• Blog your pepper progress. The first image in your first post will be used to represent your Glog.

Siv's 2019 first time glog

I have never grown anything intentionally before but I wanted to try. Last year I bought some seeds from a local supplier here and tried to germinate them and failed. Not a single sprout. I kinda gave up. But around May I saw a sorry looking ghost pepper plant (at least that's what it was labeled as) sitting at Lowes so I bought it and put it in a small pot. Despite my neglect (and being away for a month during summer), the thing grew and put out a good set of pods. So this year, I'm highly motivated to give some serious pepper growing a go.
 
Determined to succeed this time, I educated myself and learned about the need for heat mats etc. I also watched a ton of Peter Stanley and Kangstar's videos which were hugely helpful.
 
I started with the leftover seeds from last year and here's the status:
  • Kraken - 10 started, 6 sprouted
  • Douglah - 10 started, 2 sprouted
  • Chocolate Moruga - 10 started, 0 sprouted
Then I placed an order with Sandia seeds on 4th Feb:
  • Ring of Fire - 10 started
  • Aji Limo - 10 started
  • White Ghost - 10 started
  • Fatalii - 10 started
  • Rocoto - 10 started
Of this lot, most of the seeds have sprouted so I have transplanted around four of each into wicking cups (half in soil and half in hydroton) to see what happens:
IMG_2806.JPG

 
Then Sandia seeds sent a coupon for 25% off and I'm a sucker for a sale so my second order was placed on 19th Feb:

  • Bhut Jolokia Yellow - 10 started
  • Bulgarian Carrot - 10 started
  • Devil's Tongue - 10 started
  • Yellow Jalapeño Lemon Spice - 10 started
  • Mulato Isleño Chile - Chocolate Poblano - 10 started
  • Bell Purple Beauty Sweet - 20+ started
The yellow jalapeno and bulgarian carrot have already sprung up, as well as lots of the purple bell. The first yellow ghost just popped up this morning:
IMG_2804.JPG

 

I probably shouldn't have done this but after seeing the love for these varieties, I made a third seed order yesterday:
  • Bahamian Goat
  • Sugar Rush Peach
So my first lesson learned: Now that I know the importance of heat, humidity and light, I don't need to put so many seeds in. I have way too many seedlings now! I'm only gonna attempt 2 or 3 of the new seeds this time!


 
Now I'm debating how to grow these on. I have plenty of room in my garden so I'm thinking about a whole bunch of 5 gal buckets with one lot as self watering in compost and another as a drip watered hydro. I may do dutch bucket or I may try a venturi style nute injection, not sure.
 
Anyway, I look forward to seeing what happens to all these plants over this year!
 
Click to expand...
Devv said:
Been doing some reading..and I'm wondering how you get summer pods? I'm just a few hours West and I get stiffed after June???
 
 
I say well done! Can I say that twice?
Click to expand...
 
I'm no expert since this is my first time but I think it's down to the shade. Where I have the hydros and the soil plants both get fully shaded by about noon. That and watering every two days.
 
The raised beds spend more time in the open sun and the plants in there are a fraction of the size of the others. I don't even bother looking at them these days!
 
It's most definitely worth a shot, shadewise. I grow in full sun with 30 to 40%  sun shades...so far not much happening..
 
My "soil" grow area is on the North East corner of my house. It's got double story walls on two sides so you get direct morning sun and then the area progressively shades. It's almost completely in shade by the early afternoon. Incidentally, just to the left of that tree in the middle of the picture is where I left my ghost pepper plant last year, completely ignored and it produced a ton without me doing anything - I didn't even water it. And the window just behind the tree is my grow room where I start my seedlings so they get morning sun also.
Grow area.png

 
I need some advice - what do I do with all these Brazilian Starfish pods? They're a nice snacking pepper but not that hot so not really usable for sauces. I've been reluctant to pick them since then I'll be forced to do something with them!
49035401597_a6827bd8f6_c.jpg

 
My next Disney collaboration is a sauce using the Kraken - Imperial Guard. It's a little odd - used papaya and mango and it is sweet and very hot but doesn't have that good balance. I think the Kraken is better suited to a savory flavour. My mum suggested we try tamarind so I'm going to do that for the next sauce as I have a good punnet of red Krakens still to harvest.
49035401847_12f461dcaf_c.jpg
 
Just my opinion but I think you are wrong on Brazillian Starfish pods for sauce. I have made an excellant sauce out of them by fermenting them, just do not add in too many other things in to take away from their flavor and heat.
 
CaneDog said:
I was thinking along somewhat similar lines. Perhaps they could be the base of the sauce with something much hotter added to contribute heat without significantly altering the flavor profile.
Click to expand...
Like Texas Creek Pure Evil!
 
skullbiker said:
Just my opinion but I think you are wrong on Brazillian Starfish pods for sauce. I have made an excellant sauce out of them by fermenting them, just do not add in too many other things in to take away from their flavor and heat.
Click to expand...
 
OK, here we go!
49038951472_8ec6fb682f_c.jpg

 
Mash with 2.5% salt to peppers by weight. I'm gonna do the "stir method" and not bother with airlocks etc.
49038951237_fa619b85e2_c.jpg
 
A small harvest this week. We've had pretty cold temps in Houston so the plants are all on their way out. Still a few peppers to pick (more damn Aji Limo) which I will get around to this weekend.
 
49069886492_2a71de100a_c.jpg

 
I've been busy drying and making sauces
 
49069677506_a4135f6da5_c.jpg

49069158083_fdf5abcae4_c.jpg

 
Finally, my stir plate adventure has turned into shenanigans. I was spinning the plate against the sander to get it balanced and even when one of the magnets flung off and hit my window. It would have been cheaper to buy one!
 
49069678346_0c4106e5bf_c.jpg
 
Didn't really like that last post, but Holy Cow!
That must have been a shocker   :eek:
 
At least you know it has torque! Good luck
getting that fixed, looks like a good-sized
window. At least no sauce bottles broken!
 
The stir plate shenanigans continue - I think I tried too hard, using a far too powerful motor. It goes from zero to stupid fast with a one degree twist of the knob and only gets faster from there. I'm giving up on this design and switching to a PC fan and variable power supply instead. Parts arrive tomorrow.
 
In the mean time, I've been busy making more sauces and enjoying my Disney+ subscription!
49127666248_d86c23ee2b_c.jpg
 
Siv said:
I have never grown anything intentionally before but I wanted to try. Last year I bought some seeds from a local supplier here and tried to germinate them and failed. Not a single sprout. I kinda gave up. But around May I saw a sorry looking ghost pepper plant (at least that's what it was labeled as) sitting at Lowes so I bought it and put it in a small pot. Despite my neglect (and being away for a month during summer), the thing grew and put out a good set of pods. So this year, I'm highly motivated to give some serious pepper growing a go.
 
Determined to succeed this time, I educated myself and learned about the need for heat mats etc. I also watched a ton of Peter Stanley and Kangstar's videos which were hugely helpful.
 
I started with the leftover seeds from last year and here's the status:
  • Kraken - 10 started, 6 sprouted
  • Douglah - 10 started, 2 sprouted
  • Chocolate Moruga - 10 started, 0 sprouted
Then I placed an order with Sandia seeds on 4th Feb:
  • Ring of Fire - 10 started
  • Aji Limo - 10 started
  • White Ghost - 10 started
  • Fatalii - 10 started
  • Rocoto - 10 started
Of this lot, most of the seeds have sprouted so I have transplanted around four of each into wicking cups (half in soil and half in hydroton) to see what happens:
attachicon.gif
IMG_2806.JPG
 
Then Sandia seeds sent a coupon for 25% off and I'm a sucker for a sale so my second order was placed on 19th Feb:

  • Bhut Jolokia Yellow - 10 started
  • Bulgarian Carrot - 10 started
  • Devil's Tongue - 10 started
  • Yellow Jalapeño Lemon Spice - 10 started
  • Mulato Isleño Chile - Chocolate Poblano - 10 started
  • Bell Purple Beauty Sweet - 20+ started
The yellow jalapeno and bulgarian carrot have already sprung up, as well as lots of the purple bell. The first yellow ghost just popped up this morning:
attachicon.gif
IMG_2804.JPG
 

I probably shouldn't have done this but after seeing the love for these varieties, I made a third seed order yesterday:
  • Bahamian Goat
  • Sugar Rush Peach
So my first lesson learned: Now that I know the importance of heat, humidity and light, I don't need to put so many seeds in. I have way too many seedlings now! I'm only gonna attempt 2 or 3 of the new seeds this time!


 
Now I'm debating how to grow these on. I have plenty of room in my garden so I'm thinking about a whole bunch of 5 gal buckets with one lot as self watering in compost and another as a drip watered hydro. I may do dutch bucket or I may try a venturi style nute injection, not sure.
 
Anyway, I look forward to seeing what happens to all these plants over this year!
Click to expand...
 
 
Great list. One of my fav peppers was a Yellow Bhut I grew a few years ago. Somehow the saved seed didn't grow true and I lost that... good luck with yours!
 
*edit: LOL I just now noticed the date on your first post, I'll read through to see how they turned out
 
Spicegeist said:
 
 
Great list. One of my fav peppers was a Yellow Bhut I grew a few years ago. Somehow the saved seed didn't grow true and I lost that... good luck with yours!
 
*edit: LOL I just now noticed the date on your first post, I'll read through to see how they turned out
Click to expand...
 
Sadly I didn't get a single yellow bhut to germinate this year. I don't have any seeds for 2020 yet but there are so many varieties I want to try, I'm not sure if I can. I'm definitely doing more white ghost - they're definitely one of my top peppers this year.
 
Mr.joe said:
Your line of star wars inspired sauces are great. Complete with full color labels and seals on the lids. These are just for personal consumption?
Click to expand...
Yeah, personal consumption - I do like the seals, they cost little but make the bottle look professional!
 
 
PaulG said:
Is that a nice bottle of Spanish wine
hiding behind those sauces?
Click to expand...
Plenty of wine in my house as we seem to buy more than we drink. I'm using the wine storage to store my sauce bottles also :)
 
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