Ok, I wasn't going to do a glog this year. So many projects going on with the house, but part of that is a new garden plot. So, I guess this is the best way to document progress. I'm running a drip irrigation this year to free up my time for other things. Last year I discovered Aerogardening. I started plants late last year I the Aerogarden. They ended up producing and being just as big as my Feb. starts. Sold on hydro! This year I acquired another AG from a thrift shop for $5. I hacked it with a bigger pump and planning on a led hack as well. Next year I'm running a bigger scale hydro setup with my DIY Cob Led build. Anyways I'm on my 3rd batch of AG starts. I'm growing lots of GoatsWeed, Carolina Cayenne, Thai, Chi-Chien, Sadabahar, Chiltepin, Cayenne Long, Aji Pinapple, Genghis Khan Brain, Jay's Red, Srtsl x Bbg and there might be a couple of ones I forgot. Enough talk, here's some pics. More pics when it stops raining. 43 days from seed Aero Babies.
OCD 2016
- Thread starter OCD Chilehead
- Start date
OCD Chilehead said:
Yeah, you're really getting whipsawed by your local growing conditions... cold springs followed by hot, arid summers. The hoophouse will help a lot with the cold springs part, but water retention is the key to your summer growing. It sounds like you've got it covered for next year with biochar, shade cloth and driplines in the hoophouse... maybe a couple of "Nurse Trees" in the front yard to shade the raised beds there would help them out too. Hardwoods though... Pine straw from evergreens would acidify the soil too much unless you buffered with lime and their dense foliage would block too much sun. Partial shade is the ticket! It's a bummer you were never able to contact the County Extension Agent for your area. That's the kind of advice they could help you with. I wonder if their budget got cut, and that's why they were never around.
I'm glad you're finding companion planting schemes that work for you. Have you ever seen a book about it called "Carrots Love Tomatoes"?
Thanks for the offer of letting me piggyback onto your seed order from Jukka. I'll have a look at what he's got and get back to you so we can set up the terms, eh? No greivin' with Steven...
Yeah I wish I would have been able to contact the the extension. I need to get in contact with someone. I want to try and get a job in the outdoors, doing what I love. I recently inquired about employment with the city. It was a parks job. They want a master gardener certificate. The local extension are the ones that offer a coarse. I want to get it next year and pursue a different career. Oil and gas is done. Construction is hit and miss. Your usually unemployed for 5months of Winter. There is a bunch of of certified organic farms around here. They only $10-12hr unless you have something to bring to the table.stickman said:Yeah, you're really getting whipsawed by your local growing conditions... cold springs followed by hot, arid summers. The hoophouse will help a lot with the cold springs part, but water retention is the key to your summer growing. It sounds like you've got it covered for next year with biochar, shade cloth and driplines in the hoophouse... maybe a couple of "Nurse Trees" in the front yard to shade the raised beds there would help them out too. Hardwoods though... Pine straw from evergreens would acidify the soil too much unless you buffered with lime and their dense foliage would block too much sun. Partial shade is the ticket! It's a bummer you were never able to contact the County Extension Agent for your area. That's the kind of advice they could help you with. I wonder if their budget got cut, and that's why they were never around.
I'm glad you're finding companion planting schemes that work for you. Have you ever seen a book about it called "Carrots Love Tomatoes"?
Thanks for the offer of letting me piggyback onto your seed order from Jukka. I'll have a look at what he's got and get back to you so we can set up the terms, eh? No greivin' with Steven...
It's still clay in the garden area. It gets plenty of water. Maybe that's part of my problem as well. Next year will be better for sure. I'm going to drive up to the extension office tomorrow.
I'll be ordering from Hippy Seed Company as well. You can piggy back from them also. No hurry, I wasn't going to order until the Fall.
OCD Chilehead said:
I hear you my friend... that's why I've been doing home health work for the last 20 years. The big problem I see in continuing education is that there's nobody to accurately predict what jobs will be needed in the extended future. My wife and I have both gotten the rug jerked out from under us on that one, and we're still paying for her student loans even though she could only find a year's worth of work before they changed all the rules under the heading of "Health Care Finance Reform". Meanwhile, the cost of tuition just keeps going up and every year the universities reap a harvest of people trying to get better-paying jobs that aren't really there. There aught to be some kind of disclosure statement made plain on every college application form.
Our garden soils seems to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but the remedy is the same... add lots of compost mixed with a little biochar every year.
Cool! I know Neil has some varieties I'm interested in for sure. Cheers!
I hear you Rick. I've down carpentry, stucco, painting, intense labor, ran a swimming pool business in San Diego, truck driver, equipment operator, hot shot, and shipping/receiving manager. I figured I would find a career out of all that. LOL! I'll do these jobs and work toward something I enjoy. Things rarely work out the way one thinks they will. I should have listened to my dad and joined the military or Sheetmetal Workers Union. Damn kids, thinking they know it all. LOL. I'm just blessed I've made it as far as I have.stickman said:I hear you my friend... that's why I've been doing home health work for the last 20 years. The big problem I see in continuing education is that there's nobody to accurately predict what jobs will be needed in the extended future. My wife and I have both gotten the rug jerked out from under us on that one, and we're still paying for her student loans even though she could only find a year's worth of work before they changed all the rules under the heading of "Health Care Finance Reform". Meanwhile, the cost of tuition just keeps going up and every year the universities reap a harvest of people trying to get better-paying jobs that aren't really there. There aught to be some kind of disclosure statement made plain on every college application form.
Our garden soils seems to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but the remedy is the same... add lots of compost mixed with a little biochar every year.
Cool! I know Neil has some varieties I'm interested in for sure. Cheers!
Compost is key, for sure. I'll be loading up on the stuff. As soon as the tomatoes are done, I'll have a spot to stock pile.
Yes, he does have some really cool varieties. I bought some cool crosses from him a couple years ago. Tabasco x Naga Morich (Baby Morich)and Tabasco x Dorset Naga (Tabanaga). Both grew true. I loved the Tabanaga. It was a harder pod. The Baby Morich was just like the Tabasco. Soft, small and a lot of heat. There season is at a end. I'll see if they've got some more cool varities this year. I need to make a list and refine it. I tend to go overboard, if you know what mean.
It's been damn hot. Upper 90's turned to triple digits. 103 yesterday. I had to clear out the tomatillo's in one row. The wind blew then over and broke a bunch of them. They were staring to crush all my pepper plants. Learned a lesson. I found a big cayenne that I forgot about. Couldn't see it. Collecting some tomatoes and peppers. As soon as the tomatos are done, I'm going to build the green house. Come Fall, whatever plants haven't matured are going under the hoop house. Been doing a lot of research.
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Good work Chuck!
So it seems your climate has very similar challenges compared to mine, except you have the cooler mornings.
I see every year your better and better at learning how to make things work with what you have dealt to you. Me too, learning is a lifelong process. Hopefully we'll be in our 80's still doing this. My plan anyways
So it seems your climate has very similar challenges compared to mine, except you have the cooler mornings.
I see every year your better and better at learning how to make things work with what you have dealt to you. Me too, learning is a lifelong process. Hopefully we'll be in our 80's still doing this. My plan anyways
I'll do well next year with the house and shade cloth. I think, I'll build another one for the containers. It costs me $20 for a single hoop. 12ft wide x 6ft tall. ($100)for a 24ft long house (5 hoops), Plus the plastic 24x24.($50). $150+ whatever materials to build a wall and door. I'll probably build a wall/frame. Plan on it being permanent. I'm guessing another $150 for lumber. So ($300) for a 12x24 foot hoop house. Could be cheaper if I get reclaimed lumber. I found shade cloth pretty cheap at harbor freight.Devv said:Good work Chuck!
So it seems your climate has very similar challenges compared to mine, except you have the cooler mornings.
I see every year your better and better at learning how to make things work with what you have dealt to you. Me too, learning is a lifelong process. Hopefully we'll be in our 80's still doing this. My plan anyways
Like I've said it before. I owe it to you and Rick. Took lots of notes from Rich (Pepper Guru) as well. Hell, thanks to this whole community. LOL!
I'm sorry to break the news. We won't be doing this in our 80's...................... We will be doing this in our 90's my friend. Don't ever stop moving, that's when we break down.
Chuck that is some severe heat ... but your chillies appear to have loved it ... really healthy all the best my friend
Wanted to like your pictures but couldn't ... hopefully the plants will recover sometimes Mother Nature just isn't fair
Hey Scott. I did keep about 4 of them. If I grow them next year, I'll keep them in their own patch. Right now the grasshoppers are munching on them. Better them, then my peppers. I'm still at war with them. I have some lemon cukes that are doing awesome.Ozzy2001 said:
lobo said:OUU NoooPlants are all right ?
Trident chilli said:
The Goats Weed and Aji Pineapples were untouched. The Chinese got hit hard. The leaves are to delicate for hail. They were looking beautiful before the storm.Comptine said:
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Ouch! Sorry you had that hailstorm, but the plants needed the water, and even the ones that look like they got hit by Buckshot will pull through this one as long as the nodes weren't damaged. Good deal that the Goat's Weeds were untouched. It was cool seeing pods beginning to ripen on them to. Sending good vibes your way. 
Thanks Rick. The hail is one of the reasons I planted hardier plants like the Goats Weed. I get hammered every year by the hail and every year the Chinese look like that. Next year all of the plants will be under the canopy of shade cloth. My dad laughed. I told him I just gave them a healthy amount of water and foliar feeding. He said it's like washing your car. Wash the car and it rains. LOL!stickman said:Ouch! Sorry you had that hailstorm, but the plants needed the water, and even the ones that look like they got hit by Buckshot will pull through this one as long as the nodes weren't damaged. Good deal that the Goat's Weeds were untouched. It was cool seeing pods beginning to ripen on them to. Sending good vibes your way.
Im glad the Goats weed were ok. That's my main pepper. The Chinese just got through the transplant shock. Started getting some nice growth. I only have about two more months outdoor, unless I set up the tunnel.
Thanks for sending the much needed good vibes. It worked like a charm.
Sorry for the storm, hopefully they will be ok. It seems to work like that though you just get done watering. I did a heavy watering back in June, then it seemed to rain for a month straight. Tonight I sprayed some fungicide, 5 minutes after I get done it cuts loose and was not supposed to rain tonight.
Sorry to see the hail, we get crazy weather here like that also. Last year I put plants out we had frost in june, then hail twice and they looked so bad I ended up ripping everything out of the garden except 3 plants. Hope they all bounce right back for you, growth is looking good. Cheers