Stickman's 2013 Glog - Time To Pull The Plug on 2013

I'm pulling things together to get ready for my next growing season. I bought NuMex variety seeds from Sandia Seed company in New Mexico, Hot Paper Lantern Habaneros and Antohi Romanians from Johnny's Select Seeds in Maine and Korean varieties from Evergreen Seeds in California. Due to the unbelievable generosity of a number of THP members I've also gotten seeds to a wide variety of chiles from around the world. Special thanks to BootsieB, stc3248, romy6, PaulG, SoCalChilehead, joynershotpeppers, highalt, cmpman1974, smokemaster, mygrassisblue, Mister No, chewi, KingDenniz, orrozconleche and most recently and spectacularly, Habanerohead with a great selection of superhots and peppers from Hungary!

There are eleven varieties of Hungarian peppers in here, mostly the early, thick-fleshed, sweet ones that range from white through yellow to purple and red.., plus Aji Lemon Drop, BJ Indian Carbon, Naga Morich, Bishop's Crown and TS CARDI Yellow! Now I just have to go through my seed bank and match the space available to what I want to grow. Thanks Balázs!

 

[stc3248]

Great foodies Rick! Collard are a staple in my family as well. Turnip and Mustard greens following behind a close second and third! The Dawn Patrol never disappoints!

 

[Devv]

Wow Rick, great foodie there!
 
Plants aren't slouching neither!
 
I'm inhaling deeply to pull the cooler weather south!

 

[DocNrock]

Dude, that Moroccan chicken, collard greens and rice look like it was to die for!  And the plants don't look bad, either.
 
Seriously though, the plants are getting bigger everytime you show them.  Keep it up!

 

[stickman]

Man Rick, the garden is looking good but between you and Pia talking Collards now I gotta pick up some on the way home and get my Greens and Cornbread on. I'm totally on with the Smoked Ham Hocks. In my family we dice up some onion and Jalapenos and layer them Collards, Hocks, onion and Jap, till the pot's full. Of course that means having to push everything down in the pot a couple of times to get it all to fit let them simmer all day. Then the cook has to sample the "Pot Liquor" at times to make sure theyre cooking good.
 
Pia, I'd never heard of the baking soda trick but I'm gonna give it try, yes ma'am

Hi Bill
   I don't know why, but growers up here seem to grow Kale rather than Collards. Maybe it's because of its reputation as a heat tolerant vegetable... they must think that because of that it won't grow well in the north, but it's cold tolerant as well. I don't see any noticeable difference in taste between the two, and it makes a great "second stage" leafy vegetable to grow when it gets too hot to grow lettuce. Cheers guy!

Great foodies Rick! Collard are a staple in my family as well. Turnip and Mustard greens following behind a close second and third! The Dawn Patrol never disappoints!

 

Wow Rick, great foodie there!
 
Plants aren't slouching neither!
 
I'm inhaling deeply to pull the cooler weather south!

 

Dude, that Moroccan chicken, collard greens and rice look like it was to die for!  And the plants don't look bad, either.
 
Seriously though, the plants are getting bigger everytime you show them.  Keep it up!

 
Thanks guys! I dosed the runts with another shot of diluted fish emulsion, and they seem happier... definitely greening up and showing some signs of growth. The rest are about knee high and at least blossoming.

 

[stickman]

Dawn Patrol report for Thursday.
First the runts...

 
Scotch Bonnet

 
Butch T

 
The first pods set continue to grow fairly fast. I've gotta say, this one doesn't look much like a Mulato. Maybe a Chilaca?

 

 
Jalapeno Mucho Nacho.. this one's got a stinger

 
Jalapeno Zapotec

 
And that's 10 There's a few more if I get a bump...

 

[DocNrock]

...bump...

 

[stickman]

Thanks Doc!
 
The Urfa Biber is really starting to take off now.

 
Red Rocoto also

 
Manzano is really starting to sprawl

 
Antohi Romanian have grown about 3 inches, so they're pretty well established

 
And the last shot is of the Tomatillos Verde... These beasts have overtopped the tomato cages they're inside of and are beginning to pump out blooms like crazy.

 
Have a great Thursday all!

 

[DocNrock]

Looking great, Rick.  Happy to see you have a couple of pubes kickin' it up, too!

 

[annie57]

Yum! I taste salsa verde in ya near future, Rick! Love the stinger on that jal! And ya manzanos take up a doorway ! NICE! (And sunny! Rain here needs to like cease?)

 

[RocketMan]

Plants are looking great rick and wow, those tomatillos are going crazy, nice. Are you using the boards to hold down ground cloth or to define different ares in the garden or for a combination of reasons? I like how they define the different areas or your garden and look to give you a safe path to walk on too.
 
have a great day Brother

 

[highalt]

Things are coming along nicely for you!  Yeah, I don't think that's a Mulato Isleno.  It should be more poblano-ish.  I'll have to check mine next time I go to the community garden, but not sure if any of the blooms have set yet.  What is the one in the pic right below it? 

 

[KiNGDeNNiZ]

i guess we all have little runts.. ive removed a couple that had no signs of life.. and replaced with others... good work on that
manzano.. just be mindful they wil require to be tamed... will grow out... hope its got a 4ft radius of nothing around it.. otherwise youre gonna need to start staking it to grow a little more outwards

 

[Sanarda]

Beautiful pics and peppers. I boil my collards so they go from green to a darker green. Never really brown so my main reason for the baking soda is to tenderize. That is very interesting about why they use it in India. I didn't know they even ate collards in India. And RM, you should definitely try it

 

[stickman]

Thanks for the good vibes folks. I appreciate it!
 
 

 Rain here needs to like cease?)

 
I'll take a serving of that... I just planted more bush beans and the second round of radish seeds.

 Are you using the boards to hold down ground cloth or to define different ares in the garden or for a combination of reasons? I like how they define the different areas or your garden and look to give you a safe path to walk on too.

 
Hi Bill
   I like planting veggies in the square foot gardening method. The planks mark off 4x4 foot blocks and give me a walkway between blocks so I won't compact the soil by walking on it. It's so easy to dig in the garden that I don't need a roto-tiller, I just spade it over by hand.

 What is the one in the pic right below it?  (the not Mulato)

Hi Bonnie
   That would  be what Balázs called a "Tomato" Pepper. When red/ripe they look lobed and slightly flattened like like a miniature slicing Tomato. I'm not sure why, but here in the States they call them "Cheese" peppers. When ripe they have thick, sweet, crunchy flesh with no heat whatsoever. The Hungarians pick them when they're fully grown but still yellow, core and stuff, and then pickle them. He says Red Cabbage stuffing is popular over there, but I'd hold out for a stuffing of sliced ham and cheese.

 good work on that manzano.. just be mindful they wil require to be tamed... will grow out... hope its got a 4ft radius of nothing around it.. otherwise youre gonna need to start staking it to grow a little more outwards

Thanks for the heads-up DeNNiZ, I may have to move some of the plants near the Manzano then... they're only about a foot apart.

 

[scratchzilla]

That definitely Los nothing like the Mulato I grew last year. Exciting though.

 

[Devv]

Looking good Rick, They got they're feet planted and will do well, even the runts.
 
What's your feeding regimen?
 
And those tomatillos are really taking off, never have grown them, but love them in a green enchilada recipe.
 
Have a good one!

 

[Trippa]

looking great Rick ... how are the potted ones doing now??
 
Is that Hot Fish Pepper from the seeds I gave you or the ones Nee gave you??  Pity its on the grow slow bandwagon ... hopefully it finds its feet soon and then it should take off.

 

[stickman]

That definitely Los nothing like the Mulato I grew last year. Exciting though.

Hi Zack, welcome to the zoo! Yup, planting seeds from trades is like a box of chocolates...    It's not turning dark green like a Chilaca would about now, so it's probably a Cayenne-type or cross with one. Whatever variety it turns out to be will still be usable.

Looking good Rick, They got they're feet planted and will do well, even the runts.
 
What's your feeding regimen?
 
And those tomatillos are really taking off, never have grown them, but love them in a green enchilada recipe.
 
Have a good one!

Hi Scott,
   I spaded in Espoma Tomato-Tone and bonemeal as a base dressing before planting, and diluted Alaska fish emulsion every other week until they get at least a foot tall. I pinch off the flower buds until then as well. You should give growing Tomatillos a try... they're supposed to be drought tolerant and they grow wild in Northern Mexico. That would be a shoo-in for you in Tejas. Cheers!

looking great Rick ... how are the potted ones doing now??
 
Is that Hot Fish Pepper from the seeds I gave you or the ones Nee gave you??  Pity its on the grow slow bandwagon ... hopefully it finds its feet soon and then it should take off.

 
Hi Trippa
   Potted plants are looking great! They're actually taller than the ones in the ground ATM, and their leaf canopies have spread out more. I was able to take the pots inside during the last cold snap, so they kept a lot more of their flower buds too.
   I got the seeds for the Fish pepper from you. Nee sent some seeds from his Macedonian, but I wasn't able to get the few I planted to pop. Maybe next year! Cheers man!

Time once again for the Dawn Patrol report...
 
The overnight low temp. was 55 last night, and the long range forecast says it'll gradually creep up to around 60 this weekend, so I think we're out of the woods! The fringes of Hurricane Andrea are brushing up against us here. We had a gentle, soaking rain with no wind all of last night, and it should last through the day as well. I gave the potted plants a shot of diluted fish emulsion yesterday so they'd be able to get some of it before it started to rain. 
 
Maya Red Hab

 
Yellow 7

 
Douglah

 
Criolla Sella... One of the pods is nearly ripe... I can't wait to try it!

 
The second Hungarian Tomato pepper is bigger than the first to begin flowering, and it's starting to bloom

 
So is this Kapia

 
The largest of the Chilhuacle Negro pods

 
And a gratuitous "Non" shot... the Korean Hobak squash

 
Have a great weekend all!

 

[WalkGood]

Moroccan chicken kebabs … holy master chef podmon … looks yummy!!! Amazing how good your plants look and keep growing with your overnight lows of 45, dat just slows down my plants when it’s like dat here. I see lots of pods, you’re going to have a bumper crop mon … have a great Friday & weekend Rick y familia!!!

 

[megamoo]

Looking good
I grew an Antohi Romanian this season and it didn't do too well (my fault) but I did get one green late pod, which had a bug in it.  But if you didn't know you'd swear it was a small tomato.  I'm interested to see you get some good ripe ones and see what they are like.