PaulG 2016

PaulG · Oct 6, 2016

Fatali bonchi almost done with
the ripening process:

PaulG · Oct 6, 2016

These Aji Amarrilo are descendants of some seed
I got from PepperGal in 2012, so these are fifth
generation seeds in the pods. The first generation of
three plants produced 2 over 7', and one small, bushy plant
less than 4' which I put in greenhouse to ripen. I
sowed seed from that plant in 2013, and have chosen
seed from the largest pods each year.

The result, thus far, is a bushy, prolific podder that
tops out just over 5', which is a far more
manageable size than the normal 7' plus.

A container smaller than 15-17
gallons would probably produce a nice small bush.
Just had the thought I might do that next season
For greenhouse ripening in the Fall of 2017 :

PS: Also fights BLS like a champ - never missed a
beat all summer. Still flowering and setting pods!

moruga welder · Oct 6, 2016

BEAUTIFUL ! :onfire:

PaulG · Oct 6, 2016

moruga welder said:
BEAUTIFUL !

Thanks, buddy!

Thegreenchilemonster · Oct 6, 2016

Those are some very healthy looking aji amarillo plants!

PaulG · Oct 6, 2016

Thegreenchilemonster said:
Those are some very healthy looking aji amarillo plants!

They have been the beasts of burden this
season, for sure. Thanks for dropping in,
GCM.

Pruned the non-bearing branches off some
of the plants, these Scorpions are an example:

My dryer seems to be working right again. Have
been monitoring the temps at each tray level through
the day. Range is from about 110F below the lid to
about 100-105F just above the lower tray. Within
acceptable limits for drying so seeds are viable:

Wrapped seeds go in bottom two trays:

Thegreenchilemonster · Oct 6, 2016

Good call on pruning back the non bearing branches. How much longer is your season?

PaulG · Oct 7, 2016

Thegreenchilemonster said:
Good call on pruning back the non bearing branches. How much longer is your season?

Howdy, Dale. The funny thing is, some of the plants don't have any non-bearing
branches :confused:

I can't believe how many pods are still on the Habaneros, BJ hybrid,
7 Pot Burgundy brown, and PDN x Bonda that will never ripen. That's growing
in the Pacific NorthWest!

Our season is drawing to a close. Sun low in the sky, so lots of
shade in the garden, and the cool, rainy weather is really slowing things down.
Average low temps in Oct. here are around 43˚F, so nights are getting cooler,
too. I'd say I'll have all the plants pulled within a month.

Trident chilli · Oct 7, 2016

Intresting angle on the seed drying I might have to take that on board as I have so many seeds on the floor of the airing cupboard ... using a dehydrator how long would you leave the paper folds in for ensuring the seed remains viable ... thanks

PaulG · Oct 7, 2016

Trident chilli said:
Intresting angle on the seed drying I might have to take that on board as I have so many seeds on the floor of the airing cupboard ... using a dehydrator how long would you leave the paper folds in for ensuring the seed remains viable ... thanks

Hey, John. Last season I dried pods at 105-110˚F. It took *2-3 days.
I haven't tried the folded paper towels in the dryer before. They have been in two
days; I'll probably take them out this afternoon. My dryer seeds had better
germ rates than my air-dried seeds last time around.

*Depends on the humidity outside. Cooler and wetter increases the time
in the dryer.

charlesquik · Oct 7, 2016

PaulG said:
They have been the beasts of burden this
season, for sure. Thanks for dropping in,
GCM.

Pruned the non-bearing branches off some
of the plants, these Scorpions are an example:

IMG_3487.JPG

My dryer seems to be working right again. Have
been monitoring the temps at each tray level through
the day. Range is from about 110F below the lid to
about 100-105F just above the lower tray. Within
acceptable limits for drying so seeds are viable:

IMG_3485.JPG

Wrapped seeds go in bottom two trays:

IMG_3486.JPG

Didn't know you could dehydrate seeds! That must speed the process. You must be using the lowest temp setting right?

Nice greenhouse by the way! Did you buy it pre-made or you build it by yourself? Acrylic is kind of the best material for a greenhouse but $$$

I really like your yard configuration too

It look like you made your own safe Haven

Keep it up Paul!

PaulG · Oct 8, 2016

charlesquik said:
Didn't know you could dehydrate seeds! That must speed the process. You must be using the lowest temp setting right?

Nice greenhouse by the way! Did you buy it pre-made or you build it by yourself? Acrylic is kind of the best material for a greenhouse but $$$

I really like your yard configuration too It look like you made your own safe Haven

Keep it up Paul!

Thanks, friend. For a suburban back yard, it is pretty
private.

I didn't either, Charles. There was a little discussion
about it on the forum last year, so I thought I'd give
it a try. It seemed to me that 110˚F isn't much hotter
than the natural climate for lots of peppers, and their
seeds are viable, so it was worth a try. I was pleased
with the results.

The greenhouse is a $300 kit from Harbor Freight.
I think it's been the same price for the past 8-10 years!
I did order some new panels for the roof a couple of
seasons ago. It was the cheapest greenhouse kit
I could find.

charlesquik · Oct 8, 2016

Wow stuff like this
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ft-x-8-ft-greenhouse-47712.html

cost 900 bucks here
http://www.greenhousescanada.com/Hybrid-Clear-and-Twin-wall-6x8-Silver.html

A little too rich for me and that why I decided to build one myself.
Cost like 250$ all around for it

If I had chose at that price I would jump on it. Just buying polycarbonate panel would cost me more than 300$

I will definitely try the seed in my dehydrator.

Devv · Oct 8, 2016

Things are rounding out nicely Paul. Very interesting with the seed drying in the dehydrator

PaulG · Oct 9, 2016

charlesquik said:
Wow stuff like this
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ft-x-8-ft-greenhouse-47712.html

cost 900 bucks here
http://www.greenhousescanada.com/Hybrid-Clear-and-Twin-wall-6x8-Silver.html

A little too rich for me and that why I decided to build one myself.
Cost like 250$ all around for it

If I had chose at that price I would jump on it. Just buying polycarbonate panel would cost me more than 300$

I will definitely try the seed in my dehydrator.

Wow, that's expensive! You are probably
better off with a homemade one anyway!

Devv said:
Things are rounding out nicely Paul. Very interesting with the seed drying in the dehydrator

It has worked out pretty well. Just have to make sure the
seed tray temps stay at or below 110˚F,

I put it at the bottom of the pile and stack the other trays on top of it.

Glad to hear you are almost 100%, buddy! The early stages of middle
age are tricky to navigate :rofl:

OCD Chilehead · Oct 9, 2016

I was wondering in the Bonchi. Do you pull it out and trim the roots? I seen a program where they removed the plants and trimmed the roots. I'm thinking of potting my Chi-Chien in a bonsai pot.

PaulG · Oct 9, 2016

charlesquik said:
Wow stuff like this
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ft-x-8-ft-greenhouse-47712.html

cost 900 bucks here
http://www.greenhousescanada.com/Hybrid-Clear-and-Twin-wall-6x8-Silver.html

A little too rich for me and that why I decided to build one myself.
Cost like 250$ all around for it

If I had chose at that price I would jump on it. Just buying polycarbonate panel would cost me more than 300$

I will definitely try the seed in my dehydrator.

After looking at the $900 version, it looks
like a little better design than the one I
got from Harbor Freight. My feeling is
that you get what you pay for, but it was
hard to pass up a $300 greenhouse. I did
spend about $50 on the foundation frame
and gravel for the floor.

chileaddict · Oct 9, 2016

Hey Paul. I've got my chiles in the greenhouse now and they are loving it during this cold wet spell we have been having. The plants have never looked better all year and the pods are ripening (and flowering) like crazy. The greenhouse is a true life saver. I'm trying to decide if the Padrones would be better as a sauce or powder.

stickman · Oct 9, 2016

Glad to see you're still creeping forward with the last of this season Paul.

The Fat Lady has just about sung the last aria here. Nice to know that the Aji Amarillos are resistant to BLS. I finally took a page out of your book and got an Aerogarden for starting Pubes and Supers... this winter is the first time I'll use it. Do you prefer using the liquid nutes that come with it or mix up your own?

PaulG · Oct 9, 2016

chileaddict said:
Hey Paul. I've got my chiles in the greenhouse now and they are loving it during this cold wet spell we have been having. The plants have never looked better all year and the pods are ripening (and flowering) like crazy. The greenhouse is a true life saver. I'm trying to decide if the Padrones would be better as a sauce or powder.

Glad to hear that you have a good grow going,
Richard. A greenhouse is indeed a good item
to have in the PNW!

To my taste, the Padrones make great poppers,
or are really good deep-fried and salted with
beer. They also make an awesome powder,
great flavor and beautiful color. Not real hot,
but a great all-around chili-powder.

Have you taken any pics of your grow?

stickman said:
Glad to see you're still creeping forward with the last of this season Paul. The Fat Lady has just about sung the last aria here. Nice to know that the Aji Amarillos are resistant to BLS. I finally took a page out of your book and got an Aerogarden for starting Pubes and Supers... this winter is the first time I'll use it. Do you prefer using the liquid nutes that come with it or mix up your own?

Hey, buddy. Creeping is right. If we get a couple of nice
days, I'm hoping for a good pull of Red Habaneros, and
maybe some PDN x Bonda or BJ hybrids. A much slimmer
chance for the 7 Pot Burgundy brown, but I do see a little
color creeping into a few of the pods.

Congrats on your new equipment!

I'll use the aerogarden to start some seeds
for next season. I usually transplant as soon as they
have a few roots poking out of the plug. I just use their
nutes. Since I'm transplanting right away, the nute thing
isn't so important. I'll probably start a few supers in Jan.,
then Padrones and Tomatoes in March.

As an aside, I have discovered that the plugs do not
decompose in the dirt - I pulled a bunch from my pots
this Spring when prepping them for the season.

Good luck winding things down, Rick.