!

 

[Mitzi]

Ladybird larvae arrived yesterday and have been spread out amongst the seedlings.  They are so tiny I could hardly see them even against the white paper they come in.  This morning, after they had a night on the plants, I could only spot a couple (out of the hundred I'm supposed to have received.)  Lots of aphids but now I daren't squish them for fear of squishing the good guys as well.  I just have to trust them to do their job.

 

[Mitzi]

This morning I pricked out what is probably my last batch of seedlings into Jiffy 7s. They have spent weeks (since germinating) on tissue in plastic takeaway boxes so they might not adjust to life in the outside world. I damaged some of the roots even though I tried to tear the tissue and leave a bit of it on the roots. Oh well, fingers crossed. they are all spares except the BOC anyway so as long as that one makes it, I will be happy.

 

[PaulG]

I hope the seedlings make the transition for you.

How long were the roots? If they were in tissue for
weeks, they should have had pretty healthy cotyledons.

Good luck with the ladybugs! Be sure to put some
half-grapes out for them.

 

[Mitzi]

Good luck with the ladybugs! Be sure to put some
half-grapes out for them.

 
You must have missed my post about grapes:
 

Yesterday I bought some grapes.  Cut one into quarters and put three of the pieces into the tub with the ladybirds.  This morning two out of the five ladybirds looked to be dead.  Definitely all alive last night.  Grapes not good.

 
It probably depends on the species of ladybird.  Mine definitely don't like grapes.
 
Still have a lot of aphids but some plants now seem to be getting clearer so I'm leaving the ladybirds to it.  They've done the job for me before so this new batch should do it again.

 

[Mitzi]

All the seedlings I pricked out on Friday are still alive.  Some look healthy (Purple Tiger particularly) but some look sick (Lemon Spice and Monkey Face.)  BOC (the one I'm most concerned about) is somewhere in between.
 
Fingers crossed for them.  
 
Edit 12/3/19*:
The Lemon Spice has keeled over and I don't think it's going to make it.  I think I have a couple of seeds left; maybe I'll sow one or two directly in Jiffy 7s as I know they have a high and rapid germination rate.  I honestly think a new start will catch up and probably overtake the sick one.  It's not too late yet, is it?
 
* European date style
 

 

[Mitzi]

I haven't got round to sowing more Lemon Spice but the existing one seems to be trying to make the effort to stand upright, so maybe I won't need to.  That's good.
 
Ladybird larvae making headway - some plants look almost cleared although others are still heavily infested.  They (the larvae) have grown noticeably; they are quite easy to spot now.

 

[Mitzi]

Yesterday I finally shifted the remaining overwinters from the grow room windowsill to the back bedroom.  It took ages to clean all the sticky aphid residue from the window and windowsill but now I can put my 2019 plants on there to get a bit of sunlight.  Unfortunately they don't all fit so I still need to put some in our bedroom.  
 
Rearranged the grow area under the lights.  Not sure if it's an improvement or not.  Lots of the 2019 plants look a bit leggy.  They've been under the Secret Jardin lights but probably they've not been close enough to them.  Oh well, not a lot I can do about it now.
 
The three tall baccatums (which may or may not be two Guyana Rush and one Havana Gold) forked a couple of weeks ago but haven't yet produced any flower buds.  It looks as though the prize for the first flower will go to Basket of Fire (a plant I received in the seedling swap.)  It has already produced lots of side shoots (I think it's bushy by nature) and is now starting to produce flower buds at the top.  I guess I'll pinch out the first few because it's still a small plant.  BBG White is also producing buds.  I think I mentioned previously that it needs potting on.  Keeping chilli plants in small pots certainly does seem to push them to flower and fruit early.
 
I have started to give weak feed (Chilli Focus) to the plants in porridge pots and pop bottles even though they haven't been in six weeks, yet.  Last year I reckoned my plants could have done with more feeding than I gave them.  
 
Some of the seedlings in Jiffy 7s desperately need potting up but I'm not sure if I will have time this week.  Must make time!  But I have two birthday cards to make and send plus packing to do for our forthcoming trip to Montenegro.  If I can get the cards done tonight then I have two evenings for a bit of potting up.

 

[Mitzi]

Bought an Apache seedling at the garden centre today, which completes my grow list for the year. I wanted something relatively bomb-proof. Hopefully it will produce early and prolifically while Im waiting for the more interesting varieties to do something.

Speaking of early, first flower of the year is open - on the Basket of Fire which I got in a seedling swap. I know I should pinch it off but, well, I dont think I can bring myself to do it.

Yesterday and today the adult ladybirds are emerging from their pupae and there are quite a few black ones. Last time they were all red which I can pretend are not beetles but something cuter. The black ones make me realise that basically I just have a house full of little beetles.