NeedsWork 2018 - Year Four

Happy New Year THP!
Thanks for stopping by for another year!  I hope everyone has a great season.  I'll try to be more social and do less lurking. 
The following were started last night just after midnight in Jiffy Peat Pellets: 
 
JPGS (OP 2017)
Biker Billy Jalapeno (Peppers By Mail)
Reaper (Peppers By Mail)
Nebru (OP 2017)
Yellow Bhut 
Paper Lantern Hab (Juanitos)
West Indies Red CARDI (Juanitos)
Aji Dulce (Pepper-Guru)
Aji Panamanian (Pepper-Guru)
Chile Aji (Pepper-Guru)
Bahamian Goat (Tail Pheno, OP 2017)
7 Pot Primo (Peppers By Mail) 
BTR (Peppers By Mail)
Madballz Rusty 7 Pot (OP 2017)
Fatalii White (Peppers By Mail)
Fatalii Yellow (Peppers By Mail)
Dragon Cayenne (OP 2017)
"Hot" Cayenne (OP 2017)
Long Red Cayenne (OP 2017)
Padron (Eden Bros) 
Pasilla Bajio (Eden Bros) 
De Arbol (Eden Bros)  
White Hab (OP 2017)
Chocolate Bhutlah (Peppers By Mail)
Chocolate Reaper (PBM strain) (Peppers By Mail)
Chocolate Moruga (Peppers By Mail)
SB7J (Juanitos)
Growdown Throwdown 2018 Yellow Brainstrain (Pepper-Guru)
 
Setup:
 
1000W HID  (Hood/bulb went POOF, unusable)
T8 florescent provisional setup 
4 x 8 grow tent
Heat mats
Fans
Temp controllers
Timers
 
Vaguely scientific content I want to share this year:
 
Soil comparison between two big labels and a homemade mix
Cheap-ish LED light panel review
Grow pot, grow bag vs in the ground
 
Past Glogs:
 
2015 Year 1: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/53268-first-glog-2015/
2016 Year 2: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/58631-needswork-2016-year-two/page-1
2017 Year 3: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/63311-needswork-2017-year-three/
 
Edit 1:  Added seed sources 

 

[Wiriwiri]

A man of his word. ..you did it...congrats...Happy New Year & may all the seeds germinate & become great producers.
 

 

[t0mato]

Aji dulce...very nice. The sb7j is a great pepper as well.

Good luck this year.

 

[coloradoSun]

Looks like an awesome grow, excited to see where this one goes!

 

[D3monic]

hit me with that addy and i'll send you some my crosses to add to that list as well. 

 

[NeedsWork]

A man of his word. ..you did it...congrats...Happy New Year & may all the seeds germinate & become great producers.
 

 
Thanks!  Happy New Year!!
 

Aji dulce...very nice. The sb7j is a great pepper as well.

Good luck this year.

 
Thanks!   This is my first year growing Aji's so I'm curious! 
 

Looks like an awesome grow, excited to see where this one goes!

 
Thanks!!  And welcome to THP! 
 

hit me with that addy and i'll send you some my crosses to add to that list as well. 

 
I'm so excited :happydance:

 

[NeedsWork]

Here are some photos of the overwinters from the tent to end the long weekend.
 
This Bhut is going on its 4th season.  It isn't too happy with its current pot.  It will get a bigger pot and fresh soil soon.  I had a ripe pod from it for lunch. 
 

 

 
 
Infinity Monster that I pruned back:
 

 
 
Cayenne didn't even notice that I dug it up:
 

 
 
I have a bunch of baby habs and bhuts about this size:
 

 
Chocolate Moruga is ready to flower:
 

 
Succulents and a neglected lantana:
 

 

 

 
 

 

[NeedsWork]

The first long term LED test panel has arrived.  I wanted one around $100 that had decent reviews on Amazon Prime.  With 4.4 out of 5 stars after 600+ reviews, the "King Plus" worked for me.  I don't expect much.  It is certainly not 1200W.   Let's see if this little guy surprises me.  I might order some backup case fans in case one goes at some point.  The four point hanging system is pretty janky but that seems to be the norm at this price point.    
 
I'll probably pick up 1 or 2 other flavors to replace my 1000W HID that went poof.      
 
I don't have a PAR meter, but what other kinds of things would you like to know/see.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NeedsWork]

No hooks so far but...
 
A surprise from D3monic arrived today. 
 
D3vils Prick F3 #3
El Scoponero F3 red pheno #2
Aji Painapple F2 
El Scorponero F3 orange pheno
D3 Goat F4 giant pheno red
D3 Goat F3 wicked yellow
D3 Goat F4 pale yellow
 
Seriously geeked to grow one of each this year.  Thank you!  I ordered an extra light.  oops 

 

[NeedsWork]

First germ of the year is a padron OP from 2017 after 4.5 days. (photo taken at lunch)
 

 
 

 

[D3monic]

The over winters look great! Especially that infinity monster

 

[NeedsWork]

The over winters look great! Especially that infinity monster

 
Thanks!  I hope to maybe get a pre-season pod or two.  
 
 
 
Viparspectra 600W was delivered.  It has much more blue than the other one and seems to be better made.   Both are ~200W actual.
 

 

 

 

 

 

[NeedsWork]

Germination update so far this season:
 
Paper Lantern Hab
Chile Aji
Bahamian Goat (Tail Pheno) x 2 pellets
Fatali White
Yellow Brainstrain x 8 pellets 
Pasillo Bajio
Padron
White Hab
SB7J
 

 

 

[D3monic]

I really like paper lantern. Really good producers. The Devils Prick is a cross of paper lantern and butch T scorpion. Good flavor and heat still down around the lanterns level if not milder. 

 

[NeedsWork]

I really like paper lantern. Really good producers. The Devils Prick is a cross of paper lantern and butch T scorpion. Good flavor and heat still down around the lanterns level if not milder. 

 
That sounds really tasty.  The laterns made so many pods last year I couldn't eat them all.  They were mild enough that I got my friends hooked.  Can't wait to try Devils Prick!
 
 
My yearly order came from Greenhouse Megastore.  Wooo
 
I kicked off my soil comparison experiment with six grow down Yellow Brain Strains.  This year it will be (L to R) my own mix (NeedsWork Dirt) vs Roots Organics Greenfields vs my go-to FoxFarm Ocean Forest. 
 

 

 

 

 

[D3monic]

When I grew canna in soil I really liked the roots organics line. Ocean forest is a really good medium. I'm trying happy frog and ocean forest again this year for the pots. 

 

[NeedsWork]

When I grew canna in soil I really liked the roots organics line. Ocean forest is a really good medium. I'm trying happy frog and ocean forest again this year for the pots. 

 
 
I've had good luck with Ocean Forest... very interested to see how Roots Organics does.  Their Green Fields is their direct competitor for Ocean Forest.  At least according to the really helpful guy at the grow shop.
 
I started two seeds each of the D3monic series.  
 
D3vils Prick F3 #3
El Scoponero F3 red pheno #2
Aji Painapple F2 
El Scorponero F3 orange pheno
D3 Goat F4 giant pheno red
D3 Goat F3 wicked yellow
D3 Goat F4 pale yellow
 
And potted up a bunch of babies.
 

 

 

[NeedsWork]

I picked up a Kill A Watt to add some numbers to this comparison.  Have a surprise coming tomorrow.   
 
Light 1
 
King Plus 1200W (Amazon link)
 
Claims to consume 235W
Measured 228W
 
Claimed spectrum: 410nm, 430~440nm, 450~475nm, 620~630nm, 650~670nm, White, IR(730nm) 
 
Initial thoughts:
Hanging at ~42inches, seems to cover 3' x 3' pretty well with small plants.
Very pink light / heavy in the reds.
OW peppers seem to like it.  Most have started to flower and some have pods.
No metal heat sinks, just two fans.
The plants seem happier than under the 1000W MH/HPS combo bulb.
Heat output is minimal.
 

 
 
Light 2
 
Viparspectra 600W (Amazon link)
 
Claims to consume 269W
Measured 252W total, 124W veg, 124W flower
 
Claimed spectrum: 7500K, 3000K, 440nm, 445nm,460nm, 475nm, 580nm, 595nm, 615nm, 630nm, 660nm, 730nm (IR)
 
Initial thoughts:
Sturdy light with two fans and aluminum heat sinks.  
Separate veg/bloom switches may be useful to some.  I leave both on.
Baby plants seem to like it at ~42 inches (3'x3' area.
Veg seems much stronger than bloom but it could be my eyes.
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

[Trident chilli]

Good to read your Over-Winter's are doing well under your new light regime... nice set up wishing you a fruitful season

 

[Masher]

Holy moly you went all techno on this one...congrats on the new lights. 
 
I have been looking at them for a few yrs now....still hooked on hids.
 
Looking great in there