Hi all... Here is my grow log for the 2012 season... I will try and post pics as often as I can.
To start with I needed some source of heat to try and germinate my seeds with better results than last year, that said i figured i would put one of my old water bed heaters to good use. Took some leftover wood and stuff from some jobs i had done, and made a heated bed to start seeds on. I framed a 24x42 box, added plywood for a bottom, laid a piece of 3/4 in. radiant barrier foam on the bottom, followed by a piece of cement backer board on top of that. Then I secured the thermostat from the heater, laid in the heater and the temp probe...
Then I proceeded to put in 2 bags of sand for a thermal mass to help regulate how often the heater comes on and to keep the temps from varying too much. It goes from 75 deg. up to 100deg.
It will hold 3 10x20 flats and has a lil room for misc. ziplock/coffee filter seeds also.
I will probably build a small foam box to cover it to help keep the heat in. I guess when I'm done the cat has a nice heated litter box...NOT!!
I haven't quite got my list down yet, so many people were generous with seeds I'm not sure which ones will make the cut for this year. I know I am not going to grow as many superhots as last year, I plan on some for stuffing, and general eating. The wife likes peppers, but won't do anything hotter than Jalapeno poppers. So I plan on growing some she can cook with and such, some for seasoning powders, and some for sauces that the rest of the family will eat. I'm only growing for the fun of it, and not for a profit, so I will have a variety instead of growing 5 of 1 kind. I might start some superhots to try and sell to help cover operating costs for the year, I figure 50 @ 3$ apiece for ones in a 4 in pots should cover it, if not I will pass them along to friends and neighbors. I will be cutting down a crappy lime tree to make room for 2 or 3 more 4x8 raised beds, and some will be grown in pots to over winter next year. I still have all my plants from this year growing and producing like crazy... tomorrow might be the first night with frost, so I am only going to attempt to save one choco bhut that still has a hundred pods on it or so. The beds i will let nature take it's course so I can add one timber higher on the existing beds and work the soil with a fresh load of composted horse manure. I failed on my labeling last year and relied on volunteers last year and let me tell ya 1 Tabasco is enough, I sure didn't need 8 taking up valuable space. I will probably start my seeds in the next few days since I can probably have them out by mid to late Febuary.
To start with I needed some source of heat to try and germinate my seeds with better results than last year, that said i figured i would put one of my old water bed heaters to good use. Took some leftover wood and stuff from some jobs i had done, and made a heated bed to start seeds on. I framed a 24x42 box, added plywood for a bottom, laid a piece of 3/4 in. radiant barrier foam on the bottom, followed by a piece of cement backer board on top of that. Then I secured the thermostat from the heater, laid in the heater and the temp probe...
Then I proceeded to put in 2 bags of sand for a thermal mass to help regulate how often the heater comes on and to keep the temps from varying too much. It goes from 75 deg. up to 100deg.
It will hold 3 10x20 flats and has a lil room for misc. ziplock/coffee filter seeds also.
I will probably build a small foam box to cover it to help keep the heat in. I guess when I'm done the cat has a nice heated litter box...NOT!!
I haven't quite got my list down yet, so many people were generous with seeds I'm not sure which ones will make the cut for this year. I know I am not going to grow as many superhots as last year, I plan on some for stuffing, and general eating. The wife likes peppers, but won't do anything hotter than Jalapeno poppers. So I plan on growing some she can cook with and such, some for seasoning powders, and some for sauces that the rest of the family will eat. I'm only growing for the fun of it, and not for a profit, so I will have a variety instead of growing 5 of 1 kind. I might start some superhots to try and sell to help cover operating costs for the year, I figure 50 @ 3$ apiece for ones in a 4 in pots should cover it, if not I will pass them along to friends and neighbors. I will be cutting down a crappy lime tree to make room for 2 or 3 more 4x8 raised beds, and some will be grown in pots to over winter next year. I still have all my plants from this year growing and producing like crazy... tomorrow might be the first night with frost, so I am only going to attempt to save one choco bhut that still has a hundred pods on it or so. The beds i will let nature take it's course so I can add one timber higher on the existing beds and work the soil with a fresh load of composted horse manure. I failed on my labeling last year and relied on volunteers last year and let me tell ya 1 Tabasco is enough, I sure didn't need 8 taking up valuable space. I will probably start my seeds in the next few days since I can probably have them out by mid to late Febuary.
