seanw first glog (2013) - Racing the End of the Season...

Hello and greetings My first post here, and I'm prepping for my first major season growing. I've done a few small pepper plants here or there, and two summers ago I tried for some variety of ghost chili or other (the pop top cans you can get from thinkgeek), which turned out to look like ghost chilis, but were super mild (may have also been the fact that they were getting almost no sun in the apartment we lived in at the time, and by the time we got the house, they got outdoors just in time for the frost to hit).

I've got a heat mat and a 50 hole rapid rooter en route, and I'll be grabbing some cheapo work lights to give me some light. I also need to rig some sort of container to keep in the heat, they'll be going in my insulated-but-unheated garage until I move them into the garden, thinking either a styrofoam cooler or just putting that silver bubblewrap insulation stuff on a box.

In addition to some herbs and other garden veggies, here's my pepper list for the year:

HP22B
Yatsufusa
Tabasco
Paprika
Firecracker
Early Jalapeno
Moruga Trinidad Scorpion
NuMex Suave Orange Habanero
Chiltepin
Orange Hab
Bhut Jolokia
Red Savina Hab
Hot Cherry Pepper
Butch T Trinidad
Scotch Bonnet

I may have gone a bit gonzo on ordering. We haven't built our garden yet. This will be the second garden, the first is dedicated to berries, and got mauled by rabbits and chipmunks, even with fencing. The vegetable garden is going to be 6'x30', in three sections. Gonna stick peppers and some tomatos in one of the 10x6 section, the other two will be for the other veggies. I'm gonna have to break out some pots for the rest of the peppers. We'll see what happens once we get the garden together, though My current plan is to build a frame around the garden and cover it with 1" or 2" fencing, big enough for the bugs, too small for the critters.

Here's hoping all goes well!

 

[SeanW]

Hey Sean... is your wife any better with bone meal than she is with blood meal? The bones are steamed first to sterilize them before grinding them up. If you're fertilizing outside, maybe fish emulsion would be OK? I've been using Espoma "garden tone" fertilizer in my vegetable garden for number of years and really like it. If you want to go the plant-based organic route there's always Alfalfa meal, Cottonseed meal and Soybean meal. They don't add as much N as other fertilizers, but it is more quickly available to the plants, you don't need to worry about burning the roots and they also add trace minerals and growth hormones.

What variety of onions did you plant? I sowed "Patterson" yellow storage onions I got from Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine and got nearly 100% germination on a seed heat mat.

I guess we'll see, I have bags of both blood and bone meal I know they both are safe, she's just a little weird about things like that, sometimes. I'll look for the Garden Tone, I'm using Espoma's organic potting mix for my cups right now. I don't particularly care about organic-ness, but I am trying to at least avoid the heavy duty chemical fertilizers. I need to check the local Agway and a few of the garden places to see if they have alfalfa or similar.

I planted Yellow of Parma, from SSE. I had (have) them in a seed tray full of soil that had a dome over it for humidity, and it's at the top of the greenhouse where it's warmest. Unsure what happened. It's a long-day type, I got some small onions (a little more than sets) from Lowes, but I think they are short day types. I may look around for some other long-day seeds to throw in there and hope.

My peppers are showing mag deficiency, I put some cal-mag (along with fish ferts and silica blast) in their water last night, I'm going to get a sprayer bottle today so that I can give them a misting of epsom salts. Hopefully that'll perk them up.

Still only just barely, occasionally, cracking 50 outside. We're supposed to start seeing 60's, next week, so I might be able to begin the hardening off process at that point.

Rye seed has been sown in the areas of the jungle that we had already clear cut. I was actually a little surprised at the size of the seed, I expected it to me more like grass seed, where as it's actually almost the same size as the safflower seed that I've been feeding the birds. Who, I hope eat the safflower, thistle and sunflower I left out for them and leave my rye seed alone...greedy little buggers. I overseeded some, and scuffled the dirt around, so with any luck they won't eat all of it.

Question for the collective -

I'm going to be making a raised bed to put these in (actually...to put most of my other plants in, most of the peppers will be in various pots), using cinder blocks. It'll be roughly 30'x6'. A cinder block is 9" tall, I'm trying to decide if I need to go 2 blocks high, or not. Also trying to decide whether or not to fence it in, or to rely on bird netting to keep the critters out. Chipmunks have been a problem, so metal is probably the way to go. The second row of cinder blocks adds a fair amount to the price (um...double..), so I might try and keep it as 1 row. I'll be growing carrots, but that's the only veggie that I have that'll be underground.

Should be entertaining...each row of cinder blocks is 52 blocks, at 38lbs each, so just shy of a ton worth of blocks, per row. Luckily, Lowes delivers for pretty cheap...which is actually another incentive to go 2 rows, as delivery is almost the cost of a single row of blocks, but doesn't change if I add the second row. Maybe I'll do a second row, next year...

Think 9" is deep enough? There will be soil underneath, it's just rocky as hell and I don't feel like digging it up, again.

 

[SeanW]

I'm kind of annoyed about a few of the annuums that didn't pop. Or, stubborn. I'm actually thinking of trying the "borg" method on some of the stubborn seeds I have. The mallorca variety apparently never grew for the the guy I got the seeds off of, so I should just go all out with what I have before the seeds get any older. Maybe another variety or two.

 

[SeanW]

Right, so sprayed my peppers down last night with a foliar spray of water, burpee's "all natural plant food" and epsom salts. Hopefully that'll green them up right quick. Guess we'll see. Nothing as of this morning, but I'm impatient. The spray left a bit of a brown residue on the leaves, but ah well.

I also just started some more seeds in cups. A few of the varieties that escaped me, the Mallorca pimienta, Pasilla Oaxaca, Gernika, and Early Jalapeno. Also started anaheim because..well...why not. I considered throwing Dedo de Moca in there, too, but it might be a bit late for Baccatums, so I left it be. Next year. I'm planning on borg sowing these, I only did a couple of each seed, they'll go in the same hole. I did a whole pile of the mallorca seeds, I want that jerk to grow. Going to try both the baggie on the cable box method, along with the rooters, something HAS to take, or maybe all of these seeds are just bum. Guess we'll find out. All of the seeds are soaking in water and peroxide.

I've got pea sprouts! I need to get more light on them, quickly. Running out of space in the greenhouse...and in the next week or two, I have to start the rest of the herbs...Some rearranging needs to happen, I guess.

 

[PIC 1]

Why not go with wood for the bed. I'd recommend at least 12". Cedar 5/4 deck boards work, or for stability 2 x 12".

 

[SeanW]

Why not go with wood for the bed. I'd recommend at least 12". Cedar 5/4 deck boards work, or for stability 2 x 12".

Comes down to cost. I ran the numbers a while ago, raw cedar boards would cost about twice as much as the blocks, and not last as long. Deck boards would probably be more expensive. It'll be ugly, but with some flowers and plants around the outside, I can purty it up as well as use plants that deter critters.

 

[SeanW]

My plants outdoors, getting a bit of shade and fresh air. You can see the discoloration from the nute deficiency, they got another light misting today. I'll give them a little while before I spray them again.

Noticed that there's gunk in the trays that I'm bottom feeding them in...guess the ferts are good for other stuff, too. I probably should drop a bit of vinegar in there, maybe that'll clear it up, some.

Up-potted my tomatoes, the ones I had "culled" and shoved in cups to see what happened were actually doing better than the ones in the rooters, so up they went.

 

[stickman]

Plants are looking fairly good Sean... just wanting the winter to end so they can go out and play in the sun...

Good luck with the cinder block raised bed idea. Hope it works out well for ya!

 

[SeanW]

Plants are looking fairly good Sean... just wanting the winter to end so they can go out and play in the sun...

Good luck with the cinder block raised bed idea. Hope it works out well for ya!

These typical 30 degree New England temperature swings are killer It'll be nice when I can get them out full time.

Hoping the bed will work out. Gonna be pricey, though, looking at around 6 yards of soil delivered, on top of the building materials.

Will leaves on plants bounce back after a magnesium deficiency? Unsure if I should spritz them again, or if I'm just being impatient and am going to burn them. How often to foliar feed, I guess?

 

[stickman]

If it's diluted enough, several times a day isn't too much. That's why I only use a teaspoon per quart.

 

[SeanW]

Thanks, Rick. Maybe I'll mix up another batch that's a bit milder, get these babies nice and green.

 

[SeanW]

Got my beans popping, which is cool.

Tomatillos went into the dirt, today, in cups in my greenhouse. Purple Malda and Green husk. The purple ones should make for some funky salsa, I'm looking forward to it.

I also am going for germination round 2 on Early Jap, Gernika, Pasilla de Oaxaca and Pimienta Mallorca. The mallorca is both in the rooters and in a coffee filter in a baggy on my DVR. I also planted Anaheim. Because...what's one more variety, right?

Plants have been misted twice today with the 1tsp/qt epsom salt/water mix, I'll keep that up with periodic bottom feedings and foliar feedings with the kelp mix.

I threw some hay on top of my rye seed, yesterday. 20 bucks each for 3 cubic feet of hay. That's expensive crap. I probably should have bought a third bale, but I already spent way more than I was anticipating. Got most of it covered, in the areas I really need to try and choke the bramble off, so crossed fingers.

I want some peppers! Come on!

Oh, quick question - I'd like to pinch off some of the bigger plants, to top them. I'm worried about doing it now, since they are already stressed with the nute deficiency. Think it's safe?

 

[Sawyer]

I'd be inclined to wait until they were healthy, but I've never topped pepper plants before anyway, so what do I know?

 

[SeanW]

I'd be inclined to wait until they were healthy, but I've never topped pepper plants before anyway, so what do I know?

That's my thought, too...don't want to stress them more than they already are. They are starting to green up, which is cool. I think the problem remaining is overwatering. Again. Oops. I'll get the hang of it...

Peas and beans are growing faster than I expected...kinda popped right up. I shoved some bamboo skewers in next to them for a little support, unsure how long they'll take to outgrow that.

 

[stickman]

Hi Sean
Great news on the home front... I went to Weymouth to an elderly Aunt's birthday party yesterday, and it looks like you're about a week ahead of us weatherwise... We still have patches of snow in the places where the sun doesn't reach, but eastern MA is free of it.

I hope you planted the Peas and Beans in the ground! It's a little early for Beans, but the Peas can go in the ground almost as soon as the soil can be worked, and they'll pop up when they're ready. If you don't care what the trellises look like, you can bury the ends of some branches (with the bark on but the leaves stripped off) next to the peas and they'll climb up those. Bush beans don't need supports.

Good on ya for getting the watering/nutes dialed in... it's all coming together bro'!

 

[SeanW]

Hi Sean
Great news on the home front... I went to Weymouth to an elderly Aunt's birthday party yesterday, and it looks like you're about a week ahead of us weatherwise... We still have patches of snow in the places where the sun doesn't reach, but eastern MA is free of it.

I hope you planted the Peas and Beans in the ground! It's a little early for Beans, but the Peas can go in the ground almost as soon as the soil can be worked, and they'll pop up when they're ready. If you don't care what the trellises look like, you can bury the ends of some branches (with the bark on but the leaves stripped off) next to the peas and they'll climb up those. Bush beans don't need supports.

Good on ya for getting the watering/nutes dialed in... it's all coming together bro'!

I planted them in cups I was impatient, and wanted to get them started sooner rather than later, as my garden still is just a twinkle in my eye. That'll go up in a week or so, and I'll get the peas in there asap. If they die on transplant, I have a pile of other "seeds." Not too concerned. My beans are pole type, so they'll need support. I wasn't expecting them to pop and grow so fast, never grown them before.

We still have a decent bit of snow in the shady spots. My yard is free of it, but I saw some neighbors this weekend shoveling piles of snow across their driveway to get it to melt faster. Yay microclimates. Supposed to be in the 60's, today, and 70's, tomorrow, so that might be the end of it. It's going to drop back into the 40s later this week, so the next couple days will be a tease.

I have to stop watering for a while to get this crap cleared up, so I might really dilute the kelp ferts and foliar with with that more often. I also have to find some more room for plants - almost herb planting time, and I can't figure out where to put my annuums!

 

[SeanW]

Filled up a 10 gallon pop and stuck a pair of Northfield Pea seedlings into it. I'll get a trellis in there, soon. I need to grow these in pots, because peas and beans get much taller than my garden is going to allow. Ran out of soil, or the snap peas I have would have gone out, too.

Good to know - a 10 gallon pot takes 2 cubic feet of soil. By that value...a 5 gallon pot will take 1 cubic foot. Ish. 2/3 foot^3 for a 3 gallon pot. Using mostly 3 and 5 gallon pots...I'm gonna need a couple yards of soil. Eep.

I also stuck my rose plants outdoors, I'll bring them back in if we get a below freezing night.

Peppers got a good hour or so outdoors, yesterday. About 30 minutes in the sun, then 30 minutes in the shade when the sun moved behind a tree. We'll see how often they get outdoors for the rest of the week, gonna rain and be dreary and possibly cold the whole time.

 

[SeanW]

Snap peas are outdoors. Added a trellis to each of the pea pots. I also stuck one of my beans out there, with a pole, I'll see how they do in the weather, and then the rest will go out.

No sun for the peppers, today. Just rain. Rick spotted some brown spots on the plants I gave him, a potential bacteria infection, so I got some copper fungicide and hit all of my plants. They are starting to green up, which is good. Still a touch of overwatering, which probably contributed to the bacteria spots. They'll recover, I haven't given them any water beyond touching up one plant, and the regular spritzing they've been getting, of epsom salts and a very dilute fert mix, alternating.

Once again hoping to hand off some plants, this weekend. Hopefully I succeed, if not, I'll figure something out. I can get a few more plants out into cups, and maybe get a few more plants outdoors.

Really annoyed at the onions...only the 3 or so seedlings, thus far. Tomatillos haven't popped yet, either, but it's early for them.

 

[SeanW]

Two green tomatillos have hooked! Finally...the others haven't, none of the purples, either. I sowed some more, hoping for some success.

The majority of my herbs are now in rooters or dirt. Basil, Cinnamon Basil, Parsley, Sage, Wormwood, German Chamomile, Echinacea, Oregano, Sweet Marjoram, Summer Savory, Chives, Fennel, a few lavender varieties..umm..a few others, can't remember off the top of my head.

I didn't soak all of the seeds, some of the herb seeds are CRAZY fine. Decided it would be too much effort to get them out of the water.

Haven't checked the outside plants, this morning. If the beans survived, the rest will go out. We got a frost last night, so that'll be the test.

On the pepper front, this guy got a new home:

Chilly Chile, in my living room. Nice little ornamental for decoration

 

[stickman]

Hey Sean, The beat goes on, eh? The really fine seed isn't worth pre-soaking... I just prepare a 3x6 inch tray with seed starting mix, sprinkle the seeds on top and sift an eigth inch of the mix over that and bottom water until it's saturated, then put the dome lid on it and onto the seed heat mat. Some of the small seeds need filtered light exposure to germinate, and for those I put a single thickness of paper towel over the dome lid until they germ.
Did the beans fare well out your way? We got a hard frost last night. The Mache' I planted outside a week ago is looking fine, but it's hugging the ground for warmth ATM. I'll transplant the Claytonia this week, and plant the lettuce, Gai Choy and Shungiku... Brassicas and root crops in a couple of weeks. The silver Tuna is the chiles... I'll be hardening them off outside during the day this week, and if the weather cooperates, planting outside under the hoophouse this weekend. Cheers!

 

[SeanW]

We had a good bit of frost, last night, too. I'll check the peas and beans when I get home, it's still dark when I leave the house. I'm hoping the beans did okay, I need space in my greenhouse for some other pot-ups. My friends are still slacking on taking my spares - maybe next weekend?

The only things that haven't been started yet are the leafy veggies and carrots, they don't transplant well.

Good point about the filtered light, gotta remember throw something over those when I get home. I'm only looking for one or two of each of most of those, so I just loaded the rooters with seed. Chives when into a cup. Some of the herbs got multiple rooters.

I up-potted the cumin and white sage last night. Other than freshly sown seed, only annuums are left in the rooters. They are practically hydro plants, at this point. They'll go into dirt soon enough, I just am flat out of space on all but 1 shelf, and that last shelf has minimal light, I've just been using it for germinating.

Next year, if I can source the plant easily from a garden market, I might just skip doing it from seed and buy a grown plant. Might cost a smidge more, but whatever. More space for the harder to get stuff inside.