PaulG 2014

Trippa · Apr 14, 2014

All looking healthy Paul!! Nice work. You must be happy how far along they are compared with last season ?? Long may the great weather continue!!

maximumcapsicum · Apr 14, 2014

My goodness Paul this looks amazing! I'd be out there all day working on my thesis. Would probably be sunburned lol.

How long before they get to live outside?

stc3248 · Apr 15, 2014

Looking nice Paul! Everything so perfectly planted, very pleasing to the eye...I can't even get my plants centered in the pots without a little luck. Your Japanese style garden really is beautiful. Can't wait for the first video tour of the season! You should be getting kickbacks from Aero for all the great press they're getting here!

PIC 1 · Apr 15, 2014

Nice group shot Paul...how did you get all of them to smile at the same time......lol
Man, it looks like a nice sunny summer day....in the Spring. Can't get any better, you probably gained a months worth of growth over last yrs start. I can see more aerogardens fly through the glogs next season...
Looking forward to some of those future foodie fotos.

PaulG · Apr 16, 2014

Penny said:
Great updates Paul

Tjhanks, Penny. the tomatoes are cruising right along!

Jeff H said:
Plants are all looking real good Paul. Are they outside permanently yet or are you still dodging the occasional freezing night?

The plants aren't outside, yet. Our nights haven't stayed consistently above 40˚F yet, but
we're moving in the right direction! I'm thinking pot plant out between May 9-19. That
puts us past the 90% freezing date and the 80% 36˚ date. Can't wait to get things out
of the small pots!

romy6 said:
Everything is looking good Paul. can't wait to follow the aero / jiffy test. I have my money on the I will let you fill in the blank

Thanks, Jamie. I took the pics today, so will post them up in a day or two!

Pulpiteer said:
Looking great Paul! I've got some manzanos overwintering here too. I'm really excited to see them in their second year. Yours look great - like they are ready to really take off!
That shot of your plants all getting some sun is awesome! Spring is coming.

Hey, Andy! Glad your OW Manzanos are hanging in there. I'm still holding my breath and doing a little pruning here and there.
The plants liked the sun for the most part, but several lost a few leaves.

stickman said:
Errybody's looking like they're ready to shine Paul! Good job with your starts. Glad to see you've planted some of the seeds I sent and that they look so happy. The Cheiro Recife will stay short and bushy, but will put out a surprising number of dime-sized pods. In Brazil they pickle them, but I think they make good powder as well.. just don't torture yourself and feel you have to remove all the seeds when you dry them. I just cut them in half and put them on the dryer trays like that, and then straight into the grinder. Cheers!

Thanks, Rick! I can't wait for the Cheiro and wilds to start getting big and healthy.
The oils I've seen look great!

Devv said:
Plants are looking really healthy Paul!

I see a stellar season in the making.

I like the comparison you showed, the Aerogarden plant looks way ahead at this point.

Keep it green!

Howdy, Scott! I hope your prognosticatory ability is right on!

The contrast between aero and pellet grow has been interesting so far.

PaulG · Apr 17, 2014

Trippa said:
All looking healthy Paul!! Nice work. You must be happy how far along they are compared with last season ?? Long may the great weather continue!!

Thanks, Tristen! Since this is the first season with plants under the T5's from the get go,
it's hard to compare, but I think the plants are more robust this year - especially the stalks.
Even the tall plants are so solid they really don't need support until plant out. We have just
entered a 7-10 day stretch of cloudy wet weather - with some partly cloudy episodes. Had
1/2" (1.25 cm) last night and raining today, so growth may slow a bit.

maximumcapsicum said:
My goodness Paul this looks amazing! I'd be out there all day working on my thesis. Would probably be sunburned lol.

How long before they get to live outside?

Thanks, Adam. A little sun makes everything look good!
I'm shooting for plant out between May 9 and 19. We'll see.

stc3248 said:
Looking nice Paul! Everything so perfectly planted, very pleasing to the eye...I can't even get my plants centered in the pots without a little luck. Your Japanese style garden really is beautiful. Can't wait for the first video tour of the season! You should be getting kickbacks from Aero for all the great press they're getting here!

Hey, Shane! Thanks for the kind words. I always thought the same thing
about your grow, especially the pool side section! I think Denniz and Jericson
probably should get the biggest share of the aerogarden pot

PIC 1 said:
Nice group shot Paul...how did you get all of them to smile at the same time......lol
Man, it looks like a nice sunny summer day....in the Spring. Can't get any better, you probably gained a months worth of growth over last yrs start. I can see more aerogardens fly through the glogs next season...
Looking forward to some of those future foodie fotos.

Hello, Greg! A few were frowning after the second day in the sun. The first day, little effect, but the second day, I lost a
lot of leaves to sunburn, so I just cut off all the sick and damaged leaves from my plants. The good thing is now they are
less crowded and there is more light getting in to the inside growth - I also took off some leaves that were shading.
I kind of miss all the nice big leaves, though they do pump a lot of water. They all went into the compost bins:

PaulG · Apr 17, 2014

Here are the first two aerogarden vs. jiffy pellet round plants. This is a Chili Costa Rica (THSC 2012) in the aero, 25 days
from hooking. I am going to grow it out in there since it is the last plant in the unit:

This is the Chili Costa Rica from the Jiffy pellet, 36 days. It has suffered the slings and arrows of
being outside and in the greenhouse. Nevertheless, the aero version is a much lusher plant, and
has grown much faster. (The unit is in our 'office' space so it's nice and warm. ) It is beyond trying
to transplant now without planting the basket along with the plant:

Here are some side-by side comparisons.

Giant Jalapeño. Jiffy (35 days) on the left, aero (25 days) on the right. The transplanting slowed the aero
plant a bit, but the difference is pretty clear. It took the aero seeds longer to germinate since the unit was
in the garage at ambient temperature, but once germinated, the starts grew faster. Seed from SoCal Chilihead, 2012:

Marconi Rosso. Jiffy on the left, 38 days. Aerogarden on the right, 36 days. The jiffy plant was transplanted several
days before this photo. The nod goes to the Jiffy pellet on this one.

Sweet Hungarian Paprika. Same story here. For some reason, the Jiffy start (37 days) really took off compared to the aero
start (36 days). Guess that's two for the aero, two for the jiffy. The jiffy was transplanted several days before the picture
was taken. Seed from Stickman:

Charapita. Jiffy on the left, aero on the right, both a bit over 10 weeks. The aero plant was one of the most successful of either
set - a great specimen. It lost a bunch of big leaves to sunburn, but now you can see the branches, one of which is
almost as big as the main trunk. the Jiffy start is a nice plant, but nowhere as robust as the aero plant. Score one
for the aerogarden. Seed from Stc3248:

Inca Lost (THSC 2012). Jiffy on the left, 38 days. Aero on the right, 24 days. The Jiffy start is taller with
longer branches, but the aero plant wins the foliage points. Again, the Jiffy plant has been outside and
in the greenhouse. I rate this a tie.

Romy6 Mystery cross Goat's Weed. Jiffy on the left, just over 10 weeks,
aero on the right, 12 weeks. I needed a sky hook to nab this photo :rofl:

The plant in the Jiffy is one of the fastest growing plants I've seen. It
simply took off like a rocket. the aero start suffered a bit in the transplanting
and took awhile to recover, but it was never as healthy as the other. Both
have been outside and in the greenhouse. Genetics in play here? I give
the nod to the Jiffy on this one.

So there ya have it. I guess that makes it 3, 3 and one tie. How's that for a cop out

This was not very scientific control, since the growing conditions for each were so
different and there should have been only one variety of pepper tested. But it serves
to show that genetics and conditions aside, both can produce robust healthy plants.
Maybe overall the aerogarden gets some beauty points. I don't see it as a way to
grow lots of peppers here in this climate, but it certainly is a useful item. It will be
great for serial starting of seeds throughout the sowing part of the season. It gets
plants off to a great start and they transplant well if you do it early before the roots
get tangled up in the basket. It will be interesting to see how the Chili Costa Rica
in the aerogarden fares. I'm going to try to get it all the way to pods.

jedisushi06 · Apr 17, 2014

Plants look great, wish i had mine outside too!

maximumcapsicum · Apr 17, 2014

Great results Paul! I'm not too surprised... The aerogarden's ideal conditions are balanced out by the transplant difficulties. Still, looks like you got a bunch of nice string plants to work with.

Portuge · Apr 17, 2014

Lovely back yard Paul, did your blueberries make it through the winter? Bought a plant from HD at the end of the season and potted it up this time around. I didnt think it would pull through but it did... Have a great day Paul

Pinoy83 · Apr 18, 2014

PaulG said:

nice to see your yard again, everything starting to greeennnnnnn uppppp....you gonna get your pods prettyyy sooon my friennddd :dance:

Devv · Apr 18, 2014

Liking the experiment Paul, even if it's kinda inconclusive. As you mention, each plant is an individual, and the variables are just too many. Especially where you grow.

But once again, you showed us you can grow, no matter the medium used...

PaulG · Apr 19, 2014

jedisushi06 said:
Plants look great, wish i had mine outside too!

I can hardly wait myself. bud!

maximumcapsicum said:
Great results Paul! I'm not too surprised... The aerogarden's ideal conditions are balanced out by the transplant difficulties. Still, looks like you got a bunch of nice string plants to work with.

I think it's a great tool for starting plants as long as you transplant before
the roots mass is too large. The Jiffy pellets get points for lack of hassle.
Very easy to work with.

Portuge said:
Lovely back yard Paul, did your blueberries make it through the winter? Bought a plant from HD at the end of the season and potted it up this time around. I didnt think it would pull through but it did... Have a great day Paul

Hey, James! One of them suffered quite a bit of freeze burn, so doesn't have
too many flowers on it. The older one survived must fine and will have a bumper
crop if experience proves true.

Pinoy83 said:
nice to see your yard again, everything starting to greeennnnnnn uppppp....you gonna get your pods prettyyy sooon my friennddd

There are a few pods set already - Giant White Hab, Fatali/Savina, chocolate Trinidad
Scotch Bonnet, PI441598, and NagaBrain. Man, these plants need to get outside for
good in their big containers.

Devv said:
Liking the experiment Paul, even if it's kinda inconclusive. As you mention, each plant is an individual, and the variables are just too many. Especially where you grow.

But once again, you showed us you can grow, no matter the medium used...

You are right, Scott. The plants are adaptable and forgiving in many ways. Good basic
care seems to go a long way toward getting the plants off a good start as long as one is
careful with watering and feeding. The aerogarden is very convenient in that respect.

GA Growhead · Apr 19, 2014

Pods setting! It will not be long and you will be swimming in pods!

HabaneroHead · Apr 19, 2014

Amazing plants you have there! I really like your comparison, and I am glad that the Paprika is doing pretty well for you! The plant on the left is a real beauty.

Roguejim · Apr 19, 2014

Pinoy83 said:
delete

I just can't believe that Romy6 cross Goats Weed plant on the left! I guess the Tualatin Valley weather is great for growing. Good luck from the Rogue Valley.

maximumcapsicum · Apr 20, 2014

Gonna have some tasty pods! You gonna keep track of ultimate production differences between the aeros and jiffy's?

PaulG · Apr 23, 2014

GA Growhead said:
Pods setting! It will not be long and you will be swimming in pods!

I don't know about swimming, but it looks like we'll get a few anyway

If I have a great grow this year, it will be in large part thanks to you, buddy.
I am looking forward to seeing the great varieties you sent me in full swing!

HabaneroHead said:
Amazing plants you have there! I really like your comparison, and I am glad that the Paprika is doing pretty well for you! The plant on the left is a real beauty.

Thanks, Balázs! That plant is just a genetic marvel! Took right off and
has open flowers on it now.

Roguejim said:
I just can't believe that Romy6 cross Goats Weed plant on the left! I guess the Tualatin Valley weather is great for growing. Good luck from the Rogue Valley.

That specimen is a real freak, alright! thank goodness it has finally reached a
branching node, and now will slow down a bit and spread out some. I hope!
Shane said he had one of these get up to 7 feet!

I think you southern Oregon growers have it on us for the grow climate.
My little greenhouse is what makes growing peppers here possible.
Hope you have a great season, Jim!

maximumcapsicum said:
Gonna have some tasty pods! You gonna keep track of ultimate production differences between the aeros and jiffy's?

Hey, Adam! I hope so; I have some varieties I'm really stoked to try out.

I probably won't go that far, since I will just grow out one plant of each variety.
My goal was to see how getting thte plants going in each medium compares.
Overall, the aerogarden produces the better growth in faster time, but I notice
it takes the transplants a while to adapt to dirt and the greenhouse conditions.
They don't like too much sun at the moment and wilt a bit in the heat.

I am growing a Chili Costa Rica out in the aerogarden as well as the one in the dirt,
so will have a plant to make a direct comparison with as the summer goes on.
Right now the aerogarden plant is twice the little bush that the greenhouse plant is.
I'll post up a comparison pic in a few days.

I am ready for plant out, that's for sure. I'm aiming to start around May 5th. Spent the last couple of decent days
getting containers prepped. A few scoops of steer manure and 1/3 cup of bone meal into the worked up soil to sit for
a few weeks in the rain waiting for plant out:

The root balls go into the compost bin, as well:

These 16 containers in the north end of the back yard get the most sun. The bright blue ones in the background will house some of Penny's
tomatoes:

These get a mix of sun and shade, either morning or afternoon:

The above containers are on the automatic irrigation system. These will have to be hand watered when they find their final spot.
Some will hang out in my next door neighbor's yard:

Plants got out for a day of sun during the past brief nice spell. Now we are into a 7 day pattern of rain and
cloudy weather. Had about 1/4-1/3 inch each of past two nights. The Yellow Ajis and the Manzanos are
hanging in there. Hope they stay alive until the good weather gets here; there just is no room in the green-
house for them:

Round One plants on their day in the sun:

Round Two plants on their day:

Round Three got a sort of sunny hour or two:

Hope all is well with everyone, and that your grows are going well. Will post up a few grow shelf pics later today.

romy6 · Apr 23, 2014

When I grow up and become a chili plant I want you to grow me. Your attention to detail is second to none sir :fireball:

Mighty fine I say :party:

PaulG · Apr 23, 2014

romy6 said:
When I grow up and become a chili plant I want you to grow me. Your attention to detail is second to none sir

Mighty fine I say

Your very kind, Jamie. Some folks call it OCD :rofl:

I was just thinking that I hope my life as a chili plant
happens in Florida!

Your aerogarden is getting a real workout. I can see the value for serial seed starting
especially for smaller grows. As I limit my grows to 24-30 plants in the future, I will use it a lot to
get things going, I'm sure. I'm interested to see how the Chili Costa Rica grows out in there.