Peter's 2014 Grow Log

I planted these seeds last night.  I soaked them in a diluted tea solution for a few hours.
 
7-pot Brainstrain - Red x 4
7-Pot Primo x 2
Brown Congo x 2
Jalepeno x 3
Naga Morich x 4
Peter Pepper x 2
Reaper x 4
Red Bhut x 4
Serrano x 3
Trinidad 7-pod Brainstrain - Yellow x 2
White Yucatan Habanero x 2
Yellow Jellybean x 4
 
Should be 36 plants total, but I planted 3 seeds for each one, will clip the smaller ones. One of the Serrano's bounced into the Peter Pepper tray. I think I got the right one back out, but they looked almost identical. So there might be a surprise later. 
 

 

 
I converted an old turtle tank for keeping the seeds warm. There is a heat pad underneath the tray. The light is an aquarium light used for growing aquatic plants. It's 2 t-5s, 6700K. I have it on now to generate more heat, and for the seedlings when they sprout. I have a 2ft, 4 bulb t-5 fixture that I'm going to setup next to this tank for when they get bigger.
 

 
The shot glass is a Naga Morich I'm growing for a facebook contest. 
 
This is my first year growing from seed. I grew a few pepper plants last year that I got from Lowes, as starters. 
 
I'm a little nervous hoping everything goes right. I know I'll check these constantly.

 

[Peter S]

The powder barrier seems to be helping so far. 

 
I see a bunch that have while perished trying to cross the white desert of doom.

 

[Peter S]

Here're updated photos of my peppers outside, from yesterday. I gave away five, so they all fit in these two boxes now. They're in the hardening off process, up to 3 hours sunlight. Hope to get those destined for containers done this week, and leave them out full time soon.
 
The one in the bottom left of this pic is a cucumber
 

 

 
Here're the same plants in their indoor setup.
 

 

 

 

[JJJessee]

Looking Good.
Won't be too much longer and they'll be ready for the ground.
Gotta be glad about that.

 

[Peter S]

I've been harding these off now for over a week, and put a bunch out this weekend. Here are 10 in 5-gallon buckets.
 

 
7 in front of this rock wall
 

 
And 20 in my pepper garden
 

 

[Peter S]

I've been slack updating my glog, but here are some of the plants in my garden area. I'll try to some pics of the others up soon.
 
Reaper
 

 
Yellow Jellybean
 

 
Peter Pepper
 

 
Serrano
 

 
Red Bhut
 

 
Naga Morich (little blurry)
 

 
Red Brainstrain
 

 
Yellow Brainstrain
 

 
Red Fatali
 

 

[JJJessee]

Looks mighty fine. They've taken to the ground quite well.

 

[Peter S]

Starting to see a few pods coming out, so far on the banana pepper, serrano, jalapeño, Mako and Red Fatali.
 
Banana
 

 
Mako akokɔsrade    Can't wait to try these
 

 
Red Fatali
 

 

[Swartmamba]

looking good.
 
never grown the mako, but i think ill add that for next year

 

[Peter S]

July 4th update!
 
Here are pictures and videos of my peppers as of today.
 
5-gallon bucket peppers. They are really small compared to everything else. I mixed up my own soil and must have gotten it wrong. Next year I might just invest in Fox Farm Ocean Forest or similar.
 

Pepper bed
 

 
http://youtu.be/HtnVmaBgv84
 
Garden peppers
 

 
http://youtu.be/b03cgw3LvE4

 

[JJJessee]

Looking good, Peter.
Momma Nature is a tough act to follow when it comes to dirt.
Fox Farms does give here a run for the money -for a price.
 
Is it possible some of that wood chip mulch is mixed down  into the soil itself?
That could cause the yellowing due to nitrogen lock-up or even pH-based nute lock-out.
Even poor drainage/ soil texture could yellow them.
 
I've gotten good to excellent results with every soil I've mixed since I started following Ganga Girl's  soil building techniques
The only ingredient that can be hard to find is the granite rock dust, the rest is easy, available, -and cheap too by Fox Farm standards.
 
And don't worry, cause I learned more from my mistakes last year(and wood chips was one of them), than my success this year.
Don't toss that soil at the end of the year, it can be fixed over the winter and made ready to rocknroll next spring using a GG blueprint.

 

[Peter S]

Thanks Jesse, yeah that soil has lots of wood mixed in. The ratio I used was a
4-5 parts shredded pine bark mulch
1 part peat
2 parts MG garden soil (had a big bag of it lying around)
1 Tbs dolomite garden lime per gallon
some perlite 
 
I read somewhere that the lime would help offset the ph from the mulch and peat. I never invested in a tester to check it though. I didn't consider other imbalances either. Some of my rock wall plants have that mixed in too, which probably explains why they aren't that great looking either. Needless to say, I'm not using that mix again. I'm going to look up the Ganga Girl recipe you're talking about and try it next year.  Do you know if there's anything I could add to what's there now to help them through this season?

 

[JJJessee]

Time may fix it the quickest. Some liquid fish 5-1-1 might be helpful.

 

[Peter S]

Long overdue update:
 
Peppers are doing great. I was looking through the older photos and am amazed at what is coming from the tiny sprouts I had. Here are a few pics and video from today.
 
Bucket peppers. These are still puny but they are putting out some pods. I really screwed up the soil mix on these, hopefully will get it dialed in next year. I've been adding some fish emulsion and Maxi-bloom, seems to be helping.
 

 

 
Rock wall peppers

Best for last, the garden. I'm glad I gave these guys 4 foot spacing, actually needed more.

Here are a few that I picked today
 

 
These were from a few days ago. I've made 3 large pots of chili and a pot of spicy African yam soup with my peppers so far. I've started drying and vacuum sealing some too.
 

 
 
Brown Congo starting to turn ripe. There is a bigger one with the rock wall plants.
 

 
 

 

[Peter S]

Another quick harvest pic. Under the brain are some Mako akokɔsrade, Red fatali, Naga Morich and a 7-pot Primo, and a Reaper.
 
 

 
I love how the Yellow Brain Strain looks.
 

 
I also picked a large Brown Congo, and I noticed some cracks and a hole. I haven't cut it open yet, not sure if something got into it. 
 

Not exactly related to my grow log, but wanted to share. Got a box a fresh peppers from Pepper Lover yesterday, Peach Bhuts and Reapers. They looked awesome. I dried a bunch of them already.
 

 

 

 

 

 
I did save a few to eat fresh, and take to work tomorrow. I just ate a Peach Bhut a few minutes ago, put slices on crackers with tomato and cheese. Was very good.
 

 

[rory]

Just read back over your glog, nice set up, well done. Really like the peppers against the rock wall. Will your weather permit you to keep the plants in the ground outside over winter?

 

[Peter S]

Just read back over your glog, nice set up, well done. Really like the peppers against the rock wall. Will your weather permit you to keep the plants in the ground outside over winter?

Thanks. Not sure how long I can keep them going through the winter. You gave me an idea though, maybe could put some plastic from the top of the wall down to in front of the plants. Might get them through the first few frosts at least, until it gets really cold. I can bring my bucket plants inside easy enough.

 

[Peter S]

Long overdue update, but here are some good harvest pics. Plants are doing well and lots of pods still ripening. I'm making good use of our dehydrator and vacuum sealer. 
 
Some dehydrating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter S]

First frost was last night. I've haven't been out to check them, but I covered everything up yesterday with tarps and trash bags, except for the bucket plants which I brought inside. Looks like we might get at least a couple more weeks of 70+ temps.

 

[Peter S]

Everything is pretty much harvested. I have some still hanging in the basement to ripen out. A few more harvest, misc pics...
 
Food stuff with peppers

 
Reaper brittle

 
Last two big pulls
 

 

 
My Aji Chuncho for Growndown Throwdown

 
Some Brown Congos
 

 
And the start of next growing season..., thanks Judy (Pepperlover)!
 

 
Here's a tentative working list of what I'm looking at for next year. I'm sure I will add a few here and there before starting them.
 
New seeds list (all from pepperlover so far)
Brown Moruga
Devil's Horn
Devil's Heart
Reaper
Mustard Moruga Scorpion
Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Yellow
White Fatalii
Hot Fingers
Sula Adana
Aji Habanero
Cumra Cherry
Hot Tomatoes
Farmer's Jalapeño
Bell of Lebannon
Cinnamon Bell
Sweet Cow Horn
Star of Turkey
Tekne Dolmasi
Mahasi
 
Seeds left over from last year that I'll probably grow again
Yellow Brainstrain
Red Bhut
7-Pot Primo
Naga Morich
Brown Congo
White Yucatan Habanero
Hot Banana
Large Thick Cayenne
 
I have a few that I'm over-wintering too.