Sawyer '15 - Killing frost 11/22 + pics

Pulpiteer · Mar 1, 2015

It's beginning! Glad you got the we'll going. Crazy how much can go wrong with that. We bought a Berkey water filter with some Christmas money and it is top notch for that sort of thing. It makes water potable if you're in a bad spot, they're that good.

JoynersHotPeppers · Mar 1, 2015

Great list! Best of luck on the grow

Sawyer · Mar 1, 2015

capsidadburn said:
Pretty good John. I wish I would have started earlier with germinating. I still have a lot in cold stratification packs in the fridge. I've about two flats of plants as seedlings with about half of those peppers. Hopefully I will get some kind of glog going soon!

Later, Stay warm! 14° Yuck!

Hey, Mike, looking forward to your glog. Most of my natives are still stratifying, too. I need to kick my sowing rate up two or three notches.

stickman said:
Nice save with the pressure switch John! Having a compromised water source would be fatal, and with all the seeds you have started it would hurt! Glad to see you have some Kurtovska Kapija seeds started, I think you'll really like them. Don't be surprised if they take until September to fully ripen though... they have the longest season of any Annuum I know. Cheers!

Thanks, Rick. I always try to keep enough water on hand to carry me through any outages. And worse come to worst, I'd just fill up some containers elsewhere. Not going to lose my babies, if I can help it! Generally, the system is pretty trouble-free, but everything wears out eventually. This switch had been doing it's thing for close to ten years, I think. I'm really looking forward to trying those KKs, and some freshly-made Ajvar.

Pulpiteer said:
It's beginning! Glad you got the we'll going. Crazy how much can go wrong with that. We bought a Berkey water filter with some Christmas money and it is top notch for that sort of thing. It makes water potable if you're in a bad spot, they're that good.

Hey, Andy, yes it is. When I first moved into this place, back in '97, I bought a filtration and softener system, but then never installed it. It's still in the basement, but the box fell apart and pieces are scattered willy-nilly. The biggest problem for me was the realization I didn't want the salt from the softener going into my septic system and leach field. I have a design in mind that would pump water from the well into a holding tank and aerate it. That will oxidize most of the minerals, which will then precipitate out. From there, it would go into the regular distribution system. Someday...

JoynersHotPeppers said:
Great list! Best of luck on the grow

Hi, Chris, thank you! Thanks for stopping by and best of luck to you, too.

We've had snow and/or freezing rain here off and on since Friday. Only three or four inches of accumulation, though. It's finally getting above freezing today, so it should start melting off. By Wednesday, the high is supposed to be in the 50s, but then only in the upper 20s on Thursday. Weather here has developed multiple personality disorder.

I'll update the germination numbers later today. Am also working on fixing the mess that is the first post in this glog, trying to make it a little more intelligible.

JoynersHotPeppers · Mar 1, 2015

Yeah snowing here as I type and soon will turn to freezing rain then straight rain. Crazy end of winter for sure!

Sawyer · Mar 1, 2015

JoynersHotPeppers said:
Yeah snowing here as I type and soon will turn to freezing rain then straight rain. Crazy end of winter for sure!

I hope it's ending. Some of the heaviest snows I've seen here have been in March. Two years ago it snowed in May! On the other hand, in 2012, the last frost was in mid March. I'm hoping for another year like that.

Sawyer · Mar 1, 2015

I need help. I don't think there's a local chapter of PA (Pepperholics Anonymous), and THP is the epitome of an enabler.

I'm adding to my grow list. Some ornamentals, Aurora, Black Pearl, and Purple Flash. And some supers, Bhutlah, Devil's Brain, and Caramel Moruga.

For the ornamentals, I hope to market fruited plants in pots. For the supers, well, more about that later.

jcw10tc · Mar 1, 2015

Sawyer said:
I need help. I don't think there's a local chapter of PA (Pepperholics Anonymous), and THP is the epitome of an enabler.

I'm adding to my grow list. Some ornamentals, Aurora, Black Pearl, and Purple Flash. And some supers, Bhutlah, Devil's Brain, and Caramel Moruga.

For the ornamentals, I hope to market fruited plants in pots. For the supers, well, more about that later.

Maybe we should start a PA. I am doing the same stuff you are. Everytime I come across something new or free, keep telling myself theres always room for one more.

Sawyer · Mar 1, 2015

jcw10tc said:
Maybe we should start a PA. I am doing the same stuff you are. Everytime I come across something new or free, keep telling myself theres always room for one more.

I know, right. Thing is, we're not wrong. I'm working a few angles to get some more space and convince some folks to grow for me for a share, but I don't want to get into details now, lest I jinx myself.

I didn't check for new hooks yesterday, so today had a bunch of new ones. One of the flats had a dry patch. I hope it wasn't so dry it killed anything. The new numbers are posted here.

Pulpiteer · Mar 1, 2015

This is absolutely an enabling site. We all have a problem. With that being said, way to go with those new seeds. Totally worth it!

Devv · Mar 1, 2015

The starter is a capacitor, very similar to what an AC system uses to bump the compressor into action.

Our water goes through a 50 micron filter, then a 10. This is to protect the iron filter and water softener. We use the well to bathe, fill the pool and water only. It's just too strong to consume....

Sawyer · Mar 1, 2015

Pulpiteer said:
This is absolutely an enabling site. We all have a problem. With that being said, way to go with those new seeds. Totally worth it!

Hey, Andy, thanks. And I agree, totally worth it!

Devv said:
The starter is a capacitor, very similar to what an AC system uses to bump the compressor into action.

Our water goes through a 50 micron filter, then a 10. This is to protect the iron filter and water softener. We use the well to bathe, fill the pool and water only. It's just too strong to consume....

Ah, yes, I think I can see one of those on my pump motor, but it's built into the motor housing, not a separate piece. Of course, I have a jet pump in my basement, whereas I seem to recall your pump is a submersible. Is that right? Sounds like our water quality is similar, except I do use mine to cook with. I've never tried boiling it, then drinking it. I think it might still be a little too... flavorful.

beerbreath81 · Mar 2, 2015

More peppers? I like it. Your gonna be one busy dude come spring time. Nice idea on the selling some potted ornamentals. We need to get some pictures in this glog.

deadmongoose · Mar 2, 2015

Sawyer, I have an extra digital camera laying around if you need it, cause I'm not seeing any pictures.

Sawyer · Mar 3, 2015

beerbreath81 said:
More peppers? I like it. Your gonna be one busy dude come spring time. Nice idea on the selling some potted ornamentals. We need to get some pictures in this glog.

deadmongoose said:
Sawyer, I have an extra digital camera laying around if you need it, cause I'm not seeing any pictures.

Hey, guys, I'm hearing you! I need to post some pics. I'm working on repairing the mess of the first post in this glog and will post links to my prior glogs there. My grow stations haven't changed significantly from prior years. As for current documentation, I figure everyone's seen hooks (and my closeups suck). The flats are starting to green up, though, so stay tuned for some pics of those. And I do need to get out and start preparing the ground. That should generate some good pics.

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 3, 2015

WOW...that's about all I can about your grow list. That thing is massive. Did you grow the fat cream last season? I was not impressed whatsoever with the heat or flavor. Might just have been that plant sucked.

Good luck on your grow. Massive green to come!!!

Sawyer · Mar 3, 2015

HillBilly Jeff said:
WOW...that's about all I can about your grow list. That thing is massive. Did you grow the fat cream last season? I was not impressed whatsoever with the heat or flavor. Might just have been that plant sucked.

Good luck on your grow. Massive green to come!!!

Hey, Jeff, thanks for the wishes. No, I have not grown the cream before. I'm disappointed to hear of your experience. I've got 6 out of 6 germinated and hope to get five of them in the ground. Hopefully one of them will have something to speak for it. I know nothing of its provenance; it's just one I found at TWF. This is a big part of what this year is all about, evaluating a massive number of varieties and putting back some seed stock for the future. If things go as planned, next year will be fewer varieties, but more of each. (Hmm... I think I said the same thing last year. Oh, well.)

Sawyer · Mar 4, 2015

Updated germination numbers posted here.

HillBilly Jeff · Mar 4, 2015

I've been trending in that same direction. I have some that I don't see me ever not growing, some (aji hab, tepin, bajio) that I will grow when I need them, and as always, some new ones to try out. The problem arises when you keep more of the new ones and the list continues to grow.

I have went back and started some seeds from plants I grew a few years back and wasn't quite sure on. Now my palette is more in tune with hot peppers and I have more ways of using them then I did back then. I hope your grow does great and I am looking forward to seeing what you get.

Sawyer · Mar 4, 2015

Thanks, Jeff. I hope your grow does well, too.

HillBilly Jeff said:
The problem arises when you keep more of the new ones and the list continues to grow.

Yep.

I'm replanting some of the low-germination spots in flats 1-3 and planting a 5th flat today. Will plant at least two more, one of mostly the ultra-hots and one mostly of jalapeños. I'm working on a research collaboration for the ultras and have a food processor who wants me to grow some jalapeños for them.

Sawyer · Mar 5, 2015

Updated germination numbers posted here. PF4 is really starting to pop, though I'm surprised the New Mexico peppers are slow to start. I don't pre-soak, so maybe the larger seed size takes longer to hydrate. PF5 is planted, as can also be seen in the linked post. One thing everyone may find interesting is that the seeds for the Red Bhut Jolokia, PF2-12 (4 out of 9 germinated so far), are several years old, 5, I think. I keep them stored in the refrigerator in a ziplock bag with a piece of paper towel.

It's pretty clear some of my seed is bad. I had pantry moths get into the bag of Datil seeds and some others. Whether the eggs were on the seeds and they hatched in the bag or they chewed in from the outside, I don't know, but one way or the other, they definitely chewed through the plastic of the ziplocks. It looked like the larva only ate whatever bits of placenta were in the bags and left the seeds alone, but the fact none of the Datils have germinated makes me think otherwise. I replanted where I could and have my fingers crossed.