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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)
 
Click to expand...
Sawyer said:
Hey, GA, you posted while I was responding to the others.  Thanks for stopping in.  Yeah, I'm excited about the Burgundy.  Something I'm looking for in a pepper is prolific production combined with vigor, heat, and flavor.  I think this one fits the bill.  I just tried a taste of it, and while I wouldn't have thought of "honey", there is something different to it that is appealing.  The flavor does stay with you through the burn, too.
 
I'm happy this 7 Brown is brown.  I've got some other 7 Browns and some Douglahs (as well as brown bhuts, SBs, and Congos), but this is the only one with ripe pods so far.  Hopefully it won't be the only one that's actually brown.  If you want some seeds, let me know.  I just tried a taste of this one, too.  There was something surprisingly good in that first initial taste, but I'm not very good at this tasting thing, yet.  When the heat sets in, I forget what I just tasted.
 
Why red, if I may ask?  You can get red tulle at Amazon.  I started to order some tulle when I ordered the multi-colored organza bags, but I thought I'd see if I can tell a difference with the colors first.  I've thought about contacting Apex Mills about their NK82P netting that CPI used in their field cage experiments.  I don't know how similar it is to tulle and the Apex website isn't very user-friendly.  The paper does mention that they saw no difference between white and green colors. 
Click to expand...
Sawyer, I saw someone on here use red tull versus blue over whole plants in container. I remember reading that the red fabric plant pumped out more flowers while under the tull. That got me thinking about indoor lighting with red vs blue. And with red light suppose to be more flower promoting, blue light more veg, I decided on red tull if i am buying it. I figure it can only help, and if not then still serves the purpose.
I have a few organza bags i use now. They are lighter shades of green and blue. They work fine except can only put them on the tips of branches. Wanting the tull so i can make something larger than the organza bags and cover more of the branches. I need something now so i can do more plants at once. Looked earlier at Amazon. Pretty cheap for a roll.
I would love some of your brown 7 seeds. Those do look killer. Let me know if you would like seeds from anything I'm growing. We can go seeds swap on them. :D
I just am starting to isolate, so will be a bit on those, but I do have a good selection of non-isolated right now.
 
I'm still going to try Agribon 15.  Maybe I'll work on that in a day or two.  I agree the organza bags are frustrating in being so small.  Of course, you can buy organza material as well as tulle.  I wonder which would work better for whole-plant covering.
 
A definite yes on trading seeds.  The brown pods I picked already aren't isolated, but the plant is still blooming, so I'll slap a bag on a limb soon.  Given the variability I'm getting from my vendor-supplied seeds, though, I think even non-isolated seeds would be just as good.  (I'm going to talk more about that in my next update, I think.)
 
John, I have bought a small roll (6 inches by 25 feet)of tulle before. I gave up fabricating my own pouches when I found the organza bags. I could just use the tulle roll and mummify the plant! Preserving the seeds for some future archeologist to uncover releasing the curse when the seeds are sown. Where is Rachel Weisz when you need her?

I think the large tulle self fabrication is probably the best for in ground plants. I read Jason talking about color which sounds interesting. With the mobility of container plants I like the idea of rotating plants in outdoor compartments fabricated with wood and tulle, just haven't got them made.

Isolation 101 continues it's future progress
 
Nice update John! Pods look great and sharing at the bar is way cool.
 
I've been surprised at how many people I know enjoy the hotter stuff.
 
The guy who was not happy, well "feed 'em fish" :D
 
Have a great week!
 
Sawyer said:
fbgb2x.jpg

7 Pot Burgundy - Look at the size of that sucker!
Click to expand...
Wow. Beautiful looking pod!
 
Thanks, Andy.  Thanks, guys.  Sorry I haven't been here more lately, either updating my own glog or keeping up with everyone else's.  Here's a little bit of an update.  It will be the last for a couple of weeks as I'm going out of town for awhile.  Things are coming along, a few pods here and there.  Almost every variety has at least some baby pods (Reaper, MoA, Jigsaw) and many are loaded up with larger pods.  I just today finally got the in-grounds more or less well-weeded, but it was dark when I finished, so no pictures of that.  Here are the potted kids from a few days ago.  First shot is #1 pots in the foreground and mostly #2s on the left and #1s on the right in the background.  That's a 5 gal. grow bag on the far right.
w2j586.jpg

 
This is a shot of the bigger potted plants, mostly #5s and #3s, with a few 5 gal grow bags.
6dra07.jpg

 
Now some money shots.  This is supposed to be a yellow TS.  I agree it's yellow, but I don't know about the Scorpion.  On the other hand, none of my scorpions have stingers, yet, and I doubt they are all "nots".  Maybe they'll sprout on new pods before I get back.
2ymubur.jpg

 
A nice brown 7P.  I like this one.
2055so5.jpg

 
A batch of bhuts not far from turning:
2958f1i.jpg

 
So I'm going to Wyoming for a week or so backpacking in the Winds.  I used to go every year, but haven't been since '09.  Here's a picture from one or two days' hike in (one day if early start and good shape... I figure two days for me this year).
29axnwg.jpg

 
Another day to "base camp".  Well, camp is behind me here.
2ujl9x3.jpg

 
Timing kind of sucks, but, well, you see the pictures.  I have someone lined up to water the plants while I'm away.
 
 
Hi Buzz, nice to see your most recent harvest... you've got some beastly-looking pods there man! Enjoy your hike out west and then y'all come back now, hear?
 
Well, I'm back.  It's raining today (first since before I left), so I have limited pictures, but I did take these yesterday:
2j342m8.jpg

1zch0km.jpg

It's good to see Ma Nature on the job, protecting the peppers.  A couple of friends also helped by doing an excellent job of keeping everything watered.  There wouldn't be anything left, I think, without their help, as the heat and dryness were both more than forecast for the time I was gone.
 
BTW, the plant in the above pictures was supposed to be a 7P Original Red.  Doesn't look red to me.  I'm not really complaining, though, because I have some really interesting "nots" out there.  For example, one of the 7P Burgundies is producing peach-colored pods.  I'm pretty happy about that.  And the white bhuts are showing several variations.  I'll get more comprehensive pics up in a few days.
 
Here are some shots from my trip:
2yjqwqf.jpg

2ajddmt.jpg

28txc74.jpg

 
I don't guess I'll ever get caught up with everyone's glogs, but I'll at least try to pick up from here.
 
More later.
 
Love the pods and the frog!
 
The vacation spot looks gorgeous, nothing better than getting out there where it's just peace and quiet with a great view. Really makes one appreciate the wonders this planet has to share.
 
Have a great week!
 
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