Sawyer '18 – Back from the Void

Hello everybody, old friends and new friends alike.  The last couple three years have been challenging for me, but come hell or high water, 2018 will be the year of the pepper.  I'll try to fill in some details going forward, but for now, I mostly just want to get this glog started.  The one in 2016 petered out before its time and I didn't even start one last year.  For any who would like to review better times, there are links to previous years' glogs part way down the first post in the 2016 glog:
 
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/58711-sawyer-16-memorial-day-update/?p=1260981
 
For the most part, I'm using the same set up as described in those topics... a couple of multi-shelf PVC plant stands with 4' T8 fluorescent shop lights.  I have a lot of new stuff to try out this year, but I'll be starting with the old.
 
My seed stock has taken a huge hit in the interim.  I do have some old stock I'll be testing and adding to the list as germination tests verify viability, but for now, this is my grow list:
 
Variety - Source*
 
CHINENSE:
7 Pod, OS Red - 2
7 Pod White - 2
7 Pod, OS Yellow - 2
7 Pot Cinder Caramel - 5
Bahamian Goat - 5
Bhut Jolokia, Chocolate Brown - 2
Bhut Jolokia, OS Red - 1
B.O.C. - 5
Big Black Mama - 5
Brain Strain, Yellow - 5
Chocolate Bhutlah - 2
Carolina Reaper - 2
Moruga Scorpion, Red - 2
Papa Dreadie - 5
Pumpkin Bubblegum - 5
Reaper Bhut - 2
Scotchbrain - 5
 
HATCH STYLE: 
New Mexico No. 6 - 4
 
HOT ANNUUM: 
Gochu - 5
Habanero - 4
Habanero, Orange - 3
Santa Fe Grande - 3
Shishito - 3
Jalapeño, Tam - 3
Jalapeño, Zapotec - 5
Thai, Large Orange - 5
 
MILD ANNUUM: 
Poblano - 3
 
SWEET ANNUUM: 
Bellingrath Gardens - 3
California Wonder - 4
Palmyra - 2
Piquillo - 3
Sulu Adana - 2
Tekne Dolmasi - 2
 
Baccatum: 
Pluma - 2
 
Pubescens: 
Aji Largo - 5
Aji Oro - 5
Rocoto, Mini Red - 5
Rocoto, Guatemalan Red - 5
 
Hybrids: 
PDN-Bonda - 5
 
* Source key:
1 - Self
2 - PepperLover
3 - Trade Winds Fruit
4 - American Seed
5 - Devv
 
I do have a few other self-saved seeds, but the only one listed right now is Bhut Jolokia, Original Strain Red.  These seeds may be more than ten years old, but they've been refrigerated and last fall a germination test yielded around 70% germination.  
 
I also plan to start a topic in "Growing - Other" and one somewhere in one of the "Business" forums.
 
Thanks for looking in.  More soon.

 

[Essegi]

Devil's Brain

I'm looking forward that one, are your seeds from Judy? Imho the photo she has on the shop of that is one of the scariest things.

 

[Sawyer]

I'm looking forward that one, are your seeds from Judy? Imho the photo she has on the shop of that is one of the scariest things.

I'm not really sure. They didn't have the usual PL label and they were in a larger ziplock than usual. On PL's website they are listed in the "new for 2015" section, so I think someone sent me these in 2016. I've lost almost all my digital records prior to about a year ago, so unless I come across paper document clues, or someone says, "Oh, yeah, I sent you those" I may never know where they came from. They look as fresh as any seeds I've seen, so I'm hopeful they will germinate.

 

[Sawyer]

Another cold snap here. I brought it in before it froze, but it did get exposed to some low 40s temps. This poor maybe-Padron is having a hard life.
 

All those cherry tomatoes I planted on 180411 have germinated. Amazing, four day germination, wish peppers were like that.

 

[Bhuter]

Beautiful SoG! Like a lush carpet. Lots of great stuff going on here. I'm sure that maybe-Padron will come back from the shivers. Great job!

 

[Devv]

Plants are looking good John!
 
Glad the seeds I sent are coming up
 
I hear ya about the late cold fronts, hopefully we're done unless they just lower us into the mid 50's at night. 44° this morning! That and the tomato's. They're just too easy..

 

[Sawyer]

I'm looking forward that one, are your seeds from Judy? Imho the photo she has on the shop of that is one of the scariest things.

Hey, Giancarlo, speaking of Devil's Brain, I found some notes I had stashed in the cloud and it looks like I might have gotten those seeds from Florisa (mpicante). Got my fingers crossed for germination.
 

Beautiful SoG! Like a lush carpet. Lots of great stuff going on here. I'm sure that maybe-Padron will come back from the shivers. Great job!

 Thanks, Adam. That sea of ghosts is starting to thin out a little bit as I pot up a few. I have another flat that just started hooking. And someone should probably report me to the SPCPP for that Padron. But you're right, she got over the shivers and is looking much better now.
 

Plants are looking good John!
 
Glad the seeds I sent are coming up
 
I hear ya about the late cold fronts, hopefully we're done unless they just lower us into the mid 50's at night. 44° this morning! That and the tomato's. They're just too easy..

Thanks, Scott. The last batch of seeds I planted from those you sent have started coming up. (See below.) I think we may have had our last frost here on the 16th. (Historically our last frost date.) But daytime temps are barely getting out of the 50s and nights are dropping to the low 40s, upper 30s. Not exactly prime pepper conditions. Forecast suggests improvement in about a week.

Speaking of Scott's seeds, I planted the last varieties he sent in a 12 x 24 seedling flat, along with a few other random seeds and some older stock I had. Mixed results. This image sequence may or may not elucidate the results:

And this is the pile of soilless mix I'm using as I begin potting up plants:

3.8 cu.ft. SunGro Sunshine Mix #1
2.2 cu.ft. sphagnum peat moss
2 cu.ft. pine bark mulch
and as much perlite as I had left, maybe a cubic foot or so.

 

[stickman]

Looking good so far John. Thanks for the O.B. report. [emoji6]

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk

 

[Devv]

Pot up time, yeah baby!

 

[Sawyer]

Looking good so far John. Thanks for the O.B. report. [emoji6]
Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk

Okay, I feel like I'm probably just being dense here, but O.B.?
 

Pot up time, yeah baby!

You know it!

Possibly counter to conventional wisdom, I'm still sowing seeds. Have gone around to various OWs, some more or less abandoned, collecting dried pods for seeds. Came across this Sulu Adana plant, no more than six inches tall, no leaves, but with a pod hanging on. Not only was the pod not crispy dried, it was still edible. It wasn't quite as sweet as I remember, but it's been hanging there since last November. I nibbled away the best bits, leaving the seeds exposed:

Will plant those tomorrow. Gave the plant a little water, but am not optimistic about its chances.

I've mentioned previously some local hiking I've done. I plan to post some scenery shots at some point, but here are a few shots of some native plants. First up is wild ginger:

and a flower close-up:

Here's something I had never seen before, Missouri gooseberry blooms:

Found some morels, too:

I took a couple of the smaller ones, sliced and sauteed them in butter, then added that to a macaroni, cream of mushroom soup, and chicken breast concoction I made yesterday. The morels are a little subtle for the dish, but I hadn't added any spices other than a little salt. The morels took what was a fairly tasty dish to something just this side of divine.

 

[stickman]

Okay, I feel like I'm probably just being dense here, but O.B.?

 
Do you have kids John? ... hint, hint... [emoji6][emoji16]

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk

 

[Bhuter]

Oh my...this post just kept getting better and better as I read it. Sulu Adana...I'll look that one up. Those gooseberry blossoms look just like frickin' flying geese. Crazy! And then morels! Yum-O! It's been a while since I've had some. It's almost time for those around here, too. Maybe it IS now. ‍ Very nice, John!

 

[Sawyer]

Do you have kids John? ... hint, hint... [emoji6][emoji16]

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk

Oh, I get it now. Yes, my plants are my kids.

 

[stickman]

Oh, I get it now. Yes, my plants are my kids.

 
It's very cool that spring sees to be really popping out in your area John.    We have Wild Ginger in the woods here, and Morel mushrooms too, though we jealously guard the places we pick them 'cause you never find many do you? People around here were told not to plant Gooseberries due to the Pine Rust outbreak we had back when... I don't know if the quarantine has been called off yet.
 

 

[Sawyer]

I picked all those morels from around the base of just two trees. And left about half again as many. It's raining here today and tomorrow, so I may go back out on Monday. Where, you ask? No, of course you don't. This find triples the number of locations where I've found them.

There are a couple of gooseberry volunteers on my place, but I imagine they are bird-sown from a row of domesticated berries on my neighbor's place. The one in the picture is a wild native. It was spreading by self-layering limbs. I brought one piece home with me, but I have no idea if it will survive.

 

[Sawyer]

Oh my...this post just kept getting better and better as I read it. Sulu Adana...I'll look that one up. Those gooseberry blossoms look just like frickin' flying geese. Crazy! And then morels! Yum-O! It's been a while since I've had some. It's almost time for those around here, too. Maybe it IS now. ‍ Very nice, John!

Thanks, Adam. Okay, if I squint and turn my head just so, I can see geese there. Kinda like I've always thought shooting star blossoms look like cartoon wasps I saw once, flying down in attack formation, stinger end curled around at the ready.

Sulu Adana is my favorite sweet pepper, at the moment. Very juicy, I like to have plants strategically placed here and there. They do a fair job of quenching thirst when I don't want to stop for a water break.

 

[Sawyer]

This is a flat of old ghosts sown a little over a week ago:

Will continue sowing these through the end of the month. May through November is around 180 days, so even though I'm sacrificing an early harvest, these should yield a gangbusters fall pull.

I previously mentioned hiking Pedestal Rocks an couple of weeks ago. Here's an overlook:

an underlook:

Wood betony:

and service berry:

 

[Bhuter]

Wow! Those ghosts are growing fast! I think my place isn't as warm as most. I linger around 70°-75°. So mine grow slower. But I'm sure your soil and nutes are better as well. Serene hiking spot! It looks awesome! Great flower pics, too! (I don't see any geese in them this time. Lol).

 

[Devv]

Nice updates John!
 
I wish we had edible shrooms around here. The only ones I see would make you see colors or kill you..
 
I used to hike quite a bit years ago, especially when I lived in Virginia. I did get to find out what a pissed off bear sounds like though...exit stage right....LOL

 

[Sawyer]

Wow! Those ghosts are growing fast! I think my place isn't as warm as most. I linger around 70°-75°. So mine grow slower. But I'm sure your soil and nutes are better as well. Serene hiking spot! It looks awesome! Great flower pics, too! (I don't see any geese in them this time. Lol).

Adam, earlier today I had written a thoughtful, humorous and self-deprecating reply to your post. Tapped on something wrong and it all went away. Nothing even auto-saved either. Now I'm too tired to say anything other than thanks for stopping by.
 

Nice updates John!
 
I wish we had edible shrooms around here. The only ones I see would make you see colors or kill you..
 
I used to hike quite a bit years ago, especially when I lived in Virginia. I did get to find out what a pissed off bear sounds like though...exit stage right....LOL

Thanks, Scott. There are quite a few varieties of edible shrooms around here. I used to tag along with my Dad when he would go foraging. The morels are the only ones I'm sure of anymore. We used to have the make-you-see-colors kind here, too. May still do, but it's been decades since I looked for any of those.

I've heard that pissed-off bear sound on local nature TV shows. It's not something I want to hear in the woods, though better here than Wyoming where there's half a chance it wouldn't be a black bear.

I spent the better part of today improving my property line demarcations. Clearing bamboo, unrolling field wire, putting up "No Trespassing" signs. Riffraff are stealing my bamboo shoots crop.

 

[Plantguy76]

Hi John glad your back I have  been following your glog offline
I have peppers going there just growing real slow but with are weather that's not a bad thing.
I figure they will take off once potted up.