PaulG 2016

Okay, back in the saddle again.  I checked out of this forum last September,
when my wife and I went on an 8-week vacation.  We had a blast, then I came
home to two months of yard work to catch up on, and holiday season to
contend with      
 
I just this week finished grinding up all the dry pods from last season.  Managed
to get my seeds in to soak on Jan. 15th, and into the Jiffy Pellets on Jan. 16th.
I'm going for fewer varieties this season, but 3 or 4 plants of most varieties that
I grow out.  No small pod peppers this year, just too labor intensive for the results,
although I have some awesome small pod powders laid away.   Speaking of which,
I have so much powder I'm considering packaging and selling some this summer.  
I'm going to try to sell my fresh pods this Fall, so maybe no more powder production
until I need some, and then, just my favorites.  
 
2016 grow list and germination record:
 
Pod name                                             Source                                               seeds sown            germinated  
 
Aji Amarillo ................................ Peruvian Market, 4th gen. ................................... 6 ......................... 6 ................  100%
Yellow Scorpion......................... SpankyColts 2012, 4th gen. ................................ 9 ......................... 7 ................    77%
Scotch bonnet, TFM ................. Trippa 2013, 4th gen. .......................................... 9 ......................... 6 ................    66%
Fatali ......................................... Peppermania, 2012, 2nd gen. ............................. 9 ......................... 9 ................   100%
7 Pot Burgundy ........................ Sawyer 2014, 2nd gen. ....................................... 12 ......................  11 ................   92%
Red Rocoto .............................. Peruvian Market 2015, 1st gen. ........................... 6 .......................  5 .................    84%
JA Red Habanero .................... Devv/WalkGood 2014, 3rd gen. .......................... 12 ...................... 12 ................  100%
Bhut Jolokia Red ..................... SpankyColts 2012, 3rd gen. ................................ 12 ...................... 12 ...............  100%
Primo ....................................... MGold 2012, 2nd gen ........................................... 6 ........................  6 ...............  100%
Mystery Cross ......................... Trippa, 2014, F4 .................................................... 9 ........................  9 ...............  100%
Scotch Bonnet, Chocolate ...... GaGrowhead 2015, 2nd gen. ............................... 9 ........................  7 ................   77%
Padron ..................................... Spain 2015, 1st gen. ........................................... 12 ...................... 10 ................   84%
Bhut Jolokia, Chocolate .......... GaGrowhead, 2nd gen. .......................,................ 6 .......................  5 ..................  84%
 
Total ........................................................................................................................ 117 .................. 105 ...............  89.7%
 
The first seeds began germinating on Jan. 22nd and continued until Feb. 5
 
1/29 - First watering of earliest germinating plants
 
2/2 - Begin light fertilizer routine on older seedlings:  Cal-Mag, 1 tsp / gal.
                                                                                          AK Fish Fertilizer, 1 tsp / gal. 
     - Start fan on taller seedlings

 

[PaulG]

Picked some spanish Padrons for a friend from
Madrid. Managed a couple of nice Fatalis, as well.
The pod that looks like a walnut or pecan is a nice
7 Pot Burgundy brown phenotype.

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Nice, thanks GCM!

You're welcome! I cook a lot of Peruvian food. Your friends rocoto relleno look absolutely delicious! I always make sure to invite over my Peruvian friends when I make that dish, because it is so hard to get in the States. Ceviche is of course always mandatory, lol!

 

[PaulG]

Red phenotype Chocolate Bhut Jolokia coloring up:

Brown phenotype has some decent pods coming:

Same for the red phenotype:

The Red Rocotos are cranking out pods; have
picked a half-dozen so far:

 

[az1000]

Very nice!
Bhut and Rocoto are 2 of my favorites chilies .

 

[PaulG]

Managed to grab a few pods, seems like a few Fatalis
Always show up. Also some Mystery Cross and
Padrones and a variety of Primo runts.

Very nice!
Bhut and Rocoto are 2 of my favorites chilies .

Thanks, Nicolau! I'm with you!
I'd add Fatalis to that short list!

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Looks great Paul. Chocolate Bhut has a nice shape. I might have to grow a Fatalii next year. Used to be my favorite plant. Rocoto bush has a nice profile.

 

[Devv]

Glad to see the constant pods you're pulling Paul
 
The Rocato's look great!
 
My first try with Padon's, how do you use them?
 
You know, you mentioned taking a year off and growing other veggies. I hear ya on that note. Peppers are the only plant that I struggle with here in Texas. We don't have a summer that's suitable for growing much of anything. I can't put them out March 1st with the tomatoes, as it's still too cool for them. April 1st is ideal if I have 18-24" plants ready, if not it's the fall grow, like this year. I may switch to using pots so I have better control next year. If they do really well this fall with the late grow, this may be the way I roll from here on out. If I do the spring grow it would have to be scaled back to accommodate the larger plants. I'm still, after 5 seasons of aggressive pepper growing trying to sort this out, as far as what's the best method.
 
I can't wait for the next 5 weeks to pass, then we see cooler times

 

[PaulG]

Looks great Paul. Chocolate Bhut has a nice shape. I might have to grow a Fatalii next year. Used to be my favorite plant. Rocoto bush has a nice profile.

 
Thanks, Charles.  You can't go wrong with a Fatali!
 
That Rocoto is a real sprawler, all right.  The closest plant
in the photo is reaching up into the Red Osier Dogwood
canopy.
 

Glad to see the constant pods you're pulling Paul
 
The Rocato's look great!
 
My first try with Padon's, how do you use them?
 
You know, you mentioned taking a year off and growing other veggies. I hear ya on that note. Peppers are the only plant that I struggle with here in Texas. We don't have a summer that's suitable for growing much of anything. I can't put them out March 1st with the tomatoes, as it's still too cool for them. April 1st is ideal if I have 18-24" plants ready, if not it's the fall grow, like this year. I may switch to using pots so I have better control next year. If they do really well this fall with the late grow, this may be the way I roll from here on out. If I do the spring grow it would have to be scaled back to accommodate the larger plants. I'm still, after 5 seasons of aggressive pepper growing trying to sort this out, as far as what's the best method.
 
I can't wait for the next 5 weeks to pass, then we see cooler times

 
Thanks, buddy.  I've been making poppers with the red ones.  
Just stuff with cream cheese and bake.  The Spanish
eat them green and sauteed whole, salted and served
with beer.  Yum!
 
You have a lot to contend with, Scott!  I hope your Fall grow
really rocks.

 

[PaulG]

The medium purple Bhut Jolokia hybrid is still the most productive of the four plants.
The green plant and the darkest purple were the least productive:

Four more medium-sized Red Rocotos:

 

[moruga welder]

great to see the pods rolling in !     

 

[Devv]

Liking those "apples"

 

[OCD Chilehead]

How's the heat and taste of the purple Bhut?

Those Rocotos look fantastic.

You going to stuff them?

Some chicken sausage, feta, and Jack cheese. Yum!

 

[tctenten]

Beautiful Rocotos. Do you have them in full sun?

 

[Ozzy2001]

I have not been able to get a single pube to set a pepper yet. I've had a Manzano plant for 2 years and nothing lol.

Those look awesome.

 

[tsurrie]

Great looking Rocotos. They look huge to me

Mine are small and green and growing slowly. Looks like it is either too hot or to sunny even in the partial shade.
What are the night temp's over there?

 

[Pulpiteer]

 
Man those look beautiful!

 

[stickman]

Here is a recipe I posted earlier this year in the comida south america section of THP for rocoto relleno. I have recipes for both Cusco and Arequipa style if you need, but I honestly much prefer the Arequipa style.

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/52816-comida-south-america/page-11

 
Thanks Dale! That's a keeper!

 

[stickman]

Four more medium-sized Red Rocotos:

image.jpeg

 
Beautiful Rocotos Paul! I hope you get many more to make up for the constrained season with other plants.

 

[PaulG]

great to see the pods rolling in !     

 
 

Liking those "apples"

 
Me too, fellas. Hoping for a nice Fall season weather-wise.
 

How's the heat and taste of the purple Bhut?

Those Rocotos look fantastic.

You going to stuff them?

Some chicken sausage, feta, and Jack cheese. Yum!  Oh, yeah!

Haven't actually tried the BJ hybrid yet, Charles.  I'm sure they are hot!
 
The Rococos are awesome, great flavor like their Orange
Manzano cousins with about the same heat.  They are
stupid good stuffed!
 

Beautiful Rocotos. Do you have them in full sun?

 
Hey, Terry.  I grow them in the shade of a Red Osier Dogwood
that I have pruned to make sort of a canopy.  They get mostly
dappled shade all day.  I always try to get them in the greenhouse
early, they do better in the cooler temperatures in the Spring rather
than the hot climate in the grow shelf under the T5HOs, and then
plant them out earlier than the chinenses.
 

I have not been able to get a single pube to set a pepper yet. I've had a Manzano plant for 2 years and nothing lol.

Those look awesome.

 
Hang in there, Scott!  My first couple of years with pubescens were pretty skimpy, too.
They just need cooler conditions in our climate.  When it gets hot, they don't set many pods,
or even flower much.  When the nights are cool, they do very well.
 

Great looking Rocotos. They look huge to me

Mine are small and green and growing slowly. Looks like it is either too hot or to sunny even in the partial shade.
What are the night temp's over there?

 
Howdy, Uros!  They are slow growers, and take awhile to ripen.
Our night temps here are basically around 55˚F, varying from the high 40's˚F
to 59-60.  The extremes are unusual.  Our July and August averages are 52˚F,
and the June and September averages around 48˚F.  55˚F equals about 13˚C.
 

 
Man those look beautiful!

 
Thanks, Andy.  Your boss has been kind to the Rococos this season!
 

 
Beautiful Rocotos Paul! I hope you get many more to make up for the constrained season with other plants.

 
It is what it is, Rick.  I really don't feel too bad.  The F3 Mystery Cross is doing well,
as are the 'Scorpions', and even the Red Habs have thrown out lots of pods.  The BJ
hybrid and chocolate are doing okay, too.  Of course the Aji Amarillos are still the champs!

 

[PaulG]

The first annual PDX Hot Sauce Expo happened Aug. 6 & 7.
Salsa Lady was there with her pure evil extract; 40 vendors
Including Puckerbutt and Lucky Dog. My neighbor and I figure
We sampled 200 different sauces over 8 hours. Interspersed with
breaks in the hospitality tent and watching a Carolina Reaper
Eating contest among others.

Bonchi for sale: