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

Hi all! Although i've been into hot sauces / chillies for a long time, a Google regarding "growing chillies in Australia" led me to this site......and onto amazing people here in Australia, who have inspired me to grow my own!
There's not a lot to report as of yet, but here's my story so far! Please feel free to give advice to a newbie, as i really want this human vs chilli relationship to work out!

The story so far....

Pre-soaking my chilli seeds. I have 14 or more varieties to sow: From top left to bottom right....

Habanero Chocolate
Scotch Bonnet TFM
Bhut Jolokia
Macedonian
Pimenta da Neyde
Magnum Habanero
7 Pod Jonah

Habanero White Giant
Hot Fish
Cili Goronong
7 Pod Red crossed Yellow
Manzano
Fatalii
Habanero White JellyBean

Cutting the seeds from a Yellow 7 Pod....this time with GLOVES!! lol I have a load of extra seeds saved...just in case the winter grow doesn't work out, and i need to replant in the spring.

Week 1....seeds are in a propagator, kept at a constant 25 degree's thanks to the cable modem it's sat on! I don't expect any change for 4 weeks or so....fingers crossed!

 

[nee]

sensitive plant? whats that then Nee, your not allowed to shout at them or they will cry?

It's one of these Mezo...
I find them fascinating!...but i guess i'm easily amused!

 

[gnslngr]

Way to turn things around man, we'll be coming to you for advice next!My Pd Neydes just never got their legs on...just kept withering away-no matter what.Great pics-keep it up!

 

[nee]

Many thanks gnslngr..

I somehow have managed to keep it rolling here!

OK, quick Q.....if anyone can answer, it would be great!!

I have found that my over-winter-placed-in-windowsill plants have a habit of bending 90 degree's to maximise the light....

I have been coming home from work and then turning them 180 degree's, so that the next day they turn around to face into the light again.
Bhut, in doing this i have noticed that one of my plants seems to have developed a bit of a brewers droop, and is getting a bit floppy. Am i better keeping them facing the same way and training them by attaching some sort of vertical stick affair??...Or should i leave them as they are without turning them..as once the top of the plants have turned 90 degree's i guess that's all they'll ever do? Or am i better off turning the plants each day as i have been doing?

 

[Mezo]

Sensitive plant eh, never seen that before, my plats turn towards the light as well. Its basically doing it because the sun is so far north now, i turn mine occasionally Nee (not every day).

One thing i have noticed though is how many extra side shoots the plants are throwing out (good thing) the plant is trying to maximize any amount of light possible & so its throwing side shoots galore.

Mezo.

 

[Trippa]

My guess is they are getting weakened stems through a combination of a lack of light and lack of air movement where they are. Causing droopy tips. Get a small fan onto them maybe??

 

[nee]

Thanks for that Trippa...
The tips seem fine, it's mainly at the base of the plant, the stem seems quite thin.
Will see how it goes, as a fan isn't practical where the plants are at the moment

 

[nee]

Well, that was kinda disappointing!!

One of my flowers on my Hot Fish had shrivelled up and turned brown a few days ago. I searched a few topics on here, and it's meant to be a sign that a pod should start behind where the flower is.
So today i get home from work and find that all that's happened is that the flower has dropped of, and the stalk with it. Grrrrrr.....

Here's hoping that some of the other flowers offer me something a bit more exciting eh!?

 

[Mezo]

I wouldn't worry so much about flower & pods Nee, even if they do produce any pods they will be very small anyhow.
The main goal is just getting a nice selection of healthy plants going ready for spring time.

Mezo.

 

[TheFanMan]

even if they do grow flowers they probably wont turn into pods until the weather warms up. they will most likely just keep dropping off till spring.

 

[nee]

I wouldn't worry so much about flower & pods Nee, even if they do produce any pods they will be very small anyhow.
The main goal is just getting a nice selection of healthy plants going ready for spring time.

Mezo.

I'm hearing you Mezo...but this is like, my FIRST PEPPER from me trying to grow something FROM SEED FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER....lol...so i was a little bit excited to say the least!
The fact that i've gotten this far is a real achievement!!

Saying that, i looked in on all of the plantage earlier and it seems i do have another pod on the way from the Hot Fish! I will post some pics at the weekend, but this thing has HEAPS of flowers forming for its meager size!
Plus today being the shortest day gives me real hope for the future of my plants.....spring is getting ever nearer now!
Also, i have had about 8 of my plants in the kitchen window 24/7 for the last 10 days or so, and they seem to be doing fine & dandy there, which is ace as i wasn't sure how they'd react to a colder spot with less light.
I'm rotating the plants every 4 or 5 days, so that the ones that look a tad leggy get a stint under the flouro's to calm them down a bit!! Seems to be working thus far....

even if they do grow flowers they probably wont turn into pods until the weather warms up. they will most likely just keep dropping off till spring.

The Hot Fish is my 'comeback plant'...sort of saved from the ashes...so it gets special treatment under the flouro's, where it seems to stay above 25 for most of the time

 

[Mezo]

Do your hand pollinating again Nee (cotton bud job) after you said you did it i tried it on my tomatoes last week & now i have fruit.

Mezo.

 

[Trippa]

Thanks for that Trippa...
The tips seem fine, it's mainly at the base of the plant, the stem seems quite thin.
Will see how it goes, as a fan isn't practical where the plants are at the moment

Is it thinner then the rest of the stem?? Its not rotting from to much water and cold at the soil line is it?? Could be worth checking if it is throw it out as you won't likely save it from that position.

 

[nee]

Is it thinner then the rest of the stem?? Its not rotting from to much water and cold at the soil line is it?? Could be worth checking if it is throw it out as you won't likely save it from that position.

Thanks for the advise Trippa....i popped it under the lights again for a few days and it seems to have sorted itself out a bit. I think i jumped the gun a bit, as it was a bit floppy after leaning over on an angle to catch the rays!

OK, some pics from this evening as promised....

I had to move a load into the kitchen window as i was running out of room under my grow lights! They've been there for about 10 days, and are still looking great to me, despite the lack of sunshine lately...​

From L - R.... Hot Fish, 7 Pot Red cross Yellow, Magnum Habanero, Macedonian, 7 Pot Red cross Yellow, Scotch Bonnet TFM, Fatalii, Fatalii, 7 Pot Red cross Yellow.​

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Really chuffed i got one of my Pimenta's going..and seems to be doing fine ​

These are still under the grow lights currently, and i still have a load of seeds in Jiffy's in the box above the lights, waiting to germinate.
Plants from L - R.... Hot Fish, Bhut Jolokia, Magnum Habanero, Bhut Jolokia, Pimenta De Neyde, Cili Goronong, 7 Pot Red crossed Yellow, Fatalii Red, Manzano Red, Manzano Yellow, Bhut Jolokia Assam.​

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You beauty! First pod on my Hot Fish! OK, it's only an ikkle one, but still feel a sense of achievement...lol​

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And it still amazes me that this now flourishing plant looked like this only 39 days ago!!​

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Can't wait to plant the Hot Fish out in the Spring....i can't believe just how many flower buds are appearing on this thing...it's really going for it!​

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Thanks for dropping by More soon!​

 

[nee]

OK, not a huge update really...

The temps are really starting to dip at night here now. Last night was 4 degrees, and tonight is meant to be 2 degrees So i've been pulling the windowsill plants into the middle of the room on the table overnight, as the windows are pretty thin and draughty....and then returning them to the windowsill in the morning.



The photo below is a bit decieving, as these plants are actually still pretty good looking! Whenever i use the flash in a plant pic they always seem to appear ill!
A little droopiness in the leaves, but that's down to under-watering slightly...although i am always careful not to let them go too far.

A nice surprise yesterday to see a Dorset Naga had popped out to say 'hi'!

Another plant has decided to start flowering, this time of of my Mag Habs

The pod on the Hot Fish is growing too...

It's starting to get real busy in my limited grow-light area!!

Serious overcrowding going on here!!

This weekend, i am planning to move my lights / whole winter grow into my 'man cave'...
I have resisted before, as unfortunately i'm still one of the few cigarette smokers in the world....and my man cave was the only area i could smoke freely besides outside in the freezing cold and rain, and i wasn't going to let my plants breathe my smoke...
BUT i have decided that 8 weeks or so of not smoking in the man-cave is a small price to pay if it means that ALL of my plants are all going to get some decent light from the flouro's, as currently i'm having to let some sit in the windowsill due to lack of space, and swapping them round every few days...but in the process they are getting leggy.
I'm probably going to increase the area of lighting too by adding another 2 flouro's....i only need the light fitting as i already have the tubes here.
Also i can then add a fan to the set-up.......having one indoors was going to be too noisy where it was located.

Will post pics of the new area on the weekend

Still going well though....doing much better than i thought i would at this!

 

[Trippa]

You should use the 8 weeks to go cold turkey... you'll be smoke free and have chilli plants . Cold turkey was the only option that worked for me and I didn't even do it for my Chilli's

 

[Mezo]

Beer, Bhut Burger, another beer followed by a cigarette, its all natural Nee.

Is your mancave your garage?

Mezo.

 

[nee]

Hi mezo!
Actually, my man cave is half my garage! It's not a huge garage by most standards, and we still needed room for all of the boxes we brought over from the uk 5 years ago that remain unopened...lol
So I built a room within a room! Will post pics of it later, as it came up pretty good for a weekends work!

 

[Mezo]

If they have not been opened in five years you don't need whats inside, bin it.

Mezo.

 

[nee]

If they have not been opened in five years you don't need whats inside, bin it.

Mezo.

Yep, i have said that SO many times Mezo!!!

Plus, i think the boxes left in the garage are boxes that we brought down from the loft (roof space!) from our house in the UK when it was time to emigrate here....!!


OK, the man-cave grow is no longer on the cards.....
Basically my wife convinced me that although it seemed a good idea, the first weekend with lots of vodka and i'd probably be smoking in the room with the plants and kill them all!!! (she deffo has a point!!) lol
So she has given the go ahead for a larger grow space, this time along the wall in the dining room.
I stared construction tonight, and it's looking big enough to house all of my current plants, and MORE (which is always a bonus!!)
I bought another flouro light fitting too, so the new lights will consist of 2 x 6500k, 1 x 4200k & 1 x 5000k....
I know this is pointless without pics, but i will post some at the weekend

Happy growing guys

 

[stickman]

Hooey! Katy bar the door! You're going for it ain't you. Good thing you have an understanding wife. Does she eat chiles too?