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PeriPeri's Grow Log 2012: South Africa

Hi All,

So I'll give it another try this year. God knows I love chillies and I would love nothing more than to have a bumper harvest... but I suspect the truth of the matter is I do not have green fingers. In fact, give me a chilli and I will be pretty guaranteed to kill it lol That's not negativity talking, that's reality based on last years experiences lol

Last year it was pots. This year its a farm east of Pretoria, here in South Africa. My reasoning for this madness is pretty much like a hunter hunting with a machine gun... out of the thousand seedlings I plant... I must walk away with something lol (I hope).

So I have a pice of land. Good soil down by a river in the african sun.

The planting area has been divided into two sections. An enclosed area (±40mx40m) with shade netting and an open area (±40mx40m). Water is limited, but there is borehole water.

Outside Area:
outside.jpg


Inside Area:
inside.jpg


Temps this time of the year are in the mid to high 30ºC. It's the rainy season, so there is rain and it comes in buckets and hail-stones!

So here are the pics I took of the inside and outside areas Saturday 6/10/2012. It was 37ºC that day. I have a video as well which I took last Sunday when I started the planting (to come). Luckily we have a cold front at the moment, so since monday it has been overcast, cool and we have rain (magic). I think its about 23/25ºC at the moment. I planted on Sunday (36ºC) early morning (24/25ºC) and late afternoon and pretty much watered for the rest of the day. Didn't look like rain at all... but it's here and could not have come at a better time really!

As you can see I have laid out the beds in rows. Planting is at 45-60cm intervals. I am doing a little experiment also with double planting and single planting. I suspect the yield will be lower with the bushes that have been double planted... but who knows. A different climate... maybe results will show different.

On the grow list:

Bishops Crown
PeriPeri (naturally)
Hotazel
Hot Pixie
Thaibo
Thai Dragon
Baby Belle
Cal Wonder
Yellow Scorpions
ButchT
Black Pearl
Naga Viper
White Hab
Orange Hab
Brown Hab
Red Hab
Big Jim
Long Thai
Cayenne
Cheyenne
Jalapeno
Carolina Reaper
Serrano
Pasilla Bajio
7 Pod
Bhut Jolokia
Naga King
Scotch Bonnet
Hungarian Sweet Wax
Cherry Bomb
Boriya Mirch
Brain Strain
Ring of Fire

Still to come...

Angkor Sunrise
Devils Tongue White
Barrakpore
Douglah
Jonah
JonahxButchT
Primo
Naga Morich
Infinity
Goronong
Devils Tongue Choc
Hab Choc

One or two other... but I can't remember.

First lot I planted on Sunday 7/10/2012.... details will follow...

Over and out for now!

PeriPeri
 
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Jamison man! How goes it my friend? Been busy pleasing the pepper gods here. Glad to hear you are enjoying the glog. A little disheartened here because its all coming to an end and I am finding less and less to photograph. But I will get into sauce making from here... so there will be loads of pics of that to come!
 
We have found your dirty little secret... Orange Habs. He he he

Shhhhhhhh! I have some too! Not my fav, but much, much better than the store stuff. Since I am new to the flavors found in non commercial peppers this year's mission is taste & explore.

Sorry to hear your boss is such a bastard. LOL

Thanks for the pod porn.

Michelle
 
Damn, i just got caught up, and all i can say is....damn.

Those are some beautiful looking plants, and more pods than i could ever figure out what to do with. Just perfect!
 
Chaosbites said:
We have found your dirty little secret... Orange Habs. He he he

Shhhhhhhh! I have some too! Not my fav, but much, much better than the store stuff. Since I am new to the flavors found in non commercial peppers this year's mission is taste & explore.

Sorry to hear your boss is such a bastard. LOL

Thanks for the pod porn.

Michelle
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lol thanks Michelle! You got me there... I have a whole stash of those orange habs in my fridge lol Now the Peach Habanero is just DNA strand removed... how come it tastes so good and that Orange doesn't? It has to lie in the colour :)

scratchzilla said:
Damn, i just got caught up, and all i can say is....damn.

Those are some beautiful looking plants, and more pods than i could ever figure out what to do with. Just perfect!
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Dammit! lol Thanks Scratchzilla... time to knuckle down with your favourite bevvy and do some reading. It's been a busy season here in Africa :) Making my Yellow sauce at the mo.... thats Fatalii, Orange - Golden - Peach Habas & Datils... that is some fine looking sauce man! Got a bit of sizzle to it as well ;)

GA Growhead said:
Damn Lourens! Your plants still looking killer! Awesome update.
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lol... thank you! I think a few more weekends and we will be done here for the season - yay! lol
 
Wow, quite a harvest!

Cheers to your hard work this year!

And now cuz I can't resist:

For instance I don't sleep on a nail bed or use sand paper for my toilet paper.
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What about bhut-wipe?

Sorry,...yuk yuk.
 
lol good one. I once cam up with Haba Bhut Day for a mate of mine. We should see how many we can come up with hehe

hmmm

Our Fatalii, which art Facing Heaven
Hallowed be thy capsaicin
Thy will be eaten, in the home as it is in the restaurant.
Forgive us this day our daily pod porn
As we forgive those who pod porn us
And lead us not into drinking milk
And deliver us from indigestion
For thine is the pod, the capsaicin and the burn, forever and ever,
Pepto-bismol
 
lol Hello Rui... I am going into a wintry slumber... it's you guy's turn now lol

I will be going to the farm this weekend... so updates will follow! Weather here has become quite wintry. 19ºC here today... brrrrrr - you must know that is blooming freezing for us here. Our homes are built to keep the heat out - not in lol!

How are the Fatalii's & PeriPeri's coming along?

Oh... I have been designing my logo.... I have decided to go with Chillihead... seems kind of apt ;)

comingsoon.png

I'm hoping you guys will like it... cause I ain't changing it :stop:
 
Lourens I love your logo, truely looks and protrays gourmet IMHO. I'm sure you'll be posting some farm pics after this next visit but if you run out of plant/pods pictures, I'd love to see your finished products, naming, etc. While I've been naming my stuff at home for years, I'll never go commecial, well I think not, hehehe. Your glog's not over mon, it's just changed direction and thanks for showing your logo mon, great luck with it all!
 
WalkGood said:
Lourens I love your logo, truely looks and protrays gourmet IMHO. I'm sure you'll be posting some farm pics after this next visit but if you run out of plant/pods pictures, I'd love to see your finished products, naming, etc. While I've been naming my stuff at home for years, I'll never go commecial, well I think not, hehehe. Your glog's not over mon, it's just changed direction and thanks for showing your logo mon, great luck with it all!
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Hello Ramon! Thank you for popping in... I am curious to see how the farm is doing myself, now that the weather has really gotten a lot milder. But I will make a point of taking pics for sure.

Thank you for your feedback on the logo, It's good to hear your feedback as I know you have all been through this process already. Whether there will be any sauce worth bottling or not is another story lol... if I can read enough info on making sauce and get enough advice from you all! Daunting!
 
PeriPeri said:
Hello Ramon! Thank you for popping in... I am curious to see how the farm is doing myself, now that the weather has really gotten a lot milder. But I will make a point of taking pics for sure.
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That will be nice to see ^_^ I hope you OW’d your favorite plants.

PeriPeri said:
Thank you for your feedback on the logo, It's good to hear your feedback as I know you have all been through this process already. Whether there will be any sauce worth bottling or not is another story lol... if I can read enough info on making sauce and get enough advice from you all! Daunting!
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I’ve not been through that process and don’t think I will. That said, I have 5 great names and 2 logos that I have designed myself but don’t share outside the family as I’d hate to see someone run with what I worked on. That said, I’ll never be in the sauce business, it’s way too competitive here, heck there’s dedicated sauce stores here in town that carry hundreds of brands and I bet there are numerous that don't move/sell. Will I be in a related business someday, IDK but it would be fun as I love peppers! Great luck and success in your venture, if you want a written review feel free to send me a small test vile and I'd post like I did for the powder reviews I wrote.

On another note, I would seriously consider making powders if I were in your shoes, will all those pods you should be able to make pounds and there is so much you can do with it. Take care, have a great weekend and looking forward to seeing your pics mi African brethren ^_^
 
Hi Ramon. Thank you for the tips. Would love to know more about your sauces... but I guess you'd have to kill me first hey? lol I bet they are incredible!

I would like to make powder. I think what I harvest this weekend may well go towards that.

I will also be making my salsa this weekend, which went down an absolute treat last season. Simple, extremely hot and just plain good and simple.

As for the sauce I envisage this season is to keep it simple and blend a mix of all chillies of the season. Excluding dark and brown chillies ofcourse. From those I will try and make another type of sauce.

I will aslo be taking a few plants for overwintering. Which to choose and which to leave behind.... there are so many to choose from, it will be very difficult!

:) Enjoy the spring weather in your neck of the woods!
 
I like the logo. How are you going to market, online, brick-and-mortar? I've been thinking more about the other thing we were talking about. I'll PM you for further discussion once I've got a coherent concept.
 
Sawyer said:
I like the logo. How are you going to market, online, brick-and-mortar? I've been thinking more about the other thing we were talking about. I'll PM you for further discussion once I've got a coherent concept.
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Hey Sawyer, thanks. I am busy finalising my online shop. Sauce will go on there for sure... not sure how I am going to market online yet. I have a local fruit shop that I know will stock my sauce... or we have a local produce market - get people trying the sauce.

Yes, definately worth continuing that conversation! PM me!
 
Hey guys...

Ok, you wanted images... well technically this is a whole load of images in sequence lol

The Naga King Jolokia... may absolute favorite favorite chilli. In my books this can not be beat. Its blisteringly hot and the flavours just keep on going. Also love the gradual build and the burn that just goes on for ever and a day. These seeds should be absolutely on everyones grow list. Plant is a good grower, lots of yield... I just can not fault this plant and its produce one bit.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6b_ivu2lO8&feature=youtu.be
 
It's all good Lourens... lovin' the logo and the most recent taste test. You've definitely got me wanting to grow the Naga King Jalokia next year for sauces and powders! Do you know if there's much of a difference in taste between fresh and dried?
 
Hey Stickman! I have never tried the Naga King J. dried... but I can imagine this one would be brilliant for drying... I can't rave enough about this one!

I have been so busy with my work work (as I call it) I have not been very active with the chillies or the forum... must check out what is happening on your glog... I have my "Uisge" and going to settle down for some pod porn tonight :D
 
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