Greetings!
NOTE: All edits will be done to this first post until it gets full. All photos will be in timeline style (oldest first).
I see snow but that's not stopping me!
I have already germinated some 7 Pot peppers with a 100% germination rate. The Chocolate Habs (also 100% germination) are now in seedling containers waiting to pop. My Trinidad Scorpion seeds are a major bust. I tried multiple ways of germinating the seeds and there is nothing in any of them after nearly a month. Fail.
My germination and growing method is easy:
1. Soak seeds for 24 hours in pre-boild water in a container near a heat source (my laptop fan outlet works great as it's on all the time).
2. Drain seeds and put into large prescription bottles on a damp paper towel for about a week. EDIT: I found regular tap water (Vancouver, BC) works best because of something (likely chlorine) keeps the nasties away during this hot humid week). Using preboiled water seems to create a bad smell, even after one day.
3. Once life shows, transfer to seedling container (usually an old takeout container) with previously used soil that has been nuked and sifted. I put the larger chunks left int he sieve into the bottom half of the container and top it up with the spongy stuff that came out the bottom of the sieve.
4. Once seedlings show, leave them for a week or until their true leaves are showing and transfer them to plastic beer cups (I use white so I can see how moist the soil is). Same mixture as the seedling containers. I will water once a week with miracle grow. I don't care what people say about MG, it works! All of the above is done in a large terrarium with shelves, heat pad in one corner and a grow fluorescent tube.
5. About a month in, I pick and chose the best candidates for larger pot where they will live out their lives. The rest will be given away to friends and family (which feels bad because they just wont care for them like I do). I usually harden the plants before putting them outside but if it is mild, out they go to enjoy the sudo-sun.
7 Pot
Soaked: January 8th, 2013
Drained: January 9th, 2013
Planted: January 16th, 2013
100% Germination
18/18 sprouts
Notes & Photos:
I used a mixture of the sifted and bigger chunks of soil from last year, nuked for 3 minutes in this container.
I used toothpicks to mark the spots of the peppers but they started to grow something under the high humidity. Swapped out for straw pieces.
January 26th, 2013: Everything looks great!
Chocolate Habanero Peppers
Soaked: January 14th, 2013
Drained: January 15th, 2013
Planted: January 22nd, 2013
100% Germination
Notes & Photos:
January 25th: I didn't expect any activity and there was none to log.
January 26th: Morning, 2/20 Sprouts
January 27th: Morning, 4/20 Sprouts
January 29th: Afternoon, 11/20 sprouts
January 30th: Evening, 14/19 Sprouts (one was crushed by accident).
February 2nd: Removed the top and within hours, the seedlings started to sag and droop. The seedlings were starting to touch the top so I built a saran wrap tent around them and put them back in the terrarium. Here's hoping!
February 3rd: Mold started to grow. I transfered everything into a small grow box (see pics below under Bhut Jolokia)
Bhut Jolokia
Soaked: January 24th, 2013
Drained: January 25th, 2013
Planted: Feb 2nd
100% Germination!
Notes:
January 26th, 2013: Seeds are looking very swollen already!
January 27th: Morning, no change.
February 2nd: Noon, noticed 7 seeds had pushed out some hairy roots. Time to plant!
February 3rd: Sprouts already! They were touching the top so I moved them into a grow box I made today. It's a shoe storage box (plastic). I cut the lid and put plastic wrap under the lid so light can get in.
Scotch Bonnet (Red)
Soaked: January 29th, 2013
Drained: January 30th, 2013
Planted:_______________ (Estimated: Feb 7st)
_____% Germination
Notes:
February 3rd: Morning, some seeds are starting to root. Planting could be sooner than expected.
February 5th: Seeds were producing roots. I planted those that had obvious life!
I have plans for many more peppers but I wanted to get what I have done down as to be able to track how they go. REMEMBER: I will add updates to this first post so follow if you wish but check back often!
NOTE: All edits will be done to this first post until it gets full. All photos will be in timeline style (oldest first).
I see snow but that's not stopping me!
I have already germinated some 7 Pot peppers with a 100% germination rate. The Chocolate Habs (also 100% germination) are now in seedling containers waiting to pop. My Trinidad Scorpion seeds are a major bust. I tried multiple ways of germinating the seeds and there is nothing in any of them after nearly a month. Fail.
My germination and growing method is easy:
1. Soak seeds for 24 hours in pre-boild water in a container near a heat source (my laptop fan outlet works great as it's on all the time).
2. Drain seeds and put into large prescription bottles on a damp paper towel for about a week. EDIT: I found regular tap water (Vancouver, BC) works best because of something (likely chlorine) keeps the nasties away during this hot humid week). Using preboiled water seems to create a bad smell, even after one day.
3. Once life shows, transfer to seedling container (usually an old takeout container) with previously used soil that has been nuked and sifted. I put the larger chunks left int he sieve into the bottom half of the container and top it up with the spongy stuff that came out the bottom of the sieve.
4. Once seedlings show, leave them for a week or until their true leaves are showing and transfer them to plastic beer cups (I use white so I can see how moist the soil is). Same mixture as the seedling containers. I will water once a week with miracle grow. I don't care what people say about MG, it works! All of the above is done in a large terrarium with shelves, heat pad in one corner and a grow fluorescent tube.
5. About a month in, I pick and chose the best candidates for larger pot where they will live out their lives. The rest will be given away to friends and family (which feels bad because they just wont care for them like I do). I usually harden the plants before putting them outside but if it is mild, out they go to enjoy the sudo-sun.
7 Pot
Soaked: January 8th, 2013
Drained: January 9th, 2013
Planted: January 16th, 2013
100% Germination
18/18 sprouts
Notes & Photos:
I used a mixture of the sifted and bigger chunks of soil from last year, nuked for 3 minutes in this container.
I used toothpicks to mark the spots of the peppers but they started to grow something under the high humidity. Swapped out for straw pieces.
January 26th, 2013: Everything looks great!
Chocolate Habanero Peppers
Soaked: January 14th, 2013
Drained: January 15th, 2013
Planted: January 22nd, 2013
100% Germination
Notes & Photos:
January 25th: I didn't expect any activity and there was none to log.
January 26th: Morning, 2/20 Sprouts
January 27th: Morning, 4/20 Sprouts
January 29th: Afternoon, 11/20 sprouts
January 30th: Evening, 14/19 Sprouts (one was crushed by accident).
February 2nd: Removed the top and within hours, the seedlings started to sag and droop. The seedlings were starting to touch the top so I built a saran wrap tent around them and put them back in the terrarium. Here's hoping!
February 3rd: Mold started to grow. I transfered everything into a small grow box (see pics below under Bhut Jolokia)
Bhut Jolokia
Soaked: January 24th, 2013
Drained: January 25th, 2013
Planted: Feb 2nd
100% Germination!
Notes:
January 26th, 2013: Seeds are looking very swollen already!
January 27th: Morning, no change.
February 2nd: Noon, noticed 7 seeds had pushed out some hairy roots. Time to plant!
February 3rd: Sprouts already! They were touching the top so I moved them into a grow box I made today. It's a shoe storage box (plastic). I cut the lid and put plastic wrap under the lid so light can get in.
Scotch Bonnet (Red)
Soaked: January 29th, 2013
Drained: January 30th, 2013
Planted:_______________ (Estimated: Feb 7st)
_____% Germination
Notes:
February 3rd: Morning, some seeds are starting to root. Planting could be sooner than expected.
February 5th: Seeds were producing roots. I planted those that had obvious life!
I have plans for many more peppers but I wanted to get what I have done down as to be able to track how they go. REMEMBER: I will add updates to this first post so follow if you wish but check back often!
