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Sawyer's 2013 Glog - Last Harvest/First Sauce

I haven't done a grow log before, but thought I'd give it a try this year. I'm growing mostly super hots, so I feel like I'm already behind schedule. Anyone know where January went? No pictures yet, I'll add some later when things (hopefully) start popping.

My setup is a basic home-made 2-tier 1" PVC plant stand. Each tier can accommodate 4 standard 1020 nursery flats and has three 2-bulb T-12 4' 40W fluorescent shop lights suspended above. The bulbs are a mix of Daylight, Wide Spectrum, and Power Twist. (I can't give you a K rating on these off the top of my head.) I use heater mats to try to keep the flats in the comfort zone for germination. They are wired to a dimmer switch so I can adjust the current. Even with the dimmer switch, in the past I've had trouble keeping uniform temperature, so this year I've put a layer of aluminum foil on top of the mats to spread out the heat and a layer of kraft paper on top of that. The flats go directly on the kraft paper. If anyone has any tips or tricks for controlling the temperature of heater mats (without purchasing an expensive thermostat), I'd love to hear about it.

I use standard 1020 nursery trays with 1206 (72-cell) inserts. I filled the inserts to planting depth with Sushine Mix #1 and planted anywhere from 2 (new) to 4 (old) seeds per cell. I then topped off the trays with some peat-based germination mix. I intended to use Fafard 3b germination mix, but didn't want to open a new bag for only four flats. I had a small bag of Miracle Grow and one of Ferry Morse left over from days past so I used one of those, I forget which.

The germination stand is in a back room in the warmest part of the house. As plants geminate and become established they'll be moved, either in whole flats, or potted out separately, to a 3-tier, 5 flat/tier stand in front of a bright picture window on the south side of the house. No lights on that yet and may not need them since the window gets direct sun for several hours per day. I'll be starting a lot of other seeds besides hot peppers, so I can't just leave them on the heater mats 'til plant out.

I started four flats today, one whole flat of self-propagated, pure-strain red Bhut Jolokia and up to 12 cells each of the following (note - I prefer the term 7 Pot to 7pod, but am keeping the 7pod nomenclature here out of deference to the vendor):

(First parenthesis is # of plants from first planting on 2/11, second is # plants/# soaked on 3/4)

Red Bhut Jolokia (my own isolated) (75)
Yellow Bhut Jolokia (PL) (0)
Brown Bhut Jolokia (PL) (1)
White Bhut Jolokia (PL) (8), (15/20)
Yellow Fatalii (RFC) (11), (6/10)
Giant White Habanero (RFC) (7)
Trinidad Scorpion Moruga/Moruga Blend (PL) (10), (28/35)
Trinidad Scorpion Moruga/Moruga Blend (RFC) (14)
T. Scorpion Moruga/Moruga Blend Yellow (PL) (6), (19/25)
T. 7pod Congo SR Gigantic (PL) (9), (2/7)
T. 7pod Large Red (PL) (4)
T. 7pod Large Yellow (PL) (1)
T. 7pod Brain Strain (PL) (10), (2/9)
T. 7pod Brain Strain Yellow (PL) (4), (11/12)
T. 7pod Brown (PL) (17)
T. 7pod Burgundy (PL) (8)
T. Douglah (PL) (5), (4/20)
T. Scorpion Butch T. (PL) (7)
T. Scorpion Yellow (PL) (18)
T. Scorpion Original Strain (PL) (1)
T. Seasoning (PL) (4)

New strains/sources started on 3/4:
Red Bhut Jolokia (PL) (45/50)
Scotch Bonnet Brown (PL) (22/34)
'12 7 Pot Yellow (RFC) (0/11)
'12 Bhut Jolokia Chocolate (PL) (0/14)
Datil (PL) (7/22)
Bhut Jolokia Orange (PL) (15/20)
T. Scorpion CARDI (PL) (7/20)
Tobago Treasure (PL) (8/20)

Started on 3/6:
Red Bhut Jolokia (own isolated) (>50)
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (CPI) (13)
NuMex Pinata (CPI) (40)
White Bullet Hab (PL) (13)

Unrecorded plant date:
Orange Hab (PL) (2)
TS Cardi (PL) (7)
Dorset Naga (PL) (5)

Started on 3/25:
Yellow Bhut Jolokia (PL) - 8/?
Long Choco Habanero (AjiJoe) - 17/42
Pimenta da Neyde (PL) - 14/30
Giant Mexican Rocoto (PL) - 0/40
CAP 1144 (PL) - 0/21
(old) Yellow Habanero (Trade Winds) - 0/24
(old) Jamaican Red Mushroom (RFC) - 0/18
Trinidad Congo Red (PL) - 10/12
Datil (PL) - 9/22 (4 hh)
7 Pot Primo (PL) - 5/18
Early Jalapeno (PL) - 19/36
Cracked Jalapeno (PL) - 33/36
Large Hot Cherry (PL) - 33/36
Surprise Hot Mix (AjiJoe) - 97/144

Edit 4/3: add sources PL=pepperlover, RFC=Refining Fire Chiles, CPI=Chile Pepper Institute
Edit 4/3: (in blue)
Edit 4/29: Edit title (again)
 
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GA Growhead said:
Totally have done that! ahhh... Great minds think alike? yeah! Going with that. ;)
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Hah! Yep. Potted up 54 more plants yesterday (3 flats of 3.5" square), bringing the total number of graduates to 162. Going to try to do at least another 54 today, shooting for 108.

Also have around 80 new hooks and sprouts in the second flat shown in this post. So far nothing conclusive to note on the cluster sowing experiment. Just a few hooks in the first flat and none of the rocotos, so nothing yet to report on that front.
 
DesertChris said:
Maybe the Borg seeds are all preparing to germinate/assimilate/pop at once? LOL
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I don't know. Here are the results from today's count. I triple checked to make sure I hadn't flipped the orientation of clustered vs. scattered, but these are the numbers as of today:
25illba.png

I haven't done a formal statistical analysis yet, but so far it seems apparent the results are contrary to our expectations. Of course, this is just a single instance and the experiment will need to be replicated before any firm conclusions can be drawn, but these preliminary results are not encouraging. It could be that our expectations have been skewed by perception and/or confirmation bias. Then again, there is this thing called clustering illusion.

I know this is not the result most people seemed to be expecting or (possibly) hoping for. The only potential flaw I can see in my experimental design is that 3 or 4 seeds clustered together may be insufficient to reach some unknown critical mass. If somebody sees something else, please bring it to my attention.

On a more positive note, here are a couple of pictures of Pimenta da Neyde hook and sprouts:
30vogfo.jpg

2afjpqo.jpg

Lovely color.

More later.
 
It sure makes you wonder.
I started carpetbombing/collective/borg sowing when I wasn't sure the seeds would germinate.
So I would put 8-20 of them in one pellet... My experience is that a lot of seeds germinated....lol
No scientific study/technique/controls whatsoever....shoot, I didn't even really record the #'s of seeds, and just labeled the chart with the name, sow date, and the word "Carpetbomb" or lately "Borg"

Maybe next year, or sometime during this year it might be fun to do a controlled expiriment, and compare results with what you have learned.
 
Dreary day here in NWA, mid-30s (ºF) and mist/drizzle all day long. Supposed to be like this until Friday, too. Bah.

Here's the latest count on the cluster/scatter sowing test:
2m4wv9c.png

The cluster sows are catching up and at this point there doesn't really seem to be any significant difference one way or the other.

I brought my OWs in yesterday before the weather turned and wouldn't you know it, two or three of them had aphids. With everything greening up outside and the OWs sitting on concrete, the aphids still pick them. I think pepper plants are aphid magnets. Anyway, a quick mist of sulfur and pyrethrin put an end to that.

There is news on the rocoto germination test. Three of the surface-sown seeds are showing radicles and one of those has a fairly substantial, hairy tap root growing. Hopefully this means the ones I can't see are doing likewise.
 
I brought my OWs in yesterday before the weather turned and wouldn't you know it, two or three of them had aphids. With everything greening up outside and the OWs sitting on concrete, the aphids still pick them. I think pepper plants are aphid magnets. Anyway, a quick mist of sulfur and pyrethrin put an end to that.
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I read yesterday, while searching for organic ways to treat whitefies and aphids, and this was on a Mater site: Plant a few pepper plants and they will draw them from the Tomato plants.

I didn't like reading that, however I see ladybugs in the garden, even though the Annuums are getting hammered. I laying back for a few days...

Take care,

Scott
 
I updated the grow list in the OP to reflect the two experimental flats.

Another one of the surface sown rocotos is popping, total of four out of ten. I called time and covered those four cells with a little mix, hopefully to avoid helmet heads. Also, one of the 24-hour cold tea soak seeds is popping up, seed hull first. I covered it with a little more mix, too, but expect to be performing surgery on some of these.
 
Have you experience with the "saved" helmet heads down the road?

Do they get their ducks in a row and produce?
 
Can't really comment on that yet, this being the first year I've tried to rescue pepper helmet heads. So far, the ones that survived the man-handling, are at least still growing. Up until today, I had only lost one plant (post-hh), and I'm pretty sure that was due to lack of water. (Those little 72-cells dry out in a hurry on a heat mat.)

Today, well, I noticed last night, but it's undeniable today, I'm starting to lose my Datil seedlings. I potted these up before I normally would want to, because they were the only things left in that particular flat and I need the space in the germination station for something else. They had only their first set of true leaves and the beginnings of the second. Two are complete goners and three more are stressed. Only two look perky. I'm pretty sure it's shock from going from their nice, warm, well-lit germination home to the cool, not-so-well-lit grow station in the south window. I threw them to the cruel, cruel world too soon. Damn this cold, cloudy, wet weather (which I will remember fondly come July and August).

PS - I just noticed there is a new episode of "Nature" tonight, "What Plants Talk About", "A study of how plants behave reveal they are as busy, responsive and complex as humans."
 
I like those shelves the way the cross-bracings are worked into the design. Had some over-winters as well (on the 2nd shelf)? All of them survive the over-wintering? What varieties are they?

Sawyer said:
No news yet on the most recent plantings and experiments and I'll update the final numbers on the 3/4 and 3/6 plantings soon. I potted up another 3 flats (54 plants) yesterday for a total of 108 in 3.5" square pots (all superhots, so far). Here are some pics of the grow stand, which is slowly starting to populate. I hope some weight will help flatten out the sun-curled plywood. It's been quite cool since the last update, so there hasn't been a whole lot of growth. Everyone seems happy, nonetheless. It's supposed to be up in the mid- to upper-60s for the next few days, :woohoo: so I expect them to start kicking up their heels.
j0ib5t.jpg
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Dot Com said:
I like those shelves the way the cross-bracings are worked into the design. Had some over-winters as well (on the 2nd shelf)? All of them survive the over-wintering? What varieties are they?
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I wanted to use wyes instead of tees + 45º elbows for the bracing, but couldn't find them locally and they were more expensive anyway. For the next one, I think I'll just use corner bracing, instead of crosses in the middle. More efficient, I think. Wyes would definitely be a plus there.

Those six OWs are all Bhut Jolokias. They're doing alright. They were getting ready to kick it, but then the weather turned crappy again. I have one Naga Morich that got stripped of its leaves that is just beginning to show hints of new leaves. Some of the stems are turning brown, though, so it seems to be a classic struggle between life and death.
 
Devv said:
I read yesterday, while searching for organic ways to treat whitefies and aphids, and this was on a Mater site: Plant a few pepper plants and they will draw them from the Tomato plants.

I didn't like reading that, however I see ladybugs in the garden, even though the Annuums are getting hammered. I laying back for a few days...

Take care,

Scott
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IMO, Planting peppers next to tomatoes will exacerbate the whitefly situation by creating another breeding ground. I have been spraying black coffee/water mix on, around, and under the leaves with great results.
 
Correct. I mainly mix 50/50 because l use the left over coffee I drink and dont have enough to go around. I have used 100% black coffee with no adverse effects to plants. The traces of nitrogen in the coffee also act as a foliar feed. There are many ways to deter whitefly/aphid populations, I find that black coffee is very gentle on the plants. I believe that over time, after many moons and aplications, that the caffine(insectide) starts to build in the plants system. Fighting the problem from the inside out. Note that I only spray once a week or after it rains.
 
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