• Blog your pepper progress. The first image in your first post will be used to represent your Glog.

PaulG 2012

I'm chomping at the bit to get started with some new chilli varieties this coming Spring. So far I've just scratched the surface with Poblanos, Jalapenos and Serranos, all of which I really like. I've been egged on by a new Second Generation Mejicano neighbor as we've talked about hot chillis over the back fence! He helped me make some Pico de Gallo with my Serranos and Early Girl tomatoes and has some great recipes from his mother and grandmother. Hopefully I'll be able to share some of them on this forum in the future. I need to grow more Cilantro. Oh yeah!

I've ordered seed from several sources which received at least a few good comments on this forum (6/12 - items crossed out did not germ, or weren't planted this year):

US Hot Stuff:
Bolivian Rainbow
Yellow Peter
Nosegay
Trinidad Scorpion (from Spankycolts)
Devil Tongue

The Hippy Seed Company: Seed Packet Mixes
NuMex Twilight (from Siliman)
Yellow Jellybeans
Tom Thumbs
Wild Texas Tepin

Refining Fire: Seed Packet Mix
Scotch Bonnet
Chocolate Habanero
Jamaican Red Mushroom

New Mexico State University:
Chiltepin
Omnicolor
Red Carribean Habanero
Orange Habanero

Pepper Gal:
Aji Yellow (request from a Peruvian friend of ours!)
Thai Hot

Peppermania:
Inca Lost
Fatali
White Habanero (from Spanky)
Red Savina (cross with Fatali, from Spanky)
Bishop's Crown
Inca Red Drop
Orange Rocoto
Congo Trinidad

I doubt I will be able to try all of these out this year, but I have saved my seeds in small glass jars with tight-fitting lids for storage over the next year. I have been saving seed from other garden produce and have had good luck with germinating them after two or even three years. The jars are stored in boxes in the garage for a cool dark location for them. I have ordered several compact varieties with an eye toward trying to winter over some of my plants this year. Since I didn't even know peppers were perennial, I can say I've already learned something from this forum!


I purchased a small greenhouse from One Stop Gardens (via Harbor Freight) for $300 four years ago. This is one of the greenhouse kits I've noticed in the greenhouse advertsing bar at the bottom of some of the pages on this forum. This picture is from Spring/ Summer 2011. You can see my tomato and pepper starts on the sheves. I winter over some bonsai trees and jade plants as well as geraniums, begonias and Gerbera Daisies. In the winter, I use a small space heater (visible on ground in the picture) to keep the temp at 40F during the few cold weeks we experience here. So far it has worked pretty well. If overwintering pepper plants becomes a reality I'll be making more room in the greenhouse! I've started a thread in the Grow Tech forum to discuss issues which crop up with these units.

greenhousepan11a.jpg


January 14, 2012:

Composting:

Okay, I need to do something outside. I know, I'll dig out a compost bin. We've had a little dry cool weather, so the worms have burrowed down, and the compost is crumbly, if a tad wet.

DSCN3318sm.jpg


The first step - dig out the bin and sift the material. I use a homemade frame with a layer of 1/4 inch plastic hardware cloth backed with a layer of one inch mesh poultry netting. The fine stuff goes into the wheelbarrow, the coarse stuff into an adjacent compost bin we're still building up.

DSCN3316sm.jpg


The bin on the left is covered to keep the leafy material dry and fluffy. The dry leaves are an important layer in the compost 'cake'. The bin on the right is the one I'm digging out. Nice, dark and crumbly with lots of worms! The sifter is on the wheelbarrow, and some of the coarse stuff is already on the active compost bin in the middle. The bin in the back is resting for several of months. It has a black plastic hardware cloth cover to keep out squirrels and racoons.

DSCN3321sm.jpg


The bin is all dug out. I left about two inches of broken up compost on the bottom of the hole to create a space for the worms to move into. You can see the bin in the middle has a layer of coarse stuff spread out on the top.

DSCN3323sm.jpg


The last step is to put a nice deep layer of dry leaves on the bin we just dug out. Now that bin will rest for a at least several months or more while the earthworms move into the compost/earth interface and do their work. That will make a great base for the next cycle of composting in this bin. I put a thin layer of leaves on the middle bin, too. Now there's a nice layer cake of dirt/compost, leaves. kitchen scraps. All small yard clippings except grass go into the compost bins, even tomato vines and pepper branches and twigs. I don't even chop stuff up too much. I try to have at least 10 or 12 layers of stuff built up before I cover the bin with a layer of dirt/compost and let the worms work for several months. I'm getting about 12-18 cubic feet of compost from these bins a year. My goal is to become 'soil self-sufficient' at some point, perhaps only having to procure horticultural pumice or vermiculite and some peat moss every so often.

DSCN3322sm.jpg


The good stuff. It will go into a plastic, vented storage bin for at lest eight weeks to cure a bit. Then I mix it with a little peat moss and some vermiculite or pumice for aeration. In my large containers, I add 2 or 3 inches of compost worked into the top of the container only every year. I try not to mix up the soil layers in the big containers very much, letting the nutrients percolate down through the soil as in a natural setting. As the blog continues this summer, I'll include photos of the irrigation system and containers I use to grow my tomatoes and peppers, and a few other things.
 
Paul this is fascinating stuff. I had no idea you could "top" a plant this small and have it react positively. Thanks for the lesson.
 
Paul this is fascinating stuff. I had no idea you could "top" a plant this small and have it react positively. Thanks for the lesson.
Thanks for visiting, Patrick. It's fun to explore the possibilities.
I'm not sure if it is of any practical use, but it may be a good way of slowing
down the growth of annuums germinated too early, I guess!

It's hard not to point the finger at the seeds when everything else in the group grows fine. When you've allowed a lot of time, at some point you gotta throw in the towel. Speaking of towels, I'd suggest doing a small test with your stubborn seeds using the salsa cups/paper towel method. It doesn't take up much space and could give another take on the seed viability.

PM me your addy if you'd like some CPI NuMex Twilight to compare what you have. They're last year seeds, but I had really high germ rate with them.

Okay - here are the results, Ken. Thanks for the seeds! I started them in the cups
on Feb. 12 (later: I double checked; they went on paper towels on the 11th, I switched
to coffee filters on the 12th); first seed sprouted on Feb. 17, the second today,
so 6 and 7 days for them to germinate.

Here are the NuMex Twilight from THSC - 0/4:
DSCN3660a.jpg


Here are the NuMex Twilight from CPI - 2/3 (one got some mold on
it so I removed it. My bad. You can sort of see the black smudge at
the right):
DSCN3659a.jpg


I planted the two germinated seeds into soil mix today, and put the
rest of the seeds back on top of the water heater to see if they will
germinate later. Will follow up if some do.

Here are today's cut-off stem pics. Here's the aji stem:
DSCN3663a.jpg


The serrano stem:
DSCN3661a.jpg


The cayenne stem; really pushing out new growth:
DSCN3662a.jpg
 
Your Cayenne and Serrano donor plants are looking great Paul. The annuum I planted a little too early is turning into a beanstalk; I think I'm going to cut it back this week. Thanks for experimenting and documenting it here!
 
Your Cayenne and Serrano donor plants are looking great Paul. The annuum I planted a little too early is turning into a beanstalk; I think I'm going to cut it back this week. Thanks for experimenting and documenting it here!

My pleasure; thanks for stopping by, mj! Go for it! I hope you will document
your own experiment for us to see. What kind of annuum is it? Are you going
to try to root the cuttings? It might be fun, especially since you might get a
two-fer, or maybe even a three-fer ;)
 
I'll definitely take some pictures as it progresses (or fails). I'm going to put the cutting straight into a clear plastic shot glass so I'll be able to see if it starts rooting. The pepper I'm going to use is a criolla de cocina, it's a Nicaraguan bell type that I purchased from Baker Creek. There's a picture of it on this blog, supposedly it has a much stronger and more complex flavor than standard bell peppers:
http://chilefarmer.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html
 
I love this Mad Scientist stuff PG... You know I'm Following... I cloned a tomato a few weeks back and that things is freaking loving life now. Huge stem and everything. I'm working on a bhut clone right now. So I'm keeping my eye on this for tips and hints.
 
Looking good as usual Paul! I think we're figuring out the secret...If you love them too much you kill them, you have to try to kill them, then they flourish!
 
I'll definitely take some pictures as it progresses (or fails). I'm going to put the cutting straight into a clear plastic shot glass so I'll be able to see if it starts rooting. The pepper I'm going to use is a criolla de cocina, it's a Nicaraguan bell type that I purchased from Baker Creek. There's a picture of it on this blog, supposedly it has a much stronger and more complex flavor than standard bell peppers:
http://chilefarmer.b...01_archive.html
All right, good luck mj!


Peppers are tough, they bounce back quite well... lookin good.
Yes, pretty resilient. Thanks for droppin' in SST!


I love this Mad Scientist stuff PG... You know I'm Following... I cloned a tomato a few weeks back and that things is freaking loving life now. Huge stem and everything. I'm working on a bhut clone right now. So I'm keeping my eye on this for tips and hints.
Hey, GT grab some pics of the bhut clone - some other folk are trying that one, too.
Good work on the tomato plant clone!

Looking good as usual Paul! I think we're figuring out the secret...If you love them too much you kill them, you have to try to kill them, then they flourish!
Yeah, that's the ticket, Shane! Tough love!
 
Paul!!

How's the weather over yonder in Beaverton? Love that greenhouse what's the size again? I need one of those. You a very creative guy and if ever get rich and famous I might have a place for a guy like you .. Lol ; )
 
Hey Robin! How's your season going? If I get these clones to root and grow, I'll
have extra plants. Since we're close it would be easy to hand some off to you.
Wildfirefighter lives close by, too - maybe he'd be interested. The weather in
Beaverton is sunny and 78 :liar:

The green house is a 6 x 8 - I wish it were bigger. On the other hand, it is economical
compared to other kits. You can still get these at Harbor Freight - there are at least
two in the Portland area, I think. Thanks for the kind words - I just kind of muddle
along. The rich and famous part sounds pretty good - let me know what happens!
 
Glad you got some seed germ action with the NuMex Twilight test. As you know, I ran my cup test on my side of the Cascades concurrent with you. With the same CPI seed batch -- I got 3 out of 5 (two on day 8, 1 on day 9). Your germ chamber must be pretty dialed cause you 'beat me' by a day or two...interesting.

FWIW, I don't begrudge a vendor for occasional bad seed. But I'm such a snoob at this, I really need to know if it is ME (my methods)-- or is it the seed? I throw enough other variables around, the cup test method is great to eliminate some other factors. I plan to keep this in my tool box, even if enjoy sowing straight into the 'dirt' cells more now. If I have a limited number of seeds, I'll lean toward the cup method to germ.

Speaking of tough ones to germinate, I got a pleasant surprise this AM. This is PepperLover's mystery seeds which you ID'd as Orange Rocoto. Only took 23 days! Whoot, happy as an Oregon clam at high tide about this one!

2012%2520start%2520220%2520003.jpg
 
It's been four weeks since I started germinating seeds, so
I figured it's a good time to share pics of what the plants
look like at this stage.

Left, Inca Red Drop PM; right, Omnicolor USHot:
DSCN3645a.jpg


Left, Bishop's Crown PM; Middle, Fatali PM; right, Red Carribean CPI:
DSCN3647a.jpg


Back row, Serrano Hume; Long Red Cayenne Ferry Morse; right, Early
Jalapeno Hume; Front row, Long Red Cayenne, Serrano, Early Jalapeno:
DSCN3648a.jpg


Left, Marconi Rosso Hume; right, Bolivian
Rainbow USHot:
DSCN3650a.jpg


Back row, Long Red Cayenne Ferry Morse, Orange Rocoto PM,
Chiltepin CPI; Middle row, Serrano Hume, Poblano Hume,
Yellow Aji PG; Front row, Explosive Embers THSC:
DSCN3652a.jpg


Left, Congo Trinidad PM; right back, Poblano Hume, right front,
Chocolate Habanero RF:
DSCN3653a.jpg


Back row, Black Pearl THSC, Chocolate Habaneros RF, Yellow Aji PG- late sprout;
Front row, Wild Texas Tepins THSC, tiny Red Habanero Lily Miller, Hungarian
Hot Wax seedlings Lily Miller (new starts in small cells):
DSCN3654a.jpg


[quote name='Siliman' timestamp='1329762675' post='572238']
Glad you got some seed germ action with the NuMex Twilight test. As you know, I ran my cup test on my side of the Cascades concurrent with you. With the same CPI seed batch -- I got 3 out of 5 (two on day 8, 1 on day 9). Your germ chamber must be pretty dialed cause you 'beat me' by a day or two...interesting.

I have to confess, Ken, I just put them on top of the water heater with a sponge on top of the cups for some insulation- temp hovers around high 70's. Not very professional. Checked them this morning, no further germination. Will keep looking after them for the time being.

FWIW, I don't begrudge a vendor for occasional bad seed. But I'm such a snoob at this, I really need to know if it is ME or is it the seed? I throw enough other variables around, the cup test method is great to eliminate some other factors. I plan to keep this in my tool box, even if enjoy sowing straight into the 'dirt' cells more now. If I have a limited number of seeds, I'll lean toward the cup method to germ.

+1

Speaking of tough ones to germinate, I got a pleasant surprise this AM. This is PepperLover's mystery seeds which you ID'd as Orange Rocoto. Only took 23 days! Whoot, happy as an Oregon clam at high tide about this one!

Oh yeah, way to hang in there! Maybe the other will surprise you, too! My first sprouted in 9 days, the second in 15 days. Go figure. I guess there is wide variation among seeds of the same variety.
[/quote]
 
Looking great Paul! I'm finding as I go through these grow logs that I'm enjoying the plants with purple leaves - that Bolivian Rainbow is a nice looking plant. I'll be interested to see how that all turns out. I'm also interested in the orange Rocoto, I guess it's never too early to think of what you might grow next year, right? :rofl:
 
Your plants lookin good, Paul! They are diggin' that dirt for sure... :cool:

Excellent use of the hot water tank as germination station for the test, lol, faster than a heat mat! Man, I started everything on my tank last year--many types of veggies--temps ranged 62-80, and had good luck. In fact, I just started a flat of onion seeds--their home is on the tank for now! Whatever works--its way cool when zero cost is (sometimes, rarely) involved in this bizzness.
 
Looking great Paul! I'm finding as I go through these grow logs that I'm enjoying the plants with purple leaves - that Bolivian Rainbow is a nice looking plant. I'll be interested to see how that all turns out. I'm also interested in the orange Rocoto, I guess it's never too early to think of what you might grow next year, right? :rofl:

I know, aren't humans funny creatures! I was drawn to them, too, Andy - these particular seeds came from USHotStuff, but I've seen them on lots of vendor sites. They have had a very distinctive appearance since the cotyledon stage! Some of the 'black' ornamentals might interest you if you like the Bolivian Rainbow. My Explosive Ember and Black Pearl seedlings have also had that dark, purple-y kind of look. It is great fun just seeing all the different types of peppers there are. One of the things I like about Grow Logs and going to vendor sites!

Your plants lookin good, Paul! They are diggin' that dirt for sure... :cool:

Excellent use of the hot water tank as germination station for the test, lol, faster than a heat mat! Man, I started everything on my tank last year--many types of veggies--temps ranged 62-80, and had good luck. In fact, I just started a flat of onion seeds--their home is on the tank for now! Whatever works--its way cool when zero cost is (sometimes, rarely) involved in this bizzness.
Thanks, Ken - I hope the dirt isn't killing them! Just to be sure, I use a little fish oil to sort of get things going :shh: I was going to use it every other watering, but decided to dilute it further and just water with the fish fert solution. With my light and fan set up I can put a little water in the trays every 3-4 days or so, depending on how much I put in. I've really been keeping the top of the pots dry down at least a half inch to get the roots growing down. I have started spraying with the dilute epsom salt solution every other day just to see if there is any effect. It seems to promote shiny leaves, or am I just imagining things?

Ah, the ol' water tank method :D The secret is out! I take lots of showers just to keep it crankin' ;)
 
Remember the Inca Red Drops with the fused cotyledons?
The fused cotyledons don't seem to have made much of a
difference in the long run:
DSCN3680a.jpg


Cayenne stem day 8:
DSCN3670a.jpg


Serrano stem day 8:
DSCN3671a.jpg


Yellow Aji stem day 4:
DSCN3672a.jpg


Found an oscillating fan to use on the seedlings for a couple of hours
a day to supplement the computer fans, one of which is really wimpy
so I am swapping it out tomorrow:
DSCN3678a.jpg
 
Haven't been over here for a bit. You have been busy sir. In a couple years I will have time to do my own experiments. Thanks for the insight on how much torture these guys can take. You will enjoy the omnicolor. Beautiful flowers..beautiful pods,and surprisingly tasty for an ornamental. Make sure you try them in all stages of ripening.
 
looks like your season is progressing nicely...nice plants...good luck this season...hope mother nature treats you well...
 
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