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Stettoman '23: Had ya wondering, didn't I?

Yep, I'm going to take a stab at resurging my passion. Only 40 starts this year, and that may be ambitious for the space I'm allotted, but compared to the TWO I grew last year? Way.

So this year I'm doing the GIP Serrano Magic Powder again. Some of the farmers in Pueblo are growing some limited numbers of Serrano, so I may be able to augment to the 7 plants I'm doing myself. I had great aspirations to ship out some of that to a number of you guys, but somehow I dumbthumbed my address lists out of existence on the PC. I apologize and intend to follow through this year. I'll have the Rocoto/chokecherry jelly coming out my ears again, though I've got batches stored from previous seasons and plenty Aji Oro and chokecherries frozen to make more now.

The current lineup: Note that all but the Serrano are Rocoto...:)

Serrano Tampiqueño (Sandia)--7
Manzano Orange (Sandia)--4
Rocoto Rojo (stettoseed)--4
Arequipeño (stettoseed)--5
Gelbe Riesen (stettoseed)--5
Ecuador Sweet (stettoseed)--5
De Seda Yellow (stettoseed)--5
Turbo Pube (stettoseed)--5

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The "stettoseed" is merely my own saved seeds from 2-4 years ago, all of which originated as gifts and trades with members here. My Prevagen deficiency doesn't allow me to credit those members adequately...sorry.

There is an absence of a number of varieties I just don't have space for this year: Aji Amarillo, Allepo, Jimmy Nardello, etc., etc., etc...But it's a start. I'm going to visit the Pueblo folks this year and see if I can find a marketing partner for the jelly.

And I blah on...I've been away. Now I'm back, missed you guys!!

Another thrilling episode to come!!
 
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Good stuff, Stetto! Looks like things are off to a solid start. The Rojo looks ready to go again already. Is the Aji Oro you were planning to OW still around too? It was sure throwing pods last season.

I think that rocotos appreciate windowsill time, but I don't think to do it so much when they're young versus a little older. Maybe I'll try getting them up there a little sooner given what you're seeing. I have a few Aji Oro sprouts (from your seeds thx) that came up a few days ago. Maybe I'll pop 1 or 2 of them up on the windowsill at first transplant time and see how they like it.
 
Downriver said:
Oh sh*t Stetto! Those seedlings look like they're gonna kick azz. You better get ready. How's those greenhouse plans coming along, lol.
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Thanks, I'm likely getting into more than I can chew, but...

Yeah, the greenhouse. Well, it's still a plan. CO Springs is an interesting little town. Apparently, if I want to frame and erect my own plan, I require a PERMIT from the city on anything of a size bigger than a doghouse. If I simply plant a prefab unit, I do not. If I intend to put ANY kind of foundation under a prefab, then I do...But I can have up to 10 chickens (NO roosters) in the city without permit or even fence...

A chicken coop is looking mighty appealing right now...And a few raised beds.
 
While glad my LO Thais have popped, I was saddened to see that Chris Joyners Heatmadesimple.com site was down. I was going to stock up on his Triple-Thai powder and a few others. Sad days...
 
So then...Now that we've determined the actual meaning of an "L" and an "O" in unspaced sequence in the Thai pepper vernacular, we can move on to an update.

This episode is titled "WTF Am I Doing Wrong?" or, in the language of the Contrarians "WTF Am I Not Doing Right?" ( @MarcV your queries as to "W", "T" & "F" in unspaced sequence can be addressed in a followup posting by whimsical members who may be compelled to partake 😉😉 )

March the One: Serrano Tampiqueño are doing quite well, though not as robust growth as I'd prefer at a six week point. Again, soil used is a FoxFarm Happy Frog blend and Miracle Gro potting soil and a couple healthy fistfuls of worm castings. And yes, I know. My favorite part of planting has not yet been done: The Culling.

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So we're getting 12-on, 12-off of artificial lighting, being in the garage we have a temperature sway of approx. 57 degrees F. at night and between 75-80 when the LEDs are on. I do vent the tent and use a small fan to move air...You are now free to move about the cabin...😜

My Rocotos aren't making much progress, and I'm not remembering this type of retardation in the past. I was under the assumption that since all my seedlings (but for the LO Thais, of course) were planted in the same 48 hour period they would be at close to the same in development. Yet I have a number of them "stuck" without any first true leaves. I did lose a small number of Pubescens to damping off at first, but the rest are looking...healthy, though not eager...

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The TurboPubes that hadn't damped off are actually the most robust of my Rocotos, yet I refuse to write home about them yet.

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My frustration at not getting more robust growth of my Rocotos is the subject of todays episode. Yes, I took some time off in order to move to Colorado, though I did plant two peppers last winter just to not go insane, but I remember them being a lot more eager to join the agrarian fold. Any idears from the audience as to what I may be missing? Please, don't be shy, I may be old, but Not Fragile (you other oldsters here might have got that little "punette").

My overwinters are suffering. I believe I've lost the Aji Oro, it shed it's last few leaves and there is no new growth. Thus I have planted three more in it's demise...The Rocoto Rojo has lush foliage, but the leaves have begun to get light and tissue-like. That one got a boost of CSN17 (yes MarcV, you may ask) in case it needs some nutes to trigger it out of dormancy. I will keep everyone updated, I know how worried you must be...

That concludes my update for today. I know I don't grow a lot of pepper plants OR variety, but I do try to entertain and edjumacate when I can.

Coffee and doughnuts are at the back of the room, please feel free to serve yourselves...
 
I can't speak for yours, but my rocoto was missing patience. It somehow magically started growing again. Not sure who recommended me, but I got (and followed) advice to put the rocoto ar the edge of the grow licht spectrum, not in the center.

I am standing next to it just now, looking at some crumpled (is that even a word?) up leaves. Apparently my partner worked in the garage today, put the heater underneath my seedlings on full blast and my fan stopped working. I think of it as natural selection.

The look of your Serrano Tampiqueño is very impressive, especially compared to my sick bay of sad seedlings. 😄
 
Ok, as per the advice of Ratatouille & CaneDog I've done the following before/after...

Before (that top tray is all Rocotos)

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And after (Anuums on top, blocking the highest concentration LED panels)

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There are two T-8 4-foot LED fixtures leaning on each side of the tent, loaded with 2 18-watt 5000 CCT tubes each. Bright, but no heat generated. The panels above are each +/- 300 watts. They DO generate some heat...

Let's see what goes here then...Thanks guys!
 
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