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StettoGro '19: In For a Dime

76....In English that would be ALMOST TWICE AS DAMNED MANY AS LAST YEAR.
 
Ah well, Last year I dwelled on downsizing, this year I must have assumed it would be automatic.
 
I argued with myself over whether to glog at all this year, other than to carry over noobishness from the last two seasons I don't have that much to offer...But everyone loves to see a Zone 3 die-hard gardener scratch and claw his way through a short season!!
 
Anyhow, this is how my week started---I was particularly proud of my innovative use of the pill caddy.... :idea:
 
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That was the first "load", almost all black seeds. The next day the yellow seeds went in while the black ones found their nests. The sad thing is the seeds I didn't put in; the Paprika and the Urfa Biber and the Aji Limo and the and the and the...Until that damned greenhouse gets itself magically erected I gotta limit myself.
 
OK, at least one of each Pubescen is going into fivers or larger containers. So will the best of the Pimenta De Neyde x Bonda Ma Jacques and my Sri Lanka Chilli Red competitor and what long season peppers I can. What goes into the 8th acre this year will be treated to a till-less grow, it's at least worth a try. Most of the anuums will be out there.
 
For what it's worth, here is the current state of my grow....
 
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Pubescens:
CaneDog
Big Apple Red Rocoto--3
Mini Brown Rocoto--3
De Seda Yellow/Orange Rocoto--3
Costa Rica Red Rocoto--3
XL Brown Rocoto--3
Gelbe Riesen Yellow Rocoto--3
Gelbe Riesen Var--3
Arequipa Giant Red Rocoto--3
 
Greenchilemonster
Giant Yellow Rocoto--3
Turbo Pube--3
Ecuador Red Rocoto---3
Aji Largo Rocoto--3
Large Red Rocoto--1
 
Chinense:
Greenchilemonster
Aji Arnaucho--2
Papa Dreadie SB--3
 
PaulG
Pimenta de Neyde x Bonda Ma Jacques Violet F6--3
Pimenta de Neyde x Bonda Ma Jacques White F6--3
 
Anuum:
Pepper Guru
Sri Lanka Chilli Red Growdown --2
Sri Lanka Chilli Red Off-Pheno (?)--1
 
Devv
Jimmy Nardello--3
 
Moruga Welder
Aleppo--3
Antake--2
Antep Aci Dolma--3
 
Tradewinds Fruit
Big Jim--6
Sante Fe Grande--2
 
Costco (yup, seeds from store peppers)
Red Bell (for the Darlin' Bride and her stir-fry)--6
 
I still have the OWs, Aji Amarillo, Aji Mango, Turbo Pube, Large Red Rocoto, Rocoto Rojo (2), Peruvian Red Rocoto (2) Ecuador Red Rocoto, Large Orange Thai, Aji Oro, Rocoto Arequipena, but I didn't want to brag.
 
Let the love-hate begin! I'm gonna start it with a Voodoo Ranger....
 
 
 
 
 
 
It took three weeks of rains to equal 3.25 inches over here. Is this one large rain for you? That is rough. The only option I can see is constructing some tents over your peppers. I am not sure if applying peat would would help you. Or you could start playing  Milli Vanilli until the rain god is appeased. :P
 
Zippy said:
It took three weeks of rains to equal 3.25 inches over here. Is this one large rain for you? That is rough. The only option I can see is constructing some tents over your peppers. I am not sure if applying peat would would help you. Or you could start playing  Milli Vanilli until the rain god is appeased. :P
 
 
Devv said:
 
Reminds me of last fall, we only got 40"s.
 
I sure hope you're not trying to catch up ;)
 
We rarely get more than a half inch to an inch and a half at a time up here, this was over a 24 hour period, included a couple tornado warnings (not your Texas variety, think dust devil in a rain storm). This area would think apocalypse if 40" fell. For the crop insurers it would be.
 
 All my kids are in containers this year, and most are Rocoto. I'll post some update pics tomorrow when the sun comes back out... :party:
 
 "All my kids are in containers this year, and most are Rocoto.
I'll post some update pics tomorrow when the sun comes back out...  :party:"
 
Can't wait to see 'em, buddy.
 
Weather from H...E...Double Hockey Sticks
 
:twisted:  devilishly bad growing weather here   :evil:
 
At least for the peppers.
 
So I spent the last hour uploading all these pics on my phone and accidentally hit the reply button before entering any text. I also see that only so many full photos will load per post. Lesson learned. I bet you guys will suffer a thumbnail or two, right?

My garden this year is the deck. Everything I'm growing is pictured before you...

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This is perhaps the toughest cookie I've ever tried to crack, so if it survives the summer I've decided to overwinter this Papa Dreadie SB (thanks TGCM & Windchicken!) and see how she performs after an "off season"...

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This little group is fronted by an Aji Mango (3rd year) and LO Thai (2nd year), the Aji Mango looks rough because I over fertilized the soil it was transplanted to. It pumped out dozens upon dozens of blossoms but lost it's leaf cover. I'm sure it will be fine, but no more mixing the Alaska Fish Fert directly into the potting soil....The LOT is going to get a large ceramic pot to reside in for the rest of it's life after this season.

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My very very small part of the PaulG./Trippa Pimenta de Neyde X Bonda Ma Jacques project. I have one each in
Violet
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and White. They are only now starting their summer dash for glory, but I see blossoms coming soon...
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My Rocoto harem. I've really got a taste for these. Matt (Malarky) introduced these to me in my first season of growing the exotics, his source being Thegreenchilemonster, who has endowed me with many more varieties, then GIP & PaulG kicking in with favorites of their own, and then came Canedog...talk about feeding my addiction!

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Aji Largo
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Costa Rica Red and The Big Apple Red that I posted about earlier. It survived whatever "attack" it was under and now begins to bloom...
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My first ripe one of the season; Rocoto Rojo. I overwintered two of these, the other, as you will see, has robust growth yet has yet to show a blossom...
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Mini Brown. Very slow to get to where it is, but I really can't wait for fruit!
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Another slow grower (so far), a Gelbe Riesen Yellow. It seems all my "giants" are the slowest to develop. Of course operator error has to be considered. Where I live in Zone 3 ALL of these peppers will have to finish in the house, so there's no panic...
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Speaking of "giants", this is an Arequipa Giant.
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The two to the left are a light-colored Peruvian Red Rocoto and a De Seda Yellow Rocoto. Peruvian is OW.
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Next to that De Seda is a Large Red, Ecuador Red and my coveted Turbo Pube on the far left edge...
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The "other" Rocoto Rojo, sister of the one with the ripe pods and dozens of podlets. This one looks MAH-velous, yet has nary a blossom. It's also the one that had the cutworm attack, which I've apparently curbed by squishing by hand. Haven't seen any since. Got around a dozen of the little marauders...
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Not the least of my Rocotos, this is an Arequipena, one of my OWs that I've been patiently waiting for Just. One. Pod.
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Now for the "rest of 'em".

PaulG will be happy to know that this 3 & 1/2 year old Aji Amarillo is still kicking. I moved it into a 15 gallon pot and the old stump sprang to life! Still my go-to spice pepper, though GIP's Smoked Serrano powder has been getting a lot of equal time lately...
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Sri Lanca Chilli Red, one of two. Just started to produce. Yes, there are two identical Maine Coons back there. One's a mouser, the other's just a....pussy.
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The other Sri Lanca, virtually obscured by Amish Paste Tomaters. I really should give this one more sun, so she can compete, don'tchaknow....
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We now enter the Gallery of Shame...
 
These poor souls, Rocoto, Chinense, Anuum, have been relegated by lack of time and other distractions, to remain for now in their cups. Yes, they show it. I've been adopting out what I can to unsuspecting passers by, but whether getting to transplant these is going to be a question mark until I actually do it. I overplanted (understatement)
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The 8th Acre as seen today. It's been a dismal season for me, other than what's doing on the deck.
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Well Paul, pepper-wise I guess I shouldn't complain. I'm having a late but decent container grow going on, aside from my overplanting adventure, my constant battles with a Cub Cadet lawn tractor I can't afford to replace and the afore-mentioned family stuff.

One neat observation: With no assistence from me, I think my OW LO Thai has gone bonchi on me...the leaves are a third or less the size of normal. Thank God the fruit is the right size!

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First harvest, Rocoto Rojo. This was first to fruit along with my LO Thai, and the bigger two could have been picked in early July, but I heard the longer they hang on the bush the more viable the seed.

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Almost everything is setting fruit now, but frost season is nigh, so the bulk of my peppers will have to finish in the house. That's ok with me, I just hope the Darlin' Bride loves me enough to give up so much sq. footage....
 
stettoman said:
Almost everything is setting fruit now, but frost season is nigh, so the bulk of my peppers will have to finish in the house. That's ok with me, I just hope the Darlin' Bride loves me enough to give up so much sq. footage....
 
Nice to have some rocotos coming in!  How soon are you expecting frost though?  Feels like my summer finally just got underway.  I'm still hoping for decent weather through September.
 
EDIT - and do what it takes to get that sq. footage!
 
CaneDog said:
 
Nice to have some rocotos coming in!  How soon are you expecting frost though?  Feels like my summer finally just got underway.  I'm still hoping for decent weather through September.
 
EDIT - and do what it takes to get that sq. footage!
First frost was Sept. 1 last year. Some years it could be much later, but it's a crapshoot. And there is NO FAITH in modern computer model weather forecasting. The art of meteorology went to hell decades ago...
 
Rocotos can tolerate several short bouts of freezing temperatures, especially if you keep frost off the leaves. Use a large frost cloth or a bed sheet. Or just take some 2x2s and knock together a frame and staple some visqueen around it.
 
I have NINE rocotos growing and if I were to consider moving inside, there would be space for ONE :-) Hell, two of them are growing in huge 250 litre planter boxes.
 
Oddly enough, I live at 60 north and we don't get frost nearly as early as you who live at 47 north. In any case, our weather is not continental and thus far more unpredictable than yours. That said, I'm wishing you the best of luck!
 
Good to see your Pubes taking off! They look great. I haven't had success with them yet. Tried last year, no pods. This year I didn't want to waste space on something that doesn't fruit, so I didn't try again. Maybe next year. 
 
And wow, first frost on 1 September sounds insane. Doesn't summer offically last through the 21st? I hope the weather gods are lenient this year.
 
b3rnd said:
Good to see your Pubes taking off! They look great. I haven't had success with them yet. Tried last year, no pods. This year I didn't want to waste space on something that doesn't fruit, so I didn't try again. Maybe next year. 
 
And wow, first frost on 1 September sounds insane. Doesn't summer offically last through the 21st? I hope the weather gods are lenient this year.
Try a Turbo Pube or Rocoto Rojo. Both overwinter well and in their 2nd year may surprise you! Aji Oros will too, but I have trouble getting them to germ for me...
 
Winter's coming. I wish some of these plants would take the hint when our lows hit the 40s....

Some are doing well and have performed well on the deck...

The Rocoto Lane looks robust, but only a few produced: Turbo, Rojo, Arequipeño.
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It's funny, same dirt, same conditions, same seed pouch, completely different production behavior...
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My one gallon Katzenjammers are doing great! The Antake and Aji Arnaucho, both only 6 inches tall, are trying to load up with fruit!
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Poor Antaki, those peppers will outgrow the plant they hang from....

Speaking of Arequipeño, I have two; an OW I grew from Thegreenchilemonster seed via Malarky, and an Arequipa Giant from CaneDog seed. The CaneDog plant is super lush, green and prolific with bloom, but not one pod. The OW?
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Most of my OWs are performing beyond my expectations, especially considering my ham-handed care of them. My LO Thai is going to get a nice decorative 5 gallon after this season finishes up and my Darlin' Bride has promised to talk to all my OWs every day.
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The poor Aji Mango (3rd season) behind that LOT has survived AND produced in spite of my attempts to kill it.

I have NEVER gotten a Bell pepper to ripen.
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My 3 year old Aji Amarillo, the reason I'm here in the first place and still my favorite cooking spice, pumped out a nice crop and is continuing to flower and pod up. At only belly button high I can only imagine how big she'll get next season in a 20-gallon fabric home...
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Speaking of PaulG (& Trippa) sourced plants, the Pimenta de Neyde X Bonda ma Jacques pair, in white & violet, are doing quite well for themselves, the White quickly catching up
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My only concern with the Violet variety is how does one know it's ripe? It sets violet, then ripens to....violet?
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I have no experience with the Rocoto Giant varieties. This is a Gelbe Riesen Yellow, anyone want to tell me if it has bigger to get? I've sees TGCM's Arequipa Giants, mine are nowhere near that size, but what of these?
 

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Hey Stetto.  Good to see many of your plants getting it done for you.  I don't know what to say about the Giant Arequipa.  Last year they produced well for me and the pods were great.  This year some production, but not nearly so much. Almost all my rocotos are down or behind this year versus last.  Think maybe our variable weather with alternating cool and heat spikes early season messed them up a bit and they simply didn't set as well as usual.  Having a bear of a time getting isolated sets in particular.  Those Gelbe Riesen though, they should get considerably bigger.  That's a very small pod for that variety - either that or you've got an 11 fret reach on that hand.
 
Digging the LOT and Aji Amarillo too.  Think you've convinced me to OW my LOT, which is small but pumping out pods, and next season will likely be my first growing Amarillos after seeing how well they're doing in some of the more challenged climates.
 
stettoman said:
It's funny, same dirt, same conditions, same seed pouch, completely different production behavior...
 
 
I have 6 Manzano Rojos everything identical including size. 5 of them are loaded heavy and 1 of them has less than 10 pods. Go figure.
 
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