My grow log is stupid

Been growing peppers off and on -depending where I live for maybe like thirteen years. Did a bit of vocational horticulture school, but I screwed off more than anything so I really don't remember a lot of it. Right now I'm growing in closets and my garage under lights, in containers and in the ground outside, and getting ready to start up my various hydro systems.

I'm kind of an undisciplined grower. Kind of lazy sometimes. If I was more on it, I'm sure my production would be better. I spend a lot of $ and time amending soil, messing around with fertilizers and such but am easily sidetracked and I don't always do things the right way. Sometimes my gardening sessions rapidly deteriorate into drinking beer outside and killing the squirrels that like to mess around with my plants.

Anyway, I like checking these out and know others do and appreciate any future input on the bs I will later post. I think this sums up my garden-

This is a orange hab I planted last year. It was one of those "extra" plants you don't have room for. So I stuck it in the crappy unamended dirt outside my backdoor right next to a massive spanish dagger plant. Threw a bit of mulch around it, but no fertilizer. It ended up producing all winter and just picked some a couple days ago when I pruned it.

 

[imaguitargod]

The beer...er...plants look great.

 

[boutros]

Have some plants out font that only getlight until about noon. But they'redoin ok. A mini sweet nine, orang hab,and white hab.

And some various C.pubescens down low. Small and just beginning to do something.

Another different white hab. Figures- one of my least fav and poddin the best so far-

Lastis some grow bags. Pictured are a small Red Sav and a choco hab. Have some grow bags just getting under way, some w/Happy Frog, some w/ coir.

 

[boutros]

The beer...er...plants look great.

Thanks. Sadly, I'm out and need to make a run SOON.

 

[Bob_B]

Beautiful plants..

I especially like that Rocoto!

 

[boutros]

Beautiful plants..

I especially like that Rocoto!

Thanks BobB. I remember you're on your way to some. I got to check in yr earthtainer pinot's again soon. Got to try one of those containers sometime. It seems I never get good enough bell production.

 

[LGHT]

Yup, it works. Well, it works to keep moose out of my garden, I'm guessing it'll work for other critters too. It's been an old homesteader's trick up here for ages.

What about horse hair? I have a few lbs of that laying around. I use it on my ceramic pieces from time to time. If not I'll put in a word with my barber. I just hope he doesn't think i'm some kinda freak for asking him to save the hair.....

 

[LGHT]

Great plants I love how you have several different ways setup to grow. I wish I had the time and space to setup outside hydro, but i'm barely keeping up with the small batch of plants I have now. Plus weather has been gloomy for the last 2 weeks with a shower early this morning. It should be down in your area right about NOW. 11:37am.

Good news is most of the sprouts I planted last month are big and strong and will be going to the back patio which frees up some space under the inside grow lights to experiment. Now I have to decide if I want to start more seeds (white & choc hab) or just setup a Hydro and try and focus on getting a couple of plants big and busy.

 

[PepperLover]

nice plants

 

[boutros]

Great plants I love how you have several different ways setup to grow. I wish I had the time and space to setup outside hydro, but i'm barely keeping up with the small batch of plants I have now. Plus weather has been gloomy for the last 2 weeks with a shower early this morning. It should be down in your area right about NOW. 11:37am.

Good news is most of the sprouts I planted last month are big and strong and will be going to the back patio which frees up some space under the inside grow lights to experiment. Now I have to decide if I want to start more seeds (white & choc hab) or just setup a Hydro and try and focus on getting a couple of plants big and busy.

Thanks- it's fun trying different methods, I hope it pays off in the long run. I wish that rain would come down, it ain't here yet though. On the start more seeds thang- yes. I planted a fatalii here at the end of last September and it still overwintered. Doesn't always go like that, but it's always worth a shot.

nice plants

Thanks. I'm actually on the verge of having a decent container season for the first time in many years.

 

[boutros]

What about horse hair? I have a few lbs of that laying around. I use it on my ceramic pieces from time to time. If not I'll put in a word with my barber. I just hope he doesn't think i'm some kinda freak for asking him to save the hair.....

I'm good on the hair, thanks. Actually used some of mine in an area of the garden. Haven't seen the squirrels around lately. Kinda weird. Have a live trap now with a lot of tantalizing critter vittles in it but no takers yet. I've seen skunks and coons around, but they seem pretty chill so far. They help out on grub patrol.

 

[boutros]

Oh, one more thing- here's something that could really be stupid-

I have this elevated table for containers and some earwigs had been crawlin up to eat the new growth on my pep's etc.

Now living under the container flanges, in the hollow undersides of the lip, are all these spiders and their egg sacs-

Brown widows! Sweet! An army of poisonous spiders protecting my plants from earwigs. I can see their carcasses everywhere. I'll just have to be on my toes come harvest time, lol.

 

[LGHT]

Wow nice fat looking friend you have their. That's a great idea. I used to raise black widows when I was young. I would find them under or logs, sheds, etc and keep them in small fish tanks with nets. I had a few females that where fat and eventually laid eggs. It was weird because I started off with a bunch then half, and only ended up with 2-4 big ones. I realized that they would eat each other and only the biggest ones would survive. The next time I seperated the small ones and sold them to kids at school for $10-$15 bucks once they gotta a little big. It was all good until one kid got bit and told his mom where he got it from. 1 day suspension, but I got to keep the money!!

 

[scoville]

Nice looking plants there.I'm not to fond of that Black Widow...I've got the brown ones here.Few years back I kept getting wicked boils on my ***.Found a few of them and old egg sacs under my Adirondak!We do have the Brown Recluse around also which due to first hand knowlege is a much worse bite.I'm a bit concerned because I havn't sprayed the last 2 years because of the peppers.You know when one of those egg-sacs opens a hundred Widows squirt out a little parachute and float away on the wind.
I'll take the earwigs!

 

[boutros]

Hey right on Lght. Wish I could sell some of mine for some $.

And yeah Scoville, I know container widows probably aren't for everybody, lol. Those earwigs have hit me hard in some areas of the garden though. Nice visual on the hundreds flyin out of the eggsac too btw.

 

[patrick]

I would love to be trying all the different ways of growing peppers! I'm jealous big time.

Great pic of the brown widow too, dig that red hourglass. They are a great first line of defense against the ear wigs for sure. Very green of you. The brown widows aren't aggressive, just keep your eyes open and pay attention to what you're doing and you'll be fine.

Good luck.

 

[boutros]

Hey thanks Patrick. I'll take all the non chemical help I can get. I also have tons of lizards that I see snatch bugs crawling aroundon the ground quite a bit.

Only use neem and/or pyretherin when I have to. The aphids have been almost non existant this season. I've never seen so many earwigs as I have this year.

 

[allenstu]

I am guessing that the white hab you have is the giant white hab correct? I have the peruvian white habenero's and they are small and look completely different.

Have some plants out font that only getlight until about noon. But they'redoin ok. A mini sweet nine, orang hab,and white hab.

And some various C.pubescens down low. Small and just beginning to do something.

Another different white hab. Figures- one of my least fav and poddin the best so far-

Lastis some grow bags. Pictured are a small Red Sav and a choco hab. Have some grow bags just getting under way, some w/Happy Frog, some w/ coir.

 

[boutros]

Allenstu- the first/top pic (far right) is actually a white bullet. I shoulda listed it as such. The third just came out of a random "white hab" bag of seeds I had. None of those seeds remain, but I'll be saving from the plant for sure.

 

[Silver_Surfer]

Great variety of plants you have boutros and I like the different grow techniques you're using.

I used to have problems in my garden with deer, coons and rabbits. There are plenty of squirrels around, but they stay fat on acorns and mulberries.

Recycled beer does work, but you need to keep up the application. I save a gallon each day and walk about 10 yards outside the entire perimeter of the garden every evening drizzling it as I go. You won't find one single critter track inside the garden, but you need to apply it fresh daily. Recycled beer around here is no problem.

Fireants here are another story.

 

[boutros]

That's cool. I've been applying it the same way lately. From the source isn't as effective coverage wise. And it's kinda awkward doing it that way and seeing the neighbors across the canyon.

Btw-what do fire ants doin the garden? Do they leaf cut, kill benefical insects eggs? Or just bite ya?

I gotta head down to the lower yard for some other pics. The stuff in the ground doesn't look that great right now. I'll probably just give it a few weeks.