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

Well here we go again! Those that saw my grow last year know that I was plagued by virus issues and many other problems, but I was still able to pull off the most amazing grow of my life. By season's end every plant was infected. Some keeled over, but others just kept right on trucking. I learned a ton, and hope to use it to pull off a season without that virus making a repeat appearance. It will be tough. I had huge numbers of pods, and many hit the ground and rotted, so there are sure to be some infected volunteers that show up. My grow this year will be MUCH smaller and focused on the varieties I liked best along with a couple new ones I really wanna try out.


First a couple of my money shots from last year...

I plan to use a similar grow setup to start with...here are a couple pics of how it looked...

My setup evolved as the season began. I started with a single t8 shoplight...the two shoplights and ended up with a single row of CFL's down the center hooked into a 4' power strip the the two shoplights angled in from the sides. The light from the sides really seemed to promote growth at the lower nodes...so for this year...

I bought some more CFL's Mix of 100w and 75w equivalents. The 100w eq were around $10 for 4 at HD and the 75w were $3 for 6 at COSTCO!!! Also bought some splitters for the sockets and here's what the power strip looks like now...

This thing feels like its giving you a sunburn from 6' away...I alternated 100/75 on each side all the way down...Instead of the mylar I am going with foil sided foam sheathing...

My "plan" with this stuff is to make the Shelf unit more of a grow tent type setup. Hoping I can use the lights and a small space heater to maintain a constant temp in the mid 80s. I am also going to "try" to use magnetic tape to attach this stuff so access will be easy. We shall see. May get too warm...but easy enough to vent if need be. I am going to try to keep them indoors much longer this year. I put them out to early last year, and some of the late starts that stayed inside until the night time temps were higher passed many of my early starts that were already in the ground.

My final dilemma is the wife says 20 plants...and I have all these awesome seeds! So I am going to see if the wife's # is sort of like the over the counter dosage...the full prescription strength is double, so I am aiming for 40. I will start almost twice that # though so if you're near SD be watching this glog around plant out, I will be getting rid of some plants...

Well here is the list for now...If something you sent didn't make it I still have them, and will get to them some day. Momma is already pissed!

Wilds
Tepin 15 (seed train 2012)
Pequin Chiapas (Griff87)
Bird Aji (Seed Train 2012)
Cumari (Romy6)
PI 438638 (Romy6)

Annuum
Jamaican Hot Yellow (My Seed)
Goat's Weed (My seed)
Explosive Ember (My seed)
Tri-color Variagata (Seed Train 2012)
Numex Centennial (the next seed train)

Pubescens
Ultra Pube PI 585266 (SocalChilehead)
Manzano (farmer's market)

Baccatum
Yellow Aji from Peru (Paul G)

Chinense
Giant Twisted Chocolate Hab (CMPMAN 1974 Via Pr0digal_son)
St Marteen Marigot Mkt Yellow Scotch Bonnet (Pic1)
Jamaica Scotch Bonnet (Pic1)
Belize City Scotch Bonnet (Pic1)
Fatalii (Pulpiteer)

The Supers
Yellow Billy Boy Douglah (SilverSurfer via Coheed via Romy6)
Yellow Cardi Scorpion (Romy6)
Yellow 7 Pot Brain Strain (Unknown Source probably the next seed train???)
Yellow 7 Pot (Pr0digal_son)
7 Pot Brain Strain (Romy6 Had some from Jamie and got some more from PaulG)
7 Pot Congo SR (CMPMAN 1974 via Pr0digal_son)
7 Pot White (SocalChilehead)
7 Pot Monster Infinity (gnslngr)
7 Pot Primo (MGold via PaulG)
Douglah (Pr0digal_son)
Trinidad Scorpion Moruga (Bakers Peppers)
Bhut Jolokia Indian Carbon (Pr0digal_son)

7 Pot Barrackpore (soon to arrive from DocNrock )
HP22B aka Carolina Reaper (soon to arrive from DocNrock )

Ummm...I count 32ish varieties. May scrub a couple off, but may not!!! Thinking I can get by with the Ornamentals and Wilds as long as I keep them small and Bonchi them to look perdy for Momma???

I think I will skip most all of the grocery store available varieties this year so I can grow more of the good stuff...That's if for now everybody! Hope you all have a great season!!!

Shane

 

[DocNrock]

That video was awesome! How did you do that? Is that like Photoshop for video? *applause* *standing ovation*

 

[DesertChris]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HA
HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HA
HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HA
HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

I just got home from babysitting the neighbor's kids while my gal and they were in town all dang day long.
Let my 8 Springer Spaniels out into the backyard.....
The 6 male dogs lined up single file and added "nitrogen" to one of my overwinter plants in a nursery pot....
It might get a bad case of fert burn now....lol

 

[GA Growhead]

Porter is serious. I will make sure to give that dog a bone!

Don't want to get on his bad side!

 

[stickman]

Man, if that's what Porter dreams, I'm glad he doesn't have opposable thumbs!

 

[stc3248]

That video was awesome! How did you do that? Is that like Photoshop for video? *applause* *standing ovation*

Thanks Doc. It's a special effects phone app and the vids were merged in windows movie maker...fun stuff. They have a variety of catastrophic events that you can choose from. Select what you want to happen, film it then it adds the craziness.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HA
HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HA
HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HA
HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

I just got home from babysitting the neighbor's kids while my gal and they were in town all dang day long.
Let my 8 Springer Spaniels out into the backyard.....
The 6 male dogs lined up single file and added "nitrogen" to one of my overwinter plants in a nursery pot....
It might get a bad case of fert burn now....lol

Yeah, them watering the plants causes issues more than it helps for sure.

Porter is serious. I will make sure to give that dog a bone!

Don't want to get on his bad side!

He's a good dog, really got no complaints. He actually enjoys garden season, it means I am outside with him daily.

Man, if that's what Porter dreams, I'm glad he doesn't have opposable thumbs!

I often wonder what they dream, its claimed that dogs lack the brain function to dream...but I sure see those feet twitching and wonder if he might be out chasing the ball or a rabbit. When he was a young pup, back in '01-02ish he got his first taste of the garden. I had a couple acres near Corpus Christi and put in a large garden plot. The land was sandy, but fertile because it flooded every few years. It was early spring and the corn was coming up...until it all got mowed to the ground??? Bounced back...then mowed down again. My property backed up to a small pond and I used to throw the ball way out in the water and Porter would swim out and get it. Well I finally figured out that it was my neighbor's geese that were mowing my plot. I spotted them out there, grabbed Porter's tennis ball and let him out of the fenced portion of the yard. He thought we were headed to the lake to play, and we were...I tossed the ball out into the goose-filled garden and he took off! As soon as Porter spotted the geese the ball was forgotten. He was a VERY fast pup, and the geese had trouble getting airborne in time, but stayed just out of his reach...until they hit the "safety" of the pond and settled on the surface. Ummmm...well not as safe as they thought, he didn't even slow down as he launched himself out into the pond and grabbed a mouthful of tailfeathers. The geese managed to escape, but just barely...and NEVER came back into my garden! At one point I thought...oh damn, I am going to have to let my neighbor know he killed one. He was so excited about his hunt he never even went back to look for the ball....good boy!

Here it is from my perspective...may need some bumps to get them all in and will try to snap a few more later today. It may be a bit before I get to post again...

First off the update on the trimmed leaves:

Bhut Jolokia Indian Carbon (Pr0digal_son) This plant has been so amazing, and in spite of some serious aphid issues I have going on, it continues to be the poster plant for my grow. It has set a few pods, but they aren't developing just yet. As I mentioned the nights are still in the mid-40s so I am not worried, when conditions are right it'll take off. Tempted to cross it with one that I know is putting out plenty of pollen...Hmmm...Yellow Cardi x BJIC anyone???

7 Pot Congo SR (cmpman1974 via Pr0digal_son) another impressive plant. Big and lush but another that's slow to set pods...

The results are as expected...where sunlight meets node, growth happens. Most peppers will branch out once the plant gets near max height. Some more than others, but the process can be expedited. I didn't top any this year, just made some room for the lower branches to start forming. Some folks trim off all the lower growth...but I am convinced that the reason I got such great harvests last year was due to stripping the plants.

Here are the two phenotypes from Jamie's Mystery annuum...

This one I am guessing has smaller leaves that are smooth and shiny. The stems are as smooth as well. Growing at an extreme rate, and branching like crazy. No open flowers just yet, but I should see some this week...well over 3' tall and quickly approaching 4'. Like a Goat's weed the roots are fairly shallow, fine and dense. So it should be fine in it's 5# home for the season.

Here is the other plant. Leaves slightly fuzzy with very pubed out stems, less branching with a stem that rivals the bamboo stake...also nearly 4' tall. Both these plants are dwarfing everything else in the garden so far, they will be massive if they keep on growing at this rate. Very cool plants...this one also should have some open flowers within a week or so. I sure hope I can get some ripe pods without any virus issues...These seeds need sharing!

This is the (not) PI438638 (Romy6) another crazy grower, but in the bush category. Haven't counted, but the pods number in the hundreds for sure. I sure hope they're good!!!

Belize City Scotch Bonnet Pods from Pic1...thanks Greg! These are looking a little bit wonky, but that's to be expected from these early season pods I feel like I am stealing from Ma-nature.

Yellow Billy Boy Douglah...(Silversurfer via Romy6)

Yellow Cardi Scorpion (Romy6) maybe a dozen or so little pods getting inflated on this one...every one of them just about perfect. No really good tails yet though...but they'll figure out how to add that stinger eventually!

Pain balloons slowly filling on the Moruga from Bakers Peppers...never eaten a fresh one of these, but I have tried some powder. Going to hurt for sure...


The following pic is not for the faint of heart...

Ughhh...not only aphids in the pic, but there is also a small slug. The promising part of this photo is the ones that look mummified. Those have been hit by an aphid wasp and are incubating more aphid wasp larvae. So the friendlies are gearing up to do battle with the enemy. I am fighting off the urge to nuke the plants with chemicals to avoid any friendly fire incidents...for now its pick and pluck vice shock and awe.

Thanks for looking in, I will try to get some more photos up later. I have a ton of work to do out there and really need to get the last of the plants out of the grow room and shut it down.

Have a great Sunday errybody!
Shane

 

[DocNrock]

That's awesome, Shane! I'm going to have to Google that app, for sure. *bravo!*

Great, great story about Porter and the geese. The way you told it I could almost watch it happen in my mind. Full of win!

Man, you don't just have green thumbs, you have green hands! Your plants have caught up with mine and some are passing them up with wind in their hair! Geez, man, so cool!

Glad to see the parasitic wasps are coming along. Seeing things like that leaf can really be disheartening. One thing I have observed here is that aphids LOVE dandelions. A few dandelions popped up between my pepper plants. They were covered in aphids, but my peppers were clean, despite thorough searching. I pulled the larger dandelion plants and tossed them, aphids an all, but left a few of the smaller ones as an "aphid sink." Hoping they will attract the predators, as well. We'll see.

Awesome job, bro! Thanks for sharing!

 

[stickman]

Cool story about Porter and the Geese... any one you can walk away from, eh?

Good illustrative pics of the results of leaf stripping. I've got plants that are robust enough to stand up to that kind of (mis)treatment, so I think I'll give it a try too when I transplant out and they get well-established.

Looking at the second phenotype of romy's mystery pepper, the fuzzy stem puts me in mind of Serrano... maybe a tepin x serrano cross?

Keep up the good work Chief!

 

[Jamison]

Shane that video was sooo cool man! I was like is that Call of Duty I hear? Frickin hilarious man! What is that app called? The plants are monsters. I was cringing when I seen that pic of the aphid infested leaf. Soo sad man. Have you been blasting em off with the hose?

 

[Devv]

Great update Shane!

Your plants are amazing!

Loved the video, very creative! Better watch out when Porter puts on that headset by himself....

Have good one,

Scott

 

[DocNrock]

When I first saw the headset on Porter, I thought it was going to be one of those GoPro cameras around Porter's neck while he walked around the garden. Quite the surprise!

 

[FireEater101]

Awesome looking plants and pods Shane!! Great update you are going to have a great year!!

Mike

 

[JJJessee]

Plants are looking fantastic
The Goat's Weed is going to be one impressive mature plant with those big black claws sticking up! Don't let the wind get to it
The photos a super!

 

[Dshlogg]

Killer video! Better special effects than an 80s action movie! Too cool man, toooo cool.

 

[STEVE954]

Killer video, killer plants, killer Porter?! He's a good boy!
Excited to see what them Belize City bonnet pods look like after the initial wonky phase!
Man, I'll tell you, those Cali aphids are HUGE compared to ones we have down here in SoFla!
The big guns in Porter's dream were taking out those godzillaphids!

 

[romy6]

I take back what i said earlier. Your grow is so kick ass

Just topped by Monster annuum to try to jump start his ass and he is finally aphid free for the 100th time

 

[Chaosbites]

Love that porter video! Almost sprayed my drink!

Your grow is sumpin else. Kick them pests to the curb.

Michelle

 

[stc3248]

That's awesome, Shane! I'm going to have to Google that app, for sure. *bravo!*

Great, great story about Porter and the geese. The way you told it I could almost watch it happen in my mind. Full of win!

Man, you don't just have green thumbs, you have green hands! Your plants have caught up with mine and some are passing them up with wind in their hair! Geez, man, so cool!

Glad to see the parasitic wasps are coming along. Seeing things like that leaf can really be disheartening. One thing I have observed here is that aphids LOVE dandelions. A few dandelions popped up between my pepper plants. They were covered in aphids, but my peppers were clean, despite thorough searching. I pulled the larger dandelion plants and tossed them, aphids an all, but left a few of the smaller ones as an "aphid sink." Hoping they will attract the predators, as well. We'll see.

Awesome job, bro! Thanks for sharing!

I sure was glad to see those wasps working out there. Last year swarms of them showed up in may and finally put an end to my aphid "problem" after that they were just more of a nuisance. I found some ladybug larvae out there today as well, so the good guys are stepping their game up! Porter has always been a character...and still is.

Some of my plants may have caught yours, but you still got the overall upper hand. Do google that app...or better yet read on and when I respond to Jamison you'll have the name.

Cool story about Porter and the Geese... any one you can walk away from, eh?

Good illustrative pics of the results of leaf stripping. I've got plants that are robust enough to stand up to that kind of (mis)treatment, so I think I'll give it a try too when I transplant out and they get well-established.

Looking at the second phenotype of romy's mystery pepper, the fuzzy stem puts me in mind of Serrano... maybe a tepin x serrano cross?

Keep up the good work Chief!

The leaf stripping works, an added benefit is the aphids have fewer places to hide in the short term. The second one of Romy's mysteries is almost certainly a cross with a Goat's Weed. He said the mama plant isn't fuzzy, but it is right next to a Goat's Weed. So a mystery goat is almost certainly the case!

Shane that video was sooo cool man! I was like is that Call of Duty I hear? Frickin hilarious man! What is that app called? The plants are monsters. I was cringing when I seen that pic of the aphid infested leaf. Soo sad man. Have you been blasting em off with the hose?

Yeah...it was some old school COD clips I found on a soundboard and mixed in. The app is called Action Movie FX. Aphids are a way of life around here, no getting rid of them EVER. Some of the bushes harbor army's them. If I spray the bushes...it just pushes them onto the plants. I am really trying to let mother nature even the score out there without having to nuke them. I hose and brush them off on the weekends when I am home. The plants will be fine as long as those little SOBs don't spread a disease.

Great update Shane!

Your plants are amazing!

Loved the video, very creative! Better watch out when Porter puts on that headset by himself....

Have good one,

Scott

Thanks Scott! He probably could if he set his pea brain to it! He's a perdy fart smeller!

When I first saw the headset on Porter, I thought it was going to be one of those GoPro cameras around Porter's neck while he walked around the garden. Quite the surprise!

I do have a gopro...may have to try that in the next Porter Vs Plant installment...

Awesome looking plants and pods Shane!! Great update you are going to have a great year!!

Mike

Thanks Mike, some of them ain't all that perdy right now...but they're growing like weeds for sure!

Plants are looking fantastic
The Goat's Weed is going to be one impressive mature plant with those big black claws sticking up! Don't let the wind get to it
The photos a super!

I don't think any of them will have too much trouble with the socal wind. They'll all be staked and they have pretty beefy stems on them. I do love me some GW plants and pods, I have a few not too far off from ripe!!!

Killer video! Better special effects than an 80s action movie! Too cool man, toooo cool.

Lol...the app designer is supposedly some FX movie guy. The car and helo crash ones are pretty cool too...maybe I'll post one of those some time.

Killer video, killer plants, killer Porter?! He's a good boy!
Excited to see what them Belize City bonnet pods look like after the initial wonky phase!
Man, I'll tell you, those Cali aphids are HUGE compared to ones we have down here in SoFla!
The big guns in Porter's dream were taking out those godzillaphids!

It has about 10-12 little pods on it now...they're all going to be elongated with 4 lobes and less of the fat hat look I think...as long as they have that signature Bonnet sweet burn they can look however they want! There are two types of aphids out there...I will try to remember to take some pics of the ones on my hibiscus. They're very small and darker colored. I sure wish I could train Porter to battle the aphids...they wouldn't stand a chance against his super powers!


"I take back what i said earlier. Your grow is so kick ass

Just topped by Monster annuum to try to jump start his ass and he is finally aphid free for the 100th time "

Haha...Thanks Jamie. Good luck with your aphid battle brother! Time to train up Tebow too!


"Love that porter video! Almost sprayed my drink!

Your grow is sumpin else. Kick them pests to the curb.

Michelle"

Lol Michelle, that was what I was shooting for! Thanks for the spew nod of approval!

Here are a few more pics...probably won't be on much this week. I have that big inspection at work...
Started the day with a few nice NON harvests...

Turnip Greens, had these with dinner...mmmmm. Been a long time since I have had fresh greens!

Pak Choi (Bak Choi)

Numex Centennial

Critter pic on Jamie's Mystery plant...

Dolly Madison lily

Commander in Chief Lily...

Spoon Tomatoes...

Pia's Friend!!!

This Bonsai was getting a little crappy...was a "wind swept" theme, but needed some fresh soil and a hair/root trim so I changed it up. I had already started washing away the soil before I decided to snap the pic.

Still needs some work/shaping...went with Kengai (cascade) style this time. Hope it likes it's new home...

Have a great week folks! I'll be on your glogs when I can!
Shane

 

[megamoo]

Nice pics. Plants are looking great!

Don't nuke the aphids. If the good bugs are there and you use no chemicals they will rise to the challenge. I was overrun with aphids, and did nothing. Two weeks later I was overrun with ladybirds. Now its all clean.

 

[DesertChris]

OK..... I think one of my dogs was discussing pepper slaying techniques with Porter!

Tonight one of mine had a pepper seedling stomping party on my potting/seedling table out back.
It looked like one of Porter's pepper seeking missiles Impacted the area!
There were a few obvious fatalities (maybe a dozen), and hopefully the rest will recover.
But Dang, it was a big mess.....took an hour to perform the rescue operation....

 

[Pr0digal_son]

Make sure you ID that slug,could be a lacewing larvae. If it is,watch it go to work,you will almost feel sorry for aphids....almost. They only eat them in the larval stage but it is a site to see. I've never had aphids bad,usually give them a squish when under leaves. Last year I had some early on and they were getting to the tips and young buds,hard to squish those ones.

Your plants are holding no prisoners! Even with the low night temps they are cruising along. I am doing a bunch of different greens also and adding to the list almost daily! Nice pic of the spoons,I have those and the red currants going. Seem to have similar looking fruit,butI notice the plant and leaf structure are a bit different.