randyp 2016 IOWA,,Older and (bud) Wiser grow.

  Hello my friends,I am still in the cold  and slow time of year.I have my first(3) seedlings of the year.The first plant was the "Mystery Wine".A Chis Joyner masterpiece that eluded my garden last year due to my failure to do a good job drying seeds.I got this from a pod the reigning Growdown Champ (terry) sent me.Not many changes this year,And I still need the right hip replaced,I am holding out as long as I can,(7 years till I retire)I will update what's going in the garden when I see them in a pot,I put out a list before that never rang true so we will delay my "Wish List"
   Thanks for stopping by all you old and soon to be friends.My updates will pick up when my weather does,
Good luck to all of you this year.
Randy
 
 
 
To go forward we must look back.
the top is my first grow out of buckets 3 years or so ago,the bottom is the 2015 grow with beds and an automatic water drip system

this is the new grow room which was raised  to 30 inches.I can get down fine,getting up is a bitch,lol

installed doors on the seed starting station to help control temps..(my daughters old dollhouse I made her at 5 years old)I used parts lids I got from work.One had a neat drawing from a fellow co-worker must have worked up while not working.I liked it and decided I am an art collector.

There are 2 types of trays.Jiffy pucks(top) and a 3 mix starter I made.My starter had the first seedlings by the way.

Joyners "mystery wine"

LOT-Jalapeno-onion-garlic and carrot ferment started 2 weeks ago.

A pork butt cooked today to take to the AC/DC concert in Kansas City Sunday.Mini vacation,3 days in BBQ town.

one more and I'm out.My furniture eating jack russell-shih tzu dog Ryley will also be back to rid my yard of cats.

 

[tctenten]

Cheers to another year Randy. Good luck.

 

[randyp]

Cheers to another year Randy. Good luck.

Thanks Terry,I got thru the winter on sauces I received from Buddy and you.Thanks again and I look forward to catching up with the group of fine people we have on this site.

 

[mpicante]

Good to see this one up and running.Good luck on your grow Randy.All the best to you.

 

[randyp]

Good to see this one up and running.Good luck on your grow Randy.All the best to you.

  Hello Florisa,I hope you and your family are doing well.It is nice to be back in the dirt again.I find that taking care of the small plants and raising them to maturity,is keeping me younger.Anticipating what will come up and planning for the next season has me living for the future and not sitting back recollecting the past; 

 

[Devv]

Hi Randy!
 
Good to see you back up and running again!
 
Sorry about the hip, I feel ya, getting older is not for wimps
 
Do me one favor, please do not wait so long that your body is out of balance and it takes out a knee or the other hip. I've seen it before in buddies who were in your shoes. In fact one just had his hip done 2 weeks ago, knee is next.
 
And I'm in total agreement, gardening is brain food and a most relaxing and rewarding endeavor. Simply can't beat it.
 
Have a great season!

 

[randyp]

    Good to see you around Scott.Thanks for the heads up on the hip problem.Gotta leave a hotel in missouri this morning and get back north.My daughter has been watching new seedlings pop for me while I was at a concert.
  One of the best bands I have ever seen.AC/DC

 

[randyp]

  I will not be using jiffy pucks in the future.As of now the start mix I made has popped 15 out of 40 types.The pucks only 3.I researched and am in the camp that thinks the heavy peat affects the starts.That is just in my setup.Others have better luck.
Pics of the babies

Pic of the list of plants that are above ground

 

[randyp]

  Many of things happening this weekend.I pitched the jiffy pucks after going thru with a toothpick and saving any that had a sign of life.Round 2 of seeds go in my mix Sunday.When my mix has 31 seedlings to the 5 in the pucks it shows I had them too wet or something else I did.Go with what's working.Also putting up the curtain  on the main grow area to transplant some to solo cups.
disappointing after 14 days

my new water station is part of my old roof antenna 4 inches off the bottom of a tote to support my solo cups as I bottom water.

getting the main area ready,Dropped 1 t8 into position for now is all I need.Hung white backing to help the light.Will now put up the curtain to contain the light and temps

white curtain runs the middle of table to limit space needed for their life in solo cups,When I go to 6 inch pots I will open it up.

black curtain in place,pic with all t8's on and lights in room off.Next up transplanting.

 

[randyp]

2nd round of seeds hit dirt Sunday.Am liking the Doller General tote with an old antenna 4 inches off bottom to support 24 solo cups while bottom watering.

1rst round of transplants are in solo cups and under their new lights on main grow area.

updated grow list of plants above soil

One more and I am out.AC/DC announced lead singer Brian Johnson has stopped touring with the group(hearing problem) after the KC show I was at.If it was his last show with the band after 35 years he did not disappoint.
pic of mine from kc

 

[romy6]

Wow that is cool . You may have seen the last one ever . They say there gonna replace Brian with some dude from the band Jackle . Not sure if they were( DJ's  on my local radio station )   joking or not but that would be a damn shame . His voice is so unique it's irreplaceable . 

 

[randyp]

Wow that is cool . You may have seen the last one ever . They say there gonna replace Brian with some dude from the band Jackle . Not sure if they were( DJ's  on my local radio station )   joking or not but that would be a damn shame . His voice is so unique it's irreplaceable . 

Thanks for stopping in Jamie.Brian lives in Florida or, at least, has a place there.We should look him up get him into pepper growing.I saw them 8 times.The 1977and 1978 shows with Bon Scott before he died were unbelievable.Without Brian Johnson, the tribute album "Back in Black" does not get produced and who knows how the group would have grown.I liked them both ,but we all know we go to see if Angus Young will jump off the roof.lol

 

[Devv]

Wow! I wish I had gotten to see AC/DC, especially when Bon Scott was around. LB told me about Brian's hearing just as I was reading this. Glad you got to see them so many times. I live for their youtube videos...LOL.
 
Been working on the Thunderstruck intro for months..
 
Back to your grow....good stuff going on there
 
I wish you all the luck this season!
 
I had the same issues with "the plugs", I went to old school and got my germ rate up to snuff. Late but working.
 
Kick some butt this year!
 
Scott

 

[MRpeabody]

I too had issues with these plugs. I've never used them before and went crazy starting 72 plants with them. I eventually lost 95% of those seeds due to the plugs.
 
What type of light are you using Randy?

 

[randyp]

I too had issues with these plugs. I've never used them before and went crazy starting 72 plants with them. I eventually lost 95% of those seeds due to the plugs.
 
What type of light are you using Randy?

Thanks for stopping by the start of my season Preston.I am using standard T8 lights on the solo cups and T5's on the seed trays.Never again on the pucks for me.The lights are good enough with my plant outside the first week of May.Im in southwest Iowa around Corning by the way.Good luck to you and stop in if you have any questions.
Thanks
Randy

Wow! I wish I had gotten to see AC/DC, especially when Bon Scott was around. LB told me about Brian's hearing just as I was reading this. Glad you got to see them so many times. I live for their youtube videos...LOL.
 
Been working on the Thunderstruck intro for months..
 
Back to your grow....good stuff going on there
 
I wish you all the luck this season!
 
I had the same issues with "the plugs", I went to old school and got my germ rate up to snuff. Late but working.
 
Kick some butt this year!
 
Scott

Scott I recorded the opening of "Thunderstruck"a week ago.I get the file reduced and my sound fixed I will get it up for u my freind.

 

[MRpeabody]

Im currently using a nearly free T12 setup. Probably going to buy some plants this year due to the seed failure. Do you know of anywhere in Iowa that sells superhighway varieties?

 

[randyp]

Im currently using a nearly free T12 setup. Probably going to buy some plants this year due to the seed failure. Do you know of anywhere in Iowa that sells superhighway varieties?

   Do you mean "Super hot"varieties?And no not in this part of the State.I will hook you up with a few seeds if you need, T12 lights are not modern  enough to sustain proper pepper growth if I was asked.Hunt down a t8 if at all possible Preston.

   Do you mean "Super hot"varieties?And no not in this part of the State.I will hook you up with a few seeds if you need, T12 lights are not modern  enough to sustain proper pepper growth if I was asked.Hunt down a t8 if at all possible Preston.Chiliplants.com is the place to get your starts.It got me off the ground floor.

 

[MRpeabody]

So the T12 won't work for seedlings? I'm only using it once my seeds have sprouted. I'm thinking I may just build a small greenhouse and move my starts inside at night.

 

[Alchymystic]

Here's to another great year this season, Randy... even better than prior ones! Really like the re-purposing of the antenna as a support for the cups to bottom feed- ingenious!   All the best!

 

[Devv]

Scott I recorded the opening of "Thunderstruck"a week ago.I get the file reduced and my sound fixed I will get it up for u my freind.

 
Ah, I'm working on it with the guitar, I'm a late starter...LOL 'bout got it down, now if I could just play the rest