Nee's first pepper season. (Australia) Pics, vids & banter.. yey! \\(^o^)//

nee · Oct 8, 2012

Trippa said:
You are getting plenty of pods happening there bro!!! Especially for the colder climes of Melbourne this early. Some nice varieties as well.

Thanks Trippa

It deffo paid to start indoors, although next year i'm probably going to leave it a bit later than March!! I'm thinking June / July is ample.

The weather here is really up & down at the moment. I didn't realise, but last night got down to about 4 or 5 degrees. The plants seem fine with it though, so no drama's thankfully.
The rest of the week isn't much better, but i'm sure they'll be ok.

I had a browse around Bunnings earlier and found a plastic dome thing for protecting smaller plants, so i bought a couple as i have put a couple of smaller plants out in the ground and i figured it would be handy to stop them getting so battered by the winds we seem to be getting lately. At $6 a go, i won't be buying as many as i'd like to......so I'm trying to find some cheap thin plastic stuff to make 'cylinders' to go around my smaller in-ground plants, but Bunnings want $32 for a 1m x 1m sheet...which is way over what i want to be paying! If anyone can suggest something that might do the job for a fraction of the cost, it would be appreciated!

megamoo · Oct 8, 2012

I've just cut the bottom off a 2 litre plastic drink bottle. You can leave the lid on or off based on how cold it gets. If you get one with a handle you can also use it as a scoop.

nee · Oct 8, 2012

megamoo said:
I've just cut the bottom off a 2 litre plastic drink bottle. You can leave the lid on or off based on how cold it gets. If you get one with a handle you can also use it as a scoop.

Thanks Moo...

Yeah, i'm using that method for the teeny ones, but it's for the 'next size up'....where they are getting too wide for a 2L drink bottle, but too small to successfully stake.

megamoo · Oct 8, 2012

I use kebab skewers to stake really small plants if they need it. Silicon is an additive that will strengthen the plants stems but the best thing is to condition them with a fan inside before they go out so the sudden wind isn't so much of a shock.

You could always cut the bottom out of some plastic pots or an old bucket and put it around the plant. Last season all my raised beds were really exposed so I put up a fence/screen of shade cloth around them. Worked perfectly and didn't have to be taken down during the day. Also kept out small children

stickman · Oct 8, 2012

megamoo said:
I use kebab skewers to stake really small plants if they need it. Silicon is an additive that will strengthen the plants stems but the best thing is to condition them with a fan inside before they go out so the sudden wind isn't so much of a shock.

You could always cut the bottom out of some plastic pots or an old bucket and put it around the plant. Last season all my raised beds were really exposed so I put up a fence/screen of shade cloth around them. Worked perfectly and didn't have to be taken down during the day. Also kept out small children

All good tips. I used the fan trick in my grow tent last winter and it really worked. Another use I found for the bamboo skewers was to stymie cutworms. Don't know if you have them down under, but they're a real pain here.

nee · Oct 10, 2012

stickman said:
All good tips. I used the fan trick in my grow tent last winter and it really worked. Another use I found for the bamboo skewers was to stymie cutworms. Don't know if you have them down under, but they're a real pain here.

Hmmm, that's not a creature I'm familiar with Stick, but then again I've not been in Australia that long, so it could be!
Anyone native Aussie care to comment on that one?
And yes, I can now see how a fan can help in this situation... Still learning every day here, and will take on board for 2013!
I love this forum.

gasificada · Oct 11, 2012

Silica has made my plants tough as nails! I've really noticed a difference since I started feeding it to my plants. Not one of this seasons starts has required a stake so far.

TheFanMan · Oct 11, 2012

gasificada said:
Silica has made my plants tough as nails! I've really noticed a difference since I started feeding it to my plants. Not one of this seasons starts has required a stake so far.

what product do you use to give them silica?

gasificada · Oct 11, 2012

TheFanMan said:
what product do you use to give them silica?

I foliar feed with this: http://batphone.com.au/products/liquid-fertilisers/silica-potash-1-litre.html (Potassium silicate)

And feed the soil with this: http://batphone.com.au/products/micro-mineral-liquid-fertilisers/micro-sil-1ltre.html (micronised diatomaceous earth)

Plus I use these two products which both contain silica:

http://batphone.com.au/products/triple-boost-liquid-fertilisers/triple-boost-1-litre.html (what I use to feed my babies)

http://batphone.com.au/products/dry-mineral-fertilisers/organic-link-10kg.html (added to my potting mixes)

Plant of Health is a local company and I can pick up their products direct from their warehouse.

nee · Oct 16, 2012

Hi all!

Well, it's up & down weather-wise here at the moment. One day it'll be 27 degrees, and the next day back to 15 degrees and raining, with night temps down to 5!!! It's kind of normal in VIC i guess, but i just want it to make up it's mind to make it easier for me and the plants...lol

Pretty much everything that i consider big / strong enough to survive outside ARE outside now....plus i have a heap of new seedlings going in the back porch, as well as a few still yet to germ.
I managed to track down some Olho de Peixe seeds for my cuz (el hombre chilli) and decided to order a few for myself too, but have yet to get any going yet.

The plants i transfered to the front garden seem to be surviving ok....but they dont seem to be thriving either. The fact they haven't died is something i guess!? I will hold off planting any more there until i'm happy that they're better in the soil than in pots.

Here's a few pics from today.....it was terrible weather, really wet and horrible, and as soon as i decided to pull the camera out the wind picked up out of nowhere and began battering the poor things. I'm so glad i staked these now!!

OK, some pics from today...

Fatalli starting to put out loads of pods...

Bhut Jolokia Assam

7 pot Red x Yellow

Mag Hab

Goronong

Macedonian still putting out pods

Pimenta De Neyde still not up to much on the left......Macedonian on the right

A meagre few ripe ones from this evening....Macedonian x 2 and a Fish Pepper.

Oh, and can someone set me straight on a couple of pronunciations of these varieties please!? I feel a total idiot asking....lol

Pimenta De Neyde....is Neyde said as "neighed" or "need"...or something else!?

Bhut....is it said as "But"....or more like "boot"? :eh:

Thanks!!!

Cheers all

DocNrock · Oct 16, 2012

Looking great, Neil. Love the early poddage. I'm definitely partial to that Goronong. Great little twisted pods it's making.

Sownseeds · Oct 16, 2012

Hi Nee just watched your vid , you have some great looking plants , looks like your way ahead of most of us guys in Oz,those plants that you have in the front that are getting the winds ,have you got some old shade cloth that you can make a mini fence with , i made a small shade cloth fence about 2 ft high last season for my veggie garden and it stoped most of the wind.
Best of luck for the rest of the season.

stickman · Oct 16, 2012

Sownseeds said:
Hi Nee just watched your vid , you have some great looking plants , looks like your way ahead of most of us guys in Oz,those plants that you have in the front that are getting the winds ,have you got some old shade cloth that you can make a mini fence with , i made a small shade cloth fence about 2 ft high last season for my veggie garden and it stopped most of the wind.

I'll +1 that!

nee · Oct 17, 2012

Sownseeds said:
i made a small shade cloth fence about 2 ft high last season for my veggie garden and it stoped most of the wind.

Brilliant! Didn't think of that... Sometimes it's the simple things eh!?

Well, i have had a productive few hours here today. On the other side of our house there's a small area that we never know what to do with. We mow it...the grass grows back....we leave it...then we mow it again...then leave it...etc....and it became a bit of a dumping ground for things we'd hope would just disappear...lol
I cut the grass yet again yesterday, and then thought it might actually be a good spot to whack a load of pots (bit too much work to get the soil to a good enough state)
So after battling the overgrown grass, removing a heap of ivy (hopefully killed at the main trunk now) and moving a huge tractor tyre that we'd shoved down there to get it out the way, i then got some weed matting and "hey presto"....some more space for growing lots of lovely pepper plants! I'm hoping it will prove to be a good space to grow, as it's quite sheltered from the wind. I'm going to see what the sun ratio is there and might pop some shade cloth over it from the roof to the fence, but i'm hoping that it won't need it.
Oh, and apologies for the state of the garden...lol I look at everyone elses lovely kept garden areas, and here's ours with bits of carpet / a tractor tyre and general 'bogun-ness'....lol But it's work in progress still!! (that's my excuse anyway!!)

Mezo · Oct 17, 2012

You mean a "Trackure Tyre" Nee surely? (and don't call me Shirley)

Mezo.

DocNrock · Oct 17, 2012

Yay! More free space! Actually reminds me of an area on the side of my house, as well. However, unlike yours, mine is covered with a concrete slab. But because of a giant tree that is in the front yard, the area gets exactly zero sun all day.

If you can't dump that tractor tire, maybe make it into a small raised bed!

Mezo · Oct 17, 2012

DocNrock said:
If you can't dump that tractor tire, maybe make it into a small raised bed!

You don`t have to dump anything in OZ, just put it out on collection day & the local council will "dump it" for you free of change.

Mezo.

megamoo · Oct 17, 2012

We all have piles of crap in our yards. Some people are really good at aiming the camera and cropping it out.

gasificada · Oct 18, 2012

Mezo said:
You don`t have to dump anything in OZ, just put it out on collection day & the local council will "dump it" for you free of change.

Mezo.

If the pile scavengers don't get to it first. :lol:

I was moving around the time of last collection day and here me and mate are unloading the ute when a pile scavenger drives past, eyeballs my assumed "score" and gives us the nod and wave like we're one of them! I'm like, quick, let's get my shit inside before someone comes in the yard and makes off with it! :rofl:

nee · Oct 18, 2012

It's a pain here, as we don't get any roadside collection here in Lara

Back in the UK we could dump pretty much anything and everything for free...hence we were shocked that over here we have to pay nearly $40 for a trailer load :surprised:

And $25 to dump a mattress!!? No wonder i see so many dumped at the roadside...that's a crazy amount! Plus we always dread all the packaging at Christmas, as it takes the next 6 weeks to get rid of the cardboard, trying to cram it in the recycling bin whilst still allowing a bit of room for the bottles and cans and day to day stuff...grrrr!!

AAAANYWAY....., whinging about rubbish-collection aside, i whacked the trakkter toire on Ebay last night for $2 and it's sold....so that's got rid of that finally!! We didn't think anyone would want it to be honest! We're really pleased that somebody does want it though, as if it's $25 to dump a mattress then i dread to think how much a tractor tyre would be!?