stc3248, 2013 Grow log, Season's Greetings and Season's End

DocNrock · Mar 25, 2013

Very nice update, Shane. Those chinenses have seriously thick stalks! Nice looking flowers on the TMS, and the White 7 looks very healthy. Hell, they all look very healthy. The neon pots are starting to grow on me, hahaha! Keep it up, bro!

stc3248 · Mar 25, 2013

Devv said:
Great update!

They sure look happy.

They look happy? You should see me!!! Haha...Gave them a little Kelp/Shrimp/Compost/Worm Tea yesterday....Just a weak dose for root development...we shall see.

stickman said:
Nice looking plants Shane... I say that every time, but it's true. You've worked hard for them and deserve the chops, but it's getting hard over here to wait for the spring thaw...

Yeah...looks like you guys got another little dose of winter on the way...it'll be over soon enough. When do you start construction of your hoop house?

DesertChris said:
Hmmmmm, the pool could make a great subterranean greenhouse if you put the right "lid" on it

It would...or a GIANT compost tea maker!!! Bet the neighbors would love that!

WalkGood said:
Shane another stellar up date mon, love the pictures, especially your featured pepper in most updates, keep her "coming up" brethren
»» Foobar2k ::: Paul McCartney - All The Best (1987) - 14 - Coming Up ::: 1:36/3:31 (••••••••••&bull ::: 577 kbps ««

So where’s the fuchsia colored pot, you should at least take that one

Cool! Say hola from dat Southern Tropical contention ^_^

Thanks Ramon...Next update I will concentrate on the little ones...I still have a bunch of up and comings that need some attention! Hard not to sit and stare at the big boys though. I'll try to find a Fuchsia planter just for you brother!

Spicegeist said:
Haha, here's my favorite. Everything is looking great, love the close-up of the Goat's Weed. I decided the other week to start a Goat's Weed x Pima Bajo... we'll see how that works out...

Yup...got a couple more wilds I need to move into this corner...but once there, I will start my picking rounds with a handful off these bad boys. Wish I would have had a few more wilds pop...ughhh. I plan to start them real early next year so that I know I'll have plenty of time to get them running. Going to go with some rare wilds if I can get my hands on them...

Bodeen said:
Nice looking plants.

Thanks Bodeen...they're really kinda growing themselves. I give them too much attention, but I know they don'w need it. Hope to get the drip system installed today and then they really won't need me anymore.

RPM55 said:
All the plants are looking great Shane!!! I watched the video update but didn't see any manzanos, are you groing any this season? I have about six or so pods on my plant now.

Good growing, Robert

The first plant in the video was a Manzano...I only have one of everything. May end up keeping 2 each Brain, Primo and HP22B The brains and Primos especially because I got them from a couple different sources to see if there is any difference??? Glad to hear you got some going Robert, keep me posted on their progress!

Jandek said:
Super cool lighting setup. I couldn't figure out how I was going to do my own until I saw yours. Thank you so much for sharing. Will definitely be following along

Sweet Jandek! I was inspired by a couple designs on here and continue to tweak and peak them to suit my grow...

tylerdodd25_92 said:
nice plants man keep it up

Thanks Tyler!

roper2008 said:
Very nice. What kind of soil do you have them growing in?

Thanks Roper...all of them are in Miracle Grow Moisture Control...

Your plants are outside. In the sun. Outside in the sun. The grass is even green. Outside, green grass and sun. I want to move.
Looking good Shane.

Haha Patrick...Socal has its advantages, but I would really like a little more in the way of seasons...that green grass gets mowed a little less often, but it gets mowed ALL YEAR.

Very nice update, Shane. Those chinenses have seriously thick stalks! Nice looking flowers on the TMS, and the White 7 looks very healthy. Hell, they all look very healthy. The neon pots are starting to grow on me, hahaha! Keep it up, bro!

Thanks Doc! Yours are no slouches either my friend...Only tossed one plant this year...so lucky!

WalkGood · Mar 25, 2013

stc3248 said:
… Thanks Ramon...Next update I will concentrate on the little ones...I still have a bunch of up and comings that need some attention! Hard not to sit and stare at the big boys though.

I wasn’t implying for you to change your modus operandi, I love just what you are doing ^_^ keep dat up mon!

stc3248 said:
I'll try to find a Fuchsia planter just for you brother! …

ROFLMAO, might look very cool in camouflage if that’s even possible

PIC 1 · Mar 25, 2013

I agree with everybody else here........outstanding!
I see your weather is unseasonably warm for this time of year. Ya can see it in the photo's of the lush greenery and the liking your plants are taking to it.

Sharpen the snips and pick up some extra bushels cause you're gonna need them.
Chili's on the Goat's Weed already? ...wow

Enjoy your week off......lets just say in the garden.

JJJessee · Mar 25, 2013

stc3248 said:
.....

Thanks Bodeen...they're really kinda growing themselves. I give them too much attention, but I know they don'w need it......
......

When things are in balance, no work is required.
When things are out of balance, no work will help.

Finally read to the end.

Those are incredible, beautiful, amazing plants.
So, what do you think, O Pepper Wizard of the West, is the key, or are the keys, to growing "Incredible, Beautiful, Amazing" pepper plants?

In other words, how do you arrive at the point where, "....they're really kinda growing themselves" ?

Soil has got to be a biggy,

Photometry?

Hydrology?

No doubt their are a lot of small factors at work, but what would you say are the major mechanics that did the heavy lifting?

Fantastic Grow, Bro
JJJ

Spicy Chicken · Mar 26, 2013

Just spent the last hour getting a glimpse of Shane world. Holy containers; beautiful buddy. Just some really great awesome pics along you journey, they belong in a magazine or something.!!
Looks like you have some really nice beds prepped and ready. Hope I get one more chance to take a peak before harvest.

Very Very nice Shane!! I can tell you take a lot a pride in your work.

Cheers - Jeff

Bigoledude · Mar 26, 2013

Hey Shane what seeds should I look to buy that would be similar to the tepins you powdered-up? You have me so fired-up with this powder that I am planning on making as much as I can, What seeds and who do I buy them from, Brotha?

stc3248 · Mar 26, 2013

WalkGood said:
I wasn’t implying for you to change your modus operandi, I love just what you are doing ^_^ keep dat up mon!

ROFLMAO, might look very cool in camouflage if that’s even possible

Can't find Fuchsia...may have to rattle can one... :rofl:

PIC 1 said:
I agree with everybody else here........outstanding!
I see your weather is unseasonably warm for this time of year. Ya can see it in the photo's of the lush greenery and the liking your plants are taking to it.

Sharpen the snips and pick up some extra bushels cause you're gonna need them.
Chili's on the Goat's Weed already? ...wow

Enjoy your week off......lets just say in the garden.

Thanks Greg, I reviewed last year and we got frost end of March...but that was the exception. Our 90% date was back on the 19th so this year is right on time. Lows still in the 40's for the most part, with a sprinkling of 50-52s mixed in. Had a hard time last year getting pods to stick before June...some of them already have it figured out this time. I think that was due to most of them being in the warmth of the grow room until the first flowers were almost open??? I dunno...BUT I LIKE IT!!! The harvests promise to be good for sure...most of my pods came from my container plants last year+this year I have more containers+bigger containers=???? Here's to hoping the math works like its supposed to!

JJJessee said:
When things are in balance, no work is required.
When things are out of balance, no work will help.

Finally read to the end.

Those are incredible, beautiful, amazing plants.
So, what do you think, O Pepper Wizard of the West, is the key, or are the keys, to growing "Incredible, Beautiful, Amazing" pepper plants?

In other words, how do you arrive at the point where, "....they're really kinda growing themselves" ?

Soil has got to be a biggy,

Photometry?

Hydrology?

No doubt their are a lot of small factors at work, but what would you say are the major mechanics that did the heavy lifting?

Fantastic Grow, Bro
JJJ

Jessee, I know there is no way I can give you all the ingredients to what I did right...I tried last year to get too fancy with soil, and tried to hard to get them outside before the forecast was solid. I move them inside and out fighting the weather...and in turn moved bugs inside to my grow shelves. This time last year I had major bug, hail and frost damage to most of my plants, and the first signs of the virus that struck my plants were showing up on a couple plants already.

Here goes a stab at it...
The right soil is A#1...but so is the right light. Soil is the biggest cruise factor. My soil has all the nutes needed included so no fancy feeding schedules required. Throwing down as many lumens in the 5000-6500k range was the lighting strategy I went with. Probably overkill, but hey...it worked!!!

Next up would be water and warmth. Water for me is simple...I bottom water when the pots get light. Every plant in the tray may not need water, but bottom watering lets the thirsty ones soak it up, and the ones that have enough don't. The warmth surprised me. I knew keeping the grow room between 80-90 would help growth...but I didn't factor in what the bottom set of lights warming the roots of the upper shelf would do. They sure do dry out quick, but with plenty of water my "Top Shelf" plants grow almost twice as fast as the lower shelf, even though there are more lights on the bottom shelf. I put some seed heat mats under a couple of the bottom shelf trays and guess what...yup faster growth. Each pot up this season on the top shelf only lasted a couple weeks before the roots had filled the pot again. To maintain a constant temp I ran my two shelves on opposite schedules. I can't run them at the same time because they'll trip the breaker anyway...The bottom shelf and the two outriggers over my floor spot run at night when its coldest. There are more lights and therefore more heat in that group, plus they are down low where the temp stays even cooler. I now need to keep the door slightly propped open to keep the temps from spiking over 100 in there.

Aside from those things...watching the roots and giving them more room when they need it would come into play. That can't always be judged by plant size either. Yesterday I potted up my Charapita Yellow which was one of the smallest plants in the 5" pots...the roots were full.

I'd say one thing that trumps all of the above is being willing to listen and ask for advice when needed. I am new to supers and there is a ton of stuff I don't know...so a quick shout to Greg, John, Jamie, Patrick, Jeff, Kevin, Gary, Guru, Paul...the list could (and should) go on...and heed their advice!

So to sum it up...Soil, Light, Water and Warmth.

Spicy Chicken said:
Just spent the last hour getting a glimpse of Shane world. Holy containers; beautiful buddy. Just some really great awesome pics along you journey, they belong in a magazine or something.!!
Looks like you have some really nice beds prepped and ready. Hope I get one more chance to take a peak before harvest.

Very Very nice Shane!! I can tell you take a lot a pride in your work.

Cheers - Jeff

Thanks for coming by Jeff! Was glad to see your grow up and running this year. I do take pride in my plants for sure...maybe too much. I update too often and fiddle too much, but hey that's me! I lean to the OCD side anyway! No peppers in ground this year...or tomatoes. Well actually just one pepper in a new bed I prepped. Maybe next year if I am confident the soil is clean.

Bigoledude said:
Hey Shane what seeds should I look to buy that would be similar to the tepins you powdered-up? You have me so fired-up with this powder that I am planning on making as much as I can, What seeds and who do I buy them from, Brotha?

Dude...I would go to Judy at pepperlover for them. "Wild Texas Tepin" or something along those lines. I would send you some, but none of the ones I had going from last year popped for me. The Goat's Weed I sent was a major contributor to that powder as well. Good luck...Tepins and Pequins are two of my favorites, couple them with the Goat's weed and they're unbeatable in my book. A little tough to germinate sometimes, so plant more than you need and hope for a surplus...

Here are a few pics...

New tea ingredient...Bull Kelp

More volunteers...Ughhh. Hard to germ pepper seeds huh...

Forgot who told me to keep an eye on the pellets I gave up on the threw out...but here you go! First mystery of the season!

Friendly reminder to always double check your containers before cleaning them...

Oh...and Patrick. Green Grass, Sun...and

Remember the nons you love? They're doing this...

Just for you I will tie this in to peppers...more of these means more peppers allowed by mama. Especially when she comes home from work to some fresh cut for her... :rofl:

All for now folks...I have been working manure into my raised beds for my other veggies and flowers and have released the first couple waves of Lady Bugs...they're doing their job so far, and feeling romantic as well. So here's to hoping that I can go pesticide free this year!

Take care folks...I will catch up on y'alls grows next week, or when I can early in the mornings. I am spending some great time with my Mom and the kids during the day...she spent the day with me yesterday planning and planting some container "nons" as well as weeding some beds. I felt a bit guilty...but she loves it. Unfortunately she got word that they got a freeze at her house in TX and she wasn't there to cover her babies...hope they're OK.

I'll be on when I can!
Shane

WalkGood · Mar 26, 2013

stc3248 said:
Can't find Fuchsia...may have to rattle can one...

ROFLMAO, trust me … mama will love it

stc3248 said:
… I reviewed last year and we got frost end of March...but that was the exception. …

I’m not sure if it was you or Annie but you guys sent another wave our way and we were in the 50’s last night & probably again tonight. Hope you guys get that needed warmth ^_^

stc3248 said:
…Jessee, I know there is no way I can give you all the ingredients to what I did right...I tried last year to get too fancy with soil, and tried to hard to get them outside before the forecast was solid. I move them inside and out fighting the weather...and in turn moved bugs inside to my grow shelves. … … …

While I did not quote your entire reply, elegantly worded, love your reply and it’s so true …

Soil, agreed! Source of one of my problems with my bigga gal :/
Luminosity, critical … in our case down here, unless we grow inside, you all have the number of hours advantage till you go outdoors/
Water, critical … one of de sources of life ^_^
Heat source, I hadn’t given this one too much thought till I tried to start pepper seeds in our winter for the first time this January VS how I had always done before in spring or summer, miserably failed. You couldn’t be more right, great points!

stc3248 said:
… Here are a few pics ...

Great as usual, keep dem coming brethren!

stc3248 said:
… New tea ingredient...Bull Kelp …

And you needed my push to go gather it

... I love how my plants look after a good spray of seaweed tea, keep us informed on your results.

stc3248 said:
… Forgot who told me to keep an eye on the pellets I gave up on the threw out...but here you go! First mystery of the season! …

Always nice to be surprised, ya gotta love it! This morning I noticed a few seeds that popped all on their own under one of my Thai Hot’s, guess I’ll have to post a pic in da glog later.

stc3248 said:
… Friendly reminder to always double check your containers before cleaning them ...

Cool, nice coloration too, what kind a spider?

stc3248 said:
Oh...and Patrick. Green Grass, Sun...and Remember the nons you love? They're doing this...

Purdy flowers

stc3248 said:
… Just for you I will tie this in to peppers...more of these means more peppers allowed by mama. Especially when she comes home from work to some fresh cut for her... …

Key learning, keep mama happy & we’ll be happy too, WalkGood runs out to cut some fresh flowers before mama comes home from work

stc3248 said:
… I am spending some great time with my Mom and the kids during the day...she spent the day with me yesterday planning and planting some container "nons" as well as weeding some beds …

See key learning above

have fun during time off and another great update mon

JJJessee · Mar 26, 2013

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Jessee, I know there is no way I can give you all the ingredients to what I did right...I tried last year to get too fancy with soil, and tried to hard to get them outside before the forecast was solid. I move them inside and out fighting the weather...and in turn moved bugs inside to my grow shelves. This time last year I had major bug, hail and frost damage to most of my plants, and the first signs of the virus that struck my plants were showing up on a couple plants already. [/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Here goes a stab at it...[/background]
[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]The right soil is A#1...but so is the right light. Soil is the biggest cruise factor. My soil has all the nutes needed included so no fancy feeding schedules required. Throwing down as many lumens in the 5000-6500k range was the lighting strategy I went with. Probably overkill, but hey...it worked!!! [/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Next up would be water and warmth. Water for me is simple...I bottom water when the pots get light. Every plant in the tray may not need water, but bottom watering lets the thirsty ones soak it up, and the ones that have enough don't. The warmth surprised me. I knew keeping the grow room between 80-90 would help growth...but I didn't factor in what the bottom set of lights warming the roots of the upper shelf would do. They sure do dry out quick, but with plenty of water my "Top Shelf" plants grow almost twice as fast as the lower shelf, even though there are more lights on the bottom shelf. I put some seed heat mats under a couple of the bottom shelf trays and guess what...yup faster growth. Each pot up this season on the top shelf only lasted a couple weeks before the roots had filled the pot again. To maintain a constant temp I ran my two shelves on opposite schedules. I can't run them at the same time because they'll trip the breaker anyway...The bottom shelf and the two outriggers over my floor spot run at night when its coldest. There are more lights and therefore more heat in that group, plus they are down low where the temp stays even cooler. I now need to keep the door slightly propped open to keep the temps from spiking over 100 in there.[/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]Aside from those things...watching the roots and giving them more room when they need it would come into play. That can't always be judged by plant size either. Yesterday I potted up my Charapita Yellow which was one of the smallest plants in the 5" pots...the roots were full.[/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]I'd say one thing that trumps all of the above is being willing to listen and ask for advice when needed. I am new to supers and there is a ton of stuff I don't know...so a quick shout to Greg, John, Jamie, Patrick, Jeff, Kevin, Gary, Guru, Paul...the list could (and should) go on...and heed their advice! [/background]

[background=rgb(255, 244, 228)]So to sum it up...Soil, Light, Water and Warmth. [/background]

Excellent reply, Shane. I'm gonna stick that one in my Experience folder.

I'm a dye-in-the-wool soil mixer. Don't know why. I buy components and such -just a control issue I guess.

But I'm gonna buy a bag of that stuff and try to "reverse engineer" or use it straight from the bag - no tinkering with it- next year.

My germ-station has had some cool nights in the 50°s no doubt and that may stall young plants more than I'd figured. I'm pretty stable on the low end now. 25° over night equals about 80° inside the station -so I think that's OK. One thing I noticed, one of your shelves is you have the them angled or cupped around the plants giving them some side light. That's much more like sunlight than plain overhead light which can cause the plants to shade themselves. Reflector walls help obviously, but I grew another type of plant once a long time ago with vertical fluorescent lamps among them. They went up like skyrockets -like weeds you might say. I'm going to take more pains getting my rainwater up to temperature too -it can't hurt.

+1 on the rattle can Fuschia

Zinnias look great. I'm doing some first time this year -purples and greens. I'll just direct sow.

poypoyking · Mar 26, 2013

I don't have a fear of spiders, but finding a black widow in one of my pots would freak me out a bit.

Chaosbites · Mar 26, 2013

Looks like summer with all that green at your house! Makes me green with envy to be able to get your plants so big already. We have those ugly creepy crawlies here too. I don't know if I would get close enough to get a picture- haha.

Have fun with your mom.

Michelle

windchicken · Mar 26, 2013

Very well said Shane. I only learned this year about the lower light shelves needing more heat than the uppers, but yeah, the heat mats made a huge difference, even with the central air being on in the house...Something about direct contact with the warm surface doing a better job of heating the soil than just warm air...

That black widow did not look so friendly to me...Glad you heeded her warning!

Your chiles and flowers are looking really pretty...Congratulations!

I'm anxious to watch the progress of your Rennies...I've got four of them going, but right now they're fighting off an over-zealous application of copper fungicide, along with my contest Birgit's...Just another tough lesson I hopefully won't need to learn again....

Devv · Mar 26, 2013

Shane,

Nice update and informative! I did a copy paste

I've found more than one Black Widow in pots here, as well a Scorpions. Ya only have to get bit once too learn to peak into everything and wear gloves!

Enjoy the rest of the week,

Scott

Sanarda · Mar 26, 2013

Dangit Shane you got me again!!!!

GA Growhead · Mar 27, 2013

lol... Pia.
Told ya about that compost bin!

Sanarda · Mar 27, 2013

GH he sneaks them spider pics in on purpose. Then a black widow to boot. OMG. Ugh

stc3248 · Mar 28, 2013

Small update...got most of the drip system up and running.

Last year I had trouble with the stakes that were supposed to hole the drippers in place, so...

I drilled a 5/16" hole in each pot and fed the tubes through. I did this with a few containers I moved late last year and it worked well. In the background you can see the FINALLY nice blue pool! This is my one and only sick plant so far (Yellow Brain)...think just a little waterlogged. I started hardening one of my extras just in case! Still got an extra for you Denniz...but you better hurry. :rofl:

How about a little pod porn!!! Trinidad Scorpion Moruga (Baker's Peppers)

Yellow Cardi Scorpion (Romy6) several little pods on this plant already!!! So Stoked!

How 'bout some Bonnets mon!!! Couple Belize City Bonnets from Pic1! Thanks Greg, already taking that signature shape!

Don't think the PI438638 is true... :mope:

but I don't care!!! PODS EVERYWHERE!!! :woohoo:

Dad...I thought all this crap was gone for good...ughhh. Porter looking dismayed between the Moruga on the left and 7 Pot Congo SR from (Pr0digal_Son)

Porter says "This is a feakin Bhut Jolokia Indian Carbon from Pr0digal_Son...I hate peppers... :rofl:

Here are the 4 finalists for the biggest Birgit competition...Two biggest started hardening today...smaller two will stay in the grow room to cook a bit longer...Tallest standing a mere 10" only 18' 2" remaining to the finish line!

Here they are chillen by the newly blue pool...now to scrub the tile...never ending. Some Gladiolus in the foreground...

Thanks for peekin in on my stuff! Mom and I are almost done with the flower gardens...the cukes and corn are up and running too. Shaping up to be a banner year!

Shane

DesertChris · Mar 28, 2013

BWAHAHAHahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

Those photos of Porter are awesome.

The photo of the Birgit's is quite dismaying....I think you need to trim them back a little, or a lot :rofl:

JJJessee · Mar 28, 2013

Beautiful stuff here, Shane. Porter is a handsome dog, don't give him no grief,

So how big does a Birgit's git???