Spicy Chickens MMXIV Glog - Hobby Grow

 
 
This years grow will be somewhat [SIZE=18.18181800842285px]disappointing comparatively speaking, my wife and I decided last night to only plant the circle raised beds this year.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=18.18181800842285px]Each bed holds 12 plants conservatively X 20 will only be 240 plants; all Reapers and for no particular reason; just to have something growing.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=18.18181800842285px]Some of you may have seen my thread in the Lounge about a barn conversion and this will take priority over the dedication it take to grow our normal thousands of plants. ;-([/SIZE]
 
We did plant 2548 reaper seeds, we will [SIZE=18.18181800842285px]transplant[/SIZE] what germinates and try to sell locally anything over 240
All of the plants will be topped and stripped this year again, so if you are interested in that stay tuned.
 
Once again I may not have time to respond to all of your replies, but you will know I read them with a like. Please no Like trolls. lol
 
Seeding by hand this year with only one seed per cell, limited on seeds.
 

 
To save space and heat we stacked them [SIZE=18.18181800842285px]until[/SIZE] they pop.
 

 
 
Thanks for stopping by!! Cheers - Jeff
Edit: The writing on the first pic is incorrect and what we first thought we would do. so don't ask

 

[Spicy Chicken]

 

 

 

 

 
  Oops                   
 
Anyone have an extra jacket? Feeling a bit chile these days.   
 
Cheers - Jeff
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[OCD Chilehead]

So that's how it's done. Interesting. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Spicy Chicken]

What could possibly be better than baking cookies and watching your plants grow.
Decided to use the same cookie sheets we bake our super hot honey roasted nuts on.  
Unintended hot cookies, the company was surprised. lol Looks like I will have plenty of snacks all to myself while on water detail.
 
 

 

 

 

A splash of color.          
 

 

[Pulpiteer]

Actually having a difficult time with the thought of never seeing this garden or the front garden ever again. All good things will come to an end but that doesn't mean I have to like it and we will miss it a lot.  
 
 
Thanks buddy, funny but I don't want to have 911 on speed dial. lol
We have had our flyers out for a couple of days now along with local message boards and craigslist, as expected not one email, we know we have to give it some time but have a sneaky suspicion we will be tossing hundreds and hundreds of beautiful plants right in the compost pile. What a damn shame!! I will give it another 2 weeks and if there are very few or no emails we will be shutting the lights down, at least we save a little jingle that way.
 
I would rather throw them away then give em away to folks who wouldn't pay for them to begin with, ya know what I mean?

I don't blame you for not giving them away to folks who wouldn't pay to begin with. That makes sense - if they won't invest in them at all, then why think they would invest in the growing or the rest of the process?
Too bad you haven't gotten any hits on your sales yet though. For the right folks - the ones who know what you are actually selling - what a deal, and great product!

That stroll down memory lane was bittersweet to look through, I can only imagine on your end. What beautiful pictures though. You've done some awesome things on your property - and as you probably know, you have a lot of people living vicariously through your projects.

 

[Brain Strain Pepper Head]

I stand in AWE....

 

[Spicy Chicken]

updat:

 
 
Just a couple of update pics of 2014 grow.
1... then and now ....about 3 weeks
2... average plants.
:-)
 

 

 
Will leave you with my last painting, Dried [SIZE=18.18181800842285px]Paper[/SIZE] Lanterns.
 

 
Thanks for stopping by!!
 
Cheers, Jeff
 
P.S. Hope everyone has a spectacular weekend.

 

[Brain Strain Pepper Head]

Wow sure hope you don't have to destroy all the plants you can't grow.......You spent so much love getting them this far.

 

[Valleyman]

Inspiring to say the least.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Hard work does pay off. Is that cacti I see? I have been admiring your painting. They are very peaceful looking if that makes any sense. Do you sell them? Thanks for the update.

 

[Spicy Chicken]

Hard work does pay off. Is that cacti I see? I have been admiring your painting. They are very peaceful looking if that makes any sense. Do you sell them? Thanks for the update.

 
The wife's cacti, my daughter got that for her for mother's day because she has a black thumb and killed every house plant we ever had, there was another type of cactus with them but she decided to water then with chlorinated water from town and killed it so just one remains.lol
 
I have sold quite a number of them so far, and folks have them put on canvas or prints. the splash of bright colors can really add to a room.
 
Here is my latest. 
 

 
Thanks for stopping by!!
 
Cheers - Jeff

 

[Jeff H]

You know Jeff, You have over a month until plant out time.
 
You don't have to get rid of them all you know. Those fields are just asking to be planted.
 
Love the paper lantern painting. One of my favorite habs.

 

[Spicy Chicken]

update:

 
Getting bigger and stripping, 6-1/2 weeks till plant out.
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Still not one single order for plants, just boggle my mind.      go figure.........Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.   
 
Time to start sorting the best of the best and thinking about shutting off lights.  Booooo
 
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!
 
Cheers - Jeff
 
 
 
 

 

[sicman]

beautiful plants.  clean,neat and sexy.   as usual
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
p.s.  i just read the part about you may have to destroy the plants. that sucks sorry toh ear that. the last two seasons i threw away more than i grew also. i only grew a very limited extra plants this year,because of the waste.  
 
 
 
you might have to get on that tractor and till up some land

 

[Jeff H]

I copy what Sicman said.
 
Liked everything about your update except for the comment about turning off the lights.
 
What would be the real harm in plowing up a small spot for 2000 reapers anyway?
 
Tractor and plow. Check.
Land to plant the peppers. Check.
Established business to sell the peppers. Check. 
 
I don't see what the issue it.

 

[Spicy Chicken]

I copy what Sicman said.
 
Liked everything about your update except for the comment about turning off the lights.
 
What would be the real harm in plowing up a small spot for 2000 reapers anyway?
 
Tractor and plow. Check.
Land to plant the peppers. Check.
Established business to sell the peppers. Check. 
Watch Jeff's wife beat the crap out of him.  Priceless

 

[Jeff H]

 
I've been  married a long time, not as long as you, but quite a while nonetheless.
 
Sometimes, it is better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.
 
Nike: Just do it.

 

[Pulpiteer]

So, I was reading a book by Sepp Holtzer on Permaculture, and he described a method he used for trees that were in bad shape and had a small root ball.  He would take those trees, lay them on their side and cover the roots with wet burlap or something to keep them from drying out, but not put them in water.  He would then let the leaves dry out and die, which would take about a day or so if you don't water the roots.  He then planted the trees and put in damp compost in order to keep the roots alive.  Sepp found that the trees, even if they started out weak, would spend all their time that first year building roots, since they had no leaves to really worry about, and they would end up thriving after that. 
 
When I read that today, I thought of your stripping the leaves of the plants.  I haven't seen (probably just missed it) where you say why you do, but I'm wondering if the end result is similar to what happened with the trees above.  They build up their roots, and then probably kick out a ton of new growth after that. 
 
Wondered what your thoughts were on that?
 
As an aside - those shots of the pepper farm - rows of peppers - still blow my mind. 

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Wonderful glog Jeff! Following along for awhile now... Need to get more posting time. Love the paintings and the pruning... Emulating your technique this season actually.

Looking forward to more. Also 5$ a plant is very reasonable, especially with the minimum order.

 

[Spicy Chicken]

So, I was reading a book by Sepp Holtzer on Permaculture, and he described a method he used for trees that were in bad shape and had a small root ball.  He would take those trees, lay them on their side and cover the roots with wet burlap or something to keep them from drying out, but not put them in water.  He would then let the leaves dry out and die, which would take about a day or so if you don't water the roots.  He then planted the trees and put in damp compost in order to keep the roots alive.  Sepp found that the trees, even if they started out weak, would spend all their time that first year building roots, since they had no leaves to really worry about, and they would end up thriving after that. 
 
When I read that today, I thought of your stripping the leaves of the plants.  I haven't seen (probably just missed it) where you say why you do, but I'm wondering if the end result is similar to what happened with the trees above.  They build up their roots, and then probably kick out a ton of new growth after that. 
 
Wondered what your thoughts were on that?
 
As an aside - those shots of the pepper farm - rows of peppers - still blow my mind. 

 
Interesting for sure, seems logical. 

 

[Spicy Chicken]

Update:

 
Just some progress pics. 4 days of new growth,
 

 

 

 

 

 
[SIZE=18.18181800842285px]Every body have a great weekend!! Cheers - Jeff[/SIZE]