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PIC 1's............Pod-ography.............2013

  Good Eve-ning, and Welcome to my bog...glog !

Hey folks sorry for the late glog-up I'm a month behind last years startup,...... :rolleyes: ...... I still have 12+ weeks (plenty of time) before I can start think about hardening off the plants outdoors.

First off I'd like to give a shout out to those who followed my grow last season. Thanks for all the comments, thoughts and ideas. The chuckles we shared......there were some good laughs...(and especially all the criticisms........ :liar: .......hah)

To those who are new, I try to follow a "weekend update" format with photos and captions. Although if anyone has questions or replies that needs and answer or response I'll get back during the week. I hope to keep this interesting and entertaining...

and away we go!


Garden Rewind


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Here's my 1st garden (1986)...it was modest but what we grew we used in our kitchen. I had a couple of dual bulb 4ft T12 fixtures in my basement. A couple grow-lux and daylight color temp bulbs. The indoor grow was far superior to the vegetable starts sold at the local nurseries.
My Italian neighbor couldn't understand why his bell pepper starts only had flowers while mine had golfball size peppers very early in the season.....The hot varieties I grew back then were the cayennes, orange habaneros, and a few different type or thai-birds. Things have changed but I still grow those varities.

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Here's a shot from last season. I grew around 150+ pepper plants in two different sections of the garden. Plants were grown in raised beds and containers from 5 gal up to 20 gal

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A typical weekend harvest shot from later in the season when the gardens at full swing.

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This is one of my seed catalogs, the c.chinense....the seeds that invade our gardens every year...
This book and other seed catalogs are kept in a tupperware container container on a shelve in the corner of the basement.
No elaborate system needed, The seeds are kept in 1.5" zip backs. I have seeds that are as far back as 2007, and still germinating without a hitch....theres no need to pitch. Speaking of pitching theres some old baseball card to display the size of the pages used.

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These are what I use to get the seeds on their way. I take 1/4 bag of each, mix that into a 5 gal bucket and moisten with water. The spagnum peat give fluff to the texture also helps indicate when the mix need to be re-moistened but the lighter color it displays. The vermiclite helps with water retension while letting the air and moisture through. The seed starting mix also has fine grain perlite to keep drainage and airflow moving.

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Ha..........I knew this chop stick would come in handy someday. Once the seed medium is moistened I'll make a hole with the stick 1/4" down .
The seeds will be planted at the same depth. That helps when misting the top with water. Seeds that are planted too high may dry out or seeds planted to deep may rot.

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I use two 2ft x 4ft germinating mats. Enough area to warm 8 seed flats at once...

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I don't bother with a thermostat for the mats. I run them through a timer, 2 hrs on, 1 hr off...continous. The average temp of the soil stays at +/-85 deg

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This is the main grow room. I built the 2 tier shelving units 8ft long x 2ft wide. 8 flats fit underneath the lighting units. Here we have four narrow spaced T8 4 bulb fixtures with 6500k bulbs and one 8ft TF twin bulb tight spaced fixture with 4100k bulbs. I have 4 identical systems in the room with an addition of three 400w mh fixtures with 7200k lamps. The room has 2- 20a dedicated circuits and 1-15a to split the current draw..

more photos in a few minutes....thanks for looking!
PIC 1's......Pod Pornage.............2012

















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PIC1 - wow! so neat and tidy and everything looks great ... very impressive!
 
KD - those pods look identical to the mustard habanero that I grow ...
 
Holy Garden God Greg! Simply amazing. As far as updates go, this is definitely in my top 5! Keep up the great work, I can't wait to watch everything just consume your space. Also, thanks a ton for the 'What to do with red Hab' post. I can't wait to give it a shot an bit later in the season!
 
Awesome update. Love how you have utilized the space, with multiple grow areas, and pots stuck in the flower beds. You could do a home & garden spread with such a lush setting!
Plants are beautiful! Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed this update. Won't be long and we are will be covered in pods!
 
Greg, your updates are (insert superlatives here)!!! Seriously, You and Jeff have the best Northern grows, and I'm learning a lot checking y'all out. I'm lovin' the pizza too! Has anybody that's tried one of your pies asked you where you get your pepperoni? ;)
 
KiNGDeNNiZ said:
Is it easy to graft maters ?! Just grow a NON heirloom mater. Cut at the base then attach heirloom with tape to graft ?! And that's all?!

What do u mean air layering peppers. ?! You can do that with peppers too?! Do you had to skin it first to expose ? And then add rooting hormone ?!

I love air layering maters. You get roots and also have it grow at the same time.


The is a bad shot but I got this to work. ( my first time )

Very nice updates. Greg. Very nice legion of peppers. In a couple months you'll be updating that pepper wallpaper in you're desktop.


Suppose to be FDA bonnets. First pod had four lobes. But fell shortly after. Now the pods are like this. Is it still FDA?

 
Yes it's easy to graft tomatoes, just find the right root stock and slice your own scion........mucho info on the net
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Air layer a pepper plant as you would any other plant.......roots appear in a few weeks
 
That does not look like an FDA. Neither the leaves nor the pods. Did I send you any Nagabons ? Sure looks like that one. Mustard habs are twisted but fatter.
 
grantmichaels said:
PIC1 - wow! so neat and tidy and everything looks great ... very impressive!
 
KD - those pods look identical to the mustard habanero that I grow ...
Thanks Grant,
I have to start out with a game plan or the garden can get out of hand. I still need to get to some weeding in and around the flower beds.

MGOLD86 said:
Holy Garden God Greg! Simply amazing. As far as updates go, this is definitely in my top 5! Keep up the great work, I can't wait to watch everything just consume your space. Also, thanks a ton for the 'What to do with red Hab' post. I can't wait to give it a shot an bit later in the season!
Hey Matt,
Thanks for putting the shovel down and stopping by.
 
Likewise, I'm looking forward to seeing the plants grow and pod up. 
 
Have fun with your garden, its not even June yet, you'll end up with some monsters in the plot.

GA Growhead said:
Awesome update. Love how you have utilized the space, with multiple grow areas, and pots stuck in the flower beds. You could do a home & garden spread with such a lush setting!
Plants are beautiful! Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed this update. Won't be long and we are will be covered in pods!
 
Thanks man,
I cut back a bit this year with the pots on the pavers, but scattered them around the property instead. My wife is happy and so am I. The grow goes on !
 
Now that the plants are in the updates will be easier with the photos.
 
Funny you should mention H&G........
stickman said:
Greg, your updates are (insert superlatives here)!!! Seriously, You and Jeff have the best Northern grows, and I'm learning a lot checking y'all out. I'm lovin' the pizza too! Has anybody that's tried one of your pies asked you where you get your pepperoni? ;)
Thanks Rick,
I appreciate the comment . .... :cool:
Jeff is the pro up North, hands down, and very meticulous in his way about things. Man, I wish I had a portion of that size land to play with.
 
The pizza hit the spot, as far as the pepperoni....there's numerous Italian "mom and pop" grocery stores that sell the hard cured pep which won't slice but tear when using the Hobart. Then you have the large deli size pep which is too big. The uncured "pizza" size is readily available . That's the one I use, it's a bit oily but that adds to the flav.....thanks for checking this out
 
grantmichaels said:
PIC1 - wow! so neat and tidy and everything looks great ... very impressive!
 
KD - those pods look identical to the mustard habanero that I grow ...
cant be mustard habs ... the first pod of this plant was bonnet shaped and all.. 4 lobes.... strange but true...
 
Looking good G! This is the kind of update that will have my boss breathing down my neck. Looks like you didn't pair up plants as much as much as last season? I see a lot of solos and only a few grouped tubs. The tomato project is really cool also!

Mother Nature has been at her bi-polar best this season. I managed to get a few pots and inground plants in this week but still have a ton of work to go. Would love for some of that rain to make it here. I would put money on another frost before that though. Enjoy your weekend Greg. Pepperology is right around the corner.
 
RocketMan said:
Dang Greg, you just amaze me what you can do with your space. Looking really good but what does the front look like  :rofl:
Ha...the front of looks normal, but I almost ran a border of compact ornamentals. Just didn't have enough room indoors to start them.
Pr0digal_son said:
Looking good G! This is the kind of update that will have my boss breathing down my neck. Looks like you didn't pair up plants as much as much as last season? I see a lot of solos and only a few grouped tubs. The tomato project is really cool also!

Mother Nature has been at her bi-polar best this season. I managed to get a few pots and inground plants in this week but still have a ton of work to go. Would love for some of that rain to make it here. I would put money on another frost before that though. Enjoy your weekend Greg. Pepperology is right around the corner.
P-Son, You're right I went solo with the majority of the plants. After looking at the rootballs in the containers last year I decided to grow individual superhots to give each plant more room. Less plants this year (200) but the harvest should be comparable to the past few seasons ...providing no crop failure.

Rain,Rain,...you say. Take out the lawnmower or wash the car. We've had enough for awhile. Although I'll be on vacation for a week in a week and I bet when I'm gone it will be in the 90's and no rain.

Yep, pepperology at the bar on Thursdays will be starting up soon...I dread Friday mornings...
 
a little something to start the week......better than looking at a bunch of traffic!
 
 
 
 
"Heads Up"......Here's some Jamaican Yellows (annuum)
 

 
The 1st "Fish" pepper, the plant must have thrown all its energy into this one cause its hooked...
 

 
Maui Purple
 

 
Jamaican Red Hab #3
 

 
Hilte Fatalii
 

 
"Fat Red'  Habanero
 

 
Guatemalen Chiltepin
 

 
Yellow 7 x Chocolate Bhut Jolokia
 

 
Chocolate Bhut Jolokia
 
bump...
 
 
 
tanx...
 

 
Yellow Brain
 

 
Yellow Scotch Bonnet x Congo
 

 
XL Caribbean
 

 
St Martin Yellow Hab
 

 
Tobago Faria Scotch Bonnet
 

 
Yellow Scotch Bonnet x Yellow Brain
 

 
Douglah
 

 
Indian Carbon
 

 
Yellow 7 x Bhut Jolokia
 
bump...
 
tanks...
 
 

 
 
Not Satan's Mourga
 

 
  Congo x 7 Pot  
    
 
 Jamaican Scotch Bonnet ( Peppermania) 
  
 

 
Naga Viper
 

 
Cardi Yellow x Red Bhut Jolokia
 

 
Primo (JungleRain)
 

 
Fatalii
 

 
Jamaican Red Hab #2
 

 
Jamaican Yellow Scotch Bonnet (Ocho Rios)
 

 
Bahamian Goat
 
more photos, a little later....in the day
 
 
 
Those plants are framing out for some major production! Have a fun and safe trip. Always nice to get away from the plants and see what a week or two of growth really looks like. Seems like they don't budge when you look at them daily.
 
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