OZZZ 2022

Hey everyone.

Recently we moved to Arizona and this is my first time trying to grow outdoors here so we will see how it goes. We got here last year in June and for experimental purposes I planted a cayenne, scotch bonnet and a morouga scorpion that overwintered naturally outdoors and are still going now, although they don’t look the best. I planted them late last year so the SB and the morouga didn’t produce anything at all, but the cayenne was productive. Now the SB from last year is loaded, while the morouga produced only a single pepper so far.

In January or February I started a bunch of others, another MOA, a fatalli, yellow 7 pot, Caribbean Red, and a red 7 pot.

I have them all in white ceramic pots and I tapped into my landscaping irrigation line and ran drip emitters to each pot. I’m hoping I have the water needs dialed in. Obviously it gets hot as hell here but yet I don’t want to overwater them either. Our tap water is very high PPM too… it’s about 1.0 EC straight from the tap, but the PH is 6.5 at least.

I think each pot is around 7-10 gallons in volume, and I have 2 - 1/2 GPH emitters in each pot running for 30 minutes every morning. I don’t have a ton of flexibility in this aspect because the landscaping is in the same line…. So if I need to adjust the water needs to each pot I need to swap out the emitters to a higher or lower flow rate but I am locked into a 30 minute run time every morning. So far they are doing ok but lately we are peaking 100 degrees and they are getting beat down by the afternoon sun, so I have ordered a 50% shade cloth and am waiting for the hardware to arrive to get it installed …. that should offer some relief.

From Back to front we have 7 pot yellow, Caribbean Red, MOA SB, 7 pot Red and in front a Fatalli. These were all planted this year around Jan/Feb:

The yellow 7 pot is producing pretty well, I probably have around 20 pods on it so far and more appearing by the day:

The second MOA SB is starting to push pods also, she seems like she just woke up and is just getting started:

The Caribbean red is loading up also, while the 7 pot red and the fatalli are not pushing pods yet. They seem much slower either that or they just aren’t as happy.

Here’s the plants that are still alive from last year. First up the cayenne…. The foliage doesn’t look great but she has loaded herself up again with new peppers:

….. and the MOA SB from last year…. Her foliage also doesn’t look the best but she is loaded up pretty well. Maybe 20-30 pods

…. And the morouga scorpion that isn’t doing much other than the one ripe pepper I got off of it already.

 

[OZZZ]

Looks great! Hopefully the shade cloth will reduce the temp to 90F or less, then you should produce all summer long. Fingers crossed for ya.

Appreciate the support my friend…. Last summer we had a few weeks in the 115 degree range so I’m not holding my breath

But if they can continue to load up for another week or two then use that time to ripen them off I’m cool with that. Then the second round begins in September no worries there. Just have to keep them alive through the summer lol.

Maybe down the road I’ll find it’s better to just use fresh starts twice a year… starting them indoors and planting out, but for now I’m going to try to keep them going year round. I’m betting I’ll be able to do it in the autopots and coco where I can have more control over their feed and I don’t need to worry about over or under watering conditions.

Basically I’m considering this year an experimental year where I’ll zero in on my preferred growing technique

…. Any pods I get in return is just a bonus 🌶

 

[CaneDog]

I'll add my kudos to the rest. Nice work OZZZ. It's a clean professional-looking setup.

Nice choices in your pepper selection, too!

 

[OZZZ]

Everyone here is awesome. Thanks to you all.

Exactly how I remember this place from a decade or so ago when I joined! HA! Been away for a bit but glad to be back.

I was traveling for about 5 years for work so not much growing during that time but now we are stationary and I’m ready to rock lol.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Wow that looks great!

 

[OZZZ]

Thanks!!

I’m noticing on my cayenne the peppers are getting soft and mushy just before they fully ripen. Any idea what’s causing that? I’m guessing it may be a watering issue? Or maybe a calcium issue …. Blossom end rot or something like that?

 

[OZZZ]

Hmmm well Google seems to think it’s the strong sun and high temperatures…. That’s a bummer because it’s only going to get worse over the summer lol. Not sure what more I can do about it other than the shade cloth I just installed but if that’s not enough they just might have to suffer through the summer until fall

 

[OZZZ]

Plants are pretty well loaded up at this point but now our temps have shot straight into the 110-115 F range and the plants are suffering but surviving under the 50% shade cloth. It’s only 16’ long so I ordered a different one that is 20’ long to provide them with more protection throughout the day.

Here’s the 7 pot yellow…. Completely loaded up with pods but they seem to be elongated instead of round like I see most 7 pots…. Could this be from too little water??

….. also I have a weird issue with the cayenne…. Some of the pods (but not all) are drying out on the plant during ripening…. I’m also wondering if this points to a shortage of water in this sweltering heat. Any suggestions??

Here’s one that’s drying on the plant

… and here’s one thats fine

 

[JGBaxter59]

I grew a Korean pepper last year called a Gochu (see here). I had the same problem early on. Many of the first pods would start to turn red, then stop and start getting soft. I just picked them and ate them. As the season progressed (and it got hotter and dryer), they started ripening just right. I wound up with a really nice harvest from that one plant. I don't know why it happened like that, but the plant just worked things out. I didn't change any watering/feeding routine because the plant looked healthy.

 

[OZZZ]

I grew a Korean pepper last year called a Gochu (see here). I had the same problem early on. Many of the first pods would start to turn red, then stop and start getting soft. I just picked them and ate them. As the season progressed (and it got hotter and dryer), they started ripening just right. I wound up with a really nice harvest from that one plant. I don't know why it happened like that, but the plant just worked things out. I didn't change any watering/feeding routine because the plant looked healthy.

Ok well thats great info, definitely helps. Thanks for that! I’ll just leave it be then and let it work it out. About 20 minutes ago I went out and checked on all the plants. The sun is down to where they are all in the shade and yet still they are staying wilted. Whereas a month ago they would wilt in the sun but as soon as they got in the shade they would perk back up.

This to me points to them needing more water. I’m going to go ahead and adjust the timer and give them more water, with these 110-115F degree temps I think they need it.

Btw! I put down two of those Marabella caramel seeds and so far havent seen anyone pop up but as we all know it can take peppers awhile so I’ll give them more time before putting new ones down.

 

[OZZZ]

BBQ bacon bombs with the first scotch bonnets of the year.

Cream cheese mixed with blue cheese, green onion, garlic and chives stuffed into the pepper, wrapped in bacon and carnelized in BBQ sauce.

 

[OZZZ]

Well that’s cool….. my “Yellow” 7 pot plant (seeds from Pepper Lover circa 2015) seem to be ripening orange or maybe even red it’s a bit early to tell. We will see I suppose!

That answers my question about why the pods are elongated instead of round like I see in photos. Looks like clear cross-pollination / contamination. Oh well it’s my most productive plant and the pods are 2-3x the size of any of the other plants so there’s that

 

[PaulG]

I agree, @OZZZ - I have grown Yellow Sevens multiple
times, and never have seen ribbed pods like that. They
are usually smooth and blocky, although it seems like a
lot of Yellow Sevens on the forum have bumpy skin, now-
adays. Don't know where that came from. As for the color,
sometimes 'yellow' seems to mean orang-ish, like Aji Amarillo,
which is definitely more orange than yellow. One reason I like
the Trippaul Threat v2 F3/F4 strain is for its true yellow pods.

BTW Bacon Bombs! Those look great.

Hope you have not been adversely affected by the wild
fires in the Flagstaff area. Hoping the wind dies down a bit
for you there.

 

[OZZZ]

I agree, @OZZZ - I have grown Yellow Sevens multiple
times, and never have seen ribbed pods like that. They
are usually smooth and blocky, although it seems like a
lot of Yellow Sevens on the forum have bumpy skin, now-
adays. Don't know where that came from. As for the color,
sometimes 'yellow' seems to mean orang-ish, like Aji Amarillo,
which is definitely more orange than yellow. One reason I like
the Trippaul Threat v2 F3/F4 strain is for its true yellow pods.

BTW Bacon Bombs! Those look great.

Hope you have not been adversely affected by the wild
fires in the Flagstaff area. Hoping the wind dies down a bit
for you there.

Yup that’s kind of what I was thinking. Unfortunately non of my scotch bonnets look like bonnets either lol!

@PaulG are you in AZ??

We are down in Phoenix so a long ways away from the fires, although the wind did rip my shade cloth up so I’ve had to order a new one. I must have tightened the turnbuckles too tightly

I have no idea where the ribbed edges come from on this 7 pot. Any ideas on what it might be crossed with?

I did pop another seed of it so I guess we will see what they look like. Maybe I’ll need to go back to the drawing board and order some more 7 pod seeds from someone who isolates them.

 

[CaneDog]

I have grown Yellow Sevens multiple times, and never have seen ribbed pods like that. They are usually smooth and blocky, although it seems like a lot of Yellow Sevens on the forum have bumpy skin, now-adays. Don't know where that came from. As for the color, sometimes 'yellow' seems to mean orang-ish, like Aji Amarillo, which is definitely more orange th

I remember growing the old PL Yellow 7's and they definitely fit your profile, except they were a true yellow not the yellow/orange coloration. There's more than a few varieties I remember as smooth back around the 2010 +/- range, that then suddenly started showing up as bumpy.

Whatever this one may have crossed with, it's a great starting place for a hybrid. Hopefully the combo produced something good!

 

[OZZZ]

I remember growing the old PL Yellow 7's and they definitely fit your profile, except they were a true yellow not the yellow/orange coloration. There's more than a few varieties I remember as smooth back around the 2010 +/- range, that then suddenly started showing up as bumpy.

Whatever this one may have crossed with, it's a great starting place for a hybrid. Hopefully the combo produced something good!

I don’t doubt they’ll be nice pods, they are quite large too so might even be good for stuffing.

When it cools down and the plant starts pushing pods again I’ll try to isolate a few flowers to get some seeds, and pop a few to see what comes of those, depending on how the pods turn out anyway. Should be too much longer now as many of them are starting to turn

 

[OZZZ]

Who would you all recommend for getting pure yellow 7 pot brain strain seeds from? I was looking forward to finally trying them as this is the first time I’ve grown them out

 

[OZZZ]

Pepper seedlings surgically transplanted into 3.9 gallon white autopots to let them start getting established.

Scotch Bonnet Marabella Caramel from @JGBaxter59 , another “Yellow” 7 pot from the same batch as the plant above (will see if this one is true to form or not), a Freeport Orange Scotch bonnet and a Red Morouga Monster (both refining fire chilis) .

Not much to look at now but I’m guessing once they get their feet out into that coco they are going to explode.

Watered in with a 1.2 EC solution of RO water, cal mag and maxigrow PH 5.6.

 

[timh59]

Is it possible you're leaving the cayennes on there too long before you pick them?

 

[OZZZ]

Is it possible you're leaving the cayennes on there too long before you pick them?

Hey there! Appreciate the response. Thanks!

I thought that maybe the case before, but they aren’t ripening fully in the first place. If the situation was such that they ripened and then started shriveling I would suspect that to be the case, but this is happening on some of them before fully ripening / turning red

 

[PaulG]

Hey there! Appreciate the response. Thanks!

I thought that maybe the case before, but they aren’t ripening fully in the first place. If the situation was such that they ripened and then started shriveling I would suspect that to be the case, but this is happening on some of them before fully ripening / turning red

How about some Calcium supplements for those
cayennes. Since they are getting soft at the tips,
perhaps it's comparable to BER. Maybe something
like liquid Cal-Mag along with side dressing some
bone meal into the soil might help.