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Pulpiteer 2014 Grow log - Prepping for next year!

Finally, I will get this glog going for the season.  I'm excited for lots of gardening this year, and hopefully a better harvest year this year after our cold and slow start to summer in 2013.  I hope this winter is not an indication of how summer will go, as we are having one of the snowiest winters on record.
 
Here is the pepper garden on Christmas Eve.
 
snow.jpg


Now imagine it with another 2-3 feet of snow on it. I need to get another picture. It's ridiculous.

So, what do we do? We plan for the garden!

This year's pepper grow list is a bit trimmed down. The goal is 115-120 pepper plants. We'll see.

2014 Grow list
1. Red Rocoto - Tradewinds
2. Yellow Manzano - Hooda
3. Giant Mexican Rocoto - pepperlover
4. Golden Rocoto - pepperlover
5. Scotch Bonnet MoA - Steve954
6. Scotch Bonnet Montego Bay - Pic1
7. Scotch Bonnet TFM - Pic1
8. Tobago Scotch Bonnet Yellow - pepperlover
9. Tobago Scotch Bonnet Red - pepperlover
10. Tobago Seasoning - pepperlover
11(a). Bahamian Goat - Ajijoe
11(b). Bahamian Goat - Cappy via Pic1
12. Fatali - pepperlover
13. Bhut Jolokia Red - pepperlover
14. Bhut Jolokia Peach - Ajijoe
15. Bhut Jolokia White - pepperlover
16. Bhut Indian Carbon - Ajijoe
17. Jay's Peach Ghost Scorpion - Buckeye Pepper
18. 7 Pot Yellow - Buckeye Pepper
19. HP22B (Carolina Reaper) - Buckeye Pepper
20. Yellow CARDI Scorpion - Romy6
21. Bishop's Crown - Buckeye Pepper
22. Aji Lemon - Pepperlover
23. Trinidad Morova - Pepperlover
24. Harold St. Barts Habanero - Ajijoe
25. Tonga Orange Habanero - Ajijoe
26. Birgits Locoto - Tradewinds
27. White Hab (with stinger) - PaulG
28. Cherry Bomb - Tradewinds
29. Jalapeno - Pepperjoe
30. Mulato Isleno Pablano - Tradewinds
31. Bells - to be purchased
32. Chocolate Cherry - Ajijoe
33. Trinidad Scorpion Chocolate - Buckeye Pepper
34. Jimmy Nardello - pepperlover
35. Chinese 5 Color - Ajijoe
36. Royal Black - Ajijoe
37. Explosive Ignite - Ajijoe
38. Adjoema - Ajijoe
39. 7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow - pepperlover

The numbers are given to help with labeling. I first numbered some cups - and then put in a 2/3 strength chamomile tea solution. This combats dampening off, as the tea is an anti fungal. Here they are soaking:

soaking.jpg


I decided to go back to making my own seed mix again this year. Here are the ingredients:

ingredients.jpg


Doing my own mix will make a lighter soil to start the seeds because I have a heavier concentration of sphagnum peat moss.
Here is the recipe:
5 gallons sphagnum peat moss
3 gallons compost (I used 'Dairy Doo' - a local product)
10 Tbsp Happy Frog jump start fertilizer
about 10 Tbsp of a root fertilizer
about 10 Tbsp of the shrimp shell
1 gallons vermiculite
1 gallons perlite

Here I am with my girls, mixing dirt:

mix.jpg


I put them in 72 cells per tray this year. Smaller than last year, so I'll have to pot up sooner, but you can start more in a smaller area, so I'm pleased.
I also purchased a large heat mat that covers two trays, and a smaller one for one tray, as well as a thermostat. I want the consistent heat so I can get these started. Some of the pubescens were especially difficult last year and I wanted to change that.

setup.jpg


Seeds went in soil on January 31, at night after the kids were in bed. They've been in there about 10 days now and I'm doing pretty good. Here are some seedlings:

seedlings.jpg


After a couple of weeks I'll put germination rates up.

I have also had much better luck with my overwintered plants this year. I think I had to get rid of 3 plants, but that leaves me with 7 plants. I'm thrilled with that. Once again - Greg (Pic1) has a great step by step method for bringing them indoors. It's done well by me. Anyway, I have 2 manzanos, 2 red rocotos, and 3 chinense of some variety that I lost track of. Here is a picture:

ow.jpg


I'm planning quite a bit in regards to what I'll be growing. I live in a parsonage - which is a house provided by the church while I am at this church. In the Methodist system I could be moved any time, which sucks, but we don't tend to be moved as much as you military folk, usually. Anyway, the struggle is do I plant fruits and perennials knowing I could be moved? I have decided to go for it, and am filling up my little lawn. I used google maps to get a satellite shot of my yard, then traced over that picture in Illustrator, and it gave me a drawing to scale of the property so I could plan where to put stuff. Here it is:

grow-map-2.jpg


I've already ordered more stuff, but as you can see, I have or am putting in several different things, such as:
4 Currants
Autumn Olive
3 Kinds of Asian Pear
June Berry
Jerusalem artichoke
3 nanking Cherries
3 kinds of blueberries
Gooseberry
Horseradish
Hardy Kiwi
rhubarb
jostaberry
gogiberry
raspberries
and several herbs
as well as annuals

I'm trying to start some bearberry - which I've never done before. It needs to be scarified and cold stratified. Basically, you need to replicate what would happen in the north if the berry was eaten by a bear in the fall. So I scarred it with a nail file, put it in 180 degree water for 20 minutes, then put the seed in a freezer baggy and into the freezer for 2 months. Then I'll plant it and wait for 1-2 months. If this thing sprouts, I'll feel like a hero!

bearberry.jpg


Anyway, that's the sort of thing I'm messing around with. I've got more experiments and stuff I'll show along the way, as well as my companion planting I'll do. I want more flowers earlier in the year this year for beneficial insects. We'll see.

In closing - here I am with my younger daughter. It's our grumpy faces to scare away winter.

grumpy.jpg


Thanks for stopping by!
 
 
Thanks! Yeah, I'm lucky to have connected with a few folks who are willing to help.  My back was getting pretty good and I went out and threw some more mulch on tonight and now it's hurting again, but hopefully not as bad.  I'll know more tomorrow.  Once I get it straight, I've got to figure out some sort of exercise or something to keep me right.
 
My injury was just to the left of the Sacrum and the left "Glute" in 1985. All soft tissue. I was being captain indestructible...well I'm not ;)  Been in rehab twice for the back, the second injury was in 1987. Some clown plowed (T-boned) into the right side of a car I was test driving. First injury with poor treatment 6 weeks in bed; second 8 weeks off. But they were great they taught me how to treat myself.
 
For me, and I say for me because they work for me, they may not for you. I do 3 main things 5 days a week. Lay on my back and both knees bent, ankles pulled up close to the butt. Cross one knee over the other and just let the weight of the knee that's on top pull the other down. This is a "Glute" stretch. I hold for 20 seconds and then switch sides. I do 2 sets. Then I do butt flexes. Laying with legs straight out I contract the cheeks 50 times, just a quick squeeze and release.
 
These two exercises keep the soft tissue stretched, and the butt squeezes aid in blood flow, as well as a relax after the exercise.
 
The last thing I do is simple crunches. Knees bent, pulled up tight to the butt, hands under chin. Lift shoulders off the floor, I do 40 crunches. These strengthen the abs, and help stretch the back.
 
I do all the above 3 times starting over with the first stretch. So 3 x 2 sets of the stretches, 3 x butt squeezes = 150 total, 3 x crunches = 120. It takes me about 11 minutes to do this.
 
Another tip for soft tissue injuries, one stretches the associated area (the injury) and those above and below it, as they pull on each other. Take my word on that! When my back bothers me I add hamstring stretches to the routine.
 
I'm very tight muscled so I'm always stretching to stay pain free. When you start the exercises just do one, you don't want to go backwards, and start with less reps. You want to be able to add more as you go along without making things worse.
 
Hope this helps!
 
RocketMan said:
Forgot to mention how good those jams and jellies look. You should check out the Bacon Jam recipe so posted

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/50675-bacon-jam/

I think you might have some pods that will March up nicely with it :)
 
Wow, that does look amazing!  I'll have to try that one out.  Very creative recipe too.  I like it!
 
Devv said:
 
My injury was just to the left of the Sacrum and the left "Glute" in 1985. All soft tissue. I was being captain indestructible...well I'm not ;)  Been in rehab twice for the back, the second injury was in 1987. Some clown plowed (T-boned) into the right side of a car I was test driving. First injury with poor treatment 6 weeks in bed; second 8 weeks off. But they were great they taught me how to treat myself.
 
For me, and I say for me because they work for me, they may not for you. I do 3 main things 5 days a week. Lay on my back and both knees bent, ankles pulled up close to the butt. Cross one knee over the other and just let the weight of the knee that's on top pull the other down. This is a "Glute" stretch. I hold for 20 seconds and then switch sides. I do 2 sets. Then I do butt flexes. Laying with legs straight out I contract the cheeks 50 times, just a quick squeeze and release.
 
These two exercises keep the soft tissue stretched, and the butt squeezes aid in blood flow, as well as a relax after the exercise.
 
The last thing I do is simple crunches. Knees bent, pulled up tight to the butt, hands under chin. Lift shoulders off the floor, I do 40 crunches. These strengthen the abs, and help stretch the back.
 
I do all the above 3 times starting over with the first stretch. So 3 x 2 sets of the stretches, 3 x butt squeezes = 150 total, 3 x crunches = 120. It takes me about 11 minutes to do this.
 
Another tip for soft tissue injuries, one stretches the associated area (the injury) and those above and below it, as they pull on each other. Take my word on that! When my back bothers me I add hamstring stretches to the routine.
 
I'm very tight muscled so I'm always stretching to stay pain free. When you start the exercises just do one, you don't want to go backwards, and start with less reps. You want to be able to add more as you go along without making things worse.
 
Hope this helps!
 
My pain is currently in the same area, but it is a nerve thing - and I think something may not be alligned correctly in my hips.  Thanks for the exercises, I will probably give those a shot.  I've been doing the ones the chiropractor gave me as well.  Getting my hamstrings loose at all will be a challenge, but I think will be important.
 
Hey, andy, I can't believe I mossed (how about missed?) so much of your grow!  You did well all things considered.  
Your site is very cool, and the yard plantings are awesome.  You will be a pepper god again in
no time!  Let's get those pepper drafts going!
 
Pulpiteer said:
 
My pain is currently in the same area, but it is a nerve thing - and I think something may not be alligned correctly in my hips.  Thanks for the exercises, I will probably give those a shot.  I've been doing the ones the chiropractor gave me as well.  Getting my hamstrings loose at all will be a challenge, but I think will be important.
 If I don't keep up the stretch routine, I get the nerve pain in varying degrees. It's motivation ;)
 
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