OK, so last year was my first full grow season using seedlings from a garden centre (grown in pots) which had mixed results. Did you usual over-watered, over-fertilised, over-cared approach and experimented with soil mixes from too heavy to too light, had to battle fungus gnats on mass, a black fungus that wiped out a few plants and a swarm of aphids at the end of the season too... BUT still got a few pods to try that cant be bought from the local supermarkets, so was not all bad and I think learned a lot for this year.
This season I'm trying to grow from seed. A big shout out and many thanks Micca (THP member), who sent me a very generous seed pack. Really blew my mind how many varieties he sent me.
To trial run the heated mini-greenhouse I'll be using to germinate the seeds, I did a trial run using:
1. Seasoning pepper (Micca)
2. Hot Thai (Wildfire)
3. Mustard Habanero (Micca)
4. Jalapeno (my own seed from last year).
5. A heap of Thai Basil
Mistake No.1 was forgetting to put labels on the pots... Anyway, here is the set up:
Using jiffy pellets, then a bare seedling mix in cups. The light are 2 x 55W T5s on a 15hr day / 9 hr night cycle.
The plants are about 3 weeks old here:
The plants above are now 7 weeks old (no photo yet) and have been moved out into the greenhouse to harden off. Its too early really, but the above plants were really just a trial run to see how I went with my grow light cycles, watering etc.
I need the space to put the 2014-2015 main event when they hopefully germinate in the next week. So without further ado, the 2014-2015 line up comprises:
1. Chocolate Brain Strain (Wildfire)
2. Red Brain Strain (Micca)
3. Bhut Jolokia (Wildfire)
4. White Bhut Jolokia (Micca)
5. 7 Pot Yellow (Micca)
6. Carolina Reaper (Micca)
7. Dorset Nagga (Micca)
8. 7 Pot Congo Gigantic (Micca)
9. Jamaican Scotch Bonnet (Micca)
10. Trinidad Large 7 Pot Yellow (Micca)
The final home for these plants will be two raised beds and a small planter box. I'm going for an organic grow this year as I had a terrible knack of over-fertilising last year. The soil medium was initially a mix of sand, loam and compost. It was way too heavy, so I've cut in a generous amount of perlite and potting mix to improve the drainage. The few storms that rolled through indicate the drainage is now OK (I hope). I've worked in a little chicken manure and have a cut grass compost pile on the go that should be ready for the spring in September. Also my worm bin appears to be producing a heap of black gold, so in September I plan to do the finishing touches to the soil. Lastly, I have rigged up an air pump to start producing compost teas. I'm planning on doing a soil drench with tea when I transplant the 10 above and any of the trail run plants that make it into the raised beds.
So fingers crossed for this season. Anyone that wants to follow this glog please feel free to shout out any advice if you notice anything I'm doing wrong and thanks fr stopping by.
Rainman.
This season I'm trying to grow from seed. A big shout out and many thanks Micca (THP member), who sent me a very generous seed pack. Really blew my mind how many varieties he sent me.
To trial run the heated mini-greenhouse I'll be using to germinate the seeds, I did a trial run using:
1. Seasoning pepper (Micca)
2. Hot Thai (Wildfire)
3. Mustard Habanero (Micca)
4. Jalapeno (my own seed from last year).
5. A heap of Thai Basil
Mistake No.1 was forgetting to put labels on the pots... Anyway, here is the set up:
Using jiffy pellets, then a bare seedling mix in cups. The light are 2 x 55W T5s on a 15hr day / 9 hr night cycle.
The plants are about 3 weeks old here:
The plants above are now 7 weeks old (no photo yet) and have been moved out into the greenhouse to harden off. Its too early really, but the above plants were really just a trial run to see how I went with my grow light cycles, watering etc.
I need the space to put the 2014-2015 main event when they hopefully germinate in the next week. So without further ado, the 2014-2015 line up comprises:
1. Chocolate Brain Strain (Wildfire)
2. Red Brain Strain (Micca)
3. Bhut Jolokia (Wildfire)
4. White Bhut Jolokia (Micca)
5. 7 Pot Yellow (Micca)
6. Carolina Reaper (Micca)
7. Dorset Nagga (Micca)
8. 7 Pot Congo Gigantic (Micca)
9. Jamaican Scotch Bonnet (Micca)
10. Trinidad Large 7 Pot Yellow (Micca)
The final home for these plants will be two raised beds and a small planter box. I'm going for an organic grow this year as I had a terrible knack of over-fertilising last year. The soil medium was initially a mix of sand, loam and compost. It was way too heavy, so I've cut in a generous amount of perlite and potting mix to improve the drainage. The few storms that rolled through indicate the drainage is now OK (I hope). I've worked in a little chicken manure and have a cut grass compost pile on the go that should be ready for the spring in September. Also my worm bin appears to be producing a heap of black gold, so in September I plan to do the finishing touches to the soil. Lastly, I have rigged up an air pump to start producing compost teas. I'm planning on doing a soil drench with tea when I transplant the 10 above and any of the trail run plants that make it into the raised beds.
So fingers crossed for this season. Anyone that wants to follow this glog please feel free to shout out any advice if you notice anything I'm doing wrong and thanks fr stopping by.
Rainman.
I think it got too dry and its leaves all shriveled up under the lights (left side of the below photo) so that was was culled. 
