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

megamoo · Oct 18, 2012

Bulk rubbish collection time is awesome! It's like the end of wheel of fortune when you're looking through the gift shop and most of its crap, but now and then there is gold and its all free

I once found a large half filled bag of coco coir and some fluoro light fittings that were obviously part of a drug grow and the people had split. Not to mention getting power cords so you can repair your own stuff and make your own light arrays

. Had a leaky hose on the back of the washing machine, took less than 5 minutes of curb crawling before I got a good one to replace it. It's a good way to get old cupboards and stuff like that to convert into germination boxes.

OMG I'm getting excited just thinking about it. It's like skipping through candyland

We used to get tip passes in the mail but the council stopped doing that.

Mezo · Oct 18, 2012

When i left Perth i put my two year old dishwasher out for collection, offered it around & no takers.

I came out to dump some more stuff & theres a bloke prying the thing open to get the motor out, he grinned at me holding this motor "ill get a couple of bucks scrap for that" i said to him you would have got a lot more if you put the whole thing on ebay it 'was' a working machine, his face!? priceless.

Mezo.

nee · Oct 18, 2012

Hmmm, not so good...

Just spotted some weird looking leaves appearing on a couple of my Bhuts..

I'm sure i've seen this type of growth on one of the Aussie users plants..but i can't currently find the thread.

So can anyone advise me whats going on here, and the possible remedy? I have looked for signs of pests, but cant see anything..

DocNrock · Oct 18, 2012

I've seen growth like that on some of mine. Seems like if they're sprouting and growing rapidly that the new leaves look like that. I could be wrong, but I think they'll be OK.

JungleRain · Oct 19, 2012

I agree, Neil
looks like a burst of growth........................stop stressing, you'll end up killing them with kindness!!!!! :rolleyes:

Mezo · Oct 19, 2012

Haaa, i was just about to say that Grant, Nee what have we told you before,,,"Chill Winstarn"

Like Grant said its just the plant growing.

Mezo.

nee · Oct 19, 2012

lol....ok!!!

Thanks guys!

DocNrock · Oct 19, 2012

nee said:
lol....ok!!!

Thanks guys!

You're funny, Neil. After all, wasn't it you who had said that the plants are quite capable of sorting things out for themselves? I took your advice here and my plants have never looked better! Hahaha!

PaulG · Oct 20, 2012

Hey, Neil! Your grow is really starting to take shape, brother!
The container trolley is money. Now I want to build something
like that so I can move plants around on our deck w/o having
to carry each pot 1 by 1. Thanks for the great idea! You have
some very nice specimens of some great varieties going. I
enjoy watching the Aussie grows this time of year since we are
really in the wind down now. I can get my vicarious growing
thrills watching the fun down under!

Have a great weekend, my friend!

DocNrock · Oct 20, 2012

nee said:
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!?

I hope it's a local pickup. How much to ship that thing?

nee · Oct 21, 2012

PaulG said:
Hey, Neil! Your grow is really starting to take shape, brother!
The container trolley is money. Now I want to build something
like that so I can move plants around on our deck w/o having
to carry each pot 1 by 1. Thanks for the great idea! You have
some very nice specimens of some great varieties going. I
enjoy watching the Aussie grows this time of year since we are
really in the wind down now. I can get my vicarious growing
thrills watching the fun down under!

Have a great weekend, my friend!

Many thanks Paul! And good luck with your movable structure!! Make sure to post pics

DocNrock said:
I hope it's a local pickup. How much to ship that thing?

Haha!!! Yes...luckily they are just down the road Doc!! Imagine turning up to the Post Office with that......

Well, the winds have been horrid most of today. We went out today, and on returning i found 3 or 4 of the smaller pots with big-ish plants over on their sides :rolleyes:

I'm really glad i staked these, and luckily there's no damage. I have placed the pots inside larger pots for now, so that they don't fall over again...and in the next day or 2 i will pot them up into the biggest pots i have so that the weight of the soil will prevent them blowing over again.

A few pics from today...

Well....this was a bit of a disappointment....lol
This pod was my first Mag Hab to pop whilst the plant was still indoors under the lights (a while ago now) And basically it never got any bigger....and today i noticed it was ripening.
I'm really hoping the rest of the pods achieve a better size than this mere morsel of a pod!! lol

A few newbies hardening off ok outside now.

Now this is just bizarre! This is my other Fish Pepper plant....putting out it's first, and REALLY strange looking pod!!

DocNrock · Oct 21, 2012

Yeah, the postal guys would flip, for sure!

It must be really exciting seeing all those pods forming. The last one you posted of the fish pepper is cool! I'd be surprised if they all turn out like that. If they do, I want seeds! Hahaha! I wouldn't worry too much about the Mag Hab. The plants I have that have made pods were initially scarce and much smaller than expected. The ones that are forming now seem to be more like the expected size.

Like Paul said, I'm gonna love following your grow and the others from down under. More to learn and able to live vicariously until mine start podding up. Babies look nice and healthy. Glad the plants that got blown over didn't sustain any damage. That would suck! Continued good luck!

BTW, I've been meaning to ask but kept forgetting, your previous avatar showed a BMX'er jumping. You a BMX rider? I was many years ago.

stickman · Oct 21, 2012

Ni Nee
Most excellent that you're getting ripening pods! I wouldn't worry about small Habaneros initially... mine were the same way for the first couple of weeks, but when the overnight temps were in the range they liked they grew normally. That you're getting ripe pods this early in the season is fantastic! :dance:

PaulG · Oct 21, 2012

+1 Rick - Many of my pepper plants put out small initial pods. Sometimes
the chinenses first pods all seem to look the same - little nuggets like yours.
They are still tasty, though - I ate a lot of those in the early season!

That quadruple pod is amazing! I've seen doubles a few times, but that is
very cool. Will be great if all the 'lobes' actually become ripe pods. Sometimes,
on my doubles, one kind of takes over and the other either stays teeny, or shrivels up.

nee · Oct 22, 2012

PaulG said:
... little nuggets like yours.
They are still tasty, though

Well, i could last no longer and decided to pick the little hab pod!

We were having pasta bake, and i thought it might be a nice addition over it, although a small one!

Whilst chopping it up...the SMELL....YES! The last time i had this smell in our kitchen was back in February, after JR let me take a load of fresh pods to cut the seeds from. Oh, how i missed that great smell when you cut into a frsh pod, which has really got me thinking how much i am looking forward to others growing and ripening.
I LOVE my hot sauce...but there's just something about chopping a fresh pod and chucking it over your food...

Even though the pod was tiny, it still spiced my meal up no end!
Roll on summer....i can't wait :dance:

DocNrock said:
I've been meaning to ask but kept forgetting, your previous avatar showed a BMX'er jumping. You a BMX rider? I was many years ago.

Hi Doc!

Yes, i still ride now and then! (im 38) Although i have slowed down a lot since having the kids / responsibilities! I started riding back in 1986, but i was at my best around 1999 / 2000.

Here's a couple of vids of me riding..

http://youtu.be/WSnlez0r91o

nee · Oct 22, 2012

Gah!

I checked on my 5-6 week old newbies in the back porch this morning, and one of my bishops crowns was looking weird. It wasn't looking over or underwatered, but was sort of slumping over on an angle.
Then I spotted it....a bloody aphid

There was only 1 that I could see, but it was still enough to make the plant show signs of stress....

I had a quick look around on the more mature ones outside and found one or 2 more...so I'm off to get some of this Neem stuff today and hopefully nip this in the bud.
Fingers crossed.

Mezo · Oct 22, 2012

Make sure you look under the leafs Nee (thats where they hide) and thats a good place to spray, if you sit there long enough watching them you may notice ants climbing the same plant, the ants love the sweet sweet taste of aphid honey & they will be the buggers using your plant as there farmyard.

Did you apply the ant sand Nee?

Mezo.

nee · Oct 23, 2012

Mezo said:
Make sure you look under the leafs Nee (thats where they hide) and thats a good place to spray, if you sit there long enough watching them you may notice ants climbing the same plant, the ants love the sweet sweet taste of aphid honey & they will be the buggers using your plant as there farmyard.

Did you apply the ant sand Nee?

Mezo.

Hi Mezo..

Yep, whacked loads of sand around them all...

I think i've found the source...

I just got back from work armed with spray and stuff....had a quick look at the plants in the back porch, and there's a Capsicum plant that i bought from Bunnings that's littered with them. So it might be a coincidence??..or i brought aphids to our place thanks to Bunnings. Grrr!

I found an odd 1 or 2 on the plants outside, but i'm not exactly being 'overrun' with them as far as i can see.

Hopefully a good spraying will get shot of them

megamoo · Oct 23, 2012

I brought some potted herbs from bunnings and put them inside on the window sill and a week later all these tiny little catepillars had come out of nowhere and completely destroyed both herbs and had started getting onto a jalapeno I had there already. I will now grow from seed whenever possible.

edit: I checked when I bought them and the plants were completely clear before I brought them home and put them straight inside. From the amount of catepillars they must have come from a lot of eggs in the soil or on the leaves. Was more than a little cheesed off.

gasificada · Oct 23, 2012

nee said:
I just got back from work armed with spray and stuff....had a quick look at the plants in the back porch, and there's a Capsicum plant that i bought from Bunnings that's littered with them. So it might be a coincidence??..or i brought aphids to our place thanks to Bunnings. Grrr!

Yup, thank Bunnings for that one. Fungus gnats, caterpillars, aphids, various mites...... guaranteed at least one FREE pest with every plant you buy!