Southern Heat

Hi Everyone!
 
This is my first time growing and I've started really late. I didn't really get into growing peppers until I did a little research about some hot salsa I ate. It's made by Mrs. Renfro, and it's ghost pepper salsa.
 

 
It's great stuff with a nice heat kick. I love salsa so if you have any types or home-makes you recommend, by all means, send me the info and I'll give it a try.
 
Anyway, I started looking up information about the ghost pepper a while back and I found out it used to be the hottest pepper around so I started looking into who the champ was.
 
I found that the new one, the Moruga Trinidad Scorpion pepper, could kick the ghost pepper in the pants and make it scrub its floors like Cinderella.
 
So I was intrigued at the time but left it alone until recently. I was getting people to eat the ghost pepper salsa and hit the same route of curiosity in which I found there was a new champ again!!
 
Enter HP22B or as all you pepper heads out there know this one as, the Carolina Reaper. Apparently Smokin' Ed did some serious time in the big house over there on the coast and bred some form of torture that humans are willing to subject themselves too. Side note, I must learn from this man called Ed.
 
Considering how I got a horticulture minor in college recently, my growing instincts and green thumb went beserk. I HAD TO GROW THIS!!!
 
Thus, I started my research and finally got my stuff together enough to comfortably start growing peppers. So I hit up ol' Ed for a few types of the goodies.
 
 

 
 
I received them pretty quickly and immediately got super giddy. I excitedly showed them to my roommate who was less enthusiastic about my new endeavor. He decided a nap was more crucial to his life.   
 
Well I decided to go with the  weak chamomile tea soak approach since it was recommended by multiple people, Ed also said to do this, so soak in tea I must!!
 
 

 
So I took coffee filters and layered the different types of seeds by heat level with the mild seed being on bottom and the reapers on top. I let them soak for some time, more time then I intended... whoops. So I immediately panicked and thought I killed all my seeds by drowning them. I felt like a terrible father, I killed all my children before they could even breathe... yeah...
 
Any-who, I proceeded to get some reusable containers for the rest of the germination phase and give the paper towel and heated area a try. The containers were in a 5 pack for $2.50~ish at the big blue corporation machine known as walmart or as my old roommate so eloquently refers to as child-support. I'm not into being super fancy unless I need too, so this pleased me and my pocketbook. I took them home and got it set up.
 
 

 
So after they all got safely tucked away I was hoping and praying for some results and I was really nervous about keeping them damp. I had to leave for the weekend on a trip out of state. The GF brought me to a wedding, it was for the company and as a hint probably, women can be so manipulative... kidding she's great.
 
So I went on the trip over the weekend and this past week something happened. MAGIC!!! 
I had a few of the super-hots germinate and pop roots. So I got my little humidity dome and tray ready. For the starting mix, I decided to experiment. I put half my tray with Sunshine Professional grow mix, which has peat moss, perlite, and a few other components that would be usefull. The other half I made my own mix since I did my homework and have the hook up.
 
I used 40% growing medium, 40% Cow manure compost and 20% perlite to lighten this bad mamma jamma up. It turned out great and apparently the seeds are loving it. Side note, I got the Sunshine and growing medium for FREE cause of connections. The cow compost was on sale at Albertson's in 40lb bags. They are selling them at $5 for 3 bags so yeah, I'm about that life. I got 6 bags to work with.
 
All said and done I planted.
 
 

 
 
The jalapenos my roommate brought home and I hung up to dry and collect seeds from later. Possibly make pepper powder as practice.
 
 

 
 

 
 
They are coming out nicely. Thank God they didn't die!!
I did have a mini heart attack when I saw this guy growing into the towels though.
 

 
 
After emergency surgery, I got him out and put him in the tray. They all looked pretty happy!
 
 

 
 

 
 
All said and done, things were running smoothly at this time. As for heat, well I have them sitting on the beer fridge in the mini bar of the house. It keeps them about 81 degrees though so it works.
 
I ordered gear recently and it's slowely trickling in. I'll update soon when more progress occurs. Much love y'all, till next time!
- JB

 

[Seacowboy]

Good for you on your start up and wish you luck. You will quickly be running out of room and take over roommates area with all sorts of growing supplies. Look forward to see your progress.

 

[Pepperjack91]

Mrs. Renfro's is probably one of the hotter salsas I can find here locally and it is very good. The mango habanero variety is one of my favorites. I still have to make my own for it to be hot enough.
 
Welcome to the THP, my friend.

 

[tctenten]

Great job and continued good luck with your grow.  The people and information here are invaluable. 

 

[laynlow]

Looks like it's coming along nicely.  Good job.

 

[LS929]

Good for you on your start up and wish you luck. You will quickly be running out of room and take over roommates area with all sorts of growing supplies. Look forward to see your progress.

 
 
Haha, they have no idea so far. With the garage kinda crowded at the moment, I'll be taking over some of the side room we're using as storage. Thank you! I'm hoping I get something good by then end of this.
 
 

Mrs. Renfro's is probably one of the hotter salsas I can find here locally and it is very good. The mango habanero variety is one of my favorites. I still have to make my own for it to be hot enough.
 
Welcome to the THP, my friend.

 
 
OOHH YEAH!! Renfro's is awesome. It's got a great kick and flavor. The varieties are awesome also so good pick with the mango habanero.
It helps that one of my best friends is cousins with the Renfro's so I actually have a connection with them. I need to visit their facility though. That would be awesome. 
Thank you! What type of peppers do you use for your salsa?
 

Great job and continued good luck with your grow.  The people and information here are invaluable. 

 
 
Thank you! No doubt about that. The people here are great! I've been combing through all the stuff on here and have learned so much. Kind of over whelming at times but understandable. 

Looks like it's coming along nicely.  Good job.

 
Thank you! I'll be updating soon. I have some exciting things going.

 

[KevinH]

Looking good man.. I will be starting more here a bit later in the year.. This is a lot of fun. What are you gonna use for a light? I have the 18" Sunblaster sitting on the dome, I will get a 2nd here soon and split up the plants in too 2 domes and double the light.

 

[Devv]

A bit of a late start this year but I'm still pulling for ya!
 
I've  heard about the Renfro's (good things) but have yet to try it.
 
When your Reapers come in make some puree, you'll love it.

 

[LS929]

UPDATE TIME!! So it's only been a few days but so much has changed!!
 
 
Ok, since last time I was really concerned for my seeds because my super hots (reapers, choco scorps, and 7 pots) all germinated fairly well. The best being the HP22B and the ChocoScorps. However my Bolivian Rainbow and Thai Sun seeds haven't germ'ed at all yet so I was kinda freaking out. I thought they were supposed to be easier to germ and grow?!?
 
Well It didn't matter because this happened!!!
 
 

 
 
My First baby!!! I feel like a proud father!! His brotha from another pod was coming up also but he had some unexpected company...  
 
 

 
 
NO NO NO NOT TODAY!!!!
 
I don't know what this punk though he was doing but he didn't live long. I let him grow another day after this pic and figured it was a clover (my best guess) so I killed it like a good father would.
 
Well the first was quickly followed by a couple of others so I had to get my gear set up and going. I got my grow bags in first so I was excited but still needed more than that. With the sprouts popping up, I needed a way to control the light. Thankfully I got them in right on time.
 
 

 
 
The lights are a 6 bulb 4' T5 light system. I got it off Amazon and it was totally worth it! It's ~30k lumens and I can change it from 2 to 4 to all 6 bulbs running, so I have some flexibility. The only thing that worries me is I don't know how to control the heat levels yet. Like distance from the plants, how many bulbs to run at once.
 
The other thing that hurts is one of my bulbs was broken when I opened the system...       
 
Thankfully Amazon is super legit and is sending me a whole new system to replace it. A bit overkill but I like it.
 
Considering this is my first grow I needed a light source and a way to hang it so I looked around and decided to use a PVC rig.
 
Starting it I figured out how I wanted it to look and what lengths everything I wanted to be. I started working on the top first.
 
 

 
 
It would be about 8" wide at top.
 
 

 
 
The bottom was about 30" wide so that way I could place my heat mat (which is still MIA in the mail or at the store) and a couple of trays underneath the light comfortably. So I took the remaining PVC and cut them to 5' and made the support poles.
 
 

 
 
#BOOM 
 
 

 
 
The hotness!!!! literally!
 
The lights are held up with chains, eye bolts, and links. It adjust from about one foot off the ground to about four feet. I didn't glue it together either because I need to move and it needs to break down. It's strong enough to hold me on it (I'm about 200 lbs) so I'm thinking another light or two will be added in the future. That way I can add more plants and have more lights going. In the future I can have a small operation going, or keep my plants strong during winter...
 
 

 
 
I think at this point you get how excited I get about this stuff. I'm a bit of a odd one. Hard work and growing stuff just gets me going. I find it super satisfying.
 
With all this said and done I FINALLY had two of my Bolivian seeds to germ and sprout roots. So I planted them this morning.
 
So as of this morning here are my babies.
 
 

 
 
I popped them under neath the lights with them all on and they are still under the humidity dome as of right now. That way it keeps them warm and in a wetter environment for the seeds yet to germinate/sprout. I'm just a little concerned about the heat in the dome. I measured it at 95 degrees so I opened the vents up on the sides and top of the dome to get some air flow. I'll add a small fan to the mix soon too.
 
 

 
 
So pretty... Anyway that's it for this update. The plants are coming along and hopefully soon they will flourish and put out new leaves. I'm still concerned about the heat and how close the lights are. Anyone have incite as to how far I should keep the two apart? I've looked at the forums and all I've see is about 18" is pretty good.
 
Much Love Y'all!

Looking good man.. I will be starting more here a bit later in the year.. This is a lot of fun. What are you gonna use for a light? I have the 18" Sunblaster sitting on the dome, I will get a 2nd here soon and split up the plants in too 2 domes and double the light.

 
Awesome dude!! It really is a lot of fun and satisfying. Take a look at my post I just put up. I got a little intense with my lights so I wouldn't have to buy more when my plants start getting bigger. The domes will be really handy! You picked a better way to start with the bigger domes! I had mine in the small tray and dome from home depot. It was really cheap, only like $5.50.
 
 

A bit of a late start this year but I'm still pulling for ya!
 
I've  heard about the Renfro's (good things) but have yet to try it.
 
When your Reapers come in make some puree, you'll love it.

 
 
Thanks Devv! I'm getting my head in the game already about transplants and trying to get my soil just right so that way my plants can come into a great setup.
 
Oh man Renfro's is awesome!! If you don't order some or get some soon I'll send you some. WORTH IT!
 
Sweet! Thanks for the tip. I'll have to try it.

 

[Devv]

A T5 is fantastic!
 
This season was my second growing peppers from seed. I started them under a 4100K T8 and then moved them to the T5 when they got 4"s high.
 
But, but, but can't you put them outside? As soon as they stand up if it's warm out I put them outside, then you don't have to harden them later on.
 
But if you're doing an inside grow I would start at the higher height and work from there. Until you understand your new hardware. I keep the T8's a few inches above the plants, but the T5's are like the sun.

 

[LS929]

A T5 is fantastic!
 
This season was my second growing peppers from seed. I started them under a 4100K T8 and then moved them to the T5 when they got 4"s high.
 
But, but, but can't you put them outside? As soon as they stand up if it's warm out I put them outside, then you don't have to harden them later on.
 
But if you're doing an inside grow I would start at the higher height and work from there. Until you understand your new hardware. I keep the T8's a few inches above the plants, but the T5's are like the sun.

 
Oh yeah the T5's are blazing bright. I don't know how either. They are really tiny bulbs maybe half an inch in diameter.
 
Oh nice! How has the season treated you? I was wondering what the difference in T8 and T5's are besides price.
 
I think I will be moving them outside soon. I'm still planting seed here and there. I would like to keep them in a more controlled environment for a few more days and say by the end of the week probably move them outside. The natural light will probably better for them anyway. I keep freaking out that they will stall out because I don't have the light quite right. I have the lights about 18" above the tray now and it's keeping about 83 degrees so it's a good range right now. I'll see soon though, I just planted another Choco Scorp and my first Thai Sun! So I'll give everything a few days to sprout before I put them outside.
Just a quick update for the day!!
 
The Thai Sun finally broke through and I have one seed planted that has germinated. Hopefully he comes out to be a trouper. I'll see soon enough though. 
 
So for a recap of all the strains that I started with, this is how they are sitting now:
 
Thai Suns: 1 outta 11
 
Bolivian Rainbows: 2 outta 11
 
7 Pot Jonah Yellows: 6 outta 11
 
Carolina Reapers: 8 outta 10
 
Chocolate Scorpions: 9 outta 11
 
So far a pretty good germ rate in the super hots with an overall of ~72%.  I have one Reaper seed with some potential in it, the other looks like it's dead/hurting unfortunately. If I get more Choco Scorps I'll be very surprised the last two seeds look kinda rough as well. However, I'm hoping that some of the 7 Pots kick in soon. I have quite a few good seeds left of them that are taking their sweet time to germ. 
 
~48% overall is really a bummer though. The Thai and Rainbows are really killing my pepper vibe but it's still early in the season. I might just plant them and stick them outside with the rest of the plants. Maybe they just need some good sun heat and a good soil to be in.
 
Much love y'all

 

[LS929]

Update coming soon after the weekend!! Big things are happening!!

 

[Devv]

Well I'm not that versed in the lighting dept. I have noticed that as the T value drops the energy used is less.
 
Really it's the color that's important. My T8's are 4100K and the T5 is 6400K

 

[LS929]

UPDATE TIME!!
 
Ok, well a few things happened this week and since the seedlings have been inconsistent with growth and development, I've taken a few days off.
 
I mean seriously, they didn't grow every 5 hrs like I was checking on them so I decided to chill. ugh... patience.
 
Anyway, firstly: SHOUT OUT TO AJIJOE!!! That dude is the man!! 
 
I sent him a SASBE for a little bit of seeds and he returned the love greatly!!
 

 
 
When I popped this bad boy open I found all sorts of goodies!!
 
 

 
 
He sent me a lot of seeds for Aji Umbra, Red Moruga Trinidad Scorpions, 7 Pot Browns, and Mystery Hot Mix!!! Exciting.
 
Best part is the 7 Pot Brown and the Red Moruga T.S. had half of a dried pod in them     The Brown smelled awesome. (btw bad idea smelling pods like I did. It got in my eye and burned for a while.)
 
So a big Thank you! To my brotha Joe. God's peace and blessing on you man.
 
 
Ok so this past week I've been gathering stuff up and staying busy so I checked out a local hardware store near my house here in Baton Rouge and I found a little treasure cove!
 
It had all sorts of good growing equipment, ferts & neuts, and plants. So naturally I picked up a few things.
 
 
Score #1 (kinda like the USA game last night)
 
 

 
 
Bulk Perlite!!!! for the cost I was fairly resonable considering I needed it and it was the last bag so naturally my instincts kicked in and snagged it.
 
 
Score #2:
 
 

 
 
Super Cheap seeds!!! I have quite the little collection of seeds developing now!!! I didn't see super hots on the shelf but they have a nice selection of bells and sweets.
 
 
 
Score #3: (drum roll).......
 
 

 
 
SUPER HOTS!!!! 
 
They had a wide variety of pepper plants with some peppers already growing and ready for picking on some of the plants but these were the ones that caught my attention.
 
They had half trays of Naga Vipers and Trinidad Scorpions!! So I grabbed two of each and they were cheap too!! $1.50ish a plant!!!
 
So I got some sweet deals and I'm definitely going back to get some more stuff from them!
 
All said and done I had a successful trip.
 
Like I said, this week was busy I was getting my growing area together and part of that was breaking down logs. So I got a nice little fire wood stack going now!
 
 

 
 
That and the other day I was trying to get some free seeds in a talent display but I couldn't find the topic anymore so I'll just post up the drawing I did here.
 
 

 
 
I drew this a few days ago and was hoping to submit it but it's not looking that hot.
 
So end of the good news...
 
I tried to expose the seedlings to the sun recently... It was only for 1.5 hrs and the results were very mixed. Keep in mind  these pics are from this morning. They looked terrible when i first put them back inside.
 
 

 
 
You have this side which did well. Some of the reapers and Scorpions took some damage but overall they recovered fairly well.
 
 
Then you got these guys.
 
 

 
 
!!!!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Nearly all the reapers and scorpions nearly died and they looked even worse when they first got pulled out the sun. I'm just hoping they recover somehow.
 
                                                                                               
 
I'm a bit hurt and if they survive I'll be soo happy.
 
This weekend I'm leaving for a trip to Canada for a week. With me gone, I'll have the roommates watering them everyday. I'll leave them under the grow light until I get back, then I can monitor their sun exposure more thoroughly. 
 
There is still hope.

 

[PIC 1]

Those seedlings look fine........unless your referring to a different group that got too much sun.
Keeping the plants under the lights when you're away is fine....make sure to have the lights raised if the plants grow too fast. No need to water everyday. The trays just need to be moist...the roots still need air. I water when the trays feel light weight but not too dry .

 

[plaisir8]

Hey hey, those little seedlings are looking good.
Love the enthusiasm with which you apply yourself to the challenge.
Let's see who has more pods by the end of the season!

 

[LS929]

Alright THP, I'm off to Canada for almost two weeks, so hopefully I get back and the boys are ready to party!!!

 

[Devv]

Enjoy the trip!

 

[LS929]

Hey THP, well good news is I'm back from Canada and the environment and scene there was incredible. I went hiking, white water rafting, and laid in a hammock a bit. It was truly a great time of year to be in Canada. The weather was cool but not cold, the mountain we stayed on was beautiful and so green. We were in the North Vancouver area in a nice house on the water. Beautiful really. Here's a few pics from the trip!
 

 
 
One of the plane rides as we broke the cloud surface.
 
 

 
 
The view from the balcony of the house we stayed in.
 
 

 
 
The area around us while we went kayaking on the water.
 
 

 
 
A street performer from Canada Day! Chasing the little Asian girl around.
 
 

 
 
The water fall next to the house. I chilled in the hammock next to it. So peaceful.
 
 
As all good things come to a close. There is always a down side.
 
I got back home last night and checked in with all the roomies and the peppers to see how everyone was. This is what I came across.
 
 

 
 

 
 
They were all dried and shriveled up. I tried to water them heavily last night and take them off the lights for the night but I don't know if they will recover at all. There is hope though. 
 
I still have the four plants i bought from the store that one of the naga viper plants is already putting buds out. I need to transfer them into bigger pots but hopefully they will grow big over the next two weeks before I have to move.
 
On top of this I checked all the seed containers and I came across this!!!!
 
 

 
 
I have little Thai Suns growing! and even better... This guy...
 
 

 
 
THIS GUY!!! It's a 7 pot jonah yellow!! This guy has a very nice root system growing in the paper as well so he's pretty strong.
 
So I might have a handful of plants that might survive!! WOOHOO!!
 
I was shocked because I had almost wrote off all the seeds I had left. It's been over a month so I was so surprised to see them pop up. I'll transfer the thai's and the 7pot very carefully today when I get some small containers.
 
With everything that's been happening it's good to see a little life come out of a bad situation.
 
All said and done, Life is good but we go through all sorts of trials and depending on how we handle them determines the type of person we become in the future.
 
Much love everyone

 

[dlsolo]

Ah man, I hope your seedlings live.