Newbie here. I wanted to grow a few hot chili plants this year. Maybe five or six. I used seeds from some habs from the grocery store and I bought some seeds including some super hots. Didn’t think I had a chance of growing much so I planted like sixty seeds. I figured out of sixty maybe six will survive since I’m such a novice. After a week of no sprouts, I planted twenty more… Because of all the great info on this site, I now have about sixty five healthy little plants. I didn’t plan on spending much money but now I’ve made a grow box, bought a HO T2, a bunch of CFLs and bought a small greenhouse. From the size of some of the plants I’ve seen on this site, I’m realizing now I need a bigger grow box, more lights and probably another greenhouse. I can’t get myself to cull any of the plants or even give them away as I’ve grown quite attached to these little fellers. I’ve also spent on average about two hours a day building, watering, potting etc. I feel I’m all of a sudden way over my head. Has this happened to any of you? Any ideas of what I should do with all of these plants and potential pods? I’ve never even tasted a super hot. I have no doubt I will be successful growing these to their full potential with all the info available here.
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Newbie way over his head
- Thread starter Capspindle
- Start date
I promise you something VERY similar has happened to us all. Trust me, each and every year, you are most likely going to ask yourself "why did I plant THIS many plants?!" I plant that many because a few will inadvertantly die.
But hell, if you have the room, grow them puppies. If not, well, dont know what to tell ya! lol
But hell, if you have the room, grow them puppies. If not, well, dont know what to tell ya! lol
Yeah, my first year growing and I've got about 40 plants. 10 are in the ground and they aren't much work, but 30 in pots because I grew about 30 different types. I'm not doing it again, I just wanted to try as many different types as I could to find the ones I like best, that I can grow the best. But no room for error as i only have one of each type.
Way too many chillies to look after in pots for my though.
If you have a lot of the same though, you could spread the heat and give some away. Or use the huge crop to experiment making your own sauces.
Way too many chillies to look after in pots for my though.
If you have a lot of the same though, you could spread the heat and give some away. Or use the huge crop to experiment making your own sauces.
Yep, this definitely has happened to most of us here. I need to cull about 200 seedlings in the next month, I am considering just letting my wife do it since she has zero emotional attachment to the plants. If left up to me they will occupy every corner of my land.
Truth. The good news is that with gardening even though the initial investment can be high, it gets a lot cheaper after that since you can reuse potting mix to an extent, save seeds, reuse pots and , make your own compost, use less electricity since you have a greenhouse, buy less produce from the grocery store, etc.
I definitely get attached to mine as well, I hate giving away plants, and I hate culling even more, so I always hang on to too many for too long. Right now I have probably twice as many as I'm going to keep but I'm just not ready to start giving them away yet. :o
You are not alone! Lol. This is my first year growing from seed and I have a good chunk of cash into it. Also I decided to start bout 150 seeds and keep replanting to replace any losses. The good news is that major initial investment (tent, lights, structure, flats, etc is reusable and the only thing I really need to buy in the next few years are soil and whatever seeds I don't have.
Welcome to the addiction.
Welcome to the addiction.
Same problem here...
I started with the intention of about 10-15 plants. I am now around 200 and allot more varities than I had orignally intended.
Like MGOLD said after the intial investment the first year the cost will be dramatically reduced for the following years.
Unless your like me and already planning on how to add more room for the grow area
I started with the intention of about 10-15 plants. I am now around 200 and allot more varities than I had orignally intended.
Like MGOLD said after the intial investment the first year the cost will be dramatically reduced for the following years.
Unless your like me and already planning on how to add more room for the grow area
SadisticPeppers
eXtreme Business
Like you, I applied a carpet bombing strategy to planting of seeds this, my first, year, and what do you know, I had so many, I eventually had little choice but to pick the best 30 of the bunch, and let the rest go. I've got a 72-cell tray of Moruga's growing now, and in the span of 72 hours, went from having no sporuts, to 6. I guarantee you by the end of the week, I'll have even more sprouts, and by the end of the month, I'll have these bad boys in pots.
One thing you may wanna do is keep doing so on purpose, and sell the excess plants. Keep several for yourself of course, but give some to family and/or coworkers you like (or despise if you wanna see them suffer as they eat one of these peppers down the road), but also sell the rest and maybe make a little bit on the side.
One thing you may wanna do is keep doing so on purpose, and sell the excess plants. Keep several for yourself of course, but give some to family and/or coworkers you like (or despise if you wanna see them suffer as they eat one of these peppers down the road), but also sell the rest and maybe make a little bit on the side.
Look yourself over very carefully especially any place that itches perhaps you can find the bite because make no mistake you've been bitten by by the chilli bug! Your life is not in danger but from this day forward you will spend way to much time and money on peppers their seeds and the stuff to make them happy, you will clear out entire rooms of your house just to raise them, hang out with folks like us, dream of creating your own cross that everyone has to have and learn way more about soil, nutes, pot sizes, mites, and grow lights than you ever knew existed. Ain't no ointment gonna cure this itch brother so you may as well pony up and do whatever you need to help them live long and prosper.
^^^ So true! They are taking over my garage!!
I did the same thing. This is my first year and I planted 105! Today I transferred everything to solo cups and euthanized about 25 plants.... That hurt.. But I'm left with 20 white habs, 9 chocolate habs, 9 Bolivian rainbow, 9 jalapeño, and 2 7pod hahahaha. But at least I know I can manage them now!
Yeah, I had about a 120 plants...I gave 6 or so away, but then I planted 6 more. I have at least 10 varieties of seeds I didn't plant that call my name every time I open the fridge. plant me...PLANT ME...PLANT ME!!!PLANT ME!!! PLANT ME!!! Wait, am I the only one hearing voices??? Be right back, and so will I...
I do that with everything destined for the garden. I always anticipate massive failures in sprouting or transplanting. Currently, I have enough plants to fill twice my garden, and then some. And that's not counting seeds I haven't started because they get direct sowed soon, but not yet. Maybe I'll skip trying to grow corn this year except in a spot away from the garden where it can distract deer before they get to the garden.
Venison goes very well with peppers...