Sawyer '14 - Seed Offer

Sawyer · Feb 11, 2014

Thanks for stopping by, everybody. Shoot, I can't even keep up with my own glog, much less everybody else's. Anyway, I got round 2 of planting finished today. Details below. It's exactly one year ago today that I started planting last year's seeds, so I guess there's a certain symmetry to finishing planting the chinenses today. The germination station is at full capacity now w/ 8 flats. I'll have to pot up a couple of flats soon, to make room for annuums.

maximumcapsicum said:
Sorry to hear about the challenges Sawyer, but it seems like they are working themselves out. I stole Scott's technique; been taking them out of the dome as soon as they stand up. But I am using the pellets not flats, and I am growing a much smaller number of plants. Plus I like to have a small gardening task to do everyday. Clears the head.

Hey, Adam, it's always something, but you're right, things are working out. Lost some cotys and that, in turn, has slowed some growth. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, given how early it still is. Agreed about gardening clearing the head. Helps keep one in touch with reality.

GA Growhead said:
The slow lifting of the lids worked for me. Always way dry in my house in the winter. I think it's sudden humidity and temp change that does it.
Sounds like it's under control now.
Looking forward to the not white bhuts! Great germ rates with everything I planted so far from you! Get yours started!

Yeah, Jason, after the first two flats, I'm slowly lifting the domes and haven't had anymore issues. It also helps that the outside temperature isn't bouncing around as much as it was. I'm able to keep the flat temps more stable.

No promises, but I'm going to try to get the "not white" yellow BJ thread going after I finish here. If not, then soon (he said... again...) I did get my seeds planted today. Glad to hear yours have germinated well.

Devv said:
Very interesting conversation, I ran outa likes here

When I pulled off all the paneling and sheetrocked the house, along with caulking the base boards it made for a well sealed house. I don't have the humidity problems Greg mentioned, but the room I have the plants in certainly is humid. I keep the door closed when it's cold out to keep the heat in. But when it's warm it's open to help things dry out.

Hey, Scott, my walls are lath and plaster, and I've got plastic sheeting over most of the windows, so you would think things would be tighter than they are. Not all the windows are sealed and the front door isn't fitted as tight as it should be, and I've got some other issues, so the moisture finds a way out.

meatfreak said:
Same here, John. Great germination rates on your seeds. There's always challenges but luckily there are a lot of great and skilled people on the forum that can help you out

Hi, Stefan, good to hear. I planted the chinenses you sent on Sunday. I have to make some room (by potting up) before I can plant the annuums. And yes, there are a lot of knowledgeable and helpful people here on THP. It's a great resource.

PIC 1 said:
I agree with you Stefan, theres all kinds of challanges..........all the way to finally planting the the last plant outdoors.....after that I usually pop open a beer.. sit on a lawn chair...and think, .....I'm done let mothernature take over the maintainance...........the truth

Yeah, Greg, but then all the outdoor challenges begin. I wish I could let Mother Nature take over. When I do that, she does take over, with weeds, and critters, and too little rain, or too much rain... she and I have agreed to disagree on certain matters. Still, it's a good time for a sit and a beer.

HillBilly Jeff said:
Once I get them in the dirt I gotta tell myself....relax, the sunburn that is coming will not kill them!!! No beer here, but an ice cold water works well too!!!

Jeff, I wonder if hitting them with some UV LEDs inside could circumvent sunburn? Sort of an indoor hardening off. And yeah, I really drink more water than beer when the outside phase begins. And iced tea, or lemonade, or Arnold Palmers, or maybe a John Daly at the end of the day.

Pulpiteer said:
To true - getting out to let nature work its magic is a large part of the challenge!

Looking good Sawyer! You've had some real cold weather in Arkansas this winter haven't you? I've got a buddy from seminary down in Arkansas somewhere. He's mentioned ice a few times...

Thanks, Andy. Yes, it's been pretty cold here lately. It got up to a blistering 35ºF today; the first day above freezing in about a week. Forecast is for upper 50s by the end of the week. I hope they're right. Subiaco? One of my childhood friends wound up there for awhile. It's Catholic, though, so maybe not.

KiNGDeNNiZ said:
seedlings and sauces look great.. hope weather gets better for ya'll and things take off for your plants

Thanks, DeNNiZ. Better weather will get here eventually. I just hope it doesn't snow in May like last year.

Okay, as noted, I finished round 2 of sowing today, the last of the chinenses, more or less. All the MGOLD86 seeds are from pods Matt sent to me last year. Thanks, Matt!

Actually, slots 3 and 4 in PF8 are empty. Those seeds haven't arrived yet. Well, they may have come today, but I didn't make it out to the mailbox today. Also, the yellow Tobago Treasure is a maybe. One of my plants produced yellow pods last year, and I though I saved some, but by the time I got around to bagging up seeds, I'm not entirely certainly the seeds that got bagged aren't Yellow BJ. I should be able to tell easily enough once the plants starting podding up this year.

I was remiss in not posting a picture of seeds Dave (gnslngr) sent to me. Let me fix that here:

A lot of empty bags there now; most of them got planted back on the 20th. I'll update those germination figures soon. Thanks, Dave!

Not planted yet, but I broke down and joined the Hatch-style cohort. The Twilight was just to fulfill the minimum requirements, but I think it will be popular at a local nursery.

Rick's 3 bean chili inspired me to make some chili of my own:
1# dry pinto beans, cleaned, boiled and soaked
1# dry red beans, cleaned, boiled and soaked
2# stew meat, seasoned* and browned
2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato puree
1 15 oz can kernel corn
1 large red onion, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
1.5 7 Pot Brown peppers (the very last of the fresh), diced
several cloves garlic, diced
1 cup strong coffee
1 can dark beer
*seasoning - cumin, garlic powder, garlic salt, hot pepper powder, oregano

Those are some of my bread and butter pickled jalapeno rings on top.

Maybe not "chili" to a purist, but it works for me. The stew meat was leaner and cheaper than ground beef. I'd intended to dice it finely, but ran out of time. Didn't intend to add the corn, but it just seemed like it belonged.

Jeff H · Feb 12, 2014

The round 2 list looks good. Lots of varieties there. Glad to see you will be one of the "hatch" chili group this year. I love their flavor.

Chili looks great too. You've been busy.

Penny · Feb 12, 2014

That chili looks amazing!! Oh hey, can you send me your address again, i just realized lastnight that i have those extra seeds here for you, the wheat and what not....

JJJessee · Feb 12, 2014

I'm a beaner from way back, the chili looks and sounds perfect to me.

I might try something similar without the corn here soon.
Yeah, just ordered some 6-4s myself plus some Padrons, Poblanos, and Bolivian Rainbows. Stiil holding out to until almost April to sow the annums,
I may give the Poblanos a head start, I'm I kinda forced to keep the annums in 2.5 pots until plant-out for space and light considerations, and I don't want to buy yet a third bag of Ocean Forest if I can help it.

Sawyer · Feb 12, 2014

Jeff H said:
The round 2 list looks good. Lots of varieties there. Glad to see you will be one of the "hatch" chili group this year. I love their flavor.

Chili looks great too. You've been busy.

Thanks, Jeff. Things are really starting to roll now. I'm not real sure what the "hatch" thing is all about, but looking forward to finding out. Last year, a local grocer imported some chiles from NM and rented a roaster. The grocery smelled awesome when he was roasting. I'm sure he will be willing to do a comparison this year, if I can produce enough.

Penny said:
That chili looks amazing!! Oh hey, can you send me your address again, i just realized lastnight that i have those extra seeds here for you, the wheat and what not....

Thanks, Penny. PM sent. Now that the chinenses are planted, I'm going to plant some of the winter grains you already sent. It's the wrong time, I know, but I think I can grow some inside for awhile, then plant out in very early spring and it should still have time to make.

JJJessee said:
I'm a beaner from way back, the chili looks and sounds perfect to me.

I might try something similar without the corn here soon.
Yeah, just ordered some 6-4s myself plus some Padrons, Poblanos, and Bolivian Rainbows. Stiil holding out to until almost April to sow the annums,
I may give the Poblanos a head start, I'm I kinda forced to keep the annums in 2.5 pots until plant-out for space and light considerations, and I don't want to buy yet a third bag of Ocean Forest if I can help it.

Thanks, JJJ. Best thing about the chili is I'm not getting tired of it yet. It just keeps getting better each time I heat it up. It is time to freeze a bunch of it, though. I made enough for a small army.

Oh, man, you had to mention Poblanos, didn't you? I will resist, I will resist, I will resist, I will resist...

Okay, quick update on the first round of seeding. Again, numbers are total number of plants growing for the particular variety. Green indicates an increase in plants from the last update. Light blue is no change. Red indicates a decrease. I lost a few, either helmets that didn't make it, hooks that stalled, or just generally weak sprouts that never took off. I guess some loss is inevitable with this many plants.

meatfreak · Feb 12, 2014

Good luck with the 2nd round, John!

capsidadburn · Feb 12, 2014

Looking good John! I think you will like the Hatch roasted flavor. They have a skin that ought to be peeled before various uses. Broiler works real well for easy peel. Just char all sides then peel like a catfish. If you already knew this please disregard!

Have a great week!

Mike

Pulpiteer · Feb 12, 2014

Prairie Grove. He's at a United Methodist Church there. Just spoke with him today about some denominational stuff on the phone.
35? That is blistering! I think we're supposed to be mid 30's on Friday, which is a ton warmer than it has been. Tough winter all the way around, I think.

stc3248 · Feb 12, 2014

Nice score from Dave! Nice grab from CPI too...you're gonna love those green chiles. FYI they are prone to BER, especially the Big Jim. I added a little extra calcium last season and had much less trouble with it. The Twilights will be stunning. You're really going to like those.

stickman · Feb 13, 2014

Nice looking foodie pic of the chili Buzz... the Jalapeno rings on top were a nice touch! My wife requested I make a pot of chili for Valentine's Day, and I'll probably make a batch of skillet corn bread, a salad and some Blueberry Buckle to go with it. Looking forward to pics of your pepper nursery when you get around to it. Cheers!

maximumcapsicum · Feb 13, 2014

Late to the party, but the Chili looks great man! It'd do for me... I got no problem with beans. Tons of fiber and deliciousness. Love the states. Keep on growin strong!

FireEater101 · Feb 13, 2014

Just getting 2014 started over here in NC! Looks like you got yourself a great list this year Sawyer!! Plenty of Supers it looks like!! Nice pic of the Chile too with the Jalapenos. Have an extra bowl available for shipment? It would go well today with all this snow and ice we got slammed with yesterday. Hope 2014 goes great for you!!

Mike

Sawyer · Feb 13, 2014

meatfreak said:
Good luck with the 2nd round, John!

Thanks, Stefan. Good luck to you, as well. Have you started planting yet?

capsidadburn said:
Looking good John! I think you will like the Hatch roasted flavor. They have a skin that ought to be peeled before various uses. Broiler works real well for easy peel. Just char all sides then peel like a catfish. If you already knew this please disregard!

Have a great week!

Mike

Thanks, Mike. I had an inkling about the roasting, but it's good to see it stated so succinctly.

Pulpiteer said:
Prairie Grove. He's at a United Methodist Church there. Just spoke with him today about some denominational stuff on the phone.
35? That is blistering! I think we're supposed to be mid 30's on Friday, which is a ton warmer than it has been. Tough winter all the way around, I think.

Hey, Andy, that's just a stone's throw from where I am (well, a long stone's throw). Prairie Grove is southwest of Fayetteville about 10 miles; I'm east, less than that. Yeah, the weather is getting warmer. It's in the 40s here today and supposed to get up to the mid-60s by Sunday. The snow is finally mostly gone. Maybe I can get some work done outside over the next several days.

stc3248 said:
Nice score from Dave! Nice grab from CPI too...you're gonna love those green chiles. FYI they are prone to BER, especially the Big Jim. I added a little extra calcium last season and had much less trouble with it. The Twilights will be stunning. You're really going to like those.

Hey, Shane, yes it was. I'm really looking forward to checking out all the new varieties THP members have so generously shared. I was a little miffed that CPI has a $14 minimum online order, when most of their seed packs are $6, but whattaya goin' to do? I think the Twilight will be a nice addition.

Good to know about the BER. I haven't had too much trouble with that over the years, but I haven't been completely immune. The soil around here is on top of limestone bedrock and my well water is extremely high in calcium, so I think that helps a lot. I do need to do a pH test soon; may need to add some lime in spite all that.

stickman said:
Nice looking foodie pic of the chili Buzz... the Jalapeno rings on top were a nice touch! My wife requested I make a pot of chili for Valentine's Day, and I'll probably make a batch of skillet corn bread, a salad and some Blueberry Buckle to go with it. Looking forward to pics of your pepper nursery when you get around to it. Cheers!

Thanks, Rick, I froze up the rest of the chili in individual servings yesterday, lest I get tired of it. Those jal rings are some I made from store-bought peppers. They're okay, but I nailed the recipe with them. Can hardly wait to try it with my own peppers. Sounds like a great holiday meal you have planned out there. I had to look up Blueberry Buckle; I don't think I've ever heard of that before. Sounds good.

maximumcapsicum said:
Late to the party, but the Chili looks great man! It'd do for me... I got no problem with beans. Tons of fiber and deliciousness. Love the states. Keep on growin strong!

Hey, Adam, it's a party 24/7 here on THP, so you're never late. The chili really is good, with just enough heat for sniffles and maybe a forehead mopping or two. And amazingly cost-effective, too. People who say fast food is cheaper than eating at home, clearly don't know how to cook.

FireEater101 said:
Just getting 2014 started over here in NC! Looks like you got yourself a great list this year Sawyer!! Plenty of Supers it looks like!! Nice pic of the Chile too with the Jalapenos. Have an extra bowl available for shipment? It would go well today with all this snow and ice we got slammed with yesterday. Hope 2014 goes great for you!!

Mike

Hey, Mike, thanks for stopping in. Good luck with your grow over there in NC. Are you going to start a glog? Yeah, I've kind of overdone things on my list. So far, the only thing I've managed to trim from the list is the Datil, and I'm wavering on that one. And I keep adding varieties. I've got plenty of extra chili, but I'm not sure how well it will ship.

Man, when you hit the sweet spot on temperature, seeds can really pop. Just since yesterday, I've had eight more Giant Bhut sprouts pop up. (PF2-2 up above.)

Speaking of temperature sweet spots, I've found it's right at 82ºF for red bhuts and pretty close to that for the rest of the superhot chinenses. What about annuums, though? Are they in the same range, or do they prefer it to be a little cooler?

stickman · Feb 13, 2014

The Annuums are in the same range for germination Buzz, but can take cooler temperatures once they've sprouted. I'm putting my seedlings downstairs where it's 48-58 degrees in the grow box... depending on whether the lights are on inside or not.

FireEater101 · Feb 13, 2014

Sawyer said:
Hey, Mike, thanks for stopping in. Good luck with your grow over there in NC. Are you going to start a glog? Yeah, I've kind of overdone things on my list. So far, the only thing I've managed to trim from the list is the Datil, and I'm wavering on that one. And I keep adding varieties. I've got plenty of extra chili, but I'm not sure how well it will ship.

Man, when you hit the sweet spot on temperature, seeds can really pop. Just since yesterday, I've had eight more Giant Bhut sprouts pop up. (PF2-2 up above.)

Speaking of temperature sweet spots, I've found it's right at 82ºF for red bhuts and pretty close to that for the rest of the superhot chinenses. What about annuums, though? Are they in the same range, or do they prefer it to be a little cooler?

Thanks Sawyer!! I got seeds started here about 11 days ago. I transferred some of the peppers today from the seed tray to cups and put them under lights. As for the glog I am going to start one this afternoon for 2014 so stop on by if you like. I won't have too many pics but they will come. As to overdoing things...welll...last year yes 110 chile plants along with many veggies was way overboard. I did get an entire freezer full of peppers though that I am still turning into powder and sauces and thankfully my wife has not evicted me yet too. This year I am cutting back same varieties just less plants ~50 and focusing on quality plants and peppers. Managing all those plants was crazy and probably why I never updated my 2013 glog beyond August. Nice on hitting that temp sweet spot. Just like last year my Red Bhuts have already sprouted 4 of 8 seeds in 11 days. I would guess that annum range can't be far off Chinenese just seem to take much longer almost all of my annums have sprouted in just 11 days too. Alright I will be checking in on your updates.

meatfreak · Feb 13, 2014

Sawyer said:
Thanks, Stefan. Good luck to you, as well. Have you started planting yet?

Yep I did actually 2,5 weeks ago. Your 7 Pot Peach pheno had a 100% germinate rate (total germ rate was 93%) which puts me in a situation since I now have 4 seedlings :lol:

Already started to pot up the last 2 days since they were going really fast under the light

This was the first round, Chinense. Annuum will follow at the end of February, then I will start my glog when there's something interesting to show.

Sawyer · Feb 13, 2014

stickman said:
The Annuums are in the same range for germination Buzz, but can take cooler temperatures once they've sprouted. I'm putting my seedlings downstairs where it's 48-58 degrees in the grow box... depending on whether the lights are on inside or not.

Thanks, Rick. I suspected as much but wasn't certain. It's only with the superhots that I've started paying close attention to germination temperatures.

FireEater101 said:
Thanks Sawyer!! I got seeds started here about 11 days ago. I transferred some of the peppers today from the seed tray to cups and put them under lights. As for the glog I am going to start one this afternoon for 2014 so stop on by if you like. I won't have too many pics but they will come. As to overdoing things...welll...last year yes 110 chile plants along with many veggies was way overboard. I did get an entire freezer full of peppers though that I am still turning into powder and sauces and thankfully my wife has not evicted me yet too. This year I am cutting back same varieties just less plants ~50 and focusing on quality plants and peppers. Managing all those plants was crazy and probably why I never updated my 2013 glog beyond August. Nice on hitting that temp sweet spot. Just like last year my Red Bhuts have already sprouted 4 of 8 seeds in 11 days. I would guess that annum range can't be far off Chinenese just seem to take much longer almost all of my annums have sprouted in just 11 days too. Alright I will be checking in on your updates.

I'm looking forward to watching your plants grow. I noticed you got your glog started, but haven't made it over there yet. Will soon.

meatfreak said:
Yep I did actually 2,5 weeks ago. Your 7 Pot Peach pheno had a 100% germinate rate (total germ rate was 93%) which puts me in a situation since I now have 4 seedlings Already started to pot up the last 2 days since they were going really fast under the light This was the first round, Chinense. Annuum will follow at the end of February, then I will start my glog when there's something interesting to show.

Can't beat 100% germination. If you can find room to grow all four of them, you'll increase your chances of having one that actually produces peach pods. Or maybe you can give the extras to a friend.

Devv · Feb 13, 2014

Wow!

I'm having a real hard time keeping up the last 8 or 9 days, too much going on here!

Glad to see you're getting decent germ rates.

Nice score from Dave as well!

Keep it green and here's to better weather!

Sawyer · Feb 13, 2014

Devv said:
Wow!

I'm having a real hard time keeping up the last 8 or 9 days, too much going on here!

Glad to see you're getting decent germ rates.

Nice score from Dave as well!

Keep it green and here's to better weather!

You know it, Scott. Everything is snowballing toward spring, for everyone.

Speaking of nice scores, I broke down and placed a seed order with PepperLover. Got it in the mail yesterday.

The four across the bottom are what I ordered (the Goat's Weed was my motivation); the others are all freebies. This is exceptional generosity, even by Judy's always-generous standards. I made a (presumably constructive) observation about the website, so that may have something to do with it. I've planted some of everything but the Douglah and Yellow Brain Strain. I already have some of those going.

Speaking of planting, I planted another whole flat today, the ninth for the season, mostly annuums, but not all by any means.

The Long Smooth Red is a "not Jalapeño" from last year's grow. It looked a lot like a red banana pepper, with fairly thick, crunchy walls and a heat level only slightly less than a Jalapeño. I think it will make a really good jelly, assuming I can isolate the phenotype. The Spicy Bell is a "not Large Hot Cherry". It's just what the name implies, a medium-sized bell-pepper-shaped pepper with just a hint of heat. I think that would be an interesting one to have, again assuming the phenotype can be isolated.

As you can see, my germination stand is full:

Flat #9 (not shown) is sitting on top of the top set of lights. That gives me just a very few days to clear off the grow-out stand shelving and get some of the earlier planted plants potted up and moved. I don't have nearly enough room on that second-stage stand for everything I'm starting, so I have to come up with some more space soon. I think one more flat will finish up the pepper planting. I still need to plant about five varieties of Jalapeños and some ornamentals.

Portuge · Feb 13, 2014

Wow Sawyer your going to be swimming in pods come harvest time...