Mooglog 2013/2014

megamoo · Dec 8, 2013

stickman said:
Wow Moo! Speaking of hitting your stride! Everything looks great... even the mite-damaged plant now that you've rescued it. What was the puree you used as a sauce base?

The start has been good but there is a lot of the season to go.

It was a complicated recipe of chillies and vinegar.

I chose red, superhot chillies from my freezer full of last seasons to get a strong colour. So they were mostly 7Pot Jonah, Bhut Jolokia, Bih Jolokia and Dorset Naga. Would have been a few Moruga Reds and Primos. Maybe some red habs snuck in there, its hard to tell what they are when frozen and then defrosted.

Blended it all up and If I remember correctly got about 5 litres, then simmered and reduced it to 4 litres. Made some serious fumes!
Put the vinegar in so I could bottle it and use it as a base when needed to make sauce.

Penny · Dec 8, 2013

All of your plants look great, and hot sauce too!! :dance:

PeriPeri · Dec 8, 2013

Awesome progress there Moo... its all coming on nicely!

Devv · Dec 9, 2013

Glad I found this glog, you have some good stuff going on here!

Wishing you continued success.

PaulG · Dec 9, 2013

Hey, Moo, long time since I last visited your neighborhood. Your
new season looks great - the yard modifications are awesome, as
do your pepper plants and pods. I'd have to say you are firing on
all cylinders, my friend!

megamoo · Dec 16, 2013

Penny said:
All of your plants look great, and hot sauce too!!

Thanks Penny

PeriPeri said:
Awesome progress there Moo... its all coming on nicely!

So far so good .. :cheers:

Devv said:
Glad I found this glog, you have some good stuff going on here!

Wishing you continued success.

Thanks for stopping by.

PaulG said:
Hey, Moo, long time since I last visited your neighborhood. Your
new season looks great - the yard modifications are awesome, as
do your pepper plants and pods. I'd have to say you are firing on
all cylinders, my friend!

Just had a week of heat and sun so things are definitely firing.

Second round of seedlings are ready to be potted up so took some pics.
Had the fan on constantly this afternoon because of the heat and its dried them out so some look a bit droopy. Gave them an extra flooding you can see in it in the tray.

Some aren't doing as well.

This is my only pubescens

I'm hoping to get these into their pots and outside tomorrow.

Penny · Dec 16, 2013

Those plants look amazing!! :dance:

stickman · Dec 16, 2013

Round two looks pretty good Moo! Predictably, the Ajis and Pubes had the most trouble with the heat, but I'd say you're doing fantastic.

Sarge · Dec 16, 2013

Those seedlings are looking amazing moo. Man your work is brilliant. Is that regular water or do you still give them weak chilli focus in every watering. Does that still get the daily watering like your old system?

PaulG · Dec 16, 2013

A little shade and the aji and pubescens will snap right to attention I bet!

maximumcapsicum · Dec 16, 2013

megamoo said:
Thanks Penny

So far so good ..

Thanks for stopping by.

Just had a week of heat and sun so things are definitely firing.

Second round of seedlings are ready to be potted up so took some pics.
Had the fan on constantly this afternoon because of the heat and its dried them out so some look a bit droopy. Gave them an extra flooding you can see in it in the tray.

Some aren't doing as well.

This is my only pubescens

I'm hoping to get these into their pots and outside tomorrow.

Amazing colors on the leaves, even if a few are taking their time. Good luck!

Rainman · Dec 17, 2013

megamoo said:
Second round of seedlings are ready to be potted up so took some pics.
Had the fan on constantly this afternoon because of the heat and its dried them out so some look a bit droopy. Gave them an extra flooding you can see in it in the tray.

They look amazing Moo. Your entire garden area must resemble a chili pepper forest come March/April with so many plants!

ivplay · Dec 17, 2013

I am very envious of your outdoor space! Looks good!

megamoo · Dec 17, 2013

Penny said:
Those plants look amazing!!

Thanks Penny

stickman said:
Round two looks pretty good Moo! Predictably, the Ajis and Pubes had the most trouble with the heat, but I'd say you're doing fantastic.

Thanks Stickman. My first time growing pubes and I've heard they are hard to get going but I've had a good harvest of Aji Lemons before when everything else was failing. The Aji Pineapple looks identical to them so I'm really hoping they do well.

Sarge said:
Those seedlings are looking amazing moo. Man your work is brilliant. Is that regular water or do you still give them weak chilli focus in every watering. Does that still get the daily watering like your old system?

Thanks Sarge. Just potted them up and shut the hydro down for the season. It was regular tap water, with the bubbler going 24/7. To that I add weak chilli focus when they are first put in and then move it up to "normal" dosage when they get bigger. I also added some Fulvic acid with the chinenses but ran out and didn't bother for the second lot. That's all except for some pH down. Same watering schedule just 4 minutes every morning.

PaulG said:
A little shade and the aji and pubescens will snap right to attention I bet!

I've read a lot about how pubes need cooler temps and shade. Going to have to work hard to achieve that in our summer.

maximumcapsicum said:
Amazing colors on the leaves, even if a few are taking their time. Good luck!

Thanks. Some photoshop processing might have something to do with the nice shade of green

Rainman said:
They look amazing Moo. Your entire garden area must resemble a chili pepper forest come March/April with so many plants!

I hope they become a forest!

ivplay said:
I am very envious of your outdoor space! Looks good!

Thanks ivplay.
I am planning to clean up all the crap laying around and cut the grass/weeds too. It's definitely good to have the space, it would be even better to have the time to tend it!

We've just had a mini heatwave week of 35 - 39 temps and lots of sun. The plants have grown but the pods are really showing results.
Moved some stuff around and now that the weather has cooled down I've potted up the hydro seedlings and put them out to harden off.

Took lots of photos

Diagonal hedge is starting to close ranks. It's really doing well considering the recent heat.

East-west hedge is doing better with the shade. There are also more Habanero varieties in this section which grow faster than the nagas and 7 pots.

New seedlings are out for hardening off. The weather forecast for the week ahead is 30C (86F) or below. Very opportune timing because xmas day is traditionally about 40c (104F) here and that is death for plants also dealing with transplant shock.

Thinning out was cruel. Most varieties got 2 potted up despite having upto 8 viable seedlings. Some only had one and a couple were just too small or weak and had to be trashed. The reason is I just don't have the space to plant them all out.
Already have an excess of chinense problem

Moved the overwinters under the shade house for the heat but now they are back out and looking good.

Bahamian Bird Pepper is starting to pod up.

The chinense pots are now in full sun on a table. I've mentioned before the problem with small pots getting direct sun and right now this set up is exposed to harsh afternoon sun. I'm thinking of putting up some sort of screen to shade the pots and table from the afternoon sun.

bump for more..

stickman · Dec 17, 2013

;You got da bump brother... looking very nice

maximumcapsicum · Dec 17, 2013

Nice little growing spaces. About how far are you spacing your plants in the brick beds? Trying to figure out how many plants I can get away with in a 12' by 8'... mostly chinenses so I think I have some wiggle room.

PaulG · Dec 17, 2013

Moo! Your grow is outstanding at this stage, my friend! Everything
looks very robust - that shade cloth looks like it is doing the trick for
you. Every time I see your yard and garden, I am impressed with
how it all fits into the landscaping. Love the raised beds, very aesthetic
in the overall design! OWs turned out really nice, too.

Shurbryn · Dec 17, 2013

I only hope to have a garden like yours some day Moo hehe

Looking fantastic mate!

Trippa · Dec 17, 2013

looking great moo ... trucking along and learning from last year in the same space ... on you grow ... merry Christmas bro!!

megamoo · Dec 17, 2013

stickman said:
;You got da bump brother... looking very nice

Thanks. was too tired went to bed

maximumcapsicum said:
Nice little growing spaces. About how far are you spacing your plants in the brick beds? Trying to figure out how many plants I can get away with in a 12' by 8'... mostly chinenses so I think I have some wiggle room.

They are about 50 cms apart minimum. I spaced them this way as a guess after cramming them together real tight last year. They can definitely grow closer but it gets harder to get in there and get the pods. If there is an infection like mites it can easily spread along all the plants like a highway. Also if they start shading each other I think it makes them stretch up for the light.

They aren't growing as tall as last year because they had a lot of sheep manure mixed in compared to none this year. They were very leafy because of all the nitrogen, and now they are podding up while still short.

PaulG said:
Moo! Your grow is outstanding at this stage, my friend! Everything
looks very robust - that shade cloth looks like it is doing the trick for
you. Every time I see your yard and garden, I am impressed with
how it all fits into the landscaping. Love the raised beds, very aesthetic
in the overall design! OWs turned out really nice, too.

Thanks Paul. It looks damn good when its green and blooming. I admit I spend too much time just looking at it

Shurbryn said:
I only hope to have a garden like yours some day Moo hehe

Looking fantastic mate!

I don't take photos of the real ugly bits

The whole thing needs a lot of work to get it up to scratch.

Trippa said:
looking great moo ... trucking along and learning from last year in the same space ... on you grow ... merry Christmas bro!!

Thanks Merry Christmas to you too Trippa.

Ok more photos. Poddage

Primos not looking entirely Primo-ish but I'm positive and still holding out for those little hook tails.

In first place for awesomeness is this gigantic Primo pod. I'm not holding it up in the photo, my hand is just holding back leaves and for scale. All the pods on this plant are facing up and I suspect I might have mixed up seeds with a Trinidad Scorpion Sunrise, which is currently putting out hanging buds. Or its a mutation. Either way its one stunning berry! :eek:

Yellow 7 Pot plant has been lagging behind a bit. She's on the end of the bed so cops some early sun and probably missed out on all the good soil. Started to go yellow so gave her some liquid ferts and looks much better. Starting to pod now.

Moruga Red looking real good. Pods were smooth skinned and wrong last season but this is much better.

Red Savina. Maybe a tinge of colour creeping in there?

Nagabon got his stingers out.

Dorset Naga cluster of pods definitely starting to turn. First plant to pod up and its in a prime position on the corner so it gets a lot of sun.

Black Naga pod has turned from black to green. There are a few more black pods on the plant too.

Butch T in a pot is showing some nice form. Have struggled to get a proper shaped Butch T for two seasons so this is encouraging.

got more need a bump