sinensis grow log 2018 (2019 early start!)

i'm getting a real early start on 2019. i figure i can get some seeds started now and take advantage of natural light from my garden window at first. by the time winter comes, hopefully i'll have artificial lighting sorted out.
 
this is my first time growing anything.
 
i started these 8 with the paper towel method (didn't soak the seeds beforehand) in a takeout container:
 
Aji Ahuachapan
Aji Lemon Drop
Scotch Bonnet WHP
Scotch Brains
Bahamian Goat
7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow
Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Yellow
I Scream Scorpion
 

 
i also ordered these, but they haven't arrived yet:
 
Aji Painapple
Yaki Blue Fawn
Safi Red
Galapagos Isabella Habanero
Jays Peach Scorpion
Fatalii (Yellow)
 
i really have to think about how much lighting and space i'll be able to invest in. it's a problem for another day
 
here's the incubator i cobbled together:
 

 
it's just a styrofoam cooler with a 40W light bulb hooked up to a variac. i didn't have a weaker bulb, but i have it turned way down.
i have it in the basement where the temperature doesn't change much. a couple of thermistors are dangling in there to monitor it and help me get it dialed in to 85°F.
 
i have some outdoor peppers right now that i got from a nursery. i'll post them later on.

 

[Malarky]

Best of luck!
I hope you have room in your house. by winter you will have a bunch of enormous plants to take care of

 

[sinensis]

i made a substantial improvement to the germination chamber by adding a gallon of water (preheated to 85°F) as a thermal reservoir.
the thermometer i have in there records high/low, and it's stayed within the range of 84-85°F over the last few days without any fiddling. not bad for open-loop.
 

 
 
also, the first of the seeds has germinated!
in first place is I Scream Scorpion (8 days):
 

 

[sinensis]

unfortunately, i'm noticing mold in a couple of spots on the paper towel (including one of the seeds).
i removed the moldy seed, but i wonder if i'll be plagued by damping off.
it's probably safe to assume that the whole paper towel is contaminated with mold/spores. 
maybe that's what i get for not doing H2O2/chamomile soak.
 
i transferred the the sprouts to rapid rooter plugs. 4 sprouted so far:
2x I Scream Scorpion
7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow
Aji Ahuachapan
 
i put the plugs in a little tray and put that in a ziplock bag.
 
do you think the rapid rooter plugs are better off in the germination chamber (pretty dark, 85°F) or on my garden window (daytime light, but in the 60s-70s (currently 75°F)).
 
should i get rid of the ziplock bag and leave the tray of plugs uncovered?
 
thanks
 

 

[sinensis]

i ended up taking the seeds that hadn't sprouted yet and swirled them in 3% H2O2 for around 30s. this produced noticeable bubbling seemingly from inside the seed.
i wonder if the embryos got damaged from this...
 
i then put them on fresh paper towel in a new container, moistened it with water, and put it back in the incubator.

 

[sinensis]

update:
 

 
i still don't have seedlings for Bahamian Goat, Scotch Bonnet WHP, or Scotch Brains yet.
 
also, i started new seeds today:
 
Aji Painapple
Yaki Blue Fawn
Safi Red
Galapagos Isabella Habanero
Jays Peach Scorpion
Fatalii (Yellow)
 
this time, i did a H2O2 soak (diluted 3% with water 1:20) for a couple of hours and am now doing an overnight chamomile soak (one teabag strong brewed in a normal mug, diluted to 1:4).
they're each in their own little takeout sauce containers.

 

[sinensis]

small progress report
 

 
 
got a scotch brains seedling finally!
 
also, here's one of the better looking pods i've gotten so far from my 'reaper' plant:
 

 
it seems to be putting out cooler looking pods as the plant matures

 

[sinensis]

i have three of the above 'reaper' plants. i kept one inside, but the others are outdoor container plants.
here's the combined harvest from all 3:
 

 

 
pretty big range of fruit size and appearance. i wonder if they will ever grow out of putting out tiny, dime-sized peppers. i actually haven't opened up any of the big ones to compare, but the small ones have all been seedless so far...
 
here's an unripe, nicer sized pod from the same plants:
 

 

[sinensis]

here's my outdoor stuff:
 

 
all peppers except for a couple of tomatoes.
 
here's one of the outdoor 'reapers':
 

 
this plant is kind of my pride and joy -- a nice size san marzano tomato:
 

 
it's doing much better than a brandywine i put in a 5 gallon bucket SIP. it's in a bigger pot, but i think the media made a big difference too. i think the potting mix i made isn't that great. this one's in miracle grow...
 
and here's an update on my indoor seedlings:
 

 

[sinensis]

today, i added a fan for my indoor plants
 
fan:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J07RMU
timer:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0752PHMTL
 
the timer is pretty darn nice. easily the best one i've ever owned due to its relatively flexible programming options.
i've got the fan set for 3 minutes on, 30 minutes off.

 

[sinensis]

a small harvest today
 

 
seedling update:
 

 
i love the purple foliage on one of the I Scream Scorpions!
 

 

[sinensis]

yesterday, i played around with calibrating an inexpensive ppm meter (HM Digital TDS-4).
 
i prepared a standard NaCl solution. the concentration doesn't matter so long as it's accurately known and in your typical measurement range. because my meter's manual suggests calibrating with 342ppm NaCl, i went with that for fun.
 
does anyone know the significance of 342ppm?? i don't.
 
consider:
s / (w + s) * 10^6 = ppm
where s is mass of NaCl, w is mass of water, and ppm is NaCl concentration.
 
rearranging the above equation:
s = p * w / (10^6 - p)
 
i added 448.8g distilled water (measured 0ppm on my meter) to an empty bottle. for the salt:
 
s = 342ppm * 448.8g H2O / (10^6 - 342ppm) = 0.1535g NaCl
 
using an analytical balance, i measured 154mg Morton non-iodized table salt and added it. 
 

 
assuringly, the meter read 354ppm. for the heck of it, i nudged the calibration pot until it read 344ppm at 24.9°C.
 

 
who knows if my adjustment made it more or less accurate.
 
that was fun