Pulpiteer's grow log 2012

I thought I'd do a grow log this year, since I've enjoyed reading the ones that other folks do. I'm up in Michigan and last year was able to get the plants in the garden in mid-May, but that isn't a sure thing. I'm starting a bit early, but I want the plants to be a good size when I do get them in, so that I don't have to wait until later in the Fall to harvest. If we would've had an early frost last year, I would've been in trouble. The grow log puts a bit of pressure on. If this is a tremendous failure, then it'll be public. I've been gardening for awhile, and had great luck with my peppers last year, but I'm taking a giant step up this year, so we'll see.

Here is my grow list:
1. Douglah x4 Ajijoe
2. Scotch Bonnet (Y) x4 Pepperjoe.com
3. Cherry Bomb x4 Farmers market
4. Bhut Jolokia ® x4 Dshlogg
5. Trinidad Scorpion (Red)x6 Ajijoe
6. Trinidad Scropion (Peach) x6 Ajijoe
7. Chocolate Congo Habanero x6 Ajijoe
8. Caribbean Red Habanero x6 Ajijoe
9. Aji Pineapple x4 Ajijoe
10. Peach Bhut Jolokia x6 Ajijoe
11. Naga Morich x4 Dshlogg
12. Scotch Bonnet (Y)x8 Refining Fire
13. Jamaican Red Mushroom x8 Refining Fire
14. Jamaican Chocolate Habanero x8 Refining Fire
15. Thai Dragon x4 Dshlogg
16. 7 Pot (Yellow) x4 Masschilehead
17. Avery Island Tobasco x4 Masschilehead
18. Aji Limon x4 Dshlogg
19. Devil's Tongue x4 Dshlogg
20. Fatali x6 Totally Tomato
21. Red Rocoto x6 Totally Tomato
22. Scotch Bonnet (Red)x4 Hotstuff
23. Jalapeno x4 Dshlogg
24. Bell (various) x20 (I'll buy the plants in the spring)

This website has been tremendously helpful. After some contact with MJDiamond83, I ordered some CFL bulbs. They are 100 watt bulbs that put out the equivalent of 400 watts of light, 6500 on the light temperature, I believe. I get a shelving unit on sale last year from Lowes, some pvc this year from Menards and ordered some mylar emergency blankets off of Amazon (10 for $8) and put up a cheap frame that gives me two levels, with the CFL on top and some florescent strip lights on the bottom. With the lights on, it gets to about 84, and with them off its in the mid 70's. I hope that's enough to get the seeds to pop.

Here's a shot where you can see the three lights and the mylar around the three sides. For the front cover I just have a mylar sheet that drapes down and it's all basically enclosed.

Here's a shot of everything planted. For the most part I have at least two seeds in each cell, sometimes a few more than that. I figure I can cut down if I have too many that germinate.

 

[stc3248]

Andy! Lookin' great! I planted some of the "Yellow Scotch Bonnets" you showed above. They are not the real deal though. They're an annuum and I believe they're actually Jamaican Hot Yellows...good news is, they do turn yellow, and are quickly becoming some of my favorite peppers! Very prolific and the flavor is terrific. Somewhere between a Chinense and an Annuum.

Better news...I mailed you those Orange Manzano seeds. Didn't wanna take the time to dry them, so I mailed them in their original packaging. Should be there Friday!

Shaweeet! Didn't even plan that page topper!

 

[Pulpiteer]

Andy, your plants look like they're well on they way to providing some great harvests.
The Fatalii has that mean appearence................it's going to be a hot one.
And the Douglah's are starting to get that puckered, twisted, gnarly look to them.............nice

Greg

Thanks Greg - I love getting compliments from the Pro! I've heard those Fatalii's are hot, I've also heard they are tasty. And that douglah pic wasn't even the gnarliest looking one. I have been pleasantly surprised by my douglah plants. They've grown well and those pods are fun to watch come in. Eating them on the other hand... I'm a little scared.

Nice Andy. You will like the yellow 7 taste. I like your description of their appearance. Some of my first ones were not shaped properly but now the are getting the convoluted folds.

Thanks Pr0d! I checked them again tonight and they're also getting that small pimply/bumpy texture - really cool looking. It's amazing how many different shapes can come out of the same plant.

Fantastic pics, Andy! Your Thais are exploding with pods, can't wait to see how the plant looks when they turn color! Wicked looking true-to-form Fatalii, as well, those are one of my fave for flavor, with a nice bright C.Chinense taste that reminds me faintly of Bhut/Naga, but with a fruitier less-bubble-gum flavor, a little of the traditional Habanero flavor thrown into the mix, as well as a distinct sharpness to it that is awesome. Oh, and they are a most intense burn, but not sickening like the 7s/Nagas/Trinidads!

Great work, I'll be checking in as the updates are rolling!

Thanks Karl! Thanks for stopping in! I know you're a little bit behind me, way up there in the frozen north, but we'll all be getting some ripe pods soon! Good to hear from you!

Love the video and pics of your garden Andy. Everything is looking really healthy and I love all the volunteers. Sorry a little late reply but better than never

Thanks Jamie - I hope your back is feeling better - just glad to have you stop by! I'm not sure if I'll get much from the volunteers, or if they'll get too big and I'll have to cut them back. They keep the soil in the shade though, prevent some of the evaporation, and keep out weeds, so I'm glad to have them.

Andy! Lookin' great! I planted some of the "Yellow Scotch Bonnets" you showed above. They are not the real deal though. They're an annuum and I believe they're actually Jamaican Hot Yellows...good news is, they do turn yellow, and are quickly becoming some of my favorite peppers! Very prolific and the flavor is terrific. Somewhere between a Chinense and an Annuum.

Better news...I mailed you those Orange Manzano seeds. Didn't wanna take the time to dry them, so I mailed them in their original packaging. Should be there Friday!

Shaweeet! Didn't even plan that page topper!

Thanks Shane! Awesome, I look forward to getting them! Again, I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I liked those peppers when I found them at the market, so thank you! How do you tell the difference between the scotch bonnets and the Jamaican hot yellows? These were sent by Aji Joe who said they were Jamaican Scotch Bonnets with a true bonnet shape. I do have some Red Jamaican Mushrooms, that look similar (except red, of course) and some others labeled scotch bonnets that are not bonnet shaped at all (we'll see what those are when they ripen). I really want to get a real scotch bonnet grown - I tried to grow my first one several years ago and it was early in my gardening career and the seedlings got that dampening off stuff and died. I think I've tried twice since then and something different has happened each time.

I think you topped my page last time too... Interesting for someone who "didn't even plan" on it. Well played.

 

[stc3248]

Pod shape is almost identical on the Jamaican Hot Yellows and Jamaican Scotch Bonnets. Difference is the Hot Yellows are an Annuum. Looking at your pic you can see the large stem cap with "Teeth" or points on it. A Chinense is fairly smooth and very small where it attaches to the pod.
Here is a link to some pods that look the same as yours...
http://www.reimerseeds.com/jamaican-hot-yellow-%20peppers.aspx

The ones I have were also labeled Scotch Bonnet...some of them look just like yours, but some are more boxy...

Here's a link to a forum with several picks of the real deal.
http://c2cpeppers.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=chinense&action=print&thread=573

I have some going, but they were late starts and just starting to bud up. If I can keep them disease free and they turn out good, I'll send you some!

Hope you enjoy the Orange Manzanos I sent...and that they make it ok. When they ripen they'll shoot through a brief yellow before turning orange. They have the best flavor IMO. The Yellows are sweet, but not quite bold enough...the reds almost too overpowering, but the Orange is like Baby Bear's bowl or porridge, just right!

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Sweet mulch! and Sweet Fatalii! Looks like the real deal! Got it from totally tomato? Cool. Guess they got the real thing! Just look at those plants' leaves man, perfectly healthy.

Fantastic pics, Andy! Your Thais are exploding with pods, can't wait to see how the plant looks when they turn color! Wicked looking true-to-form Fatalii, as well, those are one of my fave for flavor, with a nice bright C.Chinense taste that reminds me faintly of Bhut/Naga, but with a fruitier less-bubble-gum flavor, a little of the traditional Habanero flavor thrown into the mix, as well as a distinct sharpness to it that is awesome. Oh, and they are a most intense burn, but not sickening like the 7s/Nagas/Trinidads!

Great work, I'll be checking in as the updates are rolling!

You got that right

 

[mjdiamond83]

Hey Andy, Just got done playing catch up. That orange thai plant (tree) you have going is unreal, that production is ridiculous!!!

 

[Beehunter]

Wow just aught up on your super pro looking grow. Havent seen it in a while and man your looking awesome. Stacking the pods on like crazy. 3 cheers for fatali!

 

[KiNGDeNNiZ]

andy... awesome glog... was hard to decide.. sleep or read your glog.. im glad i didnt sleep.. love the pepper draft.. will do that next year as i still have some extra seedlings....let me know how them jamaican scotch bonnets.. i have been on the hunt for legit JSBs... i have jamaican hot yellow and yellow mushrooms.. i have 1 TRUE JSB from smokemaster... still very small took over 50 days to be its size.. (1'"-long germ days) keep up the grow..

denniz

 

[Pulpiteer]

Pod shape is almost identical on the Jamaican Hot Yellows and Jamaican Scotch Bonnets. Difference is the Hot Yellows are an Annuum. Looking at your pic you can see the large stem cap with "Teeth" or points on it. A Chinense is fairly smooth and very small where it attaches to the pod.
Here is a link to some pods that look the same as yours...
http://www.reimersee...w- peppers.aspx

The ones I have were also labeled Scotch Bonnet...some of them look just like yours, but some are more boxy...

Here's a link to a forum with several picks of the real deal.
http://c2cpeppers.pr...rint&thread=573

I have some going, but they were late starts and just starting to bud up. If I can keep them disease free and they turn out good, I'll send you some!

Hope you enjoy the Orange Manzanos I sent...and that they make it ok. When they ripen they'll shoot through a brief yellow before turning orange. They have the best flavor IMO. The Yellows are sweet, but not quite bold enough...the reds almost too overpowering, but the Orange is like Baby Bear's bowl or porridge, just right!

Ahh... so you've sent me off on a wild Scotch Bonnet hunt. I vaguely remembered a thread here on the THP and found it about real Scotch Bonnets, but am still somewhat confused. It's not helpful that there are so many things called "Scotch Bonnets". I think I understand why the one I pictured would be an annuum, with the thicker stem and cap. I've got some others in the garden labeled "scotch bonnets" that look promising in regards to being chinenses, so we'll see. I'm going to keep trying. I really want to grow a scotch bonnet and try one, ugh...

Sweet mulch! and Sweet Fatalii! Looks like the real deal! Got it from totally tomato? Cool. Guess they got the real thing! Just look at those plants' leaves man, perfectly healthy.


You got that right

Hey thanks! and thanks for stopping by. Looks like you got some sweet mulch as well! I also got my Red Rocotos from Totally Tomato and they're looking good too. They have a nice catalog. I hadn't heard of them until this year.

Hey Andy, Just got done playing catch up. That orange thai plant (tree) you have going is unreal, that production is ridiculous!!!

Thanks for stopping by! I had an orange thai yesterday and was surprised by the heat from that little bugger. I'm in trouble. It's a cool plant and has put out a ton of pods.

Wow just aught up on your super pro looking grow. Havent seen it in a while and man your looking awesome. Stacking the pods on like crazy. 3 cheers for fatali!

Thanks Brit! They'll be ripening soon and I'll be up to my ears in pods, I think. I have to make a plan as to what to do with them all.

andy... awesome glog... was hard to decide.. sleep or read your glog.. im glad i didnt sleep.. love the pepper draft.. will do that next year as i still have some extra seedlings....let me know how them jamaican scotch bonnets.. i have been on the hunt for legit JSBs... i have jamaican hot yellow and yellow mushrooms.. i have 1 TRUE JSB from smokemaster... still very small took over 50 days to be its size.. (1'"-long germ days) keep up the grow..

denniz

Thanks for stopping by Denniz! The pepper draft was a ton of fun, plus it got some guys gardening that haven't before and it's been fun to keep up with all of them and see how their peppers are doing. I'm not sure I have a JSB, but I may have another type of SB, we'll see. It has felt like a hunt for me as well. Good luck with yours!

 

[Pulpiteer]

Ok, I have a lot to update and a lot of pics, so here I go.

First off, last week we had what I think was a tornado go through town. Right next to us a guys barn roof was peeled off and placed on a power line. We lost some branches, but other than being without power for a day we came out ok. The garden survived. The tomatoes were bent over and I've been out staking them. I think they'll be ok - and they got really whipped around. I lost most of one pepper plant - a chocolate habanero snapped right off. It left another branch though, so I'm thinking it will fill right out and be fine, but it'll be set way back as far as producing pods.

On Friday I received a wonderful package in the mail from Shane. He said he'd send me some orange manzano seeds, and he was kind enough to wrap them in orange manzanos. Plus he also sent along some powder! Awesome and thank you! I went to work and used most of the manzanos to make a pico de gallo. Ummmm manzanos...
Here's the ingredients along with the powders Shane sent.

and the finished product

Some garden shots:
Full garden

The pepper garden

Tomato garden - getting nice and jungle-ly

A flower from a yellow Brandywine tomato

Some volunteer corn that must've come in with my fertilizer last fall

Finally, my son really wanted to do a pepper taste video with the pepper that he planted this year - a chocolate cherry sweet pepper. So here's what ended up being a kind of family review. Not too informative, but fun.

I've got pod pics I'll post in a bit when I can do another post or get a bump.

 

[romy6]

Bump my man. Garden is getting huge and gotta love those manzano's. I too was bleseed to have Shane send me some yellow and red.

Now I will watch the video


Well for tasting like Chocolate I don't think Eli liked it to much

Looks like that scotch bonnet was a good one

I think your daughter is the next chilihead in the family. My kids won't even bite into a bell pepper .

 

[Pulpiteer]

Thanks Jamie!

Now for some pod pics!

First, here is a cow's horn cayenne from Pepper Joe that's starting to ripen

Next up, a 7 Pot Jonah that is getting pretty large from Aji Joe

Here are two pics of two different Yellow 7 Pots from seed from masschilehead - I'm loving how these pods are turning out

Next up, Brain Strain from pepperlover.com - looking good. I'm scared.

Followed by a Bishop's Crown, also from Judy at pepperlover

Here is a Harold St. Bart's Habanero from Aji Joe, I've heard these are wonderful tasting, so I'm very curious

Another hab, this time a Spicy Mustard Hab from Pepper Joe's

Here are two Peach Bhuts growing side by side - from Aji Joe

And finally, a Peach Scorp also from Aji Joe

Alright - things are going great in the garden - hope you enjoyed the pod pics. Won't be too long, I suppose, before I have tons of ripe ones. Thanks for checking out my glog!

Bump my man. Garden is getting huge and gotta love those manzano's. I too was bleseed to have Shane send me some yellow and red.

Now I will watch the video


Well for tasting like Chocolate I don't think Eli liked it to much

Looks like that scotch bonnet was a good one

I think your daughter is the next chilihead in the family. My kids won't even bite into a bell pepper .

Yeah the look on his face after he bit into the pepper was pretty funny, and saying it tasted chocolatey was funny too. I think it'll grow on him eventually, but yeah, it wasn't what he expected, which made it pretty funny. My youngest was upset she didn't get to bite into one on camera. They loved doing the video and it's a riot to watch it with them now on the computer.

 

[Lando]

huge pods on the yellow 7 and Brain excellent

 

[stc3248]

Bummer about the storm and Chocolate Hab, but I'll bet it comes back in time! You've got more than enough amazing plants and pods to make up for it! Can't watch the vid at work, so will try to watch it when I get home.

 

[MGOLD86]

BEST. REVIEW. EVER.

"Tastes like Chocolate". I want that pepper! You are holding out on us Andy....

But it looks like the little forest you got out there is out of control. It is amazing how quickly they go from eh to OH! Love the pod shots and by the looks of it we are in the same boat. It won't be long before you are gonna be knee deep in harvests.

 

[Pulpiteer]

huge pods on the yellow 7 and Brain excellent

Thanks - they look awesome. I'm afraid of how they're going to hurt.

Bummer about the storm and Chocolate Hab, but I'll bet it comes back in time! You've got more than enough amazing plants and pods to make up for it! Can't watch the vid at work, so will try to watch it when I get home.

Thanks Shane - yeah I don't think I'll be running short of heat. So, I tried some of your manzano powder tonight on my spaghetti. Wow. Amazing! Very well done, a great taste and it went perfect with my pasta. I love it! Thanks! One of my favorite powders ever, for sure!

BEST. REVIEW. EVER.

"Tastes like Chocolate". I want that pepper! You are holding out on us Andy....

But it looks like the little forest you got out there is out of control. It is amazing how quickly they go from eh to OH! Love the pod shots and by the looks of it we are in the same boat. It won't be long before you are gonna be knee deep in harvests.

Yep, we've been doing to genetic engineering over here in the pepper patch. Not only does it taste like chocolate, but it has the nutritional value of a pepper.
The garden has gone nuts. I looked back at a shot I had of the garden at the end of May and compared it to today, and wow. Can't believe how far its come. Once those roots take hold and the weather warms up they just take off. It's fun to watch and what has kept me loving gardening for several years. I am going to be in over my head with pods.

 

[Pr0digal_son]

Things are bushing out. Going to be interesting harvesting all that heat. Let the bishops crown get super ripe,the heat and flavor get way better. I have been eating a ton of those things. Very large plant.

 

[Sethsquatch]

Looking great man! Gonna have some color in a couple weeks I bet! Shane has a real winner with that powder, too! Glad he's spreading it around! Ha, next year we'll all be growing the Shane-zano!

 

[Spicegeist]

Here is a Harold St. Bart's Habanero from Aji Joe, I've heard these are wonderful tasting, so I'm very curious

Almost added this to my grow this year, but resisted the temptation. I'll be curious to hear how you find the taste...

 

[Beehunter]

Sweet update! That vid was classic! There is nothing as or cool as kids wantin to be like dad All your pods look great but im really loving the peach bhut shot. I just thing they are super cool. i wanna know what they taste like! Peaches?

 

[stc3248]

Giving up top of the next page by posting here...oh well! Finally got to watch the vid. Very fun stuff! My Jamaican Hot Yellow looks very similar to your Red "Mushrooms" and is REAL hot too! Definitely and Annuum, but you can taste some Chinense in the blood lines. Great peppers. Some of them are really good size too. Will be fun stuffers at a BBQ or great to add to food or salsas. Glad the whole fam is having fun with your grow...wish I could keep mine more interested. Can't wait for the next vid!
Shane

Let's see it I can still get a page topper!

Nope! Darn...will have to give it up.